Yoadan Tilahun, an entrepreneur turning eventing passion into profit

August 21, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Flawless Events, an award-winning market-leader transforming Ethiopia’s events industry

Yoadan Tilahun is the founder and CEO of Flawless Events in Ethiopia, a company specializing in conceptualizing, organizing, and executing corporate and government events. Yoadan is a seasoned entrepreneur and award-winning business leader who has transformed Ethiopia's events industry. She founded the business in Ethiopia in 2008, turning her passion that was ignited in 2004 in Washington, DC into a successful business on the continent. Flawless Events employs 14 staff with the majority of young women. Yoadan has an MBA in International Business, is fluent in three languages, is married to a supportive husband, and is raising three sons.

Fatima Babakura, a luxury accessory brand-builder in Nigeria

August 14, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Timabee Inc, an accessory brand that redefines luxury in Africa and beyond

Fatima Babakura is the founder, chief executive officer and designer of Timabee, an accessories brand that “redefines luxury in Africa and beyond”. Timabee is a premium women’s accessories brand. Fatima started Timabee at the age of 19 and it has since grown to become a global brand with customers all over the world. Fatima holds a BSc Honours Commerce degree from Canada’s prestigious McMaster University. Fatima has won many awards which include being acknowledged as one of Nigeria’s Top 100 Most Inspiring Women, WEF’s Iconic Woman in 2017, and has been nominated for prestigious awards like Forbes 30 under 30 in 2022. Fatima launched the business in 2013.

Lalita Purbhoo-Junggee, a sustainability focused social entrepreneur making an impact

August 7, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Eco Hustle, a business focused on innovation, sustainability and recycling in Mauritius

Lalita Purbhoo-Junggee is a social entrepreneur and award-winning business leader, and the founder and director of Eco Hustle in Mauritius, a business focused on innovation, sustainability and recycling. Lalita studied business entrepreneurship at UNISA and the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame and, she is currently pursuing her MBA. She’s a member at the Obama Foundation, serving as country coordinator and she also chairs on the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) regional committee as Sustainable Coordinator. Lalita is a multi-award winner in the entrepreneurship field on the African continent and her accolades include: Seedstar winner for “Recycle Moi Africa” project, May 2022; listed among the 100 Most Influential Young Africans by the African Union Youth Program 2019; Winner of Africa most innovative idea - VivaTech 2019, Paris; National winner & Coup de Coeur Feminin; Total Startupper 2018/19; Women In Africa laureate for Innovative Start up 2018; National & Regional Winner for the 2018 Pan African Awards, SME Sector. On a personal level, she is a mother of three - two girls Elya 1 and Rya 9 and, a boy, Anshwyn, 13. Lalita is also wife to creative entrepreneur and young political activist, Nazeem Junggee.

Rudo Kumirai, an education change-maker in Zimbabwe

July 31, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Helena Schools, a trendsetting business making high quality education accessible to Zimbabwe’s children

Rudo Kumirai is a lawyer by profession, an educational entrepreneur and the founding CEO of a private educational group, Helena Schools, which was founded in 2010 in Zimbabwe. She has 11 years’ experience in banking and financial services, and has worked in various senior management positions in Southern Africa, having served as the Managing Director of a Micro-bank in Zambia, and a Corporate and Legal Advisor for the Botswana IFSC. Rudo is the Chairperson of Youth Bank, Empowerbank, serving as one of the youngest, female board chairpersons in a bank. Rudo founded the first leadership development curriculum for preschool and primary school, and has won several awards in recognition for her work including Ashoka Change Maker School Nominee, Young African Leadership Initiative Business Award, and Zimbabwe National Chamber for Commerce ZNCC Award for Outstanding Educational Institution, and Megafast Business Award. She is involved in various youth mentorship programs for pre-teens and teenagers from orphaned and vulnerable backgrounds. Her goal is to use education to empower the current generation to be relevant change-makers.

