Quote of the Day by Tabitha Karanja

March 22, 2016 Melanie Hawken

“We have fought countless battles and we seemed to have sunk at times, but true to the word we believed we could make it, we rose above the barricades and the story is now told of how we made it and won the war.”

- Tabitha Karanja is founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries. She is one of Kenya's leading entrepreneurs, a remarkable trailblazer and an example of a woman made good against all the odds. Tabitha chose to venture where none before her had dared. She took on an 87-year-old business monopoly and entered an industry with a deeply entrenched male gender stereotype. Tabitha broke the mould to become Kenya’s first home-grown beer and alcoholic drink manufacturer. Today, her company's state-of-the-art factory produces 10,000 bottles of gin and ready-to-drink vodka, as well as 15,000 bottles of beer per hour.

Quote of the Day from Lindiwe Zulu

March 21, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Lindiwe Zulu, Small Business Development Minister, South Africa — **Lindiwe Zulu**, Small Business Development Minister, South Africa

"Small and Medium enterprises have got an important role to play in the economic transformation of our economy and in particular for women because once women have economic independence then they are able to take the right decisions even more for their families and for society in general,”

- Lindiwe Zulu is the Small Business Development Minister in South Africa. She is Member of the ANC Women's League NEC. Zulu returned from exile in 1992 having lived in Tanzania, Uganda and Angola. She did military training in Angola while with the Pan Africanist Women's Organisation. She holds a Master of Arts degree.

Quote of the Day by Deola Sagoe

March 18, 2016 Melanie Hawken

"We don't need aid, we need partnerships. We cannot continue to be a beggar nation. I have always believed you shouldn't give the man the fish, but teach the man how to fish and he will be able to take care of himself and others."

- Deola Sagoe, leading lady of African fashion, is a haute couture fashion designer from Ondo State in Nigeria. Deola has been at the cutting edge of high fashion since 1989 and became the first black woman to present a collection at AltaRoma, Rome’s celebrated fashion week, back in 2004. Her "globally appealing" style has earned her an enviable clientèle that ranges from Africa's first ladies, to society girls like Lydia Hearst, top model Alek Wek, and famous personalities such as Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith.

Quote of the Day by Tabitha Karanja

March 10, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Tabitha Karanja founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries — Tabitha Karanja founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries

"I’m a leader who happens to be a woman. When people look at me, they don’t see me as a woman; they see me as an entrepreneur."

- Tabitha Karanja is founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries. She is one of Kenya's leading entrepreneurs, a remarkable trailblazer and an example of a woman made good against all the odds. Tabitha chose to venture where none before her had dared. She took on an 87-year-old business monopoly and entered an industry with a deeply entrenched male gender stereotype. Tabitha broke the mould to become Kenya’s first home-grown beer and alcoholic drink manufacturer. Today, her company's state-of-the-art production facility is targeting 20% of the Kenyan market.

Quote of the Day by Julian Adyeri Omalla

March 3, 2016 Melanie Hawken

"I am delighted when I employ people and see them work and educate their children. I encourage my employees to develop themselves, to save money, buy land and build houses for themselves."

- Julian Adyeri Omalla is one of Uganda's top female entrepreneurs. She is founder, chairperson and managing director of Delight Uganda Limited, producing the country's most popular fruit drink sold under the brand name 'Cheers'. Julian has diversified into a range of other business activities, including egg and poultry farming, maize-feed production, a flour mill and bakery, a student hostel for 400, as well as coordinating women’s farmer cooperatives that provide food aid into Sudan. Today, Julian employs over 1,000 Ugandans and exports to countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan and Zaire.

Quote of the Day from Dr. Victoria Kisyombe

February 22, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Dr. Victoria Kisyombe, founder of SELFINA (Tanzania) — **Dr. Victoria Kisyombe**, founder of SELFINA (Tanzania)

"I have seen the enormous impact a small investment can make in the life of a woman. And it doesn’t stop there — from one modest lease, a woman can create dozens of jobs, touching the lives of dozens more."

- Victoria Kisyombe founded SELFINA in 2002 and pioneered micro-credit in Tanzania through micro-leasing with a focus on widows and young girls. Victoria helped women overcome many of the traditional stumbling blocks that made it difficult for them to own land and assets. SELFINA has gone on to economically empower more than 25,000 women with a total credit worth 25 billion Tanzanian Shillings (approximately $16 million US dollars). Over 200,000 lives have been impacted through the benefits accrued.

Quote of the Day Anthea Ambursley

February 18, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Anthea Ambursley, founder of Anansi (South Africa) — **Anthea Ambursley**, founder of Anansi (South Africa)

"From a very young age I have realised that the only freedom you will have one day is to work for yourself and you can make a huge impact."

