Connecting the African Diaspora through fashion and entrepreneurship
As an undergraduate at University of Pennsylvania, I was blessed with the opportunity to study abroad twice in Ghana. This was the first time that anyone in my family, since we were brought to the USA as slaves, had the chance to return to our ancestral land. While in Ghana, I was exposed to the vibrant and stunning Ankara fabrics and traditional Kente cloth. I instantly fell in love with the fashion there and it’s potential to grow beyond the shores of West Africa and take root and blossom around the globe. I was also intrigued by the prospective economic impact that fashion could contribute to the households of Ghanaian artisans. Then LaBré was born Over the past year I’ve been vigorously working to realize my goals of creating and launching an African inspired fashion line, LaBré. LaBré exists to increase economic growth in Ghana through job creation. It also aims to provide Ghanaian artisans and their products with access and exposure to the international market. LaBré primarily employs women, a population that is often the most disenfranchised. We just recently led a Kickstarter campaign which culminated into a little under $11,000 to employ more Ghanaian artisans with our company. I am proud of the fact that all of our items are handmade in Ghana by Ghanaian artisans. My inspiration comes from my ancestors At the end of the Civil War, most southern African Americans who didn’t migrate to the North made a living through sharecropping which replaced plantation slavery. This is also known as tenant farming. These systems required farmers to plant and grow crops for the owner of the land in exchange for a portion of the crop. Sometimes, it required farmers to use their labor as rent to reside on the owner’s land. Sharecropping and tenant farming has persisted in my family to my grandmother’s generation. As a result of having to be self-reliant, my grandmother grew up knowing how to plant cotton. Through sewing, she also knew how to turn the raw material into cloth. My passion and dedication to create LaBré has culminated into the inter-generational exchange of technical skills. Not only that, it continues to build upon the legacy of self-empowerment, ingenuity, and tenacity. The power of Diasporic connections Learning to deal with the challenges that come with running a business overseas, has made me appreciate the diligence of Ghanaian entrepreneurs. I’ve had to work with electric cuts, language barrier and a lack of efficient telecommunication. Add to that the fact that I’m not physically present. The networks I’ve made have been helpful. Particularly with entrepreneur Peter Paul Akanko, CEO of Kente Masters. Paul helps coordinate and implement LaBré logistical operations on the ground such as shipping, inventory, and photoshoots. In February 2016, the unemployment rate for Black American ages 16-24 was 14.5%. This is similar to the situation in Ghana. Young people aged 24 and under make up 57% of the Ghanaian population. According to the World Bank’s “The Landscape of Jobs in Ghana” report, 48% of Ghanaians between the ages of 15-24 don’t have jobs. My friendship with Peter is a great example of what collaboration throughout the Diaspora and youth entrepreneurship can produce. Telling history through fashion When you wear LaBré you aren’t just wearing beautiful clothes, you are showcasing your resistance.You’re showing that you are critical of where you invest your money, from who and where you buy, and in what you wear. The common narrative is the extraction of wealth and resources from Africa. Through LaBré I am seeking to invest in the Ghanaian economy by providing supply for the rapidly growing demand for African inspired fashion. As an African American, many of us desire to reconnect with our place of origin in meaningful ways. Through LaBré I am telling history through fashion. Our men and women summer collections are both named after Ghanaian liberation leaders, Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa and King Badu Bonsu II. These are people who we in America grow up with no knowledge of. LaBré is committed to promoting heritage and traditional fabrics through modern design by producing a compelling fashion-forward aesthetic. I plan to build LaBré into a global Diasporic community connecting people through fashion, art, history, and culture. I am currently creating an online platform with Andre Glover of Indsic. The platform will allow Ghanaian artisans mass market and showcase their designs to a global audience and customer base. This is a grassroots effort that will work with local artisans. From the Kente weaving villages of Andanwomase and Bowire to market women in Kejetia and Tamale. I didn’t realize I would be using my International Relations and African Studies degree to create LaBré. If I could go back and give myself advice before starting my company it would be to “trust God and do it now.”
