We had the opportunity to sit down with the incredible Yasmin Metz Johnson; Founder TELLS TRIPS. In this interview, Yasmin shares with us how she came up with the innovative travel concept designed to inspire, educate, and empower individuals who want to embark on transformative adventures, while embracing the true essence of West Africa.

From Abidjan, to Dakar, to Freetown, Yasmin shows why she is putting West Africa on the map for all the right reasons. Enjoy! 

Can you tell us about your journey as an entrepreneur and what inspired you to start curating travel art-based events in West Africa?

My journey as an entrepreneur has been quite a journey. It’s been rewarding, however, it’s been difficult too. What inspired me to start businesses such as TELLS TRIPS is that I saw there was a market for hosting trips, not everybody has the confidence to visit a new African country by themselves, therefore TELLS TRIPS closes that gap. We curate travel experiences in a variety of locations. In 2021 I began Yasmix, which is a pop-up cultural and networking exhibit that happens in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Both of these endeavors came about naturally as the next step of what I have been doing online for the last decade under my personal brand, www.yasmintells.com.

What unique aspects of West African art and culture do you incorporate into your events, and how do you ensure they resonate with both local and international audiences?

Firstly, TELLS is an acronym for: Travel, Explore, Live and Learn. I believe that the USP (unique selling proposition) of TELLS TRIPS is that for most trips we center the visit around a public event that is happening. For example, our next trip to Abidjan in Ivory Coast is for The Africa Cup of Nations. The same is for Senegal, we will be attending the Dak’art Biennale in May next year. This gives our customers the opportunity to truly become immersed not only in a new country but through their culture, heritage and art.

What challenges have you faced in organizing these trips across multiple West African countries, and how have you overcome them?

The challenge, I would say, is accommodating everyone’s needs. I wouldn’t call it a challenge actually, it’s a task that comes with the job. I overcome many challenges by collaborating with people on the ground. I am a big believer in collaboration.

Can you share some success stories or memorable moments from your travel art-based events that stand out to you?

Where to begin! There are so many, but I will always refer to the very first trip last year. TELLS TRIPS began in 2022, after some of  my audience of Yasmin TELLS would often reply to my posts saying they ‘wish they were there’, or they would be interested in visiting themselves. A stand out moment for me would be our time spent at the Dak’art Biennale in Dakar, Senegal last year. Everyone enjoyed discovering new art, new african artists and the parties of course!

In what ways do you collaborate with local communities and businesses to enhance the cultural and economic impact of your events?

During the trips we participate in cultural experiences, whether it be a cooking class or a textile technique from the country of origin. These events are hosted by local people. As I mentioned prior, I also work with many people on the grounds, from tour guides to transportation provisions.

West Africa is a diverse region with a rich cultural heritage. How do you ensure that your events celebrate this diversity while still maintaining a cohesive theme or message?

I like this question because it is so true. West Africa is rich with culture, art and heritage from an aray of ethnic groups. I think that is why I find the region so fascinating. Being able to distinctly itdentify what is similar amongst different cultures and what differs. As I’ve mentioned, we usually visit a country during the time of a cultural activity or public event. They (the citizens) do a tremendous job of embodying all that represents their country. So to answer this would be, by experiencing the event and particaparting in different activities that highlight the entirety of ethnic groups such as city tours, museum tours and workshops. 

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to venture into event curation, especially in the field of art and travel?

My advice would be to work with others when you can and nurture relationships on the grounds, even when you are not there. Stay in contact with these people that help you create the experience.

How do you envision the future of your business and its impact on promoting West African art and culture to a global audience?

I envision TELLS TRIPS hosting more trips, not only in West Africa but in other regions of the continent, the impact and personal experiences that people who attend TELLS TRIPS gain will travel far and wide, bringing new people to experience our trips for themselves. The majority of out clientele currently is from word of mouth.

As an entrepreneur operating in Sierra Leone, what are some of the unique opportunities and challenges you’ve encountered, and how have they shaped your approach to business?

This is a good question. Sierra Leone requires many of us to be creative with the resources that we have. I am in between the UK and Freetown but I would say that I believe subconsciously that I became an entrepreneur because I was living in Sierra Leone. As I mentioned, it’s a place where you need to be creative and in a world where inflation continues to skyrocket. We need to be creative in producing the needs of the people and opportunities that will drive income.

What role does storytelling play in your events, and how do you use storytelling to connect with your audience and convey the cultural significance of the art and destinations you feature?

Storytelling is the starting point of it all, from the selection of countries to the events to the itineraries to the advertising. The production depends on storytelling. It is pivotal to TELLS TRIPS in all that we do.

Folake is excited about the arrival of her new baby after being married for some years and having a blossoming career in investment banking. She plans to breastfeed her baby exclusively for 6 months as advised during her ante-natal sessions.

On settling down with her baby at home, 6 weeks down the line, she had to resume as an ad-hoc committee member on a project at work. The moment she began actively participating in the project meetings, she noticed a decline in her breast milk flow. She is worried that her baby lately is hungrier, and may lose weight, and now considering introducing formula to augment.

This is the reality of most new moms globally; the dilemma of keeping their jobs, growing their careers, managing gender roles at home, and effectively breastfeeding their babies. Research states that breastfeeding remains the best method for feeding a newborn throughout the first six months of life. For the first six months, breastmilk delivers a complete package of vital nutrients tailored to meet the needs of healthy, full-term infants and when combined with complementary foods from 6 month into the second year and beyond, it fosters an environment for optimal child nutrition, ensuring the best start in life.

Breastfeeding promises numerous benefits for both mother and child which includes lower risk of infection, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), cardiovascular disease in adulthood, reduced risk of cancers among mothers, amongst other benefits. According to global statistics, 72% hospitalizations resulting from diarrhea and 57% of respiratory infection -related admissions could be prevented through exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life.

According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, women account for 43.8% of the Nigerian workforce, yet very few of these women are able to exclusively breastfeed their babies or carry on with breastfeeding after they resume maternity leave. This is a major contribution the low rates of exclusive breastfeeding which stands currently at 29%, leaving 71% of Nigerian children missing out on the benefits.
Findings from mothers reveal that mothers get discouraged from exclusive breastfeeding due to fatigue, perceived milk insufficiency, worry about the effectiveness of breastfeeding for baby’s weight gain, difficulty combining household chores with breastfeeding, need to return to work after maternity leave amongst other reasons. This plethora of reasons are not uncommon with even moms who are stay-at-home moms, entrepreneurs and so on.

