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17 episodes with tony elumelu foundation
2 episodes with tony elumelu foundation
2 episodes with tony elumelu foundation
Send us a textWhat if the true architects of history are not politicians or soldiers, but enigmatic figures pulling the strings from behind the scenes? In this captivating episode, we challenge conventional wisdom by exploring the concept of "gatekeepers"—those influential individuals who shape global narratives and power dynamics. From J.P. Morgan's pivotal role in moving America's financial capital to the rise of Wall Street, to the biblical allegories of Daniel's interpreters of seasons and times, join us as we dissect these historical shifts. With a keen focus on contemporary "puppet masters," we critically examine how these patterns affect the African context and the vital need for Africa to own its narratives and redefine its role on the global stage.Celebrating the transformative power of Nigerian intellect, we shine a spotlight on Tony Elumelu and his revolutionary vision of 'Afri-capitalism'. Inspired by J.P. Morgan's 'Morganization', Elumelu champions economic empowerment and entrepreneurship through his philosophy of 'Illumination'. We discuss his impact alongside other remarkable Nigerians like Herbert Wigwe and Peter Obi, who demonstrate the potent potential nurtured by Nigerian education. Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, initiatives transform the traditional capitalist model, fostering innovation, job creation, and economic growth across Africa. Listen as we ponder the philosophical questions of being versus state and explore the need for African gatekeepers to harness and articulate their unique contributions to global progress.Support the showYou can support this show via the link below;https://www.buzzsprout.com/1718587/supporters/new
In this episode Parminder Vir, OBE, shares her incredible journey from growing up in a small village in Punjab to becoming an internationally recognized leader in media, storytelling, and entrepreneurship. From producing groundbreaking films to leading initiatives that have supported over 10,000 African entrepreneurs, Parminder brings invaluable lessons for anyone looking to build a career centered on purpose and impact. With over 160 episodes, the Social Change Career Podcast is your go-to resource for insights and inspiration from leaders driving global impact. Take a listen to this episode and more on PCDN.Global or any major podcasting platform. Why Take a Listen? Insights from a Global Leader: Parminder's career spans the arts, film production, entrepreneurship, and global development. Her work offers a unique perspective on creating change across diverse sectors. Harness the Power of Storytelling: Learn how storytelling can drive societal transformation, amplify underrepresented voices, and serve as a catalyst for impactful change. Practical Career Guidance: Parminder shares thoughtful advice on finding your purpose, taking risks, and building a career that aligns with your values while making a difference. Africa's Entrepreneurship Boom: Gain insights into the transformative role of entrepreneurship on the African continent, and Parminder's role in shaping initiatives like the Tony Elumelu Foundation's groundbreaking programs. Guest Bio Bio: Parminder Vir OBE is a commercially focused executive with broad international experience in entrepreneurship, business development, and media. In a professional career spanning 40 years, she has dedicated her life to telling untold stories, particularly those of underserved communities, and resourcing the skills and imagination of these communities. In 2002, she was awarded an OBE for services to the Broadcasting and Film industry. Currently, she is writing a work memoir, weaving the diverse threads of a four-decade professional journey and offering a unique glimpse into the evolution of her career and the lessons learned along the way. This journey has fostered African Entrepreneurship, brought untold stories to the Film and Television screen, and fuelled creativity in the Arts and Culture. As CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, she masterminded and executed a comprehensive entrepreneurship programme that significantly impacted over 10,000 African entrepreneurs in 54 African nations from 2014 to 2021. She continues to advocate for entrepreneurship as the best path for the continent's social and economic development, changing the African narrative through entrepreneur stories and helping shape the agenda for the growth of African entrepreneurship. Parminder Vir lends her strategic insights as an Advisory Board Member of Mamamoni Limited and HelpMum, contributes as a Narrative Advisor at Mustard Venture Agency, and is a director at Zikora Media and Arts Cultural Heritage Initiative, an inspirational cultural institution for Africa. For over two decades, she enjoyed a distinguished career as a film and television producer with BBC, Carlton Television, and the CEO of her own production company, Formation Films. Parminder began her career in arts administration at the Greater London Council, funding a wide variety of ethnic minority artists and organizations, many of whom are internationally renowned today. Sher her personal website here Key Resources from the Episode Parminder's Website: Explore her work and ongoing projects: Parminder Vir OBE Tony Elumelu Foundation: Learn more about the program transforming entrepreneurship in Africa: TEF Website Vantage News: The platform offering a unique perspective on global news Parminder mentioned during the podcast: Vantage. PCDN Resources Get more curated jobs, funding, and career insights in social impact—sign up for the free PCDN Weekly Impact Newsletter Listen to this episode and the 160+ other Social Change Career Podcast episodes at PCDN.global or any major podcast platform. Subscribe, rate, and share if you find it meaningful! Timestamps [00:00] Parminder's early life in Punjab and her family's migration to the UK. [00:10] Transition from education to the arts and championing ethnic minority arts in the UK. [00:25] Building a career in film and storytelling as tools for societal change. [00:40] Leading the Tony Elumelu Foundation and advocating for African entrepreneurs. [00:55] Practical advice for building purpose-driven careers. [01:05] Reflections on lifelong learning, upskilling, and finding your mission. Take a listen to this episode and more on PCDN.Global or any major podcasting platform!
