Most talented women entrepreneurs in and beyond Nigeria will be hosted to an Entrepreneur Showcase, according to information received from She Leads Africa, a social enterprise dedicated to fostering the spread of business growth and ideas in Africa.
She Leads Africa aims to jumpstart female entrepreneurs from Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to pan-African industry leaders, and to become a staple of the African investment community.
The Entrepreneur Showcase, being the inaugural event, will be held at Terra Kulture in Victoria Island, Lagos, next week Saturday.
This year’s showcase will feature female entrepreneurs across a broad range of sectors such as retail, manufacturing, e-commerce, information technology, and transportation. Finalists come from across the continent and diaspora, including Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the USA.
The competition is expected to place a spotlight on the women that are driven to developing Africa’s growth story through fostering commerce.
Entrepreneurship+ gathered that the showcase will provide female entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ventures to a panel of potential mentors and investors and compete for cash and prizes.
The 10 finalists will have a month long period of business consultancy with key figures in the private equity, management consulting, and financial industries. These mentors will work hand in hand with the entrepreneurs on their business plan development; go to market strategy, financial modelling and pitching skills before the showcase.
According to co-founder of She Leads Africa, Yasmin Belo-Osagie, “we are incredibly excited about the finalists for the inaugural She Leads Africa competition.
“These finalists represent some of the best and the brightest entrepreneurial talent in Africa, and we look forward to seeing the outcome of the competition.”
Afua Osei, the other Co-Founder, said: “Starting a business is challenging for any young person in Africa and at times the challenges can multiply for young women. Access to education, financing, and useful networks are limited, and cultural stereotypes can curtail a woman’s ambition.
“She Leads Africa’s vision is to provide entrepreneur development, networks and funding for promising female entrepreneurs who have the ambition and drive to be the business leaders of tomorrow, building companies that will become pan-African and global leaders.”
According to Osei, “Africa as a whole is poised for greatness, with significant potential for wealth. With the guidance and mentorship of those that have become proven successes in their fields, we can make sure that this new period of growth creates opportunities in new sectors and for a new generation of Africans.”
Panel for this year’s showcase include: Hakeem Belo-Osagie, serial entrepreneur and Africa’s 34th wealthiest man. Belo-Osagie currently sits on the global advisory board for the Council of Foreign Relations and the Brookings Institute; Ngozi Edozien, under of InVivo partners and non-executive director at Barloworld, PZ Cussons, and Vlisco. Edozien is also the former head of West Africa for emerging market focused PE fund Actis, and Bola Adesola, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Nigeria and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Source: Nigerian Tribune
No comments:
Post a Comment