The theme for 2023’s World Breastfeeding Week is focused on breastfeeding and work. The theme is Enabling breastfeeding – making a difference for working parents. According to WHO, over 500 million women globally do not have adequate maternity protections in their national laws.
Nigeria’s maternity leave policy grants a 12-week maternity leave period for new mothers, and they are expected to resume their employment once this period elapses. This means that working women are expected to resume to work whilst exclusive breastfeeding is ongoing.

In the midst of this, juggling work and breastfeeding may be difficult for some mothers depending on their working conditions, gender-role ideologies, the support system available to them and the availability of help to overcome any difficulties they may encounter during the process.

Many women find it challenging to maintain a breastfeeding routine while dealing with long work hours, lack of privacy, potential criticism from colleagues, lack of knowledge on strategies to make breastfeeding work for them, limited access to appropriate lactation facilities at work amongst others. Mothers who aspire to continue breastfeeding may encounter feelings of stress and guilt in certain working environments that do not foster a supportive culture for this vital practice.

With all of these glaring reasons, how then are we able to achieve the target of 50% exclusive breastfeeding rate by the World Health Assembly by 2050?
In the nearest future, predictions show that more women would be working outside of their homes to support their families financially; this means that the rate of women in the workforce would likely increase.

This calls thus, for a rethink around the policies, awareness and sustainable support for making breastfeeding work for mothers in Nigeria, other parts of Africa and the world at large.
In spite of the solid evidence of the health benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and newborn, early breastfeeding discontinuation is widespread in many parts of the world. According to World Health Organization, Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) is described as providing infants with just breast milk from birth to 6 months of age, with no other liquids or solids, including water, except for oral rehydration solution or vitamin, mineral, or medication drops/syrups.

According to Alive & Thrive, the cost of not breastfeeding in Nigeria alone stands at $9 billion (N2.84 trillion) in addition to other burdens on the healthcare sector such as the associated costs of treatments, lost hours of productivity, transportation which amounts to 25% of the treatment itself.
What measures can organizations put in place to encourage a breastfeeding-friendly workplace?
Research indicates that breastfeeding does not hinder productivity. Flexibilities such as allowing women to breastfeed at work increases the likelihood of their long-term job retention, making it an effective strategy for retaining skilled workers, while possibly reducing the need for maternal sick leave.

According to surveys, only about 9% of organizations in Nigeria provide adequate support for nursing mothers in relation to breastfeeding and childcare.

Recommended Work Place Breastfeeding/Childcare Support:

Improved Awareness & Sensitization: Employers & Organisations need to review the HR policies relating to women to create an atmosphere that supports employees who breastfeed. Other team members can be placed on standby to cover up for breastfeeding moms when they take breastfeeding or pumping breaks at work to ensure they productivity and guilt free breastfeeding break sessions.
In addition, workplace support programs like lactation education can be made available to pregnant and breastfeeding parents at work.

Lactation Rooms & In-Office Creche Services: Clean and safe private rooms with access to fridge for storing breast milk should be made available for breastfeeding moms.
This need not be too big or expensive for the company to afford.

Mental Healthcare covered by benefits scheme: Postpartum depression remains a real situation amongst young mothers, especially as the strain on women to provide financial support to their families increase. It is essential that mental health coverage is included as the Human Resource Departments consider these real-life situations aside the regular medical issues under health insurance packages.
Trade Unions: Advocacy and awareness can be advanced further through trade unions including the rights of women at the forefront of their activism. Breastfeeding is a national assignment and the duty of everyone.

Extended Maternity Leave periods: There are additional issues plaguing women during and after childbirth than is less spoken about, some of which would affect breastfeeding rates. For instance, new moms who are struggling with personal issues such as the loss of their partners, insufficient spousal support, optional single motherhood and so on. Recommendations for the extension of maternity could be as much as 18-20 weeks.

Paternity Leaves: Since breastfeeding requires a lot more support for working moms, it would be helpful if paternity leaves are observed and extended. Fathers need to be there for their partners to provide physical and emotional support as this goes a long way.

Flexible working hours: The popularity of the work-from-home (WFH) and hybrid work system is no longer news. Whilst some companies may already be thinking of rescinding their decisions of the work-from-home, it could be beneficial to have rethinks and more flexibility for nursing mothers as a form of support for their breastfeeding goals.
Policy makers should ensure there is a lactation policy in place for employees returning from maternity leave, so that employers can know how best to support breastfeeding moms and also help breastfeeding moms know wat to expect when returning to work.

In addition, infant & young children’s food products that are breastmilk subtitutes should be adequately labelled to rank breastfeeding as the most important source of nutrition for young children. This must primarily include an advocacy statement for exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months in their customer communication.

In the midst of this, we must not forget another segment of working mothers that may often be neglected; moms who work from home and those who are full stay-at-home moms.
They require just the same support as those who work outside of home as the burdens of childcare and domestic care lies largely with them. They need to be supported by family members and friends.
Conclusively, employers, policy makers and society can support breastfeeding by creating more awareness and dispelling the myths around it. This would help more mothers get support on combining breastfeeding & childcare with their careers, which ensures the wellbeing of children at large, their present and future health.

References
Alive & Thrive. Benefits of Breastfeeding in Nigeria.
Ogunba., B., O.2015. Effect of Maternal Employment on Infant Feeding Practices in Southwestern Nigeria. Food Nutrition Sciences Vol.06 No.07(2015), Article ID:56087,7 pages
10.4236/fns.2015.67063
The CDC Guide to Breastfeeding Intervention
WHO & UNICEF. 2003. Global strategy for infant and young child feeding. Fifty fourth world health assembly.
WHO. 2009. Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Model Chapter for Text Books for Medical Students and Allied Health Professionals. World Health Organization, Switzerland.

Keitumetsi Qhali also known as Director Kit is a South African Director, Writer and Producer. Qhali hails from the Eastern Cape region of South Africa, is a multi-award winning director. She works in long and short form films and videos and to date, has directed over 29 videos.

Her early work dates back to 2014 when she directed an African hit music video Rands and Nairas by Nigerian artist Emmy Gee featuring AB Crazy & Dj Dimplez. The music video won the Best Music Video of the Year award at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards and was nominated for the Channel O music video award, for the most gifted music video of the year and Most Gifted Newcomer. Qhali bagged all these wins at the age of 24. Later, she was signed to the prestigious Darling Films production company as their first black female commercials director.