- Anthea Ambursley is the founder of Anansi in South Africa. Anthea is a mother, wife and phenomenal award-winning business woman and motivational speaker. She is the proud winner of several business awards.

Quote of the Day by Irene Ochem

February 17, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Irene Ochem, founder of ICO Conferences & Events Limited (Nigeria) — **Irene Ochem**, founder of ICO Conferences & Events Limited (Nigeria)

"These are exciting times for Africa, it is not mere rhetoric of Africa Rising; so much is really happening and so much is changing."

- Irene Ochem is the founder of African Women Innovation and Enterprise Forum (AWIEF) and the Managing Director of ICO Conferences & Events Limited, a full-service professional conference producing, event management and training company that operates across Africa and globally. Irene holds an MBA from the University of London.

Quote of the Day by Ayoronke Tosin-Yeye

February 16, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Ayoronke Tosin-Yeye, founder of IMentorAfrica (Nigeria) — **Ayoronke Tosin-Yeye**, founder of IMentorAfrica (Nigeria)

"As a social entrepreneur, my greatest reward is in seeing people become happier, better and more successful because of my service."

- Ayoronke Tosin-Yeye is the founder of IMentorAfrica in Nigeria, a virtual platform for Africans to LinkUp and share the gift of “Mentorship”. This Nigerian-based Social entrepreneur and Human Resources and Business Strategist is on a mission to ensure that anyone who is willing and able to Mentor, or anyone who has a need to be Mentored, can find a platform to make it a reality.

Quote of the Day by Marcia Mofokeng

February 15, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Marcia Mofokeng, founder of Alurcia Aluminium and Glass (South Africa)

"They did it, I'm doing it, you can do it, you will do it!"

- Marcia Mofokeng is the founder of Alurcia Aluminium and Glass in South Africa, a manufacturer and installer of customised aluminium windows and doors to both residential and commercial customers. After completing both the New Venture Creation and Metal Engineering learnership programmes offered by Wispeco, Marcia started out in business in 2011. Marcia went on to win grant funding from the SAB Kickstart competition and this provided the help she needed to get all the equipment and tools required to operate her business.

Quote of the Day by Juliana Rotich

February 11, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Juliana Rotich, technologist and social entrepreneur (Kenya) — **Juliana Rotich,** technologist and social entrepreneur (Kenya)

"Passion makes you approach a task with childlike pleasure and zeal - it ensures that you give it your all."

- Juliana Rotich is a Technologist, MIT Media Lab Director's Fellow, TED Senior Fellow and currently serves as Chair of World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Data Driven Development. She is co-founder of Ushahidi Inc, a non-profit tech company, born in Africa, which specializes in developing free and open source software for information collection, interactive mapping and data curation. Ushahidi builds tools for democratizing information, increasing transparency and lowering the barriers for individuals to share their stories. She leads a team that is expanding its global footprint and making crowdsourcing tools available and useful, and catalyzing entrepreneurial initiatives like iHub in Kenya. In 2011 The World Economic Forum named Juliana 'Social Entrepreneur of the Year'.

Quote of the Day by Jenna Clifford

February 10, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Jenna Clifford, founder of Jenna Clifford Designs (South Africa) — **Jenna Clifford**, founder of Jenna Clifford Designs (South Africa)

"I have often also relied on my gut instinct to guide me in business, the times I haven’t, have been unfortunate.”

- Jenna Clifford is a world-renowned jewellery designer, known for her unique designs and superlative craftsmanship. Established in 1992, her company has steadily grown its clientele and improved its profile to institute itself as a powerful force in the jewellery industry. Her bold and dramatic designs are sought after by some of the most recognised business icons and celebrities from around the world. Today, Jenna Clifford Designs employs around 70 people, including some of the finest jewellery artisans and craftsmen in South Africa.

Quote of the Day by Mmabatho Portia Morudi

February 9, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Mmabatho Portia Morudi, founder of The Village Market SA (South Africa) — **Mmabatho Portia Morudi**, founder of The Village Market SA (South Africa)

"Playing small does not serve the world."

- Mmabatho Portia Morudi is the founder of The Village Market SA in South Africa, an emporia of village produce and products. Their offerings range from raw honey, preserves and veggie crates delivered to homes. This passionate bee farmer and creative agri-preneur also manages and sets up bee farms in rural communities to assist farmers with bee pollination to improve their crops and yields.

Quote of the Day

February 5, 2016 Melanie Hawken

“If you want to reach African kids and do it at scale, it can only be through mobile phones, .... With over three hundred million young Africans on mobile phones, imagine the possibilities if we could reach them and inspire them with really powerful messaging!”