Fatima Zahra Nassik: Treat your business like a rollercoaster
There’s nothing as inspiring to us as seeing students getting their hustle on. Talk about getting into things early. Fatima Zahra Nassik is a bomb-ass social entrepreneur from Morocco. While pursuing her studies, Fatima co-founded Enactus ENA, a platform for student and business leaders, with her friend. Fatima didn’t stop at Enactus ENA though, she also started Laymouna with Fatima-Azzahra Benfares. Laymouna is an initiative that brings fruits and healthy snacks to busy students and working people. She’s also involved in starting other ventures and still interns at the same time! Read on to find out how Fatima brings her academic savvy into her entrepreneurial life. Tell us about your organization, Enactus ENA. Why enter into social ventures? Through Enactus ENA, the idea was to show that architecture students can also have an entrepreneurial mindset. In our first year, this was basically our goal. We started organizing conferences and events like, ‘Find the leader in you’. At this event, we had interesting leaders and speakers give inspiring speeches. We also had the first edition of the Enactus Regional Summit. It gathered 8 teams from the region to share experience, knowledge and especially communicate on their projects. Through workshops where business tools and team building activities were taught, we had several on-field types of research where we spotted different needs. After many interactions on ideas that responded to those needs, Laymouna, TownOut and C-Home were founded. Tell us about your social ventures. How do you ensure that they achieve success? Laymouna is an enterprise that aims to make fruits and healthy snacks readily available to students and working people. The idea of Laymouna really came from a need that we, as students, faced in university. We decided to do something about it. We do this through innovative vending machines and stands that provide fresh and accessible choices for people who want to eat healthily. On a more ambitious level, we want to improve the food culture in Morocco. Then through TownOut, we organize trips to remote areas in Morocco. We promote them as new tourist destinations and therefore empower them economically. Finally, C-Home is an alternative construction method where we use lightweight cardboard for homeless people. The idea is to build at a lower cost and quickly too. To ensure our ventures achieve success, we give presentations of our project’s progression to an advisory board formed by many professionals and business leaders. We organize this approximately every two to three months. We also ensure our projects participate in as many competitions as possible to maximize feedbacks and improvement. Most importantly, we have Enactus Morocco as a constant counsel. What difficulty have you faced in founding and co-founding? What advice will you give other women looking to start a project together? Concerning founding and co-founding the venture, we discuss and respect each other’s opinion at every single step. Of course, final decisions are made by the CEO if a mutual agreement takes too long. I would advise women planning on starting a project together to view their ventures as rollercoasters. Ups and downs would be a recurrent feature. Aspiring entrepreneurs must see them as necessary challenges to reaching goals. Instead of being discouraged, see them as opportunities to show that things can be different and especially like you imagined. At the end of the day, you are here to create impact and value to the world. How has your organization grown since you started on it? What steps have you taken to get it to where you want it to be? The organization is growing pretty fast. Actually, we come top to mind when it comes to entrepreneurship in our university. We are looking forward to gaining more impact in the next year and to give birth to other projects. Professors and trainers have shown interest in coaching us. We’ve been contacted by many foreign partners interested in not only our events, but also our projects. For this year, we aspire also to have more projects in the field of architecture or urbanism, a domain that we master. Tell me about your experience at the Henry Ford Academy. What steps did you take to ensure that your project won the best pitch prize? My experience in the Henry Ford Academy (in partnership with IIHEM) was rewarding. Several entrepreneurs and business leaders came and we heard their inspiring stories. We had many courses from shaping the idea of a project to how to pitch it. And finally, how to finance a business venture. For three different prizes, a presentation of our project was to be made in just one minute. Since the training was in French and English, my colleague and I decided to pitch Laymouna in both languages in exactly one minute. I think the originality of the pitch is what made us win this prize as we caught the attention of the audience. Furthermore, Laymouna was the startup selected for the HFEA ICP program for a two-week consulting with IIHEM alongside VCU students who came from the US. As a freelancer and businesswoman, how do you manage all these projects? What do you do to unwind and relax? I think the answer to this question is actually passion. I am a super active person. I really believe that my actions can give a positive impact in this world. Freelancing is most of all, a way to help me gain experience in the professional field beside my studies. My passion has helped me find a way to manage these projects. It’s my strength especially in my lowest moments (rollercoaster, remember…). Personally, I believe travelling for a few days or spending time with family is the best way to unwind and relax. It helps me achieve a broader vision of where I’m going and how. Lately, I’ve started working on starting some dancing classes. I want a physical activity that includes fun. Are you still a student? Yes! I’m in my fifth year. Of course, this means I’m basically focused on internships.