In 2018, she directed a short film titled The Initiate which was bought by Showmax.  She was nominated for a Loerie Award for her fashion film Winter Blues for the Edgars winter campaign. She also won a SAFTA (South African Film and Television Awards) for Best Factual Educational Documentary Programme for her short film titled KICK IT. 

When it comes to stories, Qhali loves layered stories that are character-driven and full of emotion. History, African mythology and science fiction all interest her. Qhali’s dream film would be a fantasy or real-life character story set in pre-colonial South Africa.

As a leading filmmaker in her industry, Qhali is one of the few Black, female directors working in the commercial space, and this creates a lot of pressure. Qhali has had to be clear and confident with her decisions and career path. 

Without much advice from people in the industry, Qhali relied on her family. Her mother, particularly, has supported her from the beginning, and her father got onboard when she started working.

Let’s face it, 2020 has been an emotional roller coaster for many businesses. The pandemic brought more than many could handle. If you live in Nigeria, the recent #EndSARS protests have revealed the rot in the police force and shown that Nigerians are TIRED of being mistreated. We have heard countless stories that bring tears to our eyes and cause throbbing pain in our hearts. The unrest, the killings, extortion, and total disrespect of human life are too heavy to ignore. For many small and medium scale businesses, the question remains how do we support the movement? Do we post on social media, what do we post, and how do we communicate?

I understand your concerns. Let’s address the first issue. When your business is located in a country going through unrest, it is wise to lend your voice to the cause and communicate your stance. Staying on the fence or keeping quiet is unacceptable.

Don’t carry on as if nothing is happening. Addressing the issue proves your organization’s values and ethics. You’ve been telling your clients how the services you offer are more than mere services, now is the time to prove it. Now that we’ve set the records straight. Let’s highlight a few ways to communicate as a brand during civil unrest.

1. Ensure that you address the challenge.

In a bid to stay on the sideline, many organizations miss the mark. For example, the hashtag for the unrest in Nigeria presently is #EndSARS #StopPoliceBrutality. In whatever message you share during this period, please include these hashtags. This way, it is clear that you are doing this because you believe in the movement and also want a change. Avoid diverting attention from the issue at hand.

2. Show true emotion 

If you have never had an encounter with SARS officials, it will be great to read through stories and immerse yourself in the pain of those who have gone through the madness. Your messaging will be different and heartfelt. Remember that people can read through empty messaging and the desire to stay relevant. Don’t try it.

3. Use your mailing list.

If you are still joking with your mailing list, you need to stop. Push your email marketing campaign to the forefront, speak compassionately with your customers, share what you believe they can do to stay safe during this period and beyond while promoting your products and services without a lack of sensitivity.

Here’s a bonus tip, speak to your employees, and ask how you can help them during this period. If you can, allow them close early to avoid being harassed or stuck in traffic due to the protests. Be human.

In all of this, remember to be compassionate and empathetic when speaking online during this time. Take time to review all scheduled posts and campaigns to ensure that they are aligned with the times.

Juliet Ehimuan is Country Director leading Google’s business strategy in West Africa. She was named by Forbes as one of the top 20 power women in Africa, by the London Business School as one of 30 people changing the world; and featured in the BBC Africa Power Women series, and on CNN Innovate Africa.

With over 25 years’ experience primarily in Technology, Oil & Gas, and New Media industries across Europe, Middle East and Africa; Juliet is a thought leader, and a leading voice on Innovation, Transformation, and Leadership. She has received numerous awards for outstanding contribution to the digital landscape in Africa.

Juliet is an Executive Leadership Coach and a member of the Forbes Coaches Council.  She is the Founder of Beyond Limits Africa, a leadership and organisational capacity building initiative.

Juliet holds an Executive MBA from the London Business School, a Postgraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge; and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. 

Asides who we know Juliet Ehimuan to be, can you share things about you that most people don’t know?

I am a technology enthusiast and a self leadership champion. I believe in the immense potential that exists in every human being, and I see technology as an enabler that can be leveraged to enhance personal and organizational effectiveness. I am passionate about growth and transformation, and provide coaching and mentoring to support individuals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses through the Beyond Limits platform. My hobbies include music, dance and writing. 

You were named Forbes’ top 20 youngest power women in Africa, with decades of experience in tech, new media, oil & gas, is it safe to say you have gotten to the peak of your career? 

Is there really a peak? Life is a constant process of growth and evolution, and I’m a lifelong learner. There’s a lot more to be done. Normally life has segments and we are at different stages in the different  areas. Yes, in my tech career I have made a lot of contributions but there is so much more that I will still like to contribute to. I’m all about impact and continue to see opportunities for growth and development.

Would you say you have always had your journey figured out; how did it all pan out for you?

I haven’t always had the path figured out, but the vision and intention at each point was  usually quite clear. I have always had a passion for technology and for impacting the world around me through the productivity tools that it provides. I have also always been a lifelong learner, and a believer in striving to improve oneself, and in looking for opportunities for growth.  My goal was always to be the best I could be and develop myself fully, knowing that this would mean getting stretched, and sometimes being taken out of my comfort zone . That desire to grow, caused me to make tradeoffs like leaving a good and well paying job at Shell to attend graduate studies at Cambridge University. While at Microsoft UK, it became clearer to me how my vision to use technology to contribute to growth and advancement could be directed towards Africa. That vision caused me to leave Microsoft after 6 years and start a consulting outfit focused on knowledge sharing between African leaders and their global counterparts, and ultimately led me to Google Nigeria. 

I always talk to people about the importance of having a clear vision. The path may not be clear but if the vision is strong, you’ll be better able to make the right decisions and leverage opportunities that show up. That has certainly been true in my case. My vision has been clear – leveraging technology to impact society and providing coaching and mentoring that will help the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs to emerge and find success, as they fulfil their visions and realize their purpose. How you articulate the vision may change over time but the essence of it doesn’t change. 

Beyond Limits with Juliet is a new project; what inspired it and can you give a brief description of the project?