Alcinda Cumba Durão, an interior design entrepreneur transforming client spaces

July 24, 2022 Melanie Hawken

IZHA Interior Design, Limitada, a specialist business turning interior spaces into live/work sanctuaries in Mozambique

Alcinda Cumba Durão, or Isa as she is known, is the founder and executive director of two companies, namely, IZHA Interior Design and JD&D Group in Mozambique, which is currently a 6 people team. Both of her companies represent her life motto: “Explore your full potential and be whoever you want to be”. She’s been a Lawyer by profession for 7 years, with over 10 years of experience working in the corporate sector and administrative services. She has a mentoring program for helping adolescents and young adults on their professional journey and also has a passion for interior design and decided to finally pursue her dreams.

Carla Frankel, a South African luxury sleepwear brand builder

July 10, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Top Drawer Collection, a luxury South African personalized sleepwear brand celebrating self-love

Carla Frankel is the founder and CEO of luxury sleep and ready-to-wear brand Top Drawer Collection in South Africa. She is a creative entrepreneur and award-winning, Forbes-listing business leader who loves business, fashion, food and travel. Carla’s inclination for luxury experiences is expressed through her love of timeless design, high-end materials and her endless love affair with the “finer details”. Within 3 years of founding Top Drawer Collection, which was launched in October 2018, the brand has stylishly and effortlessly stolen the hearts of South Africa’s elite, as well as uplifted the talented women from her local community who make up her female dominated team. At the mere age of 29, Carla has built a global brand and shown a resilience of spirit in fulfilling her dreams, no matter the circumstances.

Adanne Uche, a pioneer of healthy food processing in Nigeria

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Adanne Uche, Founder & CEO, Ady's Agro Processing Limited (Nigeria)

Ady's Agro Processing Limited, a food processing business in Nigeria providing families with healthier cooking ingredients.

Adanne Uche is the Founder/CEO of Ady's Agro Processing Limited formerly known as Ady's Food Mart, a food processing and packaging business based in Lagos, Nigeria, that is focused on providing families with healthier cooking ingredients in Nigeria, Africa and the world where African dishes are appreciated. Having 2 failed businesses, she founded Ady's in 2016 from her kitchen and no structure to a now globally recognized brand, that empowers and motivates both the young and old generation. She is a seasoned and resilient entrepreneur who despite the harsh business terrain have stood the test of time.

Jane Maigua, Kenya’s macadamia nut agri-processing pioneer

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Exotic EPZ, a Kenyan macadamia nuts processing and export company supporting smallholder farmers

Jane Maigua is the CEO of Exotic EPZ, a macadamia nuts processing and export company based in Nairobi Kenya. The company was restarted in 2017 under Jane's leadership and has grown its supply of high quality nuts from Netherlands to a growing customer base in USA, Spain, Germany, Italy and China. Jane has two business partners, Charity Ndegwa and Loise Maina, and together they have established the only solely woman-owned processing and export company in the macadamia value chain in East Africa. Exotic EPZ employs over 100 workers giving them a decent employment, and it sources its raw nuts from over 5000 small holder farmers. Of the company’s workers, 85% are women and 75% are youth. Exotic EPZ’s commitment to environmental sustenance has been demonstrated in its use of solar power to run its processing factory and recycling of shells as boiler fuel, in addition to use of energy efficient processing systems. Currently the company is launching a campaign for planting of macadamia trees as a source of income as well as for carbon sequestration.

Theddy Ladislaus, an impact driven business builder in Tanzania

June 19, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Untold Global Limited, a pan-African group with interests in Healthcare, Agriculture, ICT and Strategic Communication.

Ms. Theddy Ladislaus is the Founder and Managing partner of Untold Global Ltd, a pan-African group of companies with interests in Healthcare, Agriculture, ICT and Strategic Communication. She is synonymous for having devised high impact business & governance strategies aimed at solving socio-economic issues in a number of markets and communities. She is a leader with a long track record which goes back to her teenage years where she served as the youngest member of the parliament in 2014 under the 4th President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Her passion for policy and governance have earned her a place on the global stage where she have participated in the formation and development of governance strategies in the youth sector.