- Anne Githuku-Shongwe is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Afroes Transformational Games - a company that builds mobile game-based learning platforms out of South Africa and Kenya. Anne's vision is to revolutionise learning in Africa with a focus on delivering positive Africa-focused mobile phone entertainment to the youth market across the continent.

Quote of the Day by Sibongile Sambo

February 1, 2016 Melanie Hawken

“I have a philosophy that I’m where I am today because somebody invested in me. It’s my opportunity now to invest in other people.”

- Sibongile Sambo is a pioneering woman of South African aviation. She is founder and Chief Executive Officer of SRS Aviation Ltd., the first 100 percent black, female-owned aviation services company in South Africa. Launched in 2004, SRS is an integrated provider of private aviation services offering South African and international clients professional and personalized flight options including VIP Charter, tourist charter and helicopter services, to destinations around the world. Today, the company also provides maintenance, sales and fleet management services to private jet owners.

Quote of the Day by Lydie Hakizimana

January 28, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Lydie Hakizimana, co-founder and Managing Director of Drakkar Limited — Lydie Hakizimana, co-founder and Managing Director of Drakkar Limited

“There are still many problems (in Rwanda), but I now see them as opportunities where entrepreneurs like me can thrive and rebuild the country,”

- Lydie Hakizimana is co-founder and Managing Director of Drakkar Limited, a specialist reseller and distributor of educational textbooks. It all started back in 2006 when this avid bookworm decided to follow her passion and opened a small bookshop. Before long, her entrepreneurial instincts had her developing relationships with numerous publishing companies. Eventually, she struck a deal that was to be the making of her company with UK publisher, Pearson Education. Drakkar rapidly evolved into a leading educational textbooks reseller in Rwanda, becoming an important enabler of her country's vision for building a knowledge-based economy. Today, Lydie manages 45 employees and thirty part-time distributors covering the five provinces of Rwanda. Lydie has also added exclusive distributor deals with Longman, Heinemann and Penguin to her Pearson contract.

Quote of the Day by Mame Khary Diene

January 26, 2016 Melanie Hawken

“I want to show young people that it is possible to succeed in Africa, it is not necessary to take boats, there is hope, but yes, you have to work hard.”

- Mame Khary Diene is the founder and CEO of the Bioessence Laboratories, a Senegalese natural beauty brand founded in Dakar in 2007. Bioessence Laboratories produces a range of "luxury" age-defying shea butter skin care products that are marketed around the world. Mame has a Masters of Information Systems degree from the University and was awarded a Cartier Women's Initiative Award in 2008; and the United Nations IFAD award for Diaspora Entrepreneurship in 2015.

Quote of the Day by Akosua Afriyie-Kumi

January 25, 2016 Melanie Hawken

“African heritage plays a huge role in my work. It’s time for African fashion to really shine and show our culture.”

- Akosua Afriyie-Kumi is a Ghanaian designer and founder of the Accra-based label AAKS who create uniquely hand-crafted bags in styles that maintain the spirit and durability of ancient traditions characterised by bright exuberant colours. Akosua started the company with the goal of introducing the world to her favourite weaving techniques done by the women of Ghana while also creating and igniting sustainable jobs within Africa.

Quote of the Day by Ruth Kwalanda

January 21, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Ruth Kwalanda, founder of CIAR Management Institute (Kenya) — **Ruth Kwalanda**, founder of CIAR Management Institute (Kenya)

“Whatever it is you do, it’s got to be something you’re passionate about. There comes a time when all you have is the passion and nothing else and you need to be able to count on your passion to see you through the tough times.”

- Ruth Kwalanda is the founder of CIAR Management Institute, a corporate training business and provider of Kenya’s first E-learning platform. Ruth has been a leading provider of human capital development solutions to professionals and business communities in Africa for more than 5 years, facilitating business knowledge and skills transfer through cutting edge conferences, training programmes and e-learning.

Quote of the Day by Essma Ben Hamida

January 19, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Essma Ben Hamida, co-founder of Enda Inter-Arabe, Tunisia — **Essma Ben Hamida**, co-founder of Enda Inter-Arabe, Tunisia

“One of the objectives for me with microfinance is to change the mindset from charity to counting on your own resources – for men and women alike. This involves opening up women’s minds to micro-business, and men’s minds to accepting that their wives and daughters can run a business and contribute to the family and the country’s economy.”

- Essma Ben Hamida is a Tunisian born development activist, co-founder and Executive Director of Enda Inter-Arabe in Tunisia, and President of the Sanabel Microfinance network of Arab countries. Essma launched Enda in 1995 as the first microcredit institution in Tunisia. Today, Enda has 235,000 active clients (70% women), a $110 million portfolio, 78 branches, and 1,100 staff. Essma was selected Social Entrepreneur of the year for the MENA region in 2010 by the prestigious Schwab Foundation.