the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Maira Koutsoudakis, Founder and CEO of LIFE Interiors I Architecture I Creative Strategy
- Maira Koutsoudakis founder and CEO of LIFE Group of Companies (South Africa)
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Sofia Cassimo, founder of SamSara Development and Investment
The sooner you fail, the sooner you'll win....
- Sofia Dias Cassimo is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Samsara Development and Investment and Sublime Special Events & Catering in Mozambique. Sofia, who has a medical degree, turned entrepreneur following a stint working for an NGO, when she followed her passion for food, catering and hosting, starting up Sublime Special Events & Catering. She also followed her passion for developing programs that help neglected people and communities, starting Samsara Development and Investment, a social enterprise that creates programs for empowering women to become changemakers in rural communities.
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Ethel Cofie, founder and CEO of Edel Technology Consulting (Ghana)
- Ethel Cofie is a leading tech entrepreneur from Ghana and the founder and CEO of Edel Technology Consulting, a company that provides IT and software services as an enabler and catalyst for businesses to achieve their goals. Ethel is the founder of Women in Tech Africa, initiator of the 1st Pan African woman in tech meetup and was shortlisted for the UN GEM Tech Award for work supporting women in ICT. She has been featured by the BBC and CNN for her work in technology and promoting women's leadership. Ethel sits on numerous boards and is also a President Obama Washington Fellow for Leadership (YALI).
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Jessica Bonin, founder of Lady Bonin’s Tea (South Africa)
- Jessica Bonin is the founder of Lady Bonin’s Tea, a Cape Town-based company that blends and distributes organic loose leaf teas sourced direct from farms that use sustainable farming practices and are community driven. The teas and herbs, by their source, are exceptionally high in quality, improving nutritive content and flavor density. Tea is Jessica’s business, her passion and her practice.
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Olukemi Omotayo Asalu, founder of Daolus Organic Products (South Africa)
Chase the vision, not the money....
- Olukemi Omotayo Asalu is the founder of Daolus Organic Products in South Africa, a company specializing in the wholesale and supply of high quality, unrefined, raw organic natural products for the production of natural skin and hair care products. Kemi is passionate about sharing the benefits of Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil, and Africa Black Soap with the world in a way that would benefit everyone, especially the women who harvest and produce the products. She is also deeply passionate about ethics and rights and all her products adhere to Fair Trade values and principles.
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Juanita van der Merwe, co-founder of Little Green Number (South Africa)
Make sure to learn from your mistakes....
- Juanita van der Merwe is co-founder of Little Green Number in South Africa, an award winning social business focused on sustainable job creation, via community based micro manufacturing, franchise ownership, producing a quality handbag product that is both funky and unique, yet also saves the environment - one advertising billboard at a time! Juanita's products are 100% handmade, durable and weather resistant. She is proud to be a South African business with an upcycled, innovative product that creates sustainable jobs.
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Lucilla Blankenberg, founder of Off the Ground Media (South Africa)
Failure's a chance to learn....
- Lucilla Blankenberg is the founder of Off the Ground Media, a South African media company focused on television, radio, print, outdoor and media campaign management and development for brands and companies. Lucilla is experienced in directing and producing all forms of media. Her television projects have included the coming of age youth drama series, Amaza, featured on SABC 1; and a documentary project, A Country for my Daughter, which won her a Gender and Media Award for best documentary.
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Top advice to women entrepreneurs....
- Basetsana Kumalo is a leading South African serial entrepreneur and the founder, executive chairman and CEO of Basetsana Woman Investment Holdings. She is best known for co-founding Tswelopele Productions some 14 years ago – one of the first independent television producers in the country that went on to successfully produce Top Billing, a long-running, top rated South African lifestyle television show.
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Don't get hung up on failure....
- Teta Isibo is the creative mind behind Inzuki a dynamic young Rwandan brand specializing in jewelry, accessories and interior decor hand-made primarily from local materials. With no background in fashion or business, Teta quit her job as an urban planner with the city of Kigali to start her own business. Today Inzuki (bees in the local language) is part of a wider Rwandan cultural Renaissance.
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