Meet our Accelerator Moguls: Shuttlers
As you know the first ever She Leads Africa Accelerator Program is currently ongoing. Out of the 120 startups from across Nigeria who applied for the program, we identified 10 as the next generation of Nigeria’s brightest female entrepreneurs. These 10 selected businesses are now benefitting from our intense accelerator training. One of them is Shuttlers, a company that enables professionals access comfortable and efficient transportation to and from work using seat matching technology. Meet the three women behind Shuttlers —Damilola Olokesusi, Busola Majekodunmi, and Damilola Quadry. Frustrated by the stress commuting in Lagos as professionals, the three women decided to do something about it. What idea lead to the creation of Shuttlers? After a long week of stress commuting to and from work, Busola and I shared our commuting experience over a phone call and decided to solve the problem instead of complaining. Not too long after, Damilola Quadry moved back to Nigeria and shared the same commuting challenges. She joined the team to make commuting to and from work less stressful for professionals who share this same plight daily. We shared a common passion, drive, determination and combination of different skills from Engineering, Economics, Management & IT. Also we had been exposed to efficient transport system from Dubai, London and USA. Adding in personal experiences with commuting in Lagos, we developed a business model to solve this problem in the most efficient and cost effective manner. After several months of research, we partnered with a leasing company and had our first pilot in November 2015. – Damilola Olokesusi How has the service Shuttlers provides been received in Nigeria? Shuttlers makes use of a different model from what many are used to, the service idea has been welcomed by many individuals and companies. Due to the structure of our business model and current low capacity we are unable to cater to all the daily demands. Currently, we are working to increase capacity by partnering with more bus leasing companies/ fleet management companies to enable us penetrate areas that are pain points in the city and to meet the demand for the service. – Busola Majekodunmi What do you need to take Shuttlers to the next level? How do you plan to get there? We need financial resources in form of investment, Human Resources and commercial partnerships such as bus leasing companies, fleet management companies, bus owners and companies with staff buses and access to companies to reach professionals who need our service. We plan to perfect our product/market fit and strategically position our product/service to attract these resources. I believe we are currently on that path. – Busola Majekodunmi
Nnenna Kalu Makanjuola: I was tired of waiting for someone else to do it
This is the age of wellness and African women won’t be left behind when it comes to health and well-being. Fed up with the lack of healthy living content geared towards African women, Nnenna Kalu Makanjuola knew she had to do something about it. So she started Radiant Health, Nigeria’s first women’s health magazine. Available on Apple and Google Play, Radiant Health is a complete guide to healthy living for today’s African woman. Currently, it is the only global African-owned health magazine focused on bringing all aspects of health and wellness under one title. The magazine also focuses in-depth on socio-cultural issues that are relevant to the well-being of every African woman or girl. We spoke to Nnenna Kalu Makanjuola to find out how African women move towards living healthy. She was graceful enough to share her favourite smoothie recipe too. Why did you feel like now was the right time for you to start Radiant Health and why you are the right person to do it? Radiant Health, quite frankly, is the magazine and health platform that I was searching for to meet my own healthy living needs as an African woman. I was constantly surprised each time I googled African or Nigerian health magazine. I found there wasn’t much in that space. This is a search I had done periodically from the time I was a student and well into my career. But somehow, it never quite occurred to me to start one…until three years ago. I was out for a long run one early morning and thinking about health care in Nigeria, as I often do. And the idea just very clearly came to me to start a health magazine. I didn’t feel the least bit qualified to publish a magazine. But by the end of that run, I had my mind made up to go for it. I thought, “why not me?” It’s fair to say I was tired of waiting for someone else to do it. Why do you think many professional African women struggle with living a healthy lifestyle? I’m reminded of a quote attributed to Chimamanda Adichie, that says “We have taken over our father’s job while retaining our mother’s responsibilities.” In talking to so many of my peers and Radiant Health readers, lack of time brought on by our increased responsibilities is a big issue. Even when the partner/spouse is supportive (and many of them are), African women still bear a heavy share of home, child rearing or other imposed traditional responsibilities. Many try to create a balance with careers and/or side businesses. Often time, it’s the health that gives, if we’re to keep up with these expectations. Equally challenging is the dearth of credible, African-tailored health content we can rely on. No matter where in the world we live, our African sensibilities, consciously or unconsciously, influence nearly everything we do including our health-seeking behaviors. But when it seems everything out there is telling you your culture is incompatible with healthy living (think food for instance), we need a platform that not only counteracts this message but guides us to live a healthy lifestyle that embraces our African essence. And that’s what Radiant Health brings to the table. What makes Radiant Health different from the other health and wellness platforms that exist on the market? I like to think of Radiant Health as