Beyond Limits is not entirely new. I have coached and mentored people for a long time through one on one mentoring and targeted programs. I started Beyond Limits in 2017 as a platform to drive leadership and effectiveness for individuals and organisations. The current focus is on leadership, innovation, and transformation. I am currently running a transformational series online that includes instructional videos and two webinars. The second webinar aimed at sharing tools and techniques that enable transformation and drive success held on August 20th at 6pm. 

As a career woman, were there particular challenges you faced? If yes, what were the challenges and how did you overcome them?

First of all, the term career woman is an interesting one, and one I would question as it sometimes implies that many women who are home makers are not pursuing a career. Nothing can be further from the truth. There are many people who run small and medium sized businesses out of their homes, taking care of their families, while also building their businesses. 

Also, there are many aspects to my life and career is just one of them, albeit a big part. Specifically focusing on my career, I am in an industry (technology) where the rate of change is very fast. One challenge is keeping up to date with and staying ahead of the fast pace of technology change. 

Are there instances where you failed at something you put in so much effort to do? How did you handle it? What are your thoughts on failure?

Oh yes, I have indeed tasted the sweet scent or bitter stench of failure. One example was in 2006 when I first ventured into independent consulting. It was a challenging period, but I learnt a lot and grew  from the experience. I believe that there’s no failure, only feedback. What this means to me is that failure is not a denial, it is merely a deferment. Failure simply means a task, a goal, or a vision might not come to fruition on the timelines that we have set. When I face setbacks now, I try to take a step back to see the broader lessons that can be learned. If we are open to the feedback that failure offers, we can find new approaches, make necessary course corrections, and do a host of small or big things that might be needed to get back on track. 

What was your defining moment?

I have had many amazing moments and experiences that I am grateful for, including some of the work that I have been able to do alone, or in partnership with others. More recently from a career perspective I am very proud of the work we’re doing at Google to contribute to economic opportunity and digital advancement in Africa. Example initiatives include our commitment to train 10 million Africans in digital skills and 200K developers. So far, we have trained over 5 million people! 

In the work that I do in Beyond Limits, I am awed by the immense impact that we have had in the lives of participants in the program. It is humbling to see some of the people that have gone through the program, going on to create solid, prosperous businesses, that have changed their lives and that of their families and loved ones. We have been running a six week transformational series aimed at “igniting the leader in you” and helping you to generate positive results in your life. 

In the early days as one of a handful of women studying engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University of Ife, it was a thing of great joy for me to have graduated from my Bachelors degree with a First Class degree. That increased my confidence in my abilities and also created a great foundation to build on.

Final words to women in our community

Women take on and contribute a lot to society. They have an immense capacity for leadership and service, and this should be acknowledged and celebrated. I encourage women to be true to themselves, and to be authentic and purpose driven as they navigate their careers and lives. They should not impose any limitations on themselves based on external chatter that might make them doubt themselves, or their abilities. Thankfully, we now live in a time when there is an abundance of female role models and inspiring trailblazers in practically every facet of life and career.  I encourage younger women starting out in their career paths to find such role models and find inspiration in their stories. 

Follow Juliet on Twitter and Instagram – @jehimuan, to leverage tools and resources shared frequently on her page.

The Leading Ladies Africa weekly interview series focuses on women of African descent, showcases their experiences across all socio-economic sectors, highlights their personal and professional achievements and offers useful advice on how to make life more satisfying for women.

Do you know any woman of African descent doing phenomenal things? Send an email to lead@leadingladiesafrica.org and we just might feature her.

Saudat Salami started EasyshopEasycook.com the first online multi-platform fresh grocery delivery company in Nigeria 15 years ago, to help working professionals especially women to balance work and homelife. Today, she is paying it forward and helping other entrepreneurs in the food business grow successfully.

Easyshop Easycook Services Limited is a proudly Nigerian domestic outsource company that specializes in shopping services, providing customized domestic solutions to the working professional.

Thank you for taking the time out to speak with us again at LLA; the last time we had an extended conversation with you was in 2015. What have been the major milestones for you and your business since then?

Hello LLA, it is always a pleasure chatting with you.

A whole lot has happened but let me mention 2. We raised a seed fund in late 2017 through a Venture Capital EchoVC so now we have external investors on our Board. This major investment helped us to scale to over 300% revenue. We improved our technology and operations, increased our customer base, brought in good talent, invested in new buses and increased our marketing spend. Presently we are getting ready for another round of investment.

Another major milestone is the online grocery delivery initiative we are championing.  The tech community have often overlooked this subsector because many businesses have been buried here. It has a high entry and exit history. We realized at Easyshop Easycook that in order to hack the growth in the sector we need to collaborate more and partner were necessary. Over time it is the software tech part of the business that investors fund but the business side, the infrastructure side, the back-end that is linked to the agric value chain is what buries the company. Investors overlook it and underrate the impact on the business. Our initiative as the pioneer and the most deep rooted in this sector is to share with others what has kept us in business for over 15years which is our deep understanding of the business side and use this knowledge to build standards and attract needed infrastructure which software tech can build on. The sector is big enough to accommodate many players but unfortunately, they keep dying.

Rad! For those who might be unaware, tell us about your business and why it serves an important need?

Easyshop Easycook is an online grocery delivery company set up to help working professionals especially women meet their domestic responsibilities by supplying high quality fresh prepped groceries to their homes or office in a timely and convenient manner.

This is an essential support service because women are responsible for over 75% of domestic responsibilities including care of the children and adult especially married women. Over 50% of working women consider quitting their jobs due lack of support in balancing work and home life. This is why of the 48% of women in entry level only 22% are left at management level and less than 10% make it to Board level.

Shopping and food preparation are a major domestic responsibility. The convenient and time-saving way around solving this problem is what Easyshop Easycook is here to do and we have done that successfully in the last 15years.

You are often referred to as the “mother of E-commerce,” why do you think that’s so? (Completely deserving in our opinion btw)

I can’t even remember who gave me this name but I like it, smiles. I built my first e-commerce website myself in 2001. It was fully functional and we were ready for business. I was the first to do this but the market was not ready for it. The shopping behavior, the culture and infrastructure were not in support of this service even though the problem we were here to solve existed, they were not ready for the solution we were bringing.

In all honesty, I also did not know what I was getting myself into. 2001 to 2005 were brutal years, I will call it Beta stage. I went for an entrepreneurial course at Fate Foundation in 2005 to understand how to run a business and having gained that knowledge, I quit my day job and faced my business fully. Many companies have come into this sector and have died along the way. Easyshop Easycook has stayed the course even during 2 or 3 recessions and little funding. Maybe that is why they call me mother of E-commerce. I consider it a huge compliment.

