Exclusive Interview Archives

Carolyn Jenkins: The Philanthropist, Author, & Social Reformer, Promoting Healthy Lifestyles for The Underserved

As a Foot Health Advocate, Carolyn Jenkins is part of a group of uniquely dedicated social reformers and out-of-box thinkers. While achieving career heights up the corporate ladder, Carolyn Jenkins, Creator & CEO of CjQenterprises, LLC and Executive Director of Jenkins Donelon Foundation, is living her life’s motto, ‘good healthcare for all’ in the truest sense of the word.

As an out of box thinker, Carolyn foot health and healthy lifestyles for the underserved. In March 2016, the Foot Health Advocate formed the Jenkins Donelson Foundation (JDF) to promote good foot health through education, services, and resources in the USA and globally.

In 2019 The JDF mission expanded to “promote foot health and healthy lifestyles.” In addition to giving away shoes, socks, clothing, and foot care supplies, The JDF began giving away everyday essentials, including beds/bedding, toys, and household goods, to families in need. Even with the expanded mission, Carolyn is still passionate about foot health because, many times, foot pain is preventable. Everyone deserves to own a decent pair of shoes and socks. As importantly, no one should suffer from foot pain because they can’t afford medical care. The JDF team actively works to prevent and eliminate foot pain to ‘heal and shoe the world.’

In academics

Carolyn graduated from Bowie State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She earned her Social Sector Certification from the University of California Berkley Haas School of Business. She is also an author and an avid booklover.

The Inspiring Journey: From Author to Social Worker

“I have wanted to be an author since I was a child. After working my way through college and working professionally for a few years, I founded a Christian bookstore and a general bookstore. Surrounding myself with books, and authors occasionally, kept my dream alive. The industry changed when Amazon launched, so I went back into the workforce and became a government contractor.

One day I heard myself say, ‘I always wanted to write children’s books,” and I wondered, “why haven’t you?” I sat down and wrote The Family Adventures of Princess Ladybug and Princess Ladybird: Laundry Day. I self-published it through Amazon and immediately decided I didn’t want to be a one-hit-wonder, so I wrote volume two in the series, Papa’s Farm. As I was fulfilling my childhood dream, I broke my pinky toe for the second time. This accident led me to write the book that changed the course of my life. I wrote a poem that highlighted the important role our feet play in our lives. I forgot about the poem until I was introduced to an artist who offered to add beautiful illustrations to my poem, My Feet: An Ode. As I was publishing my book, I searched the National Calendar website to see if a special day existed to encourage people to appreciate their feet and take good care of them. Not finding one, I registered National I LOVE My Feet Day! to be celebrated on August 17. This special day is now recognized annually in the US and abroad”, shared Carolyn Jenkins.

“To supplement I LOVE My Feet Day!, I created ilovemyfeetdays.com so that people could get foot health information in layman’s terms, 24/7. I quickly realized what I was doing was not reaching the people who needed it most, the underserved. At that time, I had already witnessed and understood the inequity in health care, but the inequalities crystallized for me when I began promoting good foot health. The most vulnerable had the greatest need.

Within one year, I established the Jenkins Donelson Foundation, which promotes foot health and healthy lifestyles for the underserved. In 2016 volunteers began giving recycled shoes and new socks to the homeless and low-income. Today, due to multiple retail partnerships, we give away free shoes, socks, clothes, beds/bedding, school supplies, baby/children’s goods, seasonal goods, bikes, kitchenware, bathroom goods, personal products, detergents, outdoor supplies, including swimming pools and lawnmowers, along with a wide assortment of household goods. To date, we have served those in need in eight states, the District of Columbia, and three countries”, she further added.

Favourite Book

Carolyn Jenkins has always loved books. For her, selecting a favorite book is like choosing a favorite child; it’s impossible. Each one shines on different levels at different times. Right now, her favorite shining stars are Just As I Am by Cicely Tyson, Everyday is a Gift by Senator Tammy Duckworth, My Soul Looks Back by Jessica B. Harris, and Along the Way by Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. Carolyn Jenkins enjoys learning about the ‘journey’ others have made to reach their goals and destinations.

Making A Difference in Lives

Established in 2016, the Jenkins Donelson Foundation (JDF) is focused on promoting good foot health to the underserved. The JDF operates solely through volunteer support and donations. In 2019 The JDF won multiple retail partnerships allowing volunteers to pick up overstock, seasonal goods, and returned goods. This plethora of valuable retail inventory led the Board of Directors to expand the mission to promoting foot health and healthy lifestyles for the underserved. Presently, the JDF is serving the homeless, the underserved, and those in need.

