LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
GAIA AFRICA, the premier private members Business Club dedicated to serving Africa’s top 5% of female decision-makers
Olatowun Candide-Johnson is the founder of GAIA AFRICA, Africa’s premier private members Business Club dedicated to serving the continent’s top 5% of female-decision makers through specially curated activities, learning, partnerships, collaborations, advisory services, peer-to-peer mentorship, and small group events. Olatowun is a lawyer with 30+ years’ experience in corporate and commercial law and in business development and governance of multinational corporations. During her time at the Total Group, she worked in different divisions including three years in the New Business Division in the Paris HQ. Before taking early retirement, she held the combined roles of General Counsel, Executive General Manager, Management Services Division and Chief Compliance Officer for the Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria. In 2016, she obtained a TRIUM Global Executive MBA. In 2018, she founded Gaia Africa which today has 50 employees.
Lioness Weekender spoke to Olatowun Candide-Johnson about her mission to contribute to the socio-economic growth and transformation of Africa by empowering women to organize around the principles of female leadership and participation in business.
What does your company do?
GAIA AFRICA is the continent’s premier private members Business Club dedicated to serving Africa’s top 5% of female-decision makers through specially curated activities, learning, partnerships, collaborations, advisory services, peer-to-peer mentorship, and small group events.
We offer our members a myriad of benefits: an executive academy for refresher and new learning; a board talent programme which through our partners we promote our members to boards; mastermind groups which act as personal advisory groups for members, particularly those seeking to transition from corporate to entrepreneurship and vice versa; specially curated events that bring women together to connect, do business and form valuable networks; mini clubs which are shared interest groups to build trust amongst members and help them bond; investment clubs; a business dining club focused specifically on boosting participation in business and collaborations; and a 3 story luxury club house called GAIA House, equipped with meeting rooms, members lounge, a facial and massage room, fitness studio, a steam room, private function rooms and Gaby Lagos an upscale restaurant offering Mediterranean and evolved fusion cuisine.
We are more than just a members’ club for women, we empower women to organize around the principles of female leadership and participation in business.
What inspired you to start your company?
I found from my interactions and experience that women, whilst connecting and bonding on many levels, were not connecting for business. I realized that one of the problems was the fact that even when women knew each other socially, they didn’t actually know what their acquaintances did for a living. How then can you discuss or pass business to one another? The other issue is that many women (generally) were socialized to compete not collaborate. So, connecting, building relationships, and growing trust are essential for any actual business to take place. This idea of regularly connecting to build relationships and ultimately trust is the reason that we have the club house. When there’s trust, magic happens.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Women! When women come together, they can achieve anything. As mentioned above, until recently, women rarely collaborated in business. This is beginning to change and as GAIA is unique in its focus to bring female decision-makers together to facilitate business connections and expand their financial bottom lines, this makes GAIA special. We have created a safe space in which our members build relationships, trust, unearth synergies, support one another, collaborate, and partner in business, deals and investments in a nurturing and authentic environment.
We are guided by our Honor Code: Integrity | Mutual Trust | Authenticity.
Tell us a little about your team
GAIA AFRICA has a small, dedicated core team of 10 staff, 70% of which are female, who handle the key functions of the company. The rest of its staff strength (40 staff), 50% of which are women, is dedicated to Club House operations.
Its all-female management team consists of the CEO/ Founder, Olatowun Candide-Johnson, a lawyer and Trium Executive MBA holder with thirty+ years’ experience in corporate and commercial law and in business development and governance of multinational corporations; the Business Development Manager, Mena Imasekha, a graduate of Imperial College London with over 9 years of experience in strategy, covering partnerships, businesses development and corporate strategy; and the Executive Chef, Mercy Croffie, a professional chef and food stylist, with a passion for food, holding a diploma in both culinary and pastry art, who oversees Gaby Lagos, a Mediterranean and evolved fusion restaurant located in the GAIA's Luxury 3 story Club House, GAIA House.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I come from a family of lawyers and judges on both sides. But I have always wanted to run something of my own, however was never really confident to start without having the tools and necessary knowledge with which to do it. I did some buying and selling but that was just for fun. In thinking about my next phase after Corporate, I put a plan in action to go to business school, understand, learn, and activate. During the second module of my EMBA I knew that there was no going back! The case studies were a source of inspiration and challenge, and the learning from classmates invaluable. And so I started my entrepreneurial journey about 6 months after I completed my EMBA and straight after I took early retirement.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
To expand GAIA across the continent. In the next 10 years I hope to see GAIA in at least 4 other African cities, catering to more female-decision makers and emerging leaders. Bringing more women together for impact and ultimately to contribute to the socio-economic growth and transformation of Africa by empowering women to organize around the principles of female leadership and participation in business.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
First of all that I could actually visualize something and see it come to pass. Secondly the fact that it gives me the ability to provide employment, to build a team that I can nurture and see bloom. Thirdly, that it opens me up to so many other possibilities and opportunities. Now I understand how people become serial entrepreneurs. It’s a challenging yet exciting space to be in.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
“If your dreams do not scare you, they're not big enough” - President Johnson Sirleaf. And this is the truth. Think BIG! Plan and action. Then visualize day to day (I would literally walk through the club house in my head, in my sleep.. and now I’m beginning to visualize the next club in another city).
Stay razor focused and shut out the naysayers. When you hear NO, and you will hear many No’s, take it on the chin, learn from what they say and move on.
Expect help from unexpected quarters. When your friends don’t help, don’t be discouraged, try not to be offended – they didn’t exactly tell you to start the business did they? Those who will support will support but ultimately it is in your hands.
Being an entrepreneur can be a very lonely place and the journey scary. If you find someone that shares your vision has diverse skills, and is willing to join you in the venture, then you are lucky – you will have someone to bounce ideas around with and someone to share the work.
Remain Agile. Test !! and be ready to Pivot . Go for it. Bon Courage !!
To find out more about GAIA AFRICA and the work of Olatowun Candide-Johnson, send an email to: bizops@gaiaafricaclub.com or visit the website: http://gaiaafricaclub.com or social media platforms:
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gaiaafricaclub/
YouTube or Vimeo Video: https://vimeo.com/723253701/a284ec10fd - GAIA WOMEN Dubai Visit
https://vimeo.com/761888721/fec7c73f89 - GAIA WOMEN Bordeaux Visit