Nobody could have predicted the way 2020 has turned out — did Covid-19 impact your business in any way?

I said earlier that our culture and behavior affected the way people accepted online grocery delivery. This is mainly because our culture has assigned food roles to women. Even a busy woman often feels guilty of outsourcing shopping because culture says it’s her responsibility.

COVID19 happened and changed people’s mindset to grocery delivery. Easyshop Easycook was made for a time like this and we took full advantage of the opportunity because we have a highly skilled and experienced team. This period made us shine and our customer base multiplied even when we had to use less than 50% of our staff due to social distancing. An opportunity presented itself and we thrived in it.

It is now no longer a service for lazy people but an essential service for everyone which we always knew it was. The stigma of laziness is no longer there. People and government were looking for grocery delivery services they did not support in the past. The lockdown was not successful in many states because there were no grocery delivery companies and also other indirect support services were not available e.g. cold chain logistics and storage for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Due to this, many COVID19 impact surveys are recommending funding of the sector and organizing programmes that will help digitalize many food businesses.

Let’s segue and talk about your latest project — the “Growing Your Online Food Business” workshop for entrepreneurs like yourself — what’s the idea behind that?

I have been mentoring women into the online food space for a while. I made it official in 2019 through a workshop I launched.

When COVID19 happened, it created an opportunity for many people to pivot into this space. Being the oldest company in this sector, I have been inundated with messages from new entrants both men and women to mentor them. This prompted my new workshop.

The online grocery delivery sector has already been classified as an essential sector which means we will be attracting the right policies and infrastructure needed for fast development post COVID. This sector has buried many companies and I know that if we do not have a critical mass of strong companies there is a likelihood the sector will be overlooked again.

My workshop is to help new entrants navigate the sector, inspire collaboration and partnership, agree and set standards and build a strong ecosystem. I will be concentrating more on building capacity for the business/operations side of the sector to get them ready for partnership with the software tech side that will help them scale faster. Both sides are important and needed to thrive.

Amazing! In your video (which we have here), you speak specifically about mentorship — why is that important, particularly for entrepreneurs?

When I started my business in 2001 before it became official in 2005 mentorship was what I sought in the field but did not get. I had mentors on general business but not in my field. I made many mistakes, lost money and stepped on many mine fields.

Mentorship is critical in business in other to help one navigate an unknown business area. Why repeat mistakes when you can learn practically from those that have experience? Mentorship is also a two-way street, with new ideas from mentees, mentors will have a clearer way of solving an old problem. Mentorship builds confidence and helps reduce your mistakes and save money while experimenting. Your mentor encourages you on personal development and in many cases gives you access to a network you ordinarily will not have. When you have ideas and need someone with experience and superior knowledge your mentor can be the one or link you up with the person that can help you.

Asides funding — which is a constant challenge — what other challenges would you say entrepreneurs (specifically foodpreneurs) face?

The infrastructure in the agric value chain is lacking. Cold chain infrastructure is needed to reduce food waste. Standards need to be enforced in the agric sector across the value chain. There is no enforced good agric practice in production on the farms so waste and substandard produce is coming from there. Farming is not just about fertilizers and silos for grains. We need good seeds and practice to increase shelf life of what is coming from there. We do not have pack houses across the country especially in the farm areas so the markets are filled with waste and unsorted produce. The cold chain transport logistics companies are few so food gets rotten in transit. Foodpreneurs are constantly buying waste with their food which can’t be preserved because we have no cold chain.

What’s next on the horizon for Easyshop Easycook and Saudat Salami?

Building the online grocery sector is key for me. We need to attract the right policies that will make it profitable for investors to put their money in. We need to reduce the mortality rate of companies in this sector by forging partnerships and collaboration with highly skilled people and sectors that determine our growth particularly the agric sector.

We want to encourage strong modular companies around viable cities in Nigeria which will help to shape customer behavior faster and validate the sector. This will lead to mergers of strong viable companies that large ones will emerge from.

The Leading Ladies Africa weekly interview series focuses on women of African descent, showcases their experiences across all socio-economic sectors, highlights their personal and professional achievements and offers useful advice on how to make life more satisfying for women.

Do you know any woman of African descent doing phenomenal things? Send an email to lead@leadingladiesafrica.org and we just might feature her.

Photo Credit: Chidi Koldsweat

Chidi Koldsweat is the Founder, Acting CEO, Donors for Africa, where she works to break cycles of poverty by strengthening the capacity of African social innovators, non-profits, impact led businesses and social enterprises to access funds, achieve their vision towards the SDG’s and build sustainable organizations. In this role, she has trained 315 non-profits, raised thousands of dollars in funds through grant writing and income generating activities, provided technical support to over 40 women led organizations and reached over 12 thousand people weekly via the organization’s learning platform. Chidi Koldsweat has over twelve years of experience in the development space, working across sectors such as health, gender (women and girls in leadership, business, and politics), organizational management and sustainability strategy.

In 2011, she was selected amongst Africa’s 25 most outstanding emerging women leader under the Moremi Initiative for Leadership (MILEAD). In 2013, she became a Vital Voices Lead Fellow and was also nominated amongst the 100 unseen women changing her world. In 2014, CEO Global gave Chidi an award as a Finalist, Africa’s most influential woman in management, business & public service (civil society category). In the same year, she was nominated by the Chinese Embassy to participate in the 3 weeks cultural exchange program under The Chinese Association for International Understanding. In 2019 she flew the Nigerian flag at the launch of the Arab-African Youth Platform, was selected to pitch her organizations work at the World Bank during the World Bank Youth Summit.

She continues to focus on creating long-term solutions that improves the lives of Africans through policy formulation and implementation, actively working with governments and leading organizations to implement change at the grassroots. 

Who is Chidi Koldsweat?

Chidi Koldsweat is an International Development Professional and the Founder of Donors for Africa Foundation with a passion to help African non-profits run profitable and more sustainable organizations. She achieves this by working with Governments, donor agencies, local and international NGOs, public and private organizations, and a growing team of experts to break cycles of poverty. We strengthen the capacity of these non-profits and innovative enterprises to access funds, achieve their vision towards the Sustainable Development Goals and most importantly build sustainable organizations.

