Quote of the Day by Bilikiss Adebiyi

September 13, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Bilikiss Abiola, founder and CEO of WeCyclers — **Bilikiss Abiola**, founder and CEO of WeCyclers

"I really believe this is the best time to be an African start up. This is Africa's time and we as Africans need to seize this opportunity to contribute our quotas to our respective countries."

- Bilikiss Adebiyi is a Nigerian entrepreneur and innovator, and founder and CEO of WeCyclers. This Lagos-based company is focused on giving low-income communities in developing countries a chance to capture value from waste and clean up their neighborhoods through an incentive-based recycling program. Bilikiss holds an MBA from MIT and a Masters degree from Vanderbilt University. She is a 2013 Echoing Green Fellow and WeCyclers were a Sustainia100 Company Award winner in 2014.

All the photos and video from the Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference 2017

September 12, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Screen Shot 2017-09-12 at 6.41.01 AM.jpg

A picture says a thousand words, so the saying goes, and we couldn’t agree more. So we have curated the huge number of pictures taken at the Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference into one special conference photo editorial feature. These photographs capture the spirit and atmosphere of the event perfectly: from the lively networking sessions; the inspirational guest speakers on stage and the insightful panel sessions; the fun in the photo booth; the conversations with our visiting book authors and exhibitors; the fabulous food and refreshments; not to mention the fabulous sight of the polo ponies being exercised right in front of us while we relaxed in the beautiful Johannesburg sunshine. This special feature also includes a short highlights video of the event and also a download button where you can select and download your favourite high resolution images as a reminder of this special conference. Happy viewing everyone!

Entrepreneur Advice from Sarah Collins: There is NO rulebook!

September 12, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Sarah Collins, founder and CEO of Wonderbag — **Sarah Collins**, founder and CEO of Wonderbag

There is NO rulebook....

"There is NO rulebook and it will be challenging at times, but if you have a passion for what you do and the determination to succeed then you can take on anything and conquer the world. It’s exhausting and relentless at times, but there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the fruits of your hard labour pay off."

- Sarah Collins is the founder and CEO of Wonderbag, a simple non electric slow cooker which works in mud huts in Africa to Manhattan apartments, possibly one of the only cooking devices that is globally relevant! Sarah is a South African adventurer, entrepreneur, and lifelong social activist. She thrives on challenges and has worked tirelessly over the past two decades to inspire change in the realms of gender-equality and environmental sustainability.

Quote of the Day by Juliana Rotich

September 12, 2017 Melanie Hawken

“There is a link between increasing connectivity and GDP. If you increase broadband by 10%, it corresponds to 1,163% increase in GDP. Investment in connectivity is worthwhile. We've only got 15.6% penetration of the internet in Africa – there is so much more to do.”

- Juliana Rotich is co-founder and executive director of Ushahidi, a nonprofit tech company, born in Africa, that develops free and open-source software for information collection, interactive mapping and data curation. Juliana leads a team that is expanding its global footprint and making crowdsourcing tools available and useful, and catalyzing entrepreneurial initiatives like iHub in Kenya. She serves on the advisory council of Microsoft 4Afrika and Waabeh Ltd. She also co-founded Mobisoko, a mobile marketplace for language and location relevant apps in Africa. Juliana is a TED Senior Fellow and serves on the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Information Communications Technology. In 2011 The World Economic Forum named Juliana 'Social Entrepreneur of the Year'.

Entrepreneur Advice from Kofo Akinkugbe: We must be creative

September 11, 2017 Melanie Hawken

We must be creative....

"We need to create an environment that would drive creativity. Do not be afraid to test new things. We must be creative, ensuring we are a step ahead of competition."

- Kofo Akinkugbe is founder & CEO of SecureID Nigeria Ltd. She is a highly respected African business leader who has become a market leader in smart card technology and digital security. SecureID is world-class manufacturing company with the only smart card production plant in West Africa and one of only six on the continent. Her 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.

Exhibitors showcase their products and services at the Lionesses of Africa Conference

September 10, 2017 Melanie Hawken

The Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference provided a wonderful opportunity to showcase some great products and services to the women entrepreneurs attending the event. On display were beautiful flower boxes from Blak Saffron in South Africa; uniquely flavoured teas from Melvin's Teas in Kenya; fabulous wines from Aslina Wines in South Africa; coffee with a conscience and a mission from Gorilla Conservation Coffee in Uganda; lovingly handcrafted Belgian chocolates with African flavours from Chocoloza in South Africa; funding advice and information from IDF Capital; beauty and skincare products from leading French brand Yves Rocher; and product information from Reroy Cables in Ghana.