Future Roadmap

The JDF still operates through volunteer efforts and donations. Most JDF volunteers have full-time jobs. In FY21, despite the pandemic lockdown, JDF volunteers gave away more than $150K to those in need.

The JDF keeps its goods in storage units, and this is the location where people come to pick up their everyday essentials.. The JDF hopes to operate from a free-standing building or rent warehouse space in the future to make it easier to serve those in need. The nonprofit would also like to hire part-time assistance, which would reduce the heavy workload on volunteers and help to expand its outreach.

Feathers in the Cap

The JDF received national and international recognition during the pandemic. JDF volunteers remained committed to serving those in need, and donations were distributed to homes, directly to the homeless, engaged through new partnerships and pick-ups at the storage units. JDF volunteers realized quickly that the lockdown would cause mental and additional financial stress, so the goods it had to offer were in greater demand. Through its sister organization, ilovemyfeetdays.com, The JDF also provided foot health information people could incorporate immediately to improve their health during the lockdown. Below is a list of awards The JDF and its volunteers have won:

2021 Top-Rated Nonprofit from Great Nonprofits
2021 Corporate Live Wire Innovation & Excellence Awards Foot Health Specialists of the Year
2021 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Presidential Volunteer Service Awards for JDF volunteers
2021 Five Year Recognition Award from Senator Mark Warner, VA
2021 Volunteer Recognition Award from Senator Tim Kaine, VA
2021 Points of Light Volunteer Recognition #7100 for a JDF volunteer
2020 ManTech International Community Partner
2020 ManTech International Pedersen Community Service Award recognizing a JDF volunteer
2020 General Dynamics IT (GDIT) Volunteer of the Year Award recognizing a JDF volunteer
2020 Fitness & Nutrition Foot Health Social Enterprise of the Year
2020 Top-Rated Nonprofit from Great nonprofits

A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs

Doing your best is great but striving for balance is critical. Trying to “have it all” can cause us to lose the most important things in life, love and family. One of the biggest takeaways during the pandemic was the reminder that we need to love one another everyday.

Favourite Quote

My trademark quote is, “Take good care of your tootsies; they have to last you a lifetime!”

Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho, Ever-Passionate Leader Striving Hard To Scale African Enterprise Since 2008 at Future Software

Innovative, passionate, result-oriented, and a seasoned Information Technology professional, Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho, CEO, Future Software Resources Ltd. has navigated through a 15-year journey of cross-sector industry experience in Nigeria, Africa’s largest emerging economy.

Because of her outstanding efforts and leadership as a fierce leader spearheading the company’s flanks, this leading lady has been recognized as an Obama African Leader, Forbes’s Top Ten Female Tech Founders in Africa, Global Digital Women top 10 Most Inspiring Women in Africa, Lionesses of Africa top 100 Women and Ventures Africa 42 most Innovative Africans.

Nkemdilim combines strategic, digital technology, and operational experience with a deep understanding of business transformation, change leadership, and risk oversight. She has designed and led strategy and implementation of digital marketing & digital transformation projects across Africa, resulting in enhanced customer experiences, customer acquisition & bottom-line growth, optimized and more cost-effective operations, and a more digitally skilled labour force within the organisations she has worked with.

Her entrepreneurial background, involvement in the global and pan-African Technology landscape, and a focus on building the Nigerian Technology ecosystem through enabling policy development, investing, education and mentoring, affords her a deep understanding of cutting-edge innovation, emerging & disruptive technologies, as well as access to a large network of technology leaders, policymakers and investors across the continent and globally.

She is also an experienced Non-Executive Director across not for profit, private and listed companies. On the boards she serves on Nkemdilim is trusted for her attention to detail, the ability to identify key issues and provoke deeper discourse to unlock alternative viewpoints.

Futuresoft & its Exclusive Service Portfolio

Futuresoft is a full-service digital agency & IT Solutions company, providing a broad range of business solutions for the scaling African enterprise, to consistently attract and retain its target audience. Futuresoft has over 13 years of experience in designing and managing digital properties and online activities of businesses across various industries.