a complete guide to healthy living for today’s African woman. We recognize that health is not just the absence of disease and encompasses the whole self. So in addition to health, wellness, fitness, and nutrition we also focus on the mind, spirituality, style, beauty, culture and life. We began as Nigeria’s first women’s health magazine and we’re now the only global African-owned health magazine focused on bringing all these aspects of health and wellness under one title. Our content is well researched, fact-checked and written by experts in their respective fields. We are also very driven by the social issues that impact African women. Every single Radiant Health magazine issue focuses on an in-depth socio-cultural issue that is relevant to the wellbeing African woman or girl. I’m also committed to dedicating a portion of our revenue to support well-organized local, homegrown organizations that are working on alleviating some of the most egregious social injustices faced by the African woman. Finally, we believe strongly in aligning only with advertising partners whose products are not in direct conflict with health promotion. For a startup, it hasn’t always been easy to turn down tempting offers but this is something I feel very strongly about. For your business to get to the next level, would you prefer funding or a high value mentor? Which one would you choose and why? High value mentor. There’s nothing quite like mentorship from someone who has walked the path you are trying to walk on. I don’t want to give the impression that capital is not critical to growth. It is. But even those with deep pockets still need high value mentorship to succeed. I believe with the right mentorship, the funding will always follow. I’ve been fortunate to have encountered some great mentors along the way. I should also add that a high value mentor could be a business coach or strategist that you pay for. You don’t have to wait for someone to freely take you under their wing to benefit from high value mentorship. What can we expect to see from Radiant Health over the next 6 months? Currently, our quarterly issues are published digitally and sold via in-app subscription purchase on Apple and Google Play app stores (news stands). Plans are now underway to add limited print issues in the coming months. We’ve also begun the first launch of a series of our Radiant Body Reboot fitness and nutrition program that have only been available to a select group until now. By the end of the year, we would have rolled out the complete 90-day Reboot program, which includes a done-for-you 21-day clean eating
Patricia Kihoro: Create the work you want!
Patricia Kihoro needs no introduction. The multi-talented Kenyan singer and actress has only grown since becoming a finalist at Tusker Project Fame 3 (TPF) in 2009. Now, Patricia has produced her own musical stage show, worked with a variety of renowned musicians and performed across Europe. Through all this, what matters most to Patricia is harnessing positivity and creating a great product. “As people in the creative industry, we are always tarmacking. I got to a place in life where I decided I wasn’t going to stay in the house waiting for work so I created the work I wanted ”, Patricia says. Obviously, music is not all there is to you. Tell us about the other things you do. As an entertainer, my interest spans singing, acting, writing, stage performances and photography. In the spirit of creating work for myself, I wrote, directed and produced my own stage show, Life in the Single Lane, a narrative involving interactive storytelling, acting and singing. The name was inspired by my then single status. In this show, I had put in all my savings and was a bit nervous. The play sold out, reaffirming my belief in authenticity. Life in the Single Lane was not fiction, I was not acting, I was being me. I wanted to create a product that was original and authentic. It ended up being something that people were comfortable bringing their friends, parents and even their teenage children to watch. Evidently, the love bug bit again and it’s a wrap for Life in the Single Lane, literally. So, how much of our personal issues should we let into our businesses? When creating a product, say a play or music, my current state of mind matters a lot. I know I am my greatest enemy. But the good thing is, I was able to harness into my heartbreak positively and create a great product. You were in the Because You Said So stage show. How was it? In 2014, along with a group of friends led by Jason Runo, we staged an improv comedy show dubbed ‘Because You Said So’, a hilarious comedy improvisation stage show. Improv comedy is a form of live standup comedy that is unscripted and entails off the cuff responses to scenarios created by a host. The show has gone on to enjoy tremendous success over the past 2 years. Do you worry about everyday things other entrepreneurs worry about? I mean issues like paying bills or paying late. As a creative especially, I worry that my product may not be good enough. Tell us about your radio show. What kind of music do you play? My radio job at HBR 103.5 is something I take pride in. My show Afrocentral showcases urban and contemporary music from across Africa. I also host creatives making waves on the continent. There’s a lot of good music out there, songs that don’t enjoy any or enough airplay. This is the kind of music I play. Africans are so talented. My greatest joy is when I receive feedback from delighted listeners who call in asking more about the music or the artist. This sounds like a fun and easy job. Is it? I sometimes have to turn the internet upside down looking for music on YouTube and even reaching out to artists directly. Before HBR, I worked at 1 FM radio as a News Presenter. I would say persistence and networking have helped a lot. You’re also an actress. Tell us about it. I was cast on MNET’s production Changes (my first TV gig), Sauti and Rush TV pilots and the 1st & 2nd season of Groove Theory (Africa’s first ever musical TV series). These were not roles