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Lionesses of Africa

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(212) 634-4540
The Pride of Africa's Women Entrepreneurs

the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs

Lionesses of Africa

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Essential Read: The Launch Book: Motivational Stories to Launch Your Idea, Business or Next Career by Sanyin Siang

February 10, 2019 Melanie Hawken
Sanyin Siang

Sanyin Siang

Every launch is a change from the status quo that generates uncertainty, fears of failure, and self doubt. But launches can and should inspire.The Launch book by Sanyin Siang draws on first hand stories from industry leaders and serial launchers. It weaves together wisdom and reflective exercises with authenticity and passion. Readers will find this a thoughtful and relatable guide to help them succeed with their practical launch journeys.



Whether we are exploring a new idea, new career, or new endeavour, we encounter self-doubt, fear of failure and risks and these can hold us back from taking the next step. In The Launch Book, Sanyin Siang draws on her vast experience of behavioural economics, psychology, and self-leadership principles, to create a series of practical strategies and exercises that will give you a jumpstart and position you for success immediately after launch. It also draws on ideas such as turning failures into brilliant mistakes, and many more. Short, sharp, snappy and impactful. This book makes any launch achievable.

Author quotes

What is a launch? Whether it’s about starting a new habit or a new business, what is inherent in every launch is change. It’s change from the progression of the current path into a newly imagined one. It’s change from the status quo. That’s why launches can be energetic - and also why they can also be so hard to initiate.

A key mindset is to approach any launch process as a discovery process. The outcome is not always controllable, but you can control the inputs. And what you learn in the process can be the foundation for a future launch.

No successful launch is ever done in a silo. Everyone needs emotional support, advice, feedback, championship, thought-partnership, and the ability to shape ideas for improvement and relevance. Not all of these can be found in one person. They need to be built with a tribe of people you can trust. 

I can’t promise that the outcome of reading this book will lead you to a successful launch. But I can promise that the concepts, stories and questions in this book will enable you to be more reflective and position you more ably for a positive experience and outcome. 

About the author

Sanyin Siang is on a mission to discover and enable greatness in others. Whether it in her work as a CEO coach, as an educator, startup advisor, author, she teaches individuals and organizations find the champions within themselves and then gives them the tools to keep on winning. Sanyin co-founded and leads Duke University's Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics at its Fuqua School of Business and a professor with Duke's Pratt School of Engineering. The center is a leadership laboratory that convenes think tank gatherings across sectors to explore today’s complex leadership challenges. Sanyin has worked with 4 Star Generals, world-class CEOs, athletes, and Nobel laureates. Her ideas on leading innovation, storytelling, culture in an age of disruption, and sports business have been featured in NYTimes, Fortune, Forbes, and the Wall Street Journal. She is named 2 years in a row to LinkedIn’s Top 20 Global Influencer Voices (2017 & 2018). She is member of the 86th Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, the Department of Defense’s oldest civilian program. Her book - The Launch Book: Motivational Stories for Launching Your Idea, Business, or Next Career, which inspires readers through stories of different leaders and gives them an action plan for leveraging change using behavioral science concepts. She is also an Advisor for GV (Google Ventures) and Sports Innovation Lab, a Faculty with Storylab at Duke, and serves on the boards of the Emily K Center and NC Museum of Life & Science.

www.linkedin.com/in/sanyin


Why LoA loves it….

So often, both established and aspirant women entrepreneurs have great ideas but they often struggle to turn those ideas into practical new business concepts, products or services. In her new book, Sanyin Siang provides a refreshing look at how to get over the inertia, battle the confidence demons, and just launch. By using practical examples from others sharing their own experiences, this is not just a how-to-launch book but rather an inspirational and practical coaching guide to get you over the hump and into launch mode. It’s a real must-read for anyone who is just bursting to turn their idea into reality. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and ceo of Lionesses of Africa

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Tech FoundHER AFRICA CHALLENGE

MEET THE 10 FINALISTS — We look forward to announcing the winning women founders on 19 November 2025.


CELEBRATING 10 YEARS


LATEST PODCASTS

Lioness Radio Show Interview: Listen to Mr Jules Ngankam, Group Chief Executive Officer of the African Guarantee Fund, discussing the journey from Bias to Bankable - AGF’s Case for Financing Women Entrepreneurs.