Their understanding of technology, lateral thinking, and process-based approach allows the team to provide tailored, innovative, and sustainable solutions for businesses; empowering them to leverage all relevant channels to improve user experience, increase customer engagement and grow profits. The goal is to build lasting relationships and function as part of the customers team to achieve overall company success. Their two core service areas are:

Digital Marketing & IMC

The combination of our individual services by our team of strategists, content writers, developers, and analysts create a full suite of integrated marketing and communications with a well-coordinated approach. This combination is a well-blended mix of creative campaigns, animations, video production, digital advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), and search engine marketing (SEM).

Digital Transformation

At Futuresoft we help you build out your Digital Transformation Roadmap. We empower our customers with smarter ways of doing business and frictionless ways of delivering a great customer experience to their customers. We bring years of experience across various industry sectors, as well as a wealth of experience in deploying digital technology solutions to the table, providing ways for our customers to maximise value creation across asset and operations lifecycles while improving profitability.

From the CEO’s Desk

Some of the major reasons that influenced my decision to be an entrepreneur are:

Wanting to put African businesses on the digital map and ensuring that African businesses are able to harness the opportunities Digital provides.
Wanting to build a life that allows me the freedom to manage my time, build my dreams, and create an impact.
The challenge that is entrepreneurship

The Clientele

The clientele includes private sector and government organisations as well as nonprofits and associations predominantly located in Nigeria. It is particularly well suited to work with the:

Scaling Business: the services are aimed at businesses in the growth or expansion phase that are already profitable; they are not the ‘best fit’ for most startups.
Result Driven Business: When companies are interested in setting clear measurable goals and meeting objectives, they do the best work.
Doubtful But Willing Business: When clients have already worked with other agencies that have underperformed, it creates a healthy challenge for the team to deliver the best results.
Business With Audacious Goals: They do their best work with clients that have big dreams and huge goals. It’s exciting for them to work with companies that want to disrupt their industries and dominate their market.

Nkemdilim Uwaje further apprised, “We focus on delivering excellent work and exceptional service, which sets us apart from many other agencies. Our cross-industry experience combined with in-depth marketing and technology experience allows us to build strategies and design campaigns that are aligned with business goals and deliver results.”

The Team & Corporate Ethos

Future Software’s vibrant and multi-dimensional team is led by Founder & CEO, Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho, who provides leadership to the team and ensures high-quality technical work across all Futuresoft projects. The team is composed of experts in strategy, marketing, content, web design, graphics, branding, lead generation, ad campaign management, website development, SEO, and more with the right experience across multiple industries. The Futuresoft family values are anchored in excellence, integrity, customer centricity, continued learning, resourcefulness, and teamwork.

Major Hurdles & The Support System

The company has gone through multiple difficulties over the years, like:

Finding the right team
Creating adequate processes that support growth
Creating brand visibility and brand awareness within the right target segment

“It is said, “10 years of hard work make you an overnight success” …to sum it up, drive, discipline, diligence, and determination are the keys that helped Nkemdilim in her growth journey.

Creating a more Balanced and Equal Industry

Ensure gender diversity and gender parity across the board – from board level all the way down to entry-level.
Invest in the ecosystem – especially in the area of Digital Skills development
Get involved in policy development

Future Roadmap

Nkemdilim Uwaje is looking to expand the executive training offering as well as deepen the Digital Transformation consultancy practice. The team is very excited about building out their executive training academy for C-level executives and board members who are learning to navigate the digital world.

Favourite Book

The Alchemist – because it teaches key lessons on finding your why, pursuing your dreams and enjoying the journey.

Favourite Quote

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs

Work hard, deliver excellence, document your journey, pay it forward, build and nurture the ecosystem, build your personal brand and gain visibility, position as a thought leader – have fun and enjoy the journey with its mountains and its valleys.

Liezl Thom: The Amazing, Inspiring Woman Entrepreneur, Helping People in Reframing their Life Story

A qualified Master Transformation Coach, Life Coach, Neurolinguistics Practitioner, and Inner Conflict Therapy Practitioner with a sustained passion for people’s welfare, Liezl Thom is one such inspiring woman who has been guiding people on their journeys to self-discovery and awakening. She helps people re-evaluate and change the stories they tell themselves about themselves, which liberates them from their fears and limiting beliefs and helps them harness the power of change. With an aim to inspire, guide, and help as many people as possible to give birth to their own expression of inner excellence, Liezl Thom established the foundation of Liezl Thom Coaching on 21st September, 2021.