that were handed to me. I had to rigorously audition for each and every one of them. I have even had to audition for a role in my best friend’s production. You’re multi-talented but do you ever suffer indecisiveness, especially with what project to do and when? Unfortunately, I can never choose music over my acting, radio or vice versa. These are all abilities that make up who I am as a creative person. Of course, I become indecisive at times. Some friends have advised me to concentrate on one thing, say music. But if I did that I feel I would be selling myself short. Are you involved in other ventures outside the creative industry? Besides being involved in the creative industry, I am one of the mentors at Blaze. Blaze is a recently launched platform that empowers youths to be in control of their careers and future while helping them succeed in their specific chosen fields. It is a sub-brand of Safaricom, a leading mobile service provider in Kenya. I also mentor in media, arts, and journalism. How are you inspired? I keep a group of close-knit friends who inspire, build and challenge me to grow in my career. We want your stories! Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Delphine Groot: Your success as an entrepreneur is determined by your willingness to work hard
Delphine Groot had her big breakthrough into the African-inspired fashion scene in the Netherlands in 2015. That was when she had the opportunity to showcase her collection at the Locked & Loose event in Amsterdam in the summer of 2015. Organized by The Natural Hair Club, the event exposed her unique collection to a crowd of entrepreneurs, designers, sponsors, and consumers. Many of whom were impressed and this eventually generated publicity and sales for her brand, Bobo Couture. SLA contributor Uloma Ogba, spoke with Delphine on seeking alternatives to follow her passion and being a cultural ambassador for Africa in the Netherlands. How did you decide on the name “Bobo Couture”? I belong to the Bobo ethnic group, native to Mali and Burkina Faso. The Bobo people have a thousand-year-old tradition of handicrafts and textiles. When choosing a name for my fashion brand, I felt that Bobo was fitting. Bobo captures who I am and what I want to bring to the fashion industry. I bring with me well-designed and crafted clothing, and jewelry inspired by my rich African heritage. What was your motivation for starting your own business? I was born in Mali but grew up in the Netherlands and in several other African countries. So, I have seen a fair bit of the world and absorbed parts of the different cultures I have been exposed to. In university, I studied Human Geography and International Development because I wanted to understand the role of cultural exchange in global development. However, after graduation, I quickly realized that I was not suited for office work. And so, I decided to seek alternatives to follow my passion. I came up with the idea of starting my own business. I wanted to find a way to apply my studies to something that I find both practical and engaging. Through Bobo Couture, I am able to participate in the cultural exchange process. I do this by creating access in the West to the creations of local people in various African communities. For every item I sell and when I get a chance to tell the story behind its creation, I see myself playing a role as a cultural ambassador for Africa. What is the process like for you as a designer and an entrepreneur? First, I must give credit to my mother who is my business partner and provides a lot of creative input. Together, we decide on the right fabrics and designs for each collection. The goal is to showcase different aspects of our African culture that our customer base in the Netherlands can relate to and appreciate. My culture is very vibrant, colourful, exciting, playful at times, and very focused on community. I try to make sure each collection represents that in varying degrees. From reviews I have read and from your own accounts, your brand Bobo Couture is doing really well, exceeding even your expectations. How do you think you are contributing to the development of Africa as you say? All the fabrics and textiles that we work with, for the clothing and jewelry, are sourced locally. We also employ tailors and craftsmen in Mali, Togo, Kenya, and Ghana. By providing them with work on a consistent and growing basis, we contribute to their economic development and professional growth. We want our workers to take pride in the things that they produce. We also want them to know that our goal is to ensure that their work and the meaning behind it, reaches a wider audience. You recently expanded your business to set up a physical location. In addition you manage the online store and travel back and forth between the Netherlands and Kenya to import the clothes. How are you able to find balance in your life? To be honest, these days it seems like all I do is work. But I love seeing the efforts of my hard work come to fruition. In the first year of Bobo Couture, I had to give up my personal life. No going out with friends or going on vacation. Since we opened the store, even though we employ some local girls to help out, I still have to be present most of the time. The only things that keep me sane are using what little time I have to keep up with the gym and talking to my family. These provide me with the physical and moral support I need. Given your experiences, what would be your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? If I could give one piece of advice it would be that hard work is the most important key to your success. There are going to be many challenging times ahead. But you have to try to view failures as part of the learning process to reaching your goal. Set big goals and dare to achieve them. When I started, a lot of people tried to discourage me. I heard the market was already saturated and it would be hard to stand out. Before I got an assistant, I had to transport all my clothes to and from events by myself. But I always believed in myself and in my ideas and that is what got me here today. Any final thoughts? I think a big part of why my designs sell so well is because they are a true reflection of who I am. I would never sell anything that I wouldn’t proudly wear myself. Whatever brand you choose, if it reflects you, then selling it to the public will never feel like hard work. Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Evelyn Namara: Don’t wait until you have the perfect product
