Entrepreneur Advice from Abisola Owolawi: Don't wait for a 'right time'

August 3, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Abisola Owolawi, founder of 30Watt Media (Nigeria) — **Abisola Owolawi**, founder of 30Watt Media (Nigeria)

Don't wait for a 'right time'....

"If you are passionate about driving change and solving problems, there is no better time than now. Start somewhere, seek advice, do some research, seek funding or start small. Move one step closer today."

- Abisola Owolawi, is the founder of 30Watt Media in Nigeria, an integrated consultancy with a focus on communications and how it affects human capital within organisations. Abisola has wide ranging experience in Business Media and Communications, her professional expertise cutting across Radio, Television and Publishing platforms in key Sub-Saharan Africa markets. Prior to founding 30Watt Media, she served as the West Africa Correspondent to Forbes Africa, Forbes Woman Africa & Forbes Life Africa magazines respectively, before which she held Management roles at CNBC Africa and 3S Media.

Quote of the Day by Kofo Akinkugbe

August 3, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Kofo Akinkugbe, founder & CEO of SecureID Nigeria Ltd — **Kofo Akinkugbe**, founder & CEO of SecureID Nigeria Ltd

"You will have opposition. If you're going to stand out, you are not going to be loved by the crowd. It can be lonely."

- Kofo Akinkugbe is recognised globally for her entrepreneurial success story and strong business track record. She is founder & CEO of SecureID Nigeria Ltd a market leader in smart card technology and digital security in Africa. SecureID is a world-class manufacturing facility with the only smart card production plant in West Africa and one of only six on the continent. In January 2015 the company commissioned a new state-of-the-art EMV-certified smartcard manufacturing plant – the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa. The company serves 16 countries across Africa and is fully certified by VISA, Verve and MasterCard. In 2012, Kofo won the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship Mature Business Award.

Abisola Owolawi - a Nigerian entrepreneur harnessing communications to positively impact human capital

August 2, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Nigerian woman-owned startup 30Watt Media understands the power of exceptional service delivery and great communication, helping companies to make the necessary business shifts from simply selling products to offering real customer experiences. At the heart of the business is an understanding of the power of human capital to make a difference to the way consumers experience brands and businesses.

Entrepreneur Advice from Mariam Mpaata: It takes hard work and lots of patience

August 2, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Mariam Mpaata, founder of Junior Stars Youth Development Programme (Kenya) — **Mariam Mpaata**, founder of Junior Stars Youth Development Programme (Kenya)

It takes hard work and lots of patience....

"I have come to believe that entrepreneurship is harder than most people think. It requires extra, extra hard work and lots of patience. The greatest thing, however, is that entrepreneurship has overwhelming benefits including financial, psychological and social."

- Mariam Mpaata, founder of Junior Stars Youth Development Programme in Kenya, a social enterprise that uses football and mentorship to empower youth and women. She organises a host of local leagues, training programmes, awards, and a mentoring programme - all using soccer to uplift an inspire young people. Mariam's positive contribution has seen her recognised and listed in the Business Daily’s ‘Top 40 Under 40 Remarkable Women in 2014, and recently by Chase Bank’s ‘Top 30 Under 40 Muslim Women in Kenya.’

Quote of the Day by Tabitha Karanja

August 2, 2016 Melanie Hawken

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

“Believe in yourself because you’re not likely to get much help from men if they perceive you as a threat. I knew what I wanted in life and I worked day and night to achieve it, and here I am.”

- 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 by Wendy Ackerman

August 1, 2016 Melanie Hawken

"Everything is possible. Impossible just takes a little longer.”

- Wendy Ackerman is one of the founders and an Executive Director of Pick n Pay Stores. Together with husband Raymond Ackerman she helped build up one of South Africa’s pre-eminent FMCG retailers, consisting of over 450 stores including 121 supermarkets and 14 hypermarkets. Operations are in food, clothing, and general merchandise sectors as well as financial services. The company operates throughout South Africa, southern Africa and Australia and employs around 49,000 people. Today, much of Wendy's boundless energy is devoted to her family's philanthropic endeavours and her personal work for the underprivileged.

Quartz Africa Innovators List 2016 recognises 7 of Africa’s groundbreaking women entrepreneurs

July 31, 2016 Melanie Hawken

July saw the launch of the Quartz Africa Innovators List for 2016 and a number of Africa’s truly inspirational women entrepreneurs were recognised for their groundbreaking work in their respective sectors.

Essential Read: Time Miracles: A Sanity-Saving Plan for Women Juggling Family and Business by Joanne Ernst

July 31, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Most women entrepreneurs experience the stress of trying to manage running a successful business, whilst at the same time juggling the demands of family life and personal relationships. Author Joanne Ernst’s new book, Time Miracles, is written for the busy woman entrepreneur who is trying to manage the stress of balancing all facets of life that can leave you feeling you are being pulled in multiple directions at the same time.

Celebrating Kenya’s talented women entrepreneurs putting the country on the global business map

July 31, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Through the month of July at Lionesses of Africa, we have been focusing on the inspirational women entrepreneurs who are changing the face of business in Kenya. Each of these businesswomen, in their own unique way, is making a positive contribution to the growingentrepreneurial environment in Kenya. Their successful businesses, brands and social enterprises are helping to put the country firmly on the pan-African and global business map.

Valerie Nyamwaya, a Kenyan fashionpreneur putting local designers on the global map

July 29, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Valerie Nyamwaya, founder of Afrivazi Limited (Kenya) — **Valerie Nyamwaya**, founder of Afrivazi Limited (Kenya)

Kenya is fast becoming a rising star of African fashion, with new talented designers emerging every day. Afrivazi is a company helping those designers reach discerning customers looking to support proudly ‘Made in Kenya’ brand names, and its founder Valerie Nyamwaya, is an entrepreneur on a mission to make it happen.