An alumna of the prestigious University of Pretoria, Lizel did her graduation in Political Science. She is also an experienced Journalist, amazing Author, and renowned Producer, Researcher, and Media Trainer. Further, the inspiring lady shared about her journey- “I have always questioned everything – especially my own thoughts. My inquisitive nature led me to a career in journalism and I absolutely loved my job. Unfortunately, my exposure to the dark side of humanity created some serious internal conflict and cognitive dissonance, which eventually caused some mental health issues. As a result, I stepped away from an extremely fulfilling career and focussed my attention on healing myself. Through this deeply meaningful process, I discovered tools and processes I now use to help others reframe their narrative to change the stories they tell themselves about themselves.

What Influenced Lizel to be an Entrepreneur?

Her approach to work has always been that she works for herself – even when she was employed full-time, she viewed her employer as a client to whom she provides a service. She would not necessarily describe herself as an entrepreneur, because an entrepreneur creates jobs for other people, but Lizel empowers people to take charge of their own destiny.

Clients & the Unbreakable Faith

Lizel says that she has been extremely fortunate to have an eclectic mix of clients over the years but they all have one thing in common – the unstoppable desire to harness change to take charge of their own lives. It is said that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. Change is inevitable, but it creates a momentum that, when used with intention, can propel us into the life of our dreams.

Her clients know that regardless of where they are in their journey, Lizel is their biggest cheerleader. She believes one of the biggest joys in life is to serve others and she serves her clients by opening their eyes and their hearts to their own inner wisdom.

The Key Players behind Liezl’s Success

“There’s a saying in coaching that “what you resist, will persist” so I try to allow and encourage change as much as possible. There are hundreds of teachers along the way – most of them we never get to meet in person, but through their books, their words can have a profound impact on the lives of others. Some of my biggest influences are Martha Beck, Louise Hay, Caroline Myss, Deepak Chopra, and Dr Joe Dispenza”, Liezl proudly shared.

From the Founder’s Desk

Covid-19 has changed the way we approach work irrevocably. It also reaffirmed – if we had any doubts before – that we as humans need each other to not only survive but to thrive. In South Africa, we have a concept called Ubuntu, which translates into “I am because you are”. Another principle we live by in South Africa is Batho Pele, which literally means “people first”. We have to put people at the centre of what we do – whether it is clients, shareholders, or employees.

A Day in Liezl’s Life

Liezl begins her day with a positive note saying to herself that it’s going to be a great day. She then goes down to her office and gets some coffee while scanning the papers. She meditates for half an hour before taking her son to school. After the school run, she hits the gym before taking a shower and getting ready for work. Depending on the day, the inspiring coach will coach clients, study, write blogs or proposals, do interviews, record podcasts or meet with collaborators or potential collaborators, create new tools, read and research. After work, it’s either time for family or studying Sepedi – one of the eleven official languages spoken in South Africa. On some days Liezl takes her son to soccer. She lives to have dinner together as a family as it creates the opportunity to connect. After dinner, she will either read or watch a series before meditating again and then preparing for bed.

Favourite Book

When asked about her favourite book, Liezl apprised, “Books can be some of our biggest teachers and it’s hard to choose just one favourite but if I’m pressed, I’d have to say “Finding Your Own North Star” by Martha Beck and then its companion, “Steering By Starlight”. I have several qualifications in coaching – but my first introduction to coaching was when I became a Martha Beck Life Coach. These two books formed the basis of my training. I often buy copies of North Star to give to people as I know it will change their lives as much as it did mine.”

Jewels in the Crown & Road Ahead

The leading lady has been a coach on two reality tv shows.
In 2018, she was honoured as one of the Coaching Top 50 by CV Magazine.
Earlier this year, she was awarded Best Life & Transformation Coach 2021 (South Africa) in the African Excellence Awards hosted by MEA Markets.

While discussing her future plans, Liezl Thom said, “I would love to inspire more people to find their own truth and to share the insights and wisdom I have accumulated with a wider audience. Over the past year, I’ve had several speaking engagements – which I absolutely loved – and I look forward to many more.”

Words of Wisdom

In the immortal words of Polonius: ”This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any (wo)man.” We first have to know who we are and what we want before we can make a difference in the world. You have to ask yourself What are your unique talents and gifts and how can you use them?

Favourite Quote

Staying positive in a negative situation is not naïve. It’s leadership. – Ralph Marston

Lynda Aphing-Kouassi: The Woman Behind Initiative to Empower Business Aspirants with Cabinet International Kaizene

“Be Still and know that I am God.” – Bible

These words effectively steer motivation for Lynda Aphing-Kouassi, Founder & Managing Director, International Firm KAIZENE, a renowned name in Professional Training & Coaching that aims for excellence, Transformation specialized in capacity building; coaching, the organization of institutional conferences and women empowerment through the accelerator focused on agriculture.