Chidi has over twelve years’ experience in the non-profit sector, working across sectors such as health, gender (women and girls in leadership, business, and politics), organizational management and sustainability strategy, she is intentionally changing the narrative about non-profits and how they work towards achieving the SDGs. For a long time, there has been a narrative that non-profits are designed to consistently beg for funds to run their programs; however once we can understand the important role everyone plays including businesses and key stakeholders, we can accelerate the achievement of the goals and increase impact in local communities.

Background story to founding “Donors For Africa.

I have been in the non-profit sector for over 12 years and I have watched increasingly the rise and fall of non-profits. One minute you have a skilled technical partner doing well and the next minute they are no longer in existence due to funds, wrong internal processes and skillsets I knew I was very efficient at, fast forward a few years later, I worked with a pan-African organization and  I saw first-hand how a combination of the right processes can help an indigenous organization thrive.

After a combination of experiences, I decided that rather than launch another non-profit struggling for the same funds; I would work in a largely uncommon area which is building partnerships for the goals that are all-encompassing, allows me to utilize my skills and support other non-profits working in a specific area.

I strongly believe that there is so much more I could do for the sector. One increasing difficulty I witnessed was the huge difference between non-profits that were effectively run, the results they achieved vs smaller non-profits that struggled so I decided to bridge this gap by helping more non-profit achieve the results they need to achieve the SDG’s but most importantly build sustainable solutions that are centered on the peculiarity of the African market.

A lot of people believe that funds are core issues, yes it is but our internal research has shown that over $5billion is pumped into the system annually and what is lacking is not funding but well-developed ideas in the hands of competent leaders.

To ramp up achieving the SDG’s we strongly believe in increased investment in Africa. Thus our solution is to call for increased investment in the human capital especially for development professionals working at the grassroots. If these grassroots organizations are well assisted, many of them will survive and in return help other upcoming start-ups to be successful.

Measured impact and achievements with Donors for Africa

Oh, we have done quite a bit.

To commemorate International Women’s Day, we launched the premier award announcement announcing and celebrating 50 African women in development. These are women we refuse to refer to as unseen, but rather the invisible thread that holds the tapestry of development together.

Last year, we also launched our Social Innovators Boot Camp where 30 innovators were selected from over 232 applications received. They are currently going through a 12 weeks immersive training where they will receive support and from different professionals. After this training, they will pitch their projects before sponsors and the shortlisted candidates will receive funds to implement their programs.

We have also trained over 400 non-profits, provided direct technical support to over 40 women-led development organizations, raised thousands of dollars in funds and continue to reach over 12,000 people weekly on our learning platform where we share information on global development trends as well as the knowledge that can catalyse the impact of their work.

Within the time we have launched, we have helped non-profit leaders go from confusion to clarity and then impact. We have helped them generate funds for their organizations and most importantly teach them how to. We are designing solutions that allow African non-profit leaders to build sustainable organizations for the long term. Ones that do not rely totally on external funding to do all their work. If we empower non-profit leaders and organizations, then they can be around for more years and in turn, their solutions are more lasting and impactful in the communities.

Motivation and Inspiration behind Donors for Africa

Our motivation and inspiration behind Donors for Africa are to provide a long-lasting solution to global challenges on the African continent by strengthening the capacity of mission-driven African Social Innovators to access funds, achieve ground-breaking results and build sustainable organizations.

We are building empowered institutions with the right internal structures and processes armed with a clear road map for action.

We are raising transformational non-profit leaders who are skilled and competent. These leaders access training through a blend of virtual and onsite training and funding opportunities.

Our motivation is to raise organizations that generate own funds as well as access available opportunities

We advocate for increased partnerships with donors to not only amend the stringent rules that come with funding but also increase their trust working with development organizations. We support their work internally by helping them implement indigenous programs and campaigns.

We are also motivated by research, fundraising and all forms of impact investment.

These areas are extremely important because there is a gap that we believe we must bridge if we truly intend to achieve the 2030 agenda. Our solutions are designed for Africans with intent to impact indigenous communities and we are passionate about helping to find long term solutions to ensure equal opportunity for individuals on the African continent.

 Challenges and Lessons learned

You have to believe hard enough in our dreams to keep going. It is important that you constantly evaluate your processes, what works, what doesn’t? What do my beneficiaries need and what don’t they need? More so when you are working in an unpopular sector and solutions not as common; you must invest in seeking information either from local or international coaches. If you will not invest in your dreams, why should anyone invest in you or your organization?

You must fight FEAR! Fear hinders you from achieving all that you ought to achieve, think of the millions of people who will never gain clarity or achieve purpose simply because you were/ are afraid to pursue the dream In your heart.

Then you must see money as a tool. A very important tool that you can send on errands. It is not an end because you can never have enough of it but you can multiply it by being willing to re-invest it in areas that can increase your brand visibility, marketing, learning and whatever needs to be done.

There is always the challenge of having a team when you start. In addition to working long hours, we worked with volunteers in our first year who provided their expertise and technical support which helped us achieve a key milestone.

Then you have to be authentic. To own your truth, to find your voice and use it. You must understand your unique journey, and pace your self. It would be wrong for you to compare someone else’s chapter 7 with your chapter 1. Learn from others as much as you can but realize that ultimately there is a path that you have to go through and lessons you must learn along the way that is uniquely yours. Always remember that success requires a high level of discipline, consistency, boldness, and focus.

Memorable moments and highlights in the course of your work?

We have had quite a few highlights, but you always remember your first.  The launch of our first Social Innovators Bootcamp was truly remarkable as we had spent so much time working in the background and finally held a physical event that brought together over 200 people. We spent time discussing the challenges in the sector as well as mapping out actionable solutions.

From the selection process to the final launch; it was truly a highlight for us.

Also, our biggest surprise was achieving a 3-year plan in 1. From 2018, training over 400 non-profits and see their faces when they achieve clarity, get a sense of direction, get that grant or close that partnership. This means everything to us.

Your work spans across different sectors, health, women in leadership, public service, etc. what is most fulfilling about the impact you make?

The fact that we get to create new solutions for diverse problems either in the government or public/private sector. From mentoring programs to interventions, designing media campaigns and much more. To me that’s impact! That we get to design solutions, strategies that shape policies and the impact it has on the lives of people from indigenous communities.