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LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
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Dr. Phindi Cebekhulu-Msomi, an agripreneur focused on climate-smart solutions
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Retang Phaahla, a pioneer for South Africa’s indigenous teas
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Dr Margaret Kemigisha, a publishing entrepreneur passionate about childrens’ literacy

IMAGE OF THE DAY. CELEBRATING WOMAN MADE IN AFRICA.

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Statement lighting… from Dounia Home, the home of innovative, handcrafted and ethically made Moroccan lighting and home decor founded by Dounia Tamri-Loeper. Her company designs, produces and brings to market hi
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Sustainable Home Decor…If you want to make a statement with your interior design and home decor, and at the same make a contribution to supporting eco-friendly enterprise, then these unique decor pieces from Qu
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Silk Sensation…Nothing is quite as luxurious as silk, that’s why we love the ‘Africa on Silk’ collections from Eki, founded by Hazel Eki Osunde. Eki is known for its signature soft silks and ethereal c
Image of the Day / ‘57 Chocolate

Bean to bar luxury chocolate… Taste the difference with the finest chocolate lovingly produced by ‘57 Chocolate, the pioneer bean to bar chocolate manufacturer in Ghana, created by sisters Kimberle
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Beautiful bracelets… Introducing The Aruba Bracelets by Katherine-Mary Pichulik, the founder and designer behind the Pichulik line of accessories. Pichulik is an ethical jewellery, accessories and womenswear atelie
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Luxury statement accessories…We are big fans of luxury jewellery and accessories made with love and passion on the African continent, and Adèle Dejak in Kenya is the epitome of handmade luxury. The
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Traditional craft elevated…We love the impact-driven accessories created by Márcia Nangy O’Connell, founder and artistic director of Dathonga Designs in Mozambique. Since 2010, she has establis Image of the Day / Dounia Home

Statement lighting… from Dounia Home, the home of innovative, handcrafted and ethically made Moroccan lighting and home decor founded by Dounia Tamri-Loeper. Her company designs, produces and brings to market hi Image of the Day / Mash. T Design Studio

Award-winning furniture design…We are big fans of talented South African designer Thabisa Mjo, founder of Mash. T Design Studio in Johannesburg, and these fabulous side tables are firm customer favouri Image of the Day / Quazi Design

Sustainable Home Decor…If you want to make a statement with your interior design and home decor, and at the same make a contribution to supporting eco-friendly enterprise, then these unique decor pieces from Qu Image of the Day / Eki

Silk Sensation…Nothing is quite as luxurious as silk, that’s why we love the ‘Africa on Silk’ collections from Eki, founded by Hazel Eki Osunde. Eki is known for its signature soft silks and ethereal c Image of the Day / ‘57 Chocolate

Bean to bar luxury chocolate… Taste the difference with the finest chocolate lovingly produced by ‘57 Chocolate, the pioneer bean to bar chocolate manufacturer in Ghana, created by sisters Kimberle Image of the Day / Kebe Home

Handcrafted home decor …We are big fans of the work of Manuela Kamadjou, an interior architecture and design entrepreneur who transforms homes and spaces in Cameroon through her business, Kebe Home. Her new Echo V Image of the Day / Pichulik

Beautiful bracelets… Introducing The Aruba Bracelets by Katherine-Mary Pichulik, the founder and designer behind the Pichulik line of accessories. Pichulik is an ethical jewellery, accessories and womenswear atelie Image of the Day / Eva Sonaike

Vibrant textile design…This striking textile design by Eva Sonaike caught our eye this morning. Like the rest of the world, we love the African aesthetic which is increasingly finding its way into global interio Image of the Day / Adèle Dejak

Luxury statement accessories…We are big fans of luxury jewellery and accessories made with love and passion on the African continent, and Adèle Dejak in Kenya is the epitome of handmade luxury. The

STARTUP STORIES. MEET THE WOMEN WHO’VE LAUNCHED.

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Built on Purpose: Discover Your Deep Inner Why and Manifest the Business of Your Dreams by Betsy Fore
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Dream Big and Win: Translating Passion into Purpose and Creating a Billion-Dollar Business by Liz Elting
After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup by Julia Austin
After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup by Julia Austin

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