"Game Changers are the ones who are bold enough and brash enough to believe we can achieve our dreams and change the world in the process."
- Mary Spio is a lifelong game changer. Born in Syracuse, New York, to Ghanaian parents, she had humble beginnings growing up in Ghana, West Africa. Mary didn’t see her first computer until she was seventeen, yet she became a deep space engineer, designing and launching communication satellites. At Boeing, she helped pioneer digital technology that redefined how major motion pictures are distributed to movie theaters throughout the world. From there, she focused on her passion for matchmaking and founded One2One.com, a specialty media company dedicated to resources for singles. Mary also founded Gen2Media (now Vidaroo) an emerging leader in the digital media industry. Leveraging the power of online video, search and social media, Mary’s companies provide engaging user experiences for consumers and delivers quantifiable results for some of the most iconic brands, high profile entertainers and events in the world, including Microsoft Xbox, WalMart, Toyota, Coca Cola, Justin Timberlake, Will Smith, Britney Spears and The Billboard Awards Show. She is currently founder and CEO of CEEK VR Inc.
Read more"We have that challenge now we as Africans, to be part of investing in our own continent. Africa is rising."
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.
Read moreA few days ago, I scheduled a quiet morning to analyze my business as I needed to get some clarity…some balance. I am sure you know the feeling. I needed to re-group and gather myself so I decided to visit the library. Not wanting any interruptions, I unplugged my laptop and switched off my phone. Taking a notebook and pencil, I started doing a SWOT analysis. As I worked through my business’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, I made a startling discovery! Imagine my surprise when I suddenly realized, my business has been stealing from me!
Read moreFor the many people who long for the wonderful taste of chocolate but their dietary regimes mean it is not an option, Kenyan entrepreneur Jazeera Suwani, founder of Say it with Chocolate, has the answer. She has created a business making fabulous handmade chocolates that specifically cater for those who are lactose intolerant or vegan.
Read more"Constant learning is the grease we need to stay competitive."
- Beth Malatji is the founder of Wealth Ladder Magazine, a South African digital publication providing information on the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurship and self-employment. Beth wanted to create a publication that speaks directly to passionate entrepreneurs with inspiring content that practically addresses the problems, frustrations, wants, needs and desires of other budding entrepreneurs.
Read moreSource: Talks at Google | Published on Apr 3, 2017
Mo Abudu is the founder of EbonyLife TV. She has achieved success in various fields - as an Executive in ExxonMobil for nearly a decade, as the promoter behind the Protea Hotel Oakwood Park, as well as the Founder of Vic Lawrence & Associates, one of Nigeria’s leading Outsourcing firms. Then she entered the world of media as the Creator and Hostess of “MOMENTS WITH MO”, earning the accolade of ‘Africa’s ‘first lady of chat’. The show was the first of its kind to be syndicated across Africa, with an impressive guest list that includes Hillary Rodham-Clinton, President Muhammadu Buhari, and Christine Lagarde, amongst others.
Read moreBeing a Creative Female Entrepreneur by Caitlin Johnson is designed to encourage, and inspire all the creative entrepreneurs out there. It's a short guide with practical advice for navigating the waters of creative entrepreneurship. Caitlin is passionate about bringing women together and helping them grow their business dreams into a reality!
Read moreI hear many people and companies say that soft skills training is a warm and fuzzy exercise. I believe in most cases this is a lack of knowledge or egos getting in the way of acknowledging the key role and benefits that these skills play in both individual and organizational growth.
Read moreWe’ve all experienced this as entrepreneurs - that moment when everything feels like it’s falling apart, nothing seems to be going right, almost as if the world is conspiring against you. But do not fear, ask any seasoned entrepreneur and they’ll admit that they too have been through turmoil in their business and earned their t-shirt.
Read moreMy top advice based on what I have learned in business....
"It’s crucial to listen to your customers. Deliver on time and don’t over-promise or under-promise or over-promise and under-deliver. I learnt to run my business very efficiently. It’s also important that you communicate and be responsive. Always remember that you are running a business and not a charity. Remember that you have family, friends and associates but always know that you are running a business."
- Nkemdilim Begho is founder and Managing Director of Future Software Resources Limited, an IT solutions provider focused on online solutions, e-learning and IT security. As one of a few Nigerian women in the industry, her success is founded on a passion for driving innovative thinking, building a globally recognized technology brand and setting trends in the Nigerian Technology space.
Read moreBuilding a fashion brand with a unique personality, great style appeal, and a social conscience can be a tall order for many. But for the talented designer and entrepreneur, Lilly Alfonso, a leading light on the Malawian fashion and businessscene, this is the nature of the business and brand she is building.