Paula de Morais, a dynamic Angolan entrepreneur passionate about health

June 12, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Paula Cristina Cardoso de Morais, founder, Centro de Fisioterapia Ana Carolina (Angola)

Centro de Fisioterapia Ana Carolina, a centre of excellence in physical and mental rehabilitation in Angola

Dynamic, resilient, proactive, and determined, Paula Cristina Cardoso de Morais, founder of Centro de Fisioterapia Ana Carolina in Angola, is an entrepreneur of recognized merit. Inspired by the health condition of her daughter and believing in the power of overcoming, Paula is focused on making her contribution to the humanization and evolution of health services in her country, with a particular impact on special children and their families.

Michele Carelse, a passion-driven holistic health entrepreneur in South Africa

May 29, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Feelgood Health, a growing online health store on a mission to promote natural and organic products

Michele Carelse is the founder and ceo of Feelgood Health, an online health store in South Africa. She originally qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in 1992 and ran a private practice for many years. Here, she saw the need for natural alternatives to prescription drugs. Initially a small range, Feelgood Health, which was started in 1998, grew exponentially to an online health store with thousands of natural and organic holistic health, beauty and lifestyle products, all 100% natural, environmentally friendly and cruelty free! Today, the business employs 14 people. Michele has three adult children, three grandchildren and lives in Cape Town with her partner.

Zainab Ashadu, a Nigerian entrepreneur building a renowned handbag brand

May 22, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Zashadu, an award-winning luxury and sustainable handbag design and manufacturing business in Nigeria

Zainab Ashadu is the founder and Creative Director of Zashadu Ltd, a renowned handbag brand founded in 2010 in Nigeria, a business which today employs 20 people. She is a seasoned entrepreneur and award winning Creative. Zainab’s business is focused on creating beautiful handcrafted, design led handbags in a slow and sustainable way. Her bags have are retailed internationally and have been worn by notable and powerful leaders such as Beyonce, and Chimamanda Adichie. In 2022, Zainab she was recognized by the Lagos State Government as one of the state’s 100 most influential women. She is also the founder of Harmonious Whole, a wellness and Intuitive Energy Healing enterprise set up in 2022.

Yvette Tetteh, a Ghanaian entrepreneur building an impact driven agribusiness

May 14, 2022 Melanie Hawken

The Pure and Just Company, trading under the Yvaya Farm brand of tropical dried fruit, adds value to Ghana’s agribusiness sector

A Stanford University graduate, Yvette Tetteh is the co-founder and ceo of the Pure and Just Company, a rural-urban business transforming fresh fruit into natural, tropical dried fruit products. Yvette brings analytical thinking and academic rigour to team leadership and business development in the business which, founded in 2018, today employs 18 local people. In 5 years she has raised over US$170k in various personal and business awards and grants. Born and raised internationally, Yvette moved to her native Ghana in 2015. Her passion is to catalyse African potential in order to help create a world where all Africans have the economic capacity to achieve their dreams.

Evelyn Kaingu, a Zambian fintech champion empowering women and business

May 8, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Evelyn Kaingu, Co-Founder and CEO, Lupiya (Zambia)

Lupiya, an innovative fintech business in Zambia building inclusive and accessible financial solutions

Evelyn Kaingu is the Co-Founder and CEO of Lupiya, a Zambian fintech providing financial solutions for individuals and businesses in Zambia. Evelyn is an award-winning young leader whose selfless belief in people drives her to innovate solutions that are people centric. Her ideas are well-placed in considering small enterprise and technology as enablers and measurements of economic progress in Africa. She has first-handedly designed products with very few resources and built Lupiya to be a million-dollar business. Launched in 2016, today Lupiya employs 20 people. Evelyn is one of the 50 founders selected for Google’s prestigious inaugural Black Founders Fund in Africa.

