She Leads Africa

5 Powerful TED Talks every MotherlandMogul must watch

Getting addicted to TED is a habit that would not only spur you to greatness but would keep your mind bubbling with ideas. If you only watch TED videos once in a blue moon, it’s time to make a switch and come to the winning team. TED seeks to share great ideas with the entire world through storytelling and sharing insights.  With the many TED Talks I’ve watched, it’s been hard to choose my favorite. However, those I liked were by women who have ignited my passion and encouraged me to chase my dreams. The following videos have left me sprawling with laughter, and I must tell you, they are the top TED Talks that every Motherland Mogul should watch. 1. Natasha Case and Freya Estreller –Female and Millennial Entrepreneurship If you think you’ve reached the peak of your entrepreneurial journey, this video is definitely for you. In this TED Talk, two co-partner entrepreneurs talk about their journey starting a distinct ice cream brand – Cool Haus. With over four thousand stores in the United States alone, Natasha and Freya are making a huge impact and taking a fair slice of the market. In this talk, they talk about their experiences navigating the business world as female CEO’s and the changing trends of women in business. Though a lot of data shows that there is still work to be done in bringing more women to the top of the corporate ladder, some women such as Natasha and Freya are already slaying! 3. Sara Nuru  -Finding your Identity Do we get to choose what we do without existence? In this TED Talk, Sara presents a strong message of an identity of how we can make a choice on positive living. As a model and an Ethiopian activist, Sara has spent her life bringing impact to young children in Ethiopia. Her talk is both insightful and inspiring. She shows us that nothing stops us from being who we truly are if we dare to believe. [bctt tweet=”“Who you are right now might not be who you will be in the next five or ten years, sometimes all you need is a breathing space, to step back and look at your life” @therealsaranuru” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 3. Whitney Thore – Living without Shame No one can achieve much without a healthy self-esteem. Having self-confidence and loving yourself should be something we strive for every day. Whitney is bold, powerful and very unlike any other speaker you have heard before. She spares no ground in sharing her experience of Obesity and it’s grappling effect in her life. She dealt with shame, something we all have experience in one way or the other. Using emotional intelligence, Whitney keeps you captivated with her story of self-confidence. At the end of the Talk, you are left with one lesson: learn to love yourself because nothing changes until you do! 4. Yvonne  Orji – The Wait is Sexy You may not agree with everything Yvonne says but this girl knows how to work her space! She knows how to knead her dough. Yvonne is audacious in her choice of waiting until marriage and she explains her reasons for staying true to her stand. According to Yvonne, we all have to sacrifice short-term comfort to get a long-term quality relationship. This principle can be applied to everything including business and personality. When making decisions, we should consider principles such as compromise, purpose and taking a stand for what you believe in. Whatever you’re working towards will definitely be worth it. [bctt tweet=”“The wait is powerful, disciplined and focused. The wait keeps the main thing, the main thing.” @YvonneOrji ‏” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 5. Courtney Ferrell – Girl Up! The Secret to the Extraordinary Life This has to be my absolute best video! From the moment she walks on stage, Courtney keeps you wanting more. She cleverly engages the audience through picking one random person who she delivers her message through. Courtney’s intimate yet personal talk carried a strong message for women and girls. She believes these are the key to development in every society. Sometimes, all we need is to be who we are and say what we believe in. Though these are just a collection of some of my favorite talks. There are many more TED Talks that will inspire you, challenge you and expose you to many more great ideas. From Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to film director Wanuri Kahiu, there are a lot of Motherland Moguls who will definitely set you on the path to slaying. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.

10 TED talks by African women that will inspire you this year

Chimamanda’s Danger of a Single Story remains the most popular TED Talk on Africa of all time. The talk boasts more than 9 million views on the TED website and 1 million+ views on YouTube. I researched other African women sharing great insight on the TED stage and found 10 of the best that was produced in 2015. Here are 10 African women who gave inspiring Ted Talks last year: Memory Banda At 18, I was most concerned with getting the latest Iphone. Memory Banda on the other hand, successfully influenced the Malawi parliament to raise the legal marriage from 15 to 18. After watching her sister get pregnant at 11, Memory vowed to defy the traditional practice of kusasafumbi, a practice in which young girls are forced into marriage once they begin menstruation. Now an avid girl’s rights activist, Memory shows a glimpse of her strength and resilience in this passionate speech about girls right to choose at the TEDWomen 2015 conference. Taiye Selasi Discounted by some as a “First World Problem”, Taiye’s Selasi asks the question, “Where are you from?”  in reference to migration around the world. Taiye has lived in four continents, and her critically acclaimed book “Ghana Must Go,” details the complexity of human identity. MaameYaa Baofo Although Nollywood has established itself as an industry to be reckoned with in Africa, many African parents are still unlikely to be thrilled with a child actively choosing acting as a desired profession. MaameYaa Baofo, a New-York based Ghanaian actress, is also gifted orator. In this talk, she uses her experience of pursuing acting despite discouragement from others to discuss the importance of being your authentic self without apology.  Zodidi Jewel Gaseb Zodidi is a Namibian woman who discusses the impacts of Western beauty ideals on women through her personal journey of wearing her hair natural. She was inspired to grow out her naturally kinky hair after she realized that her daughter perceived her long flowy extensions as the standard of beauty. She challenges negative stereotypes about black hair in this short but poignant video: Yawa Hansen-Quao “Your voice is your Power” is the key message of this inspiring video by Ghanaian born and US raised Yawa Hansen-Quao, the leader of the Leading Ladies Network (LLN). Her talk aligns with the ethos of the LLN, an organization dedicated to encouraging young women to participate in entrepreneurship and leadership. Mallence Bart-Williams Malence is the founder of Folorunsho, a Not-for-profit organization that she says is “not a charity”.  Mallence believes charities in Africa foster the rhetoric of poverty and dependency on the West. She briefly explores the impact of post-colonialism on African countries as the impetus for her collective which connects a group of street boys aged 14 – 20 living in the slums of Freetown, Sierra Leone Lion Base and encourages them to be self-sufficient through creativity:   Ola Orekunrin Becoming one of the youngest medical doctors in England at the age of 21 was just the tip of the iceberg for Ola Orekunrin’s promising career. She went on to create The Flying Doctors initiative, West Africa’s first emergency air ambulance service. The success of her initiative earned her a New Voices Fellow at the Apsen Institute and a Young Global Leader title by the World Economic Forum in 2013. In this TEDxTalk, she address the sexism women in business and positions of power experience, despite their noteworthy achievements. Afua Hirsch An experienced journalist, Afua Hirsch is the social affairs and education editor for Sky News. In this refreshingly honest video, Afua asserts that we do not live in a post-racial society as there are still several stereotypes associated with blackness. She refutes the popular “ I don’t see colour” rhetoric by explaining that we cannot transcend racial tension and microaggressions without having honest conversations about race. Ekua Armah Ekua was a senior at the University of Southern California majoring in health promotion and disease prevention students at the time of this speech. As a public and women’s health educator, Armah discusses using social media as a transformative tool to enhance women’s lives. Salima Visram Visram is the founder of the social enterprise, Solour Backpack. The problem: school children in certain rural areas in Kenya do not have access to lights and electricity to complete their school assignments, thus creating a vicious cycle of poverty. To address this issue, the backpack company leverages the power of the sun by outfitting their backpacks with solar panels which provides electricity to the school children at night. In this TedxTalk, Visram discusses children’s inability to stay in school and the work we can do to prevent this. What were some of your favourite speeches in 2015? Do you plan on giving a speech or TED Talk this year? Do share with the community.