Read more"Be prepared to work hard, and then some."
- Tinky Ogle is the founder of SMME News in South Africa, a free bilingual educational newspaper providing information and advice to Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprises (SMME) sector. A passionate social change-maker, Tinky graduated from the University of Cape Town with a degree in Social Science and today is making a difference by empowering other small businesses in local communities, giving them much needed access to information and a powerful platform to showcase their services.
Read moreIf there is something that small businesses can never get enough of, it’s access to great, relevant and timeous advice and information, and that’s where South African publishing entrepreneur Tinky Ogle comes in. Her publication, SMME News, is playing a key role in bringing news and information right into the heart of the entrepreneurial community in which she lives and works.
Read moreChocolate lovers who are on the look out for high quality chocolates that are produced using the finest ingredients and that are also gluten free, have found a champion in Sanja Hanekom, the founder of Noir Chocolates SA. She is creating delicious chocolate gifting ideas for individuals and corporates alike.
Read moreI have 3 pieces (of advice)....
1. Doubt is your biggest enemy! Keep positive by surrounding yourself with positive and encouraging people that believe in you, you are going to need to lean on them a lot!
2. Just start! Small steps every day lead up to your bigger end goals. Remember: "The man on top of the mountain didn't just fall there" - Vince Lombardi
3. Celebrate every little victory. There are going to be a lot of difficult and tough steps to climb along the way but when you do accomplish something, however small, be sure to celebrate it! This carries you through the tough times and brings joy into your entrepreneurial journey.
- Mary-Jean Treloar is the founder of MΛRY JEΛN JEWELLERY in South Africa, a designer and manufacturer of fine handmade jewellery that is inspired by patterns and symbols found across the African continent. Mary-Jean unearthed a spark for jewellery design and manufacture at a young age, but it remained a hobby she dabbled in while she completed a BSc degree in Interior Architecture at Pretoria University and worked in the Corporate Architecture industry. Eventually, in 2014 Mary-Jean decided to follow her true passion, completing a short beginners’ course in jewellery design, before embarking on a self-taught journey of design and manufacture that affords her the opportunity to learn, design and create truly handcrafted jewellery everyday.
Read moreOdd Mom Entrepreneur Out is a guide for mom entrepreneurs who want to eliminate guilt, grow their businesses and elevate their lives. This collaborative book, produced by Rachel Olsen and Flesche Hesch, brings together 11 experts who built up to 7 figure incomes while being present for their families and primarily working from home. They share business and parenting tips on how to manage both, without sacrificing either.
Read moreBy Marang Marekimane, founder of Business in Theory
Learn how to pitch so you aren’t afraid to pitch – that was the advice I was given. The irony is I’ve given similar advice to other people, and like most people, I didn’t listen to my own advice.
Read moreSome people are born creative, and others are born entrepreneurial, and if you are lucky, you get to be a combination of the two! South African entrepreneur and talented jewellery designer, Mary-Jean Treloar, displays both of these traits in huge quantities. Her highly personal brand, MΛRY JEΛN JEWELLERY, is inspired by the continent she loves and the stories that are woven into the very fabric of society. Her unique work is winning fans of great jewellery design both at home and abroad.
Read more"There’s a lot of innovation happening in Africa. But it’s not necessarily sexy in sort of the globally expected way. Much of the innovation is around solving problems and meeting real human needs."
- Khanyi Dhlomo is the Managing Director of Ndalo Media, which she founded in 2007. She is also the founder of DestinyConnect and the founding editor of Destiny Magazine. Before starting her own media company, Khanyi was editor of True Love magazine for eight years. In 2013, Khanyi ventured in retail and launched Luminance, a high-end fashion and lifestyle department store. Khanyi was named most influential woman in South African Media by The Media Magazine in 2003 and made the 2011 Forbes list of 20 Young Power Women in Africa.
Read morePut a little spark in your business....
"My advice: It’s time to put a little spark to that business and make it shine. If you have a goal to succeed at what you are doing, then you must be committed 100 % to that business, put in your very best, and be very happy to talk about your business."
- Helen Asimegbe is the founder of Stylemark Mall Enterprises in Nigeria, a company retailing high quality children's clothing and accessories, in sizes to suit all ages, from Infants to Teens. Helen is a graduate with a B.SC in Business Administration and gained 5years working experience in the Banking Sector before launching her company. She serves as a business mentor at the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Foundation and the Cherie Blaire Foundation for Women in Business. Helen is also a member of Toast Masters International Club.
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