Tutuwa Ahwoi, a Ghanaian beauty brand-builder empowering women

May 1, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Nokware Skincare, a modern day, sustainable, African skincare company

Tutuwa Ahwoi is the 31 year old founder and CEO of Nokware Skincare. She was born in Accra, Ghana where she currently resides. She founded the business in 2017. Today, Nokware is a modern day African skincare company that has 11 female employees, 8 product lines (and counting) and a successful event gifting business.

Lauren Anderson, a passion-driven entrepreneur making learning accessible

April 24, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Koa Academy, a South African online learning business helping children learn and fulfill their potential

Lauren Anderson is the co-founder and CEO of Koa Academy Online School in South Africa. She founded the business with her husband in January 2021 and today it employs 21 people. Her background is in nursing and health systems, which she credits to teaching her much needed skills in the startup world. Lauren is driven to provide high quality education that is easily accessible and engaging, while creating a work culture for staff that is inspiring and conducive to growth.

Chilufya Mutale, building a Pan African Challenger Bank for SMEs

April 17, 2022 Melanie Hawken

PremierCredit, a Zambian fintech platform supporting women entrepreneurs and small scale traders

Chilufya Mutale is the Co-Founder and CEO of PremierCredit, an online microlending and investment platform operating in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Since 2019 PremierCredit has been offering micro loans in Zambia, supporting local entrepreneurs and small scale traders, many of whom are women, increasing their access to capital and the ability to grow their businesses. With the support of its partner banks in Zimbabwe, PremierCredit provides affordable bicycles, smart phones and solar equipment to underserved communities across Zimbabwe. PremierCredit is the first mover on the Zambian market to offer Peer to Peer lending, a platform that connects Investors to borrowers. The company currently employs 60 people.

Heleen Henriques, a design focused furniture sales business builder

April 10, 2022 Melanie Hawken

MOBI Lda, a home and office furniture solutions business for the Mozambican market

Heleen Henriques has the title of Financial Director at MOBI, and being one of the co-founders, she has a hand in most parts of the business operation. She has an architectural degree from the University of Cape Town where she met her husband, Sérgio, who is her partner in business and in life. In 2006 she left South Africa for Sérgio’s native Mozambique, learned Portuguese and slowly assimilated the new culture. With him she co-founded architectural firm Estúdio Quatro Arquitectos in 2007 and MOBI Lda. In 2011. Most recently Heleen led MOBI’s successful bid in Standard Bank’s competition “Acelere o seu Negócio” which has a cash investment and mentorship program as prize. MOBI is a job creator and employs 18 people in the business.

Gwendolyn Mahuma-Madida, a visionary in South Africa’s infrastructure sector

April 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Mahuma Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd, a South African investment business with interests in steel and infrastructure

Gwendolyn Mahuma-Madida is the CEO and founder of Mahuma Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd, otherwise known as MIH, a South African based investment company with interests in the steel and Infrastructure sectors. Gwen is equipped with an entrepreneurial spirit which has helped her in building a portfolio of investments in line with her vision of becoming a major player in the infrastructure sector by being a supplier and manufacturer of steel and concrete products to the rail, civils and general infrastructure sector.

Jihan Abass, a Kenyan innovator in digital insurance

March 27, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Lami Technologies, democratizing insurance and helping improve the lives of millions in Africa

Jihan Abass is the founder and ceo of Lami Technologies, a game-changing B2B2C Insurance-as-a-Service platform and API. She grew up in Mombasa, Kenya and started out her career in finance as a commodities trader in London, trading on the New York and London sugar markets. After that short stint in finance, Jihan set up Lami with the aim of increasing insurance penetration in the developing world. She has an undergraduate degree in finance from Bayes Business School and an MBA from the University of Oxford. She started Lami Technologies in 2018 and today it employs 48 people.

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