5 authors share their business building insights at the Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference

September 10, 2017 Melanie Hawken

L-R: Tumi Frazier, Shirley Anthony, Mulenga Kasoma, Lori Milner, Anna Shilina — L-R: Tumi Frazier, Shirley Anthony, Mulenga Kasoma, Lori Milner, Anna Shilina

Delegates attending the Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference had the unprecedented opportunity to meet in person some of the leading writers on the subject of women's entrepreneurship. Tumi Frazier, Shirley Anthony, Mulenga Kusoma, Lori Milner and Anna Shilina, were all on hand with their latest books and considerable insights to meet with women entrepreneurs and to share their experiences and knowledge.

Done is better than perfect

September 10, 2017 Melanie Hawken

As women, as leaders, professionals, mothers, and wives, in all the roles we play as human beings, we need to finally get it through our heads that there really is no such thing as perfect. ‘Perfect’ is not only a total myth, it’s a deeply destructive and limiting myth.

Opening Address by Melanie Hawken to the Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference 2017

September 10, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa — **Melanie Hawken**, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa

The Opening Address by Melanie Hawken, founder and ceo of Lionesses of Africa delivered to the more than 300 women entrepreneurs who attended the Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference 2017, on 6 September in Johannesburg, South Africa.

100 Lionesses: Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder of Gorilla Conservation Coffee wins prestigious SEED Award

September 10, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder of Gorilla Conservation Coffee (Uganda) — **Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka**, founder of Gorilla Conservation Coffee (Uganda)

Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder of Gorilla Conservation Coffee, the game-changing for-profit social enterprise which aims to improve the livelihoods of coffee farmers whilst at the same time protecting mountain gorillas in Uganda, has just been recognised by this year’s prestigious SEED Awards.

How to Protect Your Greatest Asset

September 10, 2017 Melanie Hawken

When did you last take a proper one or two-week vacation? One where you didn’t check email and created space to remember who you are as a friend, traveler, lover, wife, mother or whatever other parts of your identity are meaningful to you? I just came back from a two-week vacation with my boys in Europe, and I want you to have one too. It’s good for your health, your family and yes, your business.

Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference 2017 Speaker Highlights in Pictures

September 10, 2017 Melanie Hawken

This year's Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference welcomed some of the most inspirational women entrepreneurs from across the African continent to share their stories, inspire, and connect with each other and the next generation of women entrepreneurs.

Quote of the Day by Nkemdilim Begho

September 8, 2017 Melanie Hawken

"Engaging women and girls in ICT sector work is not only the right thing to do from the point of social justice. It is also smart economics. Gender diversity in high value ICT jobs in both management and on companies' boards is good for business performance."

- 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.

Entrepreneur Advice from Mumbi Muturi-Muli: Just start!

September 8, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Mumbi Muturi-Muli, founder of Harvest of Sunshine (Kenya) — **Mumbi Muturi-Muli**, founder of Harvest of Sunshine (Kenya)

Take that first step....

"Just start! Small, big or in-between, that does not matter at all, what matters the most is that first step out into the unknown."

- Mumbi Muturi-Muli is the founder of Harvest of Sunshine in Kenya, a company that creates hair and body products with butters and oils from the trees and bushes that grow under our African sun. Mumbi was inspired by her kitchen which was full of sunshine, warmth and light. It was a place where she cooked, baked and later on started to whip up butters and oils that were to become the Harvest of Sunshine range of hair and body products.

Quote of the Day by Victoria Kisyombe

September 7, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Victoria Kisyombe, founder of SELFINA — **Victoria Kisyombe**, founder of SELFINA

“If I can change the life of one person it makes a whole difference because behind that person there is a whole family. It’s a family, it’s a society, it’s Tanzania.”

- 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 by Ally Angula

September 6, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Ally Angula, co-founder of Leap Holdings (Namibia) — **Ally Angula**, co-founder of Leap Holdings (Namibia)

"It is a myth that it is okay to be a micro-business... Africans just need to believe they can manufacture goods themselves because the main opportunity lies in the production of goods for African consumers."

- Ally Angula is a qualified chartered accountant and co-founder of Leap Holdings, a group of companies involved in the growing of fresh produce, garment manufacturing and retail in Namibia. She is also the founder of My Republik Brand, Namibia’s first locally designed, manufactured and retailed clothing brand with a flagship store situated in the Grove Mall in Windhoek's Kleine Kuppe suburb. She currently serves as non-executive director for Old Mutual Life Assurance (Namibia) and Rio Tinto's Rossing Uranium mine in Namibia. Ally was chosen as a Desmond Tutu Fellowship programme Associate in April 2013 and was one of two Namibian entrepreneurs selected to attend the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit hosted by US President Barack Obama in Kenya.