At DFA, I am fulfilled when I see people who we have supported achieve new things, get new loans and grants, access global opportunities, build in the required structures and generally become more excited about their projects. This is extremely fulfilling on all levels. It has become the fuel that keeps you going.

With how far you’ve come, and your success, what achievements do you hope for in the next 5 years?

Quite a lot, we plan to open offices in other parts of the world especially Africa. Run training schools that are certified, become key technical influencers working closely with funders, donors, governments and becoming leading technical experts that influence government when they make decisions around the SDG or any key development issues. So many other things we cannot share at this time.

Can you share briefly, some women you consider mentors?

There are quite a number of them that I look up to for different reasons:

Halimatou Hima, Hajara Pitan, My mum, Saran Kaba Jones, Ini Abimbola, Osayi Alile, Ndidi Nwuneli, Detoun Ogwo, Ibukun Awosika and many other African women on the continent.

These are women that have owned their journey in their respective careers.

Do you have a life philosophy, personal mantra perhaps that keeps you steady when the going gets tough?

Treat every opportunity as the opportunity of a lifetime. Don’t sit around and wait for things to happen to you, go out and create them. Embrace your lessons.

Find the courage to be more, to do more so you can have more and become more

This too shall pass.

When faced with a tough situation that’s beyond my capability, I simply pray about it and hold on to my favourite scripture verse Philippians 4:6.

The Leading Ladies Africa weekly interview series focuses on women of African descent, showcases their experiences across all socio-economic sectors, highlights their personal and professional achievements and offers useful advice on how to make life more satisfying for women.

Do you know any woman of African descent doing phenomenal things? Send an email to lead@leadingladiesafrica.org and we just might feature her.

Photocredit: Folakemi Oloye

Folakemi Oloye is a Designpreneur, and the Founder and CEO of Teal Harmony, an interior design and Renovations company based in Nigeria. At Teal Harmony, she defines and leads business strategy, she also manages business operations and provides design directions for the firm’s projects. Prior to founding Teal Harmony, she had about 10years experience as a business developer across several business sectors.

Background story and Inspiration in founding “Teal Harmony”

Unlike several people, I didn’t realize I had a flair for interior decorating until I had recently moved apartments and decided to do up my home, several people commented on how beautiful my house was, so I did my cousin’s room and a friend’s home, upon completion his neighbours had me decorate their homes and the rest like they say is history.

Teal harmony started out as the yellow pages for home improvement needs due to the challenges I faced when I was doing up my house but it quickly evolved into a full service design firm because people preferred to outsource the design, decorating and execution to me. Teal Harmony got incorporated in 2015 while I was working full time, however, I quit my job May 2016 to start full time. 

About Teal Harmony? 

Teal Harmony is a full-fledged interior design and renovation based in Lagos, Nigeria, with the sole purpose of providing expert services in all aspects of design. With her initial goal to be a yellow-page for interior design needs, Teal Harmony has grown over the years, earning her place as a full serviced interior design firm in Nigeria bent on eradicating the exploitation of people in need of interior design services and bridging the gap by setting the standard as trustworthy service professionals in the design space regardless of the gender and ethnicity of her clients. We boast of a 53-strong and ever- increasing team of well-vast professionals with years of expertise and commitment to client’s needs.

We operate in Nigeria and countries across Africa and beyond. Beyond creating beautiful, functional spaces that suit clients’ needs. We provide expert advice and consultation services. Our bid to live up to our goal of satisfying our clients while staying true to our original purpose of “providing designs that were not just beautiful but functional and quality driven” has earned us the trust needed to thrive in the design industry and grow our services beyond the Nigerian borders.

Since inception, we have worked on over 150 projects ranging from Corporate Spaces, Commercial Designs, Retail Stores, Hospitality, Health Care Facilities and Residential Spaces. We provide services that are tailored to covering every aspect of our clients’ projects with strict attention to details, a proper understanding of our clients’ tastes, budgets and future maintenance requirements. Our Human Capital pool is made up of the best trained professionals with experience across a wide range of Industries. In addition, technology plays a huge part in our operations as we have deployed systems and channels with which our clients can access our services.

What are your best and worst entrepreneurship moments?

Best entrepreneurship moment was delivering on a container build café from design to build to furniture. Its best for me because the team and I had to do a lot of research and work with a consultant to deliver. The client was absolutely thrilled and has since given us several referrals. Contact us for all your container builds and get an 20% design discount referencing this post.

Worst entrepreneurship moment was working on an information center, we had completed all renovation works, but when the furniture delivery came, the client insisted that it was meant to be in a different color of wood, which meant we had to redo the furniture. We delivered on the design but did not sign off on color. This led us to install new software and update our process so we would never had to bear such loss again.

How do you stay innovative?

Reviewing our projects and processes to see where we can improve, researching new materials and how it can be used, listening to podcasts and webinars, pushing ourselves (the Team and I) to not stay in comfort zones.

Challenges on your journey and Lessons…

Working with other contractors and sub contractors that are not part of your team can be quite challenging, but I have learnt that they have the power to make the project duration awesome or frustrated. So, we ensure we go into those projects extra humble and provide help where we can to them to ensure successful completion.

Upcoming projects and what you hope to achieve

We have recently moved offices so that we can have more room for the growing team and a place our clients can get to experience our works firsthand.

Tips on how to create and build an impactful business

Continuous learning is very essential in growing a business, identifying that you there is always room from improvement. Learn from those ahead of you, peers, subordinates, suppliers, vendors and anyone who knows more about a relevant skill more than you.

Secret to your success

God.

There’s a quote that says if you want to go fast go alone, but if your want to go far, go with people. Your team makes a huge difference in the success of your business, invest in them

Keep improving on yourself, soft and hard skills

Final words to business women in our community

Your femininity is strength use it, do not lose it trying to prove you can do it better than men (for those in male dominated sectors). Everything that makes you a woman has given you a higher chance of succeeding as an entrepreneur. Input is equal to output. Put in the work and see yourself soar. Be willing to take calculated risk, do not wait for the perfect time, there’s no such thing.

The Lady Boss Series is a weekly interview series that highlights the achievements and entrepreneurial journeys of African female entrepreneurs. The idea is to showcase the Leading Ladies who are transforming Africa and the African narrative through enterprise and business.

It is an off-shoot of Leading Ladies Africa, a non-profit that promotes leadership, inclusion and diversity for women of African descent.