Evelyn Namara is bomb-ass in just about every way. When she’s not breaking ground in tech innovation in Uganda, she’s helping women start successful businesses. We totally get why she was called a “fearless influencer of society”. Evelyn is the founder of Vouch Digital, a technology start-up building a verified digital voucher system that helps simplify the distribution of aid for international aid agencies as well as government programs. Her system helps eliminate fraud and corruption in the distribution of goods and services for cash-based programs, but before that, she worked for Beyonic Limited and Solar Sister. She is an Acumen East Africa fellow and also an IDEX fellow (January 2015 class) where she spent six months in India as part of the fellowship program working for Wings Learning Centres. Here, Evelyn shares her passion for tech and entrepreneurship with SLA and lets us know her top five tips for start-ups. What is one thing about Evelyn Namara that the world should know? I keep a counsel of close advisers who I go to when I need advice and guidance on anything. It is important for everyone to have a counsel of trusted friends who can genuinely give you guidance and also truthfully rebuke you when make terrible decisions. I have found that these people have helped me stay focused on my goals and have encouraged me when I have felt like giving up. Tell us about Vouch Digital Vouch Digital was born out of a need to find a solution to fight fraud and corruption in the distribution sector. After realizing that most systems that deliver aid to end users lack efficient systems to track transparency and efficacy, I started working on our product. Our product is a verified voucher system that simplifies the distribution of aid to different program beneficiaries. Beyond distribution, we are working on mapping beneficiaries who receive aid and do not have an identity by giving them digital identities through our system. The digital identity system allows these beneficiaries to access other goods and services such as financial services. [bctt tweet=”@vouchdigital was born out of a need to find a solution to fight fraud and corruption in the distribution sector.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What needs to be done to increase the number of women in IT? STEM studies should be encouraged from the grassroots. Girls, as well as boys, should know that the choice exists for them to take up technology as a career from an early age. I believe that once we introduce STEM studies early on and put gadgets in the hands of girls as they grow up, there will be no need to “increase women in IT”. We have a problem now because some outdated education systems allow girls to believe that some courses are not meant for them. That there are some simpler and feminine courses that girls should take up and unfortunately technology is not one of them. Let’s focus on building capacity for the younger generation and open up opportunities for girls to live up to their full potential. Besides that, we need to encourage more forums that are building capacity for women in IT. One of such forums is AfCHIX which continues to impart skills development in young women in ICT. AfCHIX gives girls an opportunity to be better at their skills and thus compete favorably for jobs. It also links them to opportunities to attend conferences such as the Grace Hopper Conference which is one of the biggest women in technology conference that brings together thousands of women from all walks of life in the technology sector. As someone who helps women start businesses, what are your top five tips for start-ups? I draw my lessons from my start-up and I will share those with other start-ups. Research the field you want to serve adequately. Carry out your baseline studies and understand your field. Know the other players in the field and find a way to make your start-up stand out in terms of product offering. It’s your uniqueness that will give you an edge. Don’t wait until you have the perfect product for you to hit the market. Prototype early, test your prototype with potential customers and iterate. You learn a lot when your product is in the hands of customers and this allows you to work on early modifications before bringing out your final product. Have a target market and work closely with them. Most start-ups are not very clear on who their target market is and this creates ambiguity in building your solution. Work on knowing who your target customers are so that you build specifically for them. Build a pull of partnerships, these are key in giving you longevity. With the right partners, you can scale your start-up easily. Find those that complement your vision and work together to push your product or service. Build the right structures. This is key if you are looking to build your start-up to scale. You were an IGF Internet Society Ambassador in 2015, tell us about that. Internet Society invests in Next Generation of Internet leaders. Through its Next Generation Leaders (NGL) programme, Internet Society helps Internet professionals between the ages of 20 and 40 develop their leadership potential in technology, business, policy, and education. NGL participants gain a unique opportunity to advance their professional growth and build the experience and confidence they need to drive development in their own local communities and the larger Internet ecosystem. The Internet Governance Forum Ambassadorship Programme lies under the NGL curriculum and gives an opportunity for Internet professionals to attend the IGF and participate in the dialogue that shapes the Internet ecosystem. I applied and was accepted as a 2015 ambassador and the experience was enriching. Stand out topics for the 2015 IGF were Connecting the next billion, Net Neutrality and Zero Rating, topics that are relevant to the African continent. My interest as a member of civil society was on following and contributing to the discussions on connecting the next