Episode 145 with Parminder Vir OBE, a commercially focused executive with a distinguished career spanning entrepreneurship, media, and business development.Awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth for her contributions to broadcasting and film, Parminder has made a significant impact on the global stage.As the former CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, she spearheaded a groundbreaking pan-African entrepreneurship program that has empowered over 10,000 African entrepreneurs across 54 countries. We explore her work in shaping the narrative of African entrepreneurship and her ongoing advocacy for economic growth through entrepreneurial ventures. What We Discuss With ParminderThe vision behind the Tony Elumelu Foundation's $100 million investment in African entrepreneurship and its long-term goals.What were some of the most surprising outcomes of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme during your tenure?Insights from Parminder's recently published paper, "African Entrepreneurship in the New Scramble for Africa".How African entrepreneurs can strategically position themselves to benefit from new alliances with countries like Turkey, China, and India.The specific reforms needed in global financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank to better support African entrepreneurs.Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss How the Global Startup Awards Africa Is Promoting and Enabling Innovation Across Startup Nations with Jo Griffiths? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamuConnect with Parminder on LinkedIn at Parminder Vir, and Twitter (X) @ParminderVirDo you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at info@etkgroup.co.uk
Africans are known for their hustle – and the data proves it.According to research by the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Stanford University, Africa has the highest percentage of entrepreneurs among working-age adults of any continent in the world.But sadly, we're not all Tony Elumelu or Elon Musk… We asked three guests: how can we teach Africans to be better entrepreneurs?Rebecca Enonchong is a Cameroonian entrepreneur with technology businesses in the US, UK, Canada, as well as many African countries. She's known on Twitter as @africatechie where she tweets tech insights to her 140 thousand followers.Professor Bitange Ndemo may teach entrepreneurship at the University of Nairobi but he has some reservations about whether the subject can be taught.Thami Pooe founded a social enterprise called Tshimong which teaches young South Africans to debate. But he also found that it helps them learn soft skills vital for entrepreneurship.Did you enjoy the episode? Please let us know what you think here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Overview: Today, we're going to explore AFEX, the African commodities exchange. We'll discuss the story across the following areas: African Agriculture context AFEX's launch & early history Product & monetization strategy Competitive positioning & potential exit options Overall outlook. This episode was recorded on Dec 24, 2023 Companies discussed: AFEX, EAX (East African Commodity Exchange), Tony Elumelu Foundation, Heirs Holdings, Apollo Agriculture, NCX, Cargill, Louis Dreyfuss, 50 Ventures & Berggruen Charitable Trust Business concepts discussed: Agriculture technology (AgTech, AgriTech or AgroTech), Agribusiness marketplaces, farming financing, Farmer market access opportunities, Agriculture insurance strategy, Commodity trading & Internal Entrepreneurship (Incubated company strategy). Conversation highlights: (01:10) - What Afex is and why we're talking about it (08:36) - Context of agriculture in Africa (21:49) - AFEX Founding story (33:28) - Fundraising (39:56) - Growth, geographical expansion and partnerships (49:42) - Product strategy, monetization and growth (59:14) - Cost structure, revenue and margins (1:10:00) - Business and user metrics (1:13:14) - Competition and options for exit (1:21:02) - Bankole's overall thoughts and outlook (1:34:25) - Olumide's overall thoughts and outlook (1:47:45) - Recommendations and small wins Olumide's recommendations & small wins: Interested in investing in Africa Tech with Olumide: Read about Adamantium fund & contact me at olumide@afrobility.com. Founders looking for funding: If you're a B2B founder working on Education, Health, Finance or food, please contact me for funding at olumide@afrobility.com Checkout my FIREDOM book = FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) + Freedom = personal finance and financial independence book. Website, Read: Substack Newsletter & Buy: Print, eBook or Audiobook) Recommendation: I went back and re-read some of my classic books: How I found freedom in an Unfree world (Harry Browne), Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and It's All Small Stuff (Richard Carlson) & A Guide to the Good Life - The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (William B. Irvine) Small win: Hiking with new friends in St Thomas. Cool Bankole's recommendations & small wins: Recommendation: FiveBooks.Com - FiveBooks.com shares lists of the best five books on many topics, chosen by experts in that area Recommendation: Jeff Bezos on Lex Fridman Podcast. A rare Jeff Bezos long form interview. Small win: Running while listening to Big 7 - Burna Boy Fact check: Tony Elumelu narrates How He Went from Second Class Lower Degree to Nigeria's Billionaire Other content: FT ranking: Africa's Fastest Growing Companies 2023 & AFEX Nigeria loses maize worth N85m to 'police raid' Listeners: We'd love to hear from you. Email info@afrobility.com with feedback! Founders & Operators: We'd love to hear about what you're working on, email us at info@afrobility.com Investors: It would be great to link up with you. Contact us at info@afrobility.com Join our insider mailing list where we get feedback on new episodes & find all episodes on Afrobility.com
Lots of people talk about empowering African entrepreneurs, about enabling young Africans to build their own futures. Tony Elumelu stumped up $100 million of his own money to actually do it. The results are remarkable. The thousands of budding business owners who've passed through the Tony Elumelu Foundation's entrepreneurship program have created hundreds of thousands of jobs, according to a PwC analysis. In this episode, we talk to Somachi Chris-Asoluka as she takes over as CEO of the foundation about the real impact empowering entrepreneurs can have, as well as her vision for the future. Spoiler alert: We need more people and organizations to step up. Prepare to be inspired!
In this episode, we cover Yemi's entry into cocoa farming, some mistakes she made when she first started, her transition into value addition, what she learnt visiting bean to bar manufacturers outside Nigeria, her tips for people getting into the cocoa value chain and more. Yemi Lawal is the Founder/CEO of Yemmies Chocolates a brand that produces Premium Chocolates bars and a range of Cocoa inspired products – from farm to bean to bar. Yemi started cocoa production after leaving her corporate career and subsequently founded Yemmies Chocolates in 2020. Prior to her work in the cocoa sector, Yemi spent many years in the corporate world as a strategy and marketing specialist advising companies globally on business and marketing strategies. She holds a first degree from University of Lagos and a masters from the UK. She is also an alumni of Lagos Business School Agribusiness Management Programme and recently completed the Women's Entrepreneur Certificate Programme at Cornell University. Yemi is passionate about mentoring and coaching young women – she has been a mentor on the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, The YMCA Redbridge (UK) Mentoring Project. Visit Yemi's website here: https://yemmies.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/yemmies_chocolate?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Africans are known for their hustle - and the facts back it up. According to research by the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Stanford University, Africa has the highest percentage of entrepreneurs among working-age adults of any continent in the world.But sadly, we're not all Tony Elumelu or Elon Musk… We asked three guests: how can we teach Africans to be better entrepreneurs? Rebecca Enonchong is a Cameroonian entrepreneur with technology businesses in the US, UK, Canada, as well as many African countries. She's known on Twitter as @africatechie where she tweets tech insights to her 140 thousand followers.Professor Bitange Ndemo may teach entrepreneurship at the University of Nairobi but he has some reservations about whether the subject can be taught.Thami Pooe founded a social enterprise called Tshimong which teaches young South Africans to debate. But he also found that it helps them learn soft skills vital for entrepreneurship. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
Meet Lubunga Lucindi Chawelwa, a self-described seasoned mother of three, entrepreneur and businesswoman. Lubunga is a 2021 Tony Elumelu Foundation alumni who is passionate about health, fitness and lifestyle and works as a women's transformational coach. In this episode we talk about post-partum life, knowing yourself, growth and life's defining moments. You can follow Lubunga here, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok as @lubungalucindi and LinkedIn: Lubunga Lucindi