Michelle Ntalami, a Kenyan haircare entrepreneur making natural products for the African woman

July 28, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Michelle Ntalami, founder of Marini Naturals (Kenya)

Marini Naturals is a proudly Kenyan natural haircare brand, designed to celebrate women’s natural kinks and curls. Founded by entrepreneur Michelle Ntalami, the vision for the brand is to create a range of haircare products that take their inspiration and ingredients from nature, but which help beauty conscious women to really showcase their beautiful and naturally curly hair.

Tiguidanke Mounir Camara - The Guinean woman entrepreneur breaking barriers in African mining

July 27, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Tiguidanke Mounir Camara, founder of TIGUI MINING GROUP TMG (Guinea) — Tiguidanke Mounir Camara, founder of TIGUI MINING GROUP TMG (Guinea)

Africa’s mining sector is focused on sustainability, entrepreneurship, and contributing meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the continent. Local communities depend on these natural resources for their futures and this requires new ways of thinking, not to mention a new approach to ensuring diversity in the sector. One woman entrepreneur is leading the way - Tiguidanke Mounir Camara is the founder of the woman-mine owned TIGUI MINING GROUP (TMG) and is carving a new and exciting pathway for women in Africa’s mining sector.

Entrepreneur Advice from Thiitu Karega: Start as you intend to finish

July 25, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Thiitu Karega, founder Binti Naturals (Kenya) — **Thiitu Karega**, founder Binti Naturals (Kenya)

Start as you intend to finish....

"Start as you intend to finish. Too many times we cut corners in the beginning so that when we finally succeed we are embarrassed by things we did when we were just starting out. Register your company, pay your taxes, and leave nothing to chance."

- Thiitu Karega is the founder of Binti Naturals in Kenya, a beauty company that makes organic hair and body products from natural oils and extracts found on the African continent. Thiitu is trained in International Relations and Management and worked for 10 years in the corporate world before start her beauty company. Her goal is to become a premier organic beauty company built on the values that African beauty is historically known for.

5 African Women Entrepreneurs Shortlisted for UNCTAD 2016 Women in Business Awards

July 24, 2016 Melanie Hawken

L-R: Berthe Bonou-Zanou, Fatou Saine Gaye, Aline Wong, Joyce Kyalema, Brenda Omba Kayumba Lacey — L-R: Berthe Bonou-Zanou, Fatou Saine Gaye, Aline Wong, Joyce Kyalema, Brenda Omba Kayumba Lacey

Tran Thi Viet, founder and managing director of Viet Trang Handicraft in Vietnam has been announced as winner of the 2016 Empretec Women in Business Awards by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) at a ceremony in Nairobi on 21 July. Five African women were included among the 12 finalists for the awards that celebrate exceptional micro and small businesswomen who have benefitted from Empretec, UNCTAD’s global entrepreneurship training network. Their businesses and their contribution to the socio-economic development in their countries is well worth celebrating.

ENTREPRENEUR SMARTS: Think about your Ecosystem...

July 24, 2016 Melanie Hawken

We've spoken in previous newsletters about the strategy of the flower - making sure that your core service or product is surrounded by a set of world-class services (the petals of the flower) to make up a compelling "whole product". But, it's not enough to just build your flower. You must also make sure that your company and its "flowers" are well positioned in the total ecosystem of your industry.

Essential Read: Stress Gone! How to Identify and Reduce Stress Easily by Bridget Edwards

July 24, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Bridget Edwards, author, catalyst, speaker — **Bridget Edwards**, author, catalyst, speaker

There is not a single entrepreneur out there that doesn’t experience stress along the journey to building a successful business and brand. The challenge is in understanding and managing that stress. In her new book Stress Gone!, emotional change catalyst and author, Bridget Edwards, provides a really practical guide for all those entrepreneurs who need to deal with stress on a day to day basis.

EVENT REPORT: Johannesburg plays host to another inspirational Lioness Lean In Breakfast event for a capacity audience of passionate women entrepreneurs

July 24, 2016 Melanie Hawken

On 21 July, around 70 of Johannesburg’s women entrepreneurs representing all sectors of business and industry, gathered for a morning of inspirational startup story sharing and great networking at the latest in the highly successful series of Lioness Lean In Breakfast events. As always in this popular Lioness Lean In destination, the event took place in the city’s Rosebank district at the Standard Bank Business Incubator in Rosebank, where the surroundings create a great entrepreneurial vibe for all those attending.

Amanda Sibiya - The startup story of a passionate South African entrepreneur on a mission to get the world talking and reading about Africa’s creatives

July 24, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Amanda Sibiya, co-founder of Conté Magazine (South Africa) — **Amanda Sibiya**, co-founder of Conté Magazine (South Africa)

Creatives and their work need to be seen to be appreciated, and often finding the right outlets and platforms to achieve that visibility is tough, particularly in Africa. One entrepreneur, Amanda Sibiya, co-founder of Conté Magazine is looking to change that, by creating a high quality, content rich publication and accompanying exhibition event that aims to put the continent’s creatives on the map.

Mary Njoki - The startup story of a tenacious Kenyan entrepreneur helping the continent’s brands become newsmakers

July 23, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Mary Njoki, founder of Glass House PR (Kenya) — **Mary Njoki**, founder of Glass House PR (Kenya)

The world of public relations and brand positioning is a highly competitive one, particularly on the African continent, but Mary Njoki, the founder of successful Kenyan PR firm Glass House PR, is determined to be an industry leader by building a foundation of innovation and creativity.