Quote of the Day by Kate Quartey-Papafio

September 5, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Kate Quartey-Papafio, founder of Reroy Cables (Ghana)

"Nothing is impossible, it does not matter what you are doing, I encourage you ladies out there to work hard and pursue your dreams with seriousness and perseverance and you will get there."

- Kate Quartey–Papafio is a pioneering industrialist who founded Reroy Group Ltd in 1992 to distribute high quality electrical cables in Ghana. Today, Reroy Cables is an iconic brand name in Ghana’s manufacturing sector producing and distributing power cables, conductors, electrical power distribution systems, and providing strategic contract services to the electricity sector. The business is also now linked to electricity distribution and transmission. Over the last two decades, Kate has led the Reroy brand to become become synonymous with values of excellence, integrity and continuous improvement.

Entrepreneur Advice from Tara Fela-Durotoye: Find people that fit and add value to your business

September 5, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Tara Fela-Durotoye, founder of House of Tara (Nigeria) — **Tara Fela-Durotoye**, founder of House of Tara (Nigeria)

You must find people that fit and add value to your business ....

".... you need to attract people that will add value at a sustained level. In terms of people again, not everyone is going to be with you from start to finish. As the business grows, seasons will come where some people don’t fit for the new season. It is not an easy exercise but it must happen."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian-born lawyer turned Africa's leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur. She started House of Tara at the age of 20, from her living room, whilst an undergraduate at university back in 1998. She's since gone on to launch Nigeria's first ever bridal directory in 1999, and in 2004 she opened the country's leading beauty academy. Today, Tara has over 5,000 representatives spread across Nigeria and 14 makeup schools to her name and she is steadfastly dedicated to realising her vision of building a globally respected beauty company of African origin. Tara remains an inspirational role-model and mentor to make-up artists and aspiring beauty business owners across Africa.

Quote of the Day by Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka

September 4, 2017 Melanie Hawken

“Follow your dreams and the rest will follow. Being a social entrepreneur is often a journey of hills and valleys, and very fulfilling if you always keep your goals in sight.”

- Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gorilla Conservation Coffee (GCCoffee) established in 2015, which is a social enterprise of a 14-year-old award winning NGO and non-profit, called Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) that promotes biodiversity conservation by enabling people, wildlife and livestock to coexist through improving their health and livelihoods in and around protected areas in Africa. CTPH implements and champions integrated approaches to conservation, health and community development, with field programs at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - home to the critically endangered mountain gorillas, and in other protected areas in Africa. GCCoffee promotes livelihoods of coffee farmers around Bwindi reducing their dependence on the gorillas' habitat to meet their basic needs for food and fuel wood. A donation for every coffee bag sold to primarily LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) consumers is given to CTPH to continue the critical health and conservation programs.

"I really believe this is the best time to be an African start up. This is Africa's time and we as Africans need to seize this opportunity to contribute our quotas to our respective countries."

“There is a link between increasing connectivity and GDP. If you increase broadband by 10%, it corresponds to 1,163% increase in GDP. Investment in connectivity is worthwhile. We've only got 15.6% penetration of the internet in Africa – there is so much more to do.”

"We need to create an environment that would drive creativity. Do not be afraid to test new things. We must be creative, ensuring we are a step ahead of competition."

"Engaging women and girls in ICT sector work is not only the right thing to do from the point of social justice. It is also smart economics. Gender diversity in high value ICT jobs in both management and on companies' boards is good for business performance."

"Just start! Small, big or in-between, that does not matter at all, what matters the most is that first step out into the unknown."

“If I can change the life of one person it makes a whole difference because behind that person there is a whole family. It’s a family, it’s a society, it’s Tanzania.”

"It is a myth that it is okay to be a micro-business... Africans just need to believe they can manufacture goods themselves because the main opportunity lies in the production of goods for African consumers."

"Nothing is impossible, it does not matter what you are doing, I encourage you ladies out there to work hard and pursue your dreams with seriousness and perseverance and you will get there."

".... you need to attract people that will add value at a sustained level. In terms of people again, not everyone is going to be with you from start to finish. As the business grows, seasons will come where some people don’t fit for the new season. It is not an easy exercise but it must happen."

“Follow your dreams and the rest will follow. Being a social entrepreneur is often a journey of hills and valleys, and very fulfilling if you always keep your goals in sight.”

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