Yetunde Taiwo Adekunle is a graduate of Federal University of Technology Akure with Bachelors degree in Technology also a graduate of Daystar Leadspership Academy where she obtained her Basic Leader Certificate. A graduate of American Internet Business school were she bagged executive diploma in digital marketing and internet business. She's an alumni of Women Leadership institute with certification in leadership and governance and a partaker of Business Development training with Lagos business school in partnership with Business Hub. She's the CEO of superbrand dynasty international limited, now a group of company,birthed superbrand fashion store,superbrand foods,superbrand Business and entrepreneurship Academy and superbrand media. She has a successful academic and work track record, a charismatic business professional and entrepreneur offering expertise in public speaking, advertising, media relations,telesales,leadership development and business development. A mentor to many. A super writer,Author of Step to Step guide on Exportation and an editor who communicates effectively with target audience through strategic brand management, and equipped with excellent negotiation skills, Managerial, Leadership skills and market insight. She's the founder of YTA Mentorship program also a Mentor at Strong Enough girls Mentorship program and was recently selected as a mentor with the global platform Tony Elumelu Foundation program (TEF) and will be one of the few judges to determine winners of business pitches on TEF across the globe, lastly a member of commission MODEL ECOWAA SUMMIT and served as a speaker of Delegation Burkina Faso in the just concluded Summit. I am here to make more friends,network,inspire,impact and catch fun. Can I meet you? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adekunle-tolulope/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adekunle-tolulope/support
Tony Elumelu Foundation Program 2022. Apply now on: https://application.tefconnect.com/ Mentorship Registration 2022: https://forms.office.com/Pages/Respon... #TEF2020 #AfricanEntrepreneurs
Mvemba is joined by African investor and philanthropist Tony Elumelu to discuss the Tony Elumelu Foundation's work in empowering youth entrepreneurs across the continent. They talk about the philosophy of Africapitalism, how African governments can build robust enabling environments, and the importance of eradicating dependency syndrome.
On the show today we have Fidelis Bonaventure Uzoma and Annah Ruwanika.Annah is a marketing and communications professional with experience in the Financial Services sector. She holds a master's degree and a postgraduate diploma in Marketing from Edinburgh Business School. She is a Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni under the Civic Engagement Track where she studied at Indiana University and holds certificates in Fundraising and Leadership.Fidelis is a Human Development and Social Impact ProfessionalFidelis has work and leadership experience as an international development practitioner. He has received many leadership awards, fellowships, and service with world-class organizations including the Obama Foundation, Aspen Institute, British Council, Tony Elumelu Foundation, U.S Department of State Atlas Corps, American Express, World Bank, Crans Montana, and the United Nations.Fidelis has a Masters's in Diplomacy and Strategic Studies from the University of Lagos and a Bachelors's in Philosophy from the University of Ibadan.
Tony O. Elumelu, C.O.N. leading investor and philanthropist and Founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation speaks with Badr Jafar, Founding Patron of the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy, about ways to alleviate today's socio-economic challenges in Africa, and the relationship between entrepreneurship and philanthropy.Also available on YouTube. Follow the link below:https://youtu.be/qZ30KEhfU3I
Barbara Kamba-Nyathi is The Emotional Alchemist: Psychotherapist, lifestyle and wellness coach, and bestselling author. She is the founder and CEO of Bold Dialogue. Barbara is a Tony Elumelu Foundation alumna, Cherie Blair Foundation alumna, and the Namibia FlyingLabs in-house psychotherapist and interim director brand ambassador for U Motle. She is also the country chapter head for First Class On Your Becoming Namibia and Zimbabwe and a two-time TEDx speaker. Barbara is a catalyst for holistic transformation, empowerment, and regeneration. She is an intuitive healer who assists people to regenerate after deep emotional wounding, trauma, personal and professional loss, and life changes. She blends coaching and psychotherapy with eclectic methods such as Gestalt, color, play, and clay therapy to activate and achieve holistic growth and healing. She holds an OA Dip for coaching, Post Grad Dip Psychology from Roehampton University, You can reach her on bolddialogue@icloud.com or @bolddialogue on Instagram Her website is www.bolddialogue.co.zw
In this edition of Straight Talk Africa host Shaka Ssali discusses some of the diaspora's efforts to support businesses and help individuals survive financially during the coronavirus pandemic. He is joined by Parminder Vir Obe Former CEO of The Tony Elumelu Foundation and Kwabena Boateng Founder and President of the African Diaspora Nation.