Kimberley Masimbe: I never design something I cannot wear myself
Four years ago, 29-year-old Kimberley Masimbe stepped out into the fashion industry with her chic Afrocentric vintage clothing line, House of Kiki.M. She started out running her business in a room in her parents’ house. Kim still recalls that the room was filled with inspirational pictures, fabrics, and a little table where she did her drawings. Glenda Makumbe, our SLA contributor caught up with Kim as she talks about House of Kiki.M and her passion for wearable designs. Tell us a little about yourself, Kim I was born and raised in Zimbabwe where I attended a multicultural school. I was blessed with being able to travel a lot at an early age and that significantly helped me grow personally and shaped who I am. I am very fashion conscious and I can say that has informed my kind of designs. I never design something I cannot wear myself. And oh… I love and collect hats too. Why fashion? Soon after college, I was going through a phase of self-doubt but one thing was certain —I wanted to create my own fashion statements and design wearable clothes. I used to sell second-hand clothes (bale) at Avondale flea market here in Harare. I would revamp the clothes by adding a personal touch to them. However, House of Kiki.M started after I won a young designer’s competition. My friends’ sister organized a fashion week in 2012 but because I couldn’t afford the entry fee, she asked that I enter for the young designer’s competition. We had to produce five garments and though it was my first time designing something, I won. I had been drawing and doing a few sketches so I had an idea of what I wanted to do. I have always been good at drawing and it runs in the family. My mum was a seamstress and my aunt was a poet so creativity does run in my bloodline. How would you describe your designs? Vintage…yes, vintage is the word. I love things from the past. I love giving things a different twist through beadings and attention to intricate details. What inspires your designs? I try not to follow current trends as I am inspired by the people who came before me. Brands from way back like Coco Chanel do it for me. What is your typical business day like? No gainsaying, my typical day is filled with appointments and fittings. How has your educational background helped you in managing your business? I did a course on media and communications and that has been helpful. But I’m looking at doing a fashion and design course at the Harare polytechnic. I have always been good at drawing as I come from a generation of artists. I never realized it until much later. What’s exciting about Zim fashion at the moment? I’m excited by the different fashion hubs opening up, the new designers trying to break barriers and the desire to promote Zimbabwean fashion. What are the challenges of running your own business as a young woman in Zimbabwe? Some people don’t take you seriously, especially if you don’t hang out with the creme de la creme of the society. Recently though, people have tried finding out my achievements and what I am currently up to. How do you keep yourself grounded? I try to stay true to myself, stay close to family and really value relationships. What would you tell a young woman wanting to start a business in a difficult economy like ours? Go for it. Know exactly what you want, then get a mentor to help you make the process easier. And never give up on your dreams. Lastly, what should we expect from House of Kiki.M in the next five years? I would like to have my brand in some of the local and regional department stores like Edgar’s (regional), Barbour’s (national) and boutiques in other cities. Eventually, I’d love to branch out to other Southern African countries. Having my designs on runways is the ultimate dream and I’m working towards it. Also, I look forward to branching into other areas like interior design and natural-based cosmetics. *If you are in Harare be sure to catch Kim Masimbe on the 3rd of September. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Charmaine Maphutha: All you need is focus
We give you the details about NGOs, now it’s time to talk to someone who works in the field. Charmaine Maphutha is a vibrant 22-year-old from Limpopo province, South Africa. While Charmaine studies at the University of Johannesburg, she also runs the Bopedi Hope Foundation. The Bopedi Hope Foundation was founded by Charmaine and two other women who wanted to make a difference by helping the needy. Makalela Mositsa spoke to Charmaine on her passion for helping the disadvantaged. Tell us about Bopedi Hope Foundation Bopedi Hope Foundation was founded by 3 girls, including myself. Our focus is giving to the disadvantaged. Currently, we provide sanitary pads, school shoes, clothes, toiletries and anything else identified as really needed. Our sole intention is to give hope. Our vision is to help as many children as possible, instilling hope and eventually taking some to school. Having a children’s home in Sekhukhune is also in the works and in our future plans. What inspired the foundation? I was inspired by an organization involved in giving meals to children in universities. I saw how dependent students were on the feeding scheme. It meant so much to them to receive meals that they probably didn’t know they would get. I immediately knew helping people was something I needed to do. Also, as a student teacher at Lekhini School in Limpopo, I got to meet students that inspired me. There, children from different backgrounds and households came to school because they wanted to better their future. One of the students once mentioned to me the de-motivation of having to study in classrooms that had no windows