If you know any kick-ass women of African Descent doing phenomenal things in enterprise, email lead@leadingladiesafrica.org, and she could possibly be featured.

Dupe Akinsiun is the Head, Leadership & Capabilities Centre of Expertise, Coca Cola. Modupe is a versatile Human Resources professional with over eleven years of continuous progressive practice. She is the Lead Consultant with Passionate Pursuit Company, a Professional Training & Coaching Company. Prior to her current position, she had served as a strategic HR Business Partner across multiple African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Madagascar and Namibia). Modupe has worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers as an HR Consultant in the Advisory practice where she delivered HR & Corporate Governance solutions to clients across multiple sectors.

She also had a stint working for some indigenous companies in the Investment Banking and Consulting space Modupe is a certified member of the John Maxwell Team of Coaches, Speakers and Trainers around the world. She is also a certified Human Resources Management Professional (HRMP) and a Senior Certified Professional by the Human Resources Certification Institute and the Society of Human Resources respectively in the USA. She is an accredited Personality Profile Analyst with Thomas International and a recently certified member of the HRMA, Canada with the CPHR (Chartered Professional of Human Resources).  

We had a chat with Dupe who shared amongst other things the upcoming Accelerate conference strictly for the upward mobile driven career professional. Scroll down to read

In your own words, who is Dupe Akinsuin, and what does she do?

Dupe Akinsiun is a passionate and dynamic Leadership Development professional equipped to help people acquire the information, insights and inspiration required to help them maximize their potentials. I achieve this through my capacity-building initiatives like coaching, mentoring, training, speaking etc.

Excellent! As a coach and career mentor, what do you think are 3 of the major challenges entry to mid level professionals face?
Young professionals face a lot of challenges as they advance in their career, some of the include:

1. Learning how to build a notable and admirable career
2. How to harmonize work and life demands
3. How to become a person of influence within their field

Let’s talk about the Accelerate 2020 conference — what’s it about and how did the idea come about?

Accelerate Conference is a platform designed to help engage professionals in conversations that will help provide insights and the right mindset to tackle workplace challenges in a way that enables them discover and provide solutions needed to win in the workplace thereby leading to personal fulfillment, organizational productivity and
ultimately economic growth. We believe that when professionals are empowered, nations get enriched

The conference has speakers from all over the world — U.S, Canada, Uk, Nigeria, UAE, etc — what value do you think that would bring to the attendees?

The faculty we have from multiple sectors across different continents bring about diverse, rich perspectives into conversations that will be taking place. These days, challenges we face are not just local. Having a global perspective to situations we encounter helps drive innovation and cross-border relevance and synergies

What would be your recommendation for career professionals who want to stay relevant and embrace the growth mindset?

Be ready to stretch but be careful not to go alone. Find a tribe that shares the same values as you do, lean-in and make the most of the time and space you occupy

About The Accelerate Conference: There has never been a time to be an agile professional as it is now. With the disruption the workplace has experienced since the advent of covid-19, organizational changes have been the order of the day. With these changes, there has been more demand on professionals to give more for organizational stability. There has been an increased pressure on professionals to become and remain relevant in their organizations or at the minimum, within the industry they play. To solve this, Dupe Akinsiun hosts the Accelerate conference, so if at this time, you seek to:

• Change jobs within or outside your organization so you can earn more or achieve the growth you desire
• Attract strategic career opportunities from far and wide leveraging social media
• Manage the dilemma of work-life balance better
• Become a person of influence within your organization and industry
• Understand what your organization expects of you at this time to be recognized as a high-performing employee

The Accelerate Conference is your big bet! With an amazing line-up of transformational speakers, you will get practical insights on how to get the best out of your career.

Hurry up and sign-up here

The Leading Ladies Africa weekly Career Conversation series focuses on women of African descent, showcases their experiences across all socio-economic sectors, highlights their personal and professional achievements and offers useful advice on how to make life more satisfying for women.

Do you know any woman of African descent doing phenomenal things? Send an email to lead@leadingladiesafrica.org and we just might feature her.

Photo Credit: Lilian Oparaji

Lilian Oparaji is the chief principal stylist at SimplyLil Clothes and more, where she creates sophisticated and classy styling for the modern woman on a budget. She is a foremost an International Certified image consultant based but not limited to Port Harcourt. She is an advocate of styling women according to their body types, her famous lines  “You don’t have to be naked to be stylish” and  “ dress the way you want to be addressed“  stems from her desire to promote more body confidence in the everyday woman. She also teaches women how to live life more Intentionally outside the roles they play as wives, mothers, sisters and so on.

For over a decade she has built and sustained a career in fashion retail, personal styling , personal shopping, corporate image branding and consultation and a successful interior design business.

What does Entrepreneurship mean to you?

What does Entrepreneurship mean to me? It means doing what I love while getting paid for it.

One of your favourite quotes/taglines is “BE INTENTIONAL!” Can you shed more light on this topic?

Being INTENTIONAL. It means living life and not existing, Living outside the roles I play as a mother, wife, daughter, stylist and all. It means living my life in such a way I fulfill that which God has called me to be, living in his purpose and dying empty.

What inspired you to establish the SIMPLY LIL SPEAKS STYLE BRAND and  what 3 greatest lessons you have learned on your business journey/while building a global brand?

Simply Lil Speaks Style was born after I finished my business session with my coach turned friend Steve Harris, the need to stand out from the regular boutique seller, and so I decided to take international classes and be certified.

3 business lessons?

1. 1. To keep pushing because most people around you can’t see your vision
   2. To always trust in God even if it sounds stupid to you
   3. You have to put in the work

   Can you share some entrepreneurship myths you have encountered on your journey?

2. 1. No one will buy it
   2. You need a huge capital
   3. You have to have a store

Your 3 top recommendations for women in our community who’d like to become Image Consultants & Stylists?

1. Learn and keep learning
2. You have to believe in yourself
3. Respect yourself enough to know when to say No because everyone isn’t your client

The Lady Boss Series is a weekly interview series that highlights the achievements and entrepreneurial journeys of African female entrepreneurs. The idea is to showcase the Leading Ladies who are transforming Africa and the African narrative through enterprise and business.

It is an off-shoot of Leading Ladies Africa, a non-profit that promotes leadership, inclusion and diversity for women of African descent.

If you know any kick-ass women of African Descent doing phenomenal things in enterprise, email lead@leadingladiesafrica.org, and she could possibly be featured.