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of “NBC” - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of “NBC” - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of NBC - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master.Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of “NBC” - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platformsSpanks Elevating Women InitiativeGrant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
In this extended episode, Desiree shares her experiences and perspectives on many things including entrepreneurship, funding and much more. She also shares her experience working in venture philanthropy and impact investing. Navigating her way as a "prospector expert" has taken her from the Robin Hood Foundation in New York to spearheading philanthropy on the continent, specifically Nigeria with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where philanthropic intent drives progress without any of the tax incentives commonly associated with foundations in the West, and then recently creating a legacy program at the Tory Burch Foundation working on cross-generational and sectoral female entrepreneurship and leadership development. Based on her own experience growing up and running her grandmother's bakery in Sierra Leone, Desiree honed an interest and passion for entrepreneurship early on and talked about the disparity of investment between East and West Africa regionally and how East African countries have been able to galvanize investment and finance due to the relative political stability and security in the region. Desiree discussed working with TEF and its focus on using entrepreneurship as a building block to international development and creating opportunity with a focus on startups but also discussed the double-edged sword of microfinance and the sector's lack of emphasis on planned growth. Desiree shared the challenges of developing the building blocks to investor confidence which include financials, taxes, business governance, and transparency within the over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria and stressed the need for SMEs to develop clarity around purpose and how finance would be used to grow and scale. Understanding investor focus and vetting SMEs is crucial in finding alignment. With only 3% of women entrepreneurs getting investment capital, understanding why there is a lack of growth capital, and the opportunities and barriers of debt financing, grants, and other forms of "patient capital" is vital research that all entrepreneurs should master. Desiree reflected on Covid-related necessity being the mother of entrepreneurial invention and that many people are looking to start a business at this time and address needs and previous blind spots in a post-Covid-19 world such as comprehensive child care provision as an untapped opportunity. With 90% of enterprises failing in the first 3 years and only 2% of women-led businesses in the US generating a million dollars in revenue, long term success has much more to with creating need-driven value-added products and services with a large funnel of customers. As businesses try to adapt, Desirees' adage of “NBC” - Nobody's Coming is wise advice to make entrepreneurs focus on sales and profit rather than loans and emergency stimulus assistance. Desiree has coached women on leading with data and numbers rather than personal anecdotes but also being clear on knowing the source of impact investment funds and gauging real interest in your business will help save precious time and manage expectations. Resources shared during the episode include: Research Crowdfunding platforms Spanks Elevating Women Initiative Grant Station Shea Moisture New Voice Fund Verizon Fund through LISC Desiree can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Fabia Ogunmekan is the Executive Secretary of Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR). She is a Lawyer and Corporate Executive with 20 years' experience working in the fields of law and development across Corporate Organizations and the Nonprofit sector. She holds an MSc in Nonprofit Management from the Cass Business School, City University London, BL from the Nigerian Law School and LLB from the University College London. She has attended a number of capacity building courses in the areas of Law, Leadership, Corporate Social Responsibility and Management and is an Alumnus of the Lagos Business School's Senior Management Programme, SMP 36. She has worked in Legal Practice as an Associate with the law firm of The Law Union in Lagos, As a Corporate/ Admin Secretary Pronatura Nigeria a sustainable development NGO in Port Harcourt focused on empowering communities in the Niger Delta towards achieving sustainable livelihoods, with Hygeia Group an integrated healthcare services company in Lagos where she spent 8 successful years in different management and executive roles, culminating in her role as Head of Group Legal and Regulatory Compliance; the Tony Elumelu Foundation as Alumni Engagement Manager where she was responsible for engagement programs and collaborative partnership opportunities for the Alumni network. She has consulted and is a facilitator at the Lagos Business School's Nonprofit Leadership and Management Programme. In her spare time she volunteers as a mentor. She is a 2018 Rise Up Leader and is passionate about the pursuit of development in Africa and the role of women in enabling that happen. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/africabusinessnews/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/africabusinessnews/support
Seyi is a Digital Marketer and Content Developer. He led digital teams in the prominent agencies in Africa and also was the social media team for the Muhammadu Buhari Presidential Campaign in 2015. Although, he frequently creates digital skills training programs for 'the undubbed' and creates video content on food, culture, and lifestyle of Africans. 'Seyi is also currently a mentor on the Tony Elumelu Foundation and a fellow of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.He recently took a break from work to experience different cultures on a road trip through West African countries.In conversation with Tomi Wale, he shared his experiences with languages, cultural orientation and world view of citizens of West African countries. He also talked about the possibilities of a united Africa in economic and social growth--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Uwem Uwemakpan is the Programme Manager for the Tony Elumelu Foundation, one of the largest Pan-African Entrepreneurship Programs which convenes the biggest gathering of African Entrepreneurs yearly. Uwem is also the Lagos Chapter Director of Silicon Valley based Startup Grind and manages the community team and initiatives. He drives 'The Afropreneur Network', an initiative dedicated to growing the African Entrepreneur and also sits on the 2018 Advisory Board of the South By Southwest (SXSW) Accelerator, Injini (Africa's EdTech Incubator), and the Lagos ambassador for Startupbootcamp. He believes entrepreneurship is key to Africa's development and as such invests his time and resources in initiatives that help the African Entrepreneur grow. On this episode you'll learn: Besides fintech, what sectors do Uwem think are most ripe for disruption in Nigeria? What can the nonprofit sector do better in catalyzing development in Africa? Why is it important for Africa to move up the value chain and decrease the amount of products it imports?