and sometimes no doors! That was when I started thinking about how to help these students with things the government couldn’t provide them. I thought to myself, “What if I could give them things that will help them live comfortably”. Wow…what else motivated you? I also had an interaction with a young lady who told me how she had to choose between buying a bag of potatoes and buying a packet of sanitary pads. This made me even more motivated to help. What advice would you give to someone looking to lending a helping hand? First, you need focus. You may never complete a task if your head is all over the place. Secondly, take things slowly. One project at a time, so your recipients are satisfied with whatever you decide to offer them. And lastly, do not make premature announcements, that way you won’t leave disappointed people at your wake. Red or white wine? Which would prefer and why? Red dry wine. Of course, because it contains procyanidins, compounds commonly found in red wine known for protecting against heart diseases. What would be a perfect day out for you? Good food and good company. Sharing creative ideas with people is my idea of a perfect day. Meeting people with different personalities and socio-economic barriers is cool, you know. I also find peace running the organisation. It’s something very dear to my heart. It opens my heart to want to give even more. Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Jeanette Theu: When you try to be like someone else you limit yourself
Women in tech will likely remain a buzz word for a while. Tech is one of those industries that everyone would like to see more of a gender balance in. Jeanette Theu is one woman trying to correct that balance. The marketing manager for MTN Business Private Sector, Jeanette has experience in both the enterprise and startup worlds. In her pursuit of greatness and helping more people, she started a non-profit organization, GirlCode with her best friend. The organization aims to help bridge the gender gap inherent in the IT industry. Jeanette shares with SLA her non-profit startup, GirlCode, and her thoughts on women in the tech industry. How did the idea of GirlCode come about? GirlCode was originally the idea of my best friend, Zandile, who organized the first GirlCode hackathon in 2014. I helped with the arrangements and onwards, we started brainstorming on how we could turn helping women through hackathons into a non-profit organization. The idea materialized in 2015 when we registered GirlCode as a nonprofit organisation. The idea has grown since we first started. We now see GirlCode not only as a vehicle for empowering young women through hackathons, but also a vehicle for creating programmes to teach young women how to code. We’re also planning on growing our brand to start having corporate challenges, and implementing the Women Go Digital initiative. With the hackathon happening this year, our aim is making it bigger and better. We’ve enjoyed sponsorships from great partners like Standard Bank, Entelect, MTN, and Microsoft. Also, JoziHub has granted us their co-working space to hold the hackathon. What is it like working with your friend? I think being co-founders with my friend is not such a bad thing as we get to spend a lot of time working together. We understand each other, but working a full-time job in addition to running GirlCode can get a bit daunting. So, it’s important working with people who can constantly motivate and push you to do better. I feel very motivated working with her. We’ve known each other for over a decade which makes it easier to be transparent. What are some of the challenges that GirlCode faces? The main challenge we faced at the beginning was trying to get sponsorships. People get excited at the fact that it’s an initiative for women in the IT space. But it’s a bit challenging getting them to actually put in the extra effort to help. However, it’s been great having people actually wanting to help with the initiative. Some of our partners have been involved in trying to get our next hackathon off the ground. Some others are helping to get more girls in the IT industry. It’s been inspiring to see these companies making a difference in helping girls bridge the gap. How do you approach corporate organizations? Do you go in directly or approach the right person to help? For us, it is finding that one person within a company that would be our ambassador. Someone who would be our voice within the company and fight for us 100%. We’ve been fortunate to have a couple of these people in the various corporates we’ve approached. They believe in what we do and try their best to help us. What has been the motivating factor in making sure that GirlCode becomes a success? It’s about making a difference in someone else’s life and bringing each other up. It’s all about using the knowledge we have for the greater good. What are your thoughts on the level of involvement of women in technology in Africa? How can we get more women interested in technology? We are making small strides but still have a long way to go. We have powerful women in the tech industry and I think they can also give back in some way. More women in the industry need to pull some of the girls up by offering advice. We need mentors. We need women to empower young girls. We try our best at GirlCode but we need the seasoned/successful women to guide young girls in pursuing this career. More women should work on making a change in their respective fields and encourage other women. Any advice you’d give to young women/girls wanting to join the tech industry and becoming the next Jeanette? In terms of wanting to be the next Jeanette, I’ll paraphrase something I heard Shonda Rhimes say, ”If you try to be like someone else you will always be second best, but you can always be the best you.” When you try to be like someone else you actually limit yourself. Yes, it’s important to aspire to be like someone, but always be true to yourself. We want to know about women in your communities doing amazing things! Tell us about them here.