This may come as a surprise to some people, but I'm not a very good marketer. I have a challenging time coming up with creative ways to promote the podcast online, be it Mobile, Social, PPC, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. The whole thing just becomes a little overwhelming. That's why I decided to interview Stephanie Obi, a fast-rising online marketer based out of Lagos, Nigeria, because she's developed a cure to help businesses improve their online presence. Stephanie is the founder of the popular marketing blog, Stephanieobi.com, and the Steph B-School. While Stephanieobi.com focuses on presenting her uniquely personalized marketing strategies to people, the Steph B-School is an online business school that trains entrepreneurs and business savvy individuals in the skills necessary to create, launch, grow, and monetize their businesses. Stephanie is very passionate and enthusiastic about helping people use the internet and new media technologies to create the life of their dreams. In addition to all this, she provides a training program where she teaches entrepreneurs to leverage the power of the internet to sell fashion accessories. And she also runs a nonprofit training center that empowers young women with the skills necessary to go into business with knowledge and confidence. Ever the scholar and natural-born entrepreneur, Stephanie has a first-class degree in Computer Science from Covenant University, and an MBA from the prestigious Lagos Business School. She also has a wealth of experience from working with blue chip companies like Ericsson, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and L'Oreal. Armed with all these experiences and achievements, she is quietly becoming the go-to person for brands that want to succeed in the highly competitive West African market. In addition to her business endeavors, she is also an award winning entrepreneur, obtaining the first prize at the Wimbiz Impact Investment Competition, as well as the first runner-up position at the Standard Chartered Bank sponsored Dragons Den Competition. Every week at www.stephanieobi.com, she inspires thousands of people to use the internet strategically to grow their businesses. What you will learn The Big Idea How she started her entrepreneurial journey selling Ankara accessories How online marketing influenced her business and inspired her How she transitioned into the online training field The evolution of her personality from that of an accessories business owner to an online marketing trainer The struggles of building an audience for online business owners The opportunity in online education and why it needs to be as prevalent as online shopping prevailing skepticism about using online technology bias towards gathering certificates as opposed to getting applied skills to use How she provides technology friendly online educational courses Concerns regarding the issue of piracy Thoughts on young people going into entrepreneurship Getting funding to start her online school Winning the Women in Management and Business Competition (Wimbiz) How her family viewed her entrepreneurial journey Some of the major challenges she faced starting her business Accommodating the power and technology needs in the Nigerian climate Entrepreneurs she admires Tara Fela-Durotoye of House of Tara Sim Shagaya of Konga Bukky George of HealthPlus Books Bishop Oyedepo books Key Advice Advice to recent grads thinking of launching a venture in Nigeria,: It is okay to be confused. It is through your confusion that you will find answers. It's okay to explore because it is through exploration that you learn what you like or don't like. Start a business for the right reasons. Work hard and encourage yourself. Prepare your mind for challenges that will eventually come. YOU CAN FIGURE IT OUT! Words of wisdom The internet is an amazing tool. You can use it to shine, and so you should, but use it well. So, SHINE ONLINE! Contact me: www.stephanieobi.com
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