Personifying a rigorous, determined; hardworking, daring, disruptive, spiritual, passionate for development, optimistic, and self-motivated individual who diligently transverses the path to achieving, Lynda enjoys the reputation of chairing a front-runner in the industry with a name that has ripened since she rooted it years ago.

In her 18 years of professional journey, Lynda managed to navigate through a journey of new experiences working with different professionals and achieving realistic goals. She started her career in the banking sector at Santander, Societe Generale, Vaultex (a subsidiary of the HSBC banking group) as a team leader, director of investments, and then investment banker in London for over 15 years. This career gives her solid expertise in the banking and financial field and the management of human capital constituting for her the “heart of the development of any Companies and the Society”.

In recent years, she has decided to return to her country in order to share her experience through the activities of her cabinet KAIZENE and thus contribute (i) to the development of the African continent (ii) to the empowerment of women and young people in through mentoring, coaching and training and (iii) through the organization, since 2015, of the annual conference on infrastructure and construction. She is a member of the board of directors of the African Diaspora Network (ADNE) based in Brussels (Belgium), the British chamber of commerce and a member of the Institute of Directors of London (I.O.D).

KAIZENE, Focusing on Women Empowerment & Youth Inclusion

KAIZENE was founded in 2015 on the initiative of Lynda Aphing-Kouassi. It is a training company that aims for excellence, specialised in capacity building; coaching, the organisation of institutional conferences, and finally KAIZENE accelerator for women SME.

The leading lady came up with this initiative when she realized that there was a lack of adequate training for companies but mostly that the employee’s soft skills were not fully utilized; that women’s empowerment was at the back of the agenda, and youth inclusion slow. She decided to contribute at her level in the ways she knew possible:

KAIZENE is a team of experienced employees who put their expertise at the service of their clients. They all share the values of rigor; faith and excellence. It is based in London Pall Mall Piccadilly (United Kingdom) and in Abidjan zone 4 (Ivory Coast).

Here, the clientele mainly includes institutions; governments small and medium-sized companies. We instill in them values of determination, agility; excellence; ambition, innovation, efficiency, and commitment.

Some conference themes organized by KAIZENE

Mining, Oil and Gas (December 2015) – London, United Kingdom
Oil Sector: Challenges and Opportunities (April 2016) – Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Electrification of Africa (October 2016) – Cape Town, South Africa
Construction and Infrastructures (December 2017) – Dakar, Senegal
AGOA FORUM (August 2018) Cote- d Ivoire
Construction and Infrastructures (December 2018) – Kigali, Rwanda
Construction and Infrastructures (October 2019) – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
ROADMAP CONFERENCE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF COTE-D IVOIRE (October 2020)

Challenges & the Driving Force

“Our main challenges have been the sustainability of the empowerment for a larger number of women and the integration of young people through vocational training not being discouraged we carry on and are doing intense lobbying to achieve our goals”, shared Lynda when asked about her major challenges during the journey.

She continued, “As a woman entrepreneur in Africa, we worked hard and smart; we have met some very talented people and institutions that have also contributed to our growth.”

A Day in the Leading Lady’s Life & Her Hobbies

Lynda’s day is punctuated by her family and her work from the moment she wakes up she prays; speaks to her family and gets ready for her daily meetings, then she has meetings with her employees. Her hobbies are watching animated movies; travelling, art and culture and spending with her few friends

Jewels in the Crown

Lynda Aphing-Kouassi has been recognized by Forbes and Financial Afrique mentions; ASCOM awards, TOP MANAGER awards for our Nobel initiatives and contributions. Besides, the CSR activities have earned her the recognition of Forbes Africa and Financial Africa magazines as a development actor.

Through her services, Miss APHING-KOUASSI wishes to make a contribution to the economic and social development of the African continent. In her perpetual quest for development, she deeply believes that the desire to succeed and move forward must overcome obstacles and difficulties.

Favorite Read

Lynda said, “I have read a lot of books but the Bible is where I draw my real inspiration.”

Future Roadmap

Lynda Aphing-Kouassi and her team will continue to train as many businesses as possible to help them grow, empower as many women as possible and change the mindset and integrate as many young people so that they become the African leaders of tomorrow.

A Piece of Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Be unapologetic; intentional; determined; Believe in yourself, pray; have a mission and don’t give up until it’s done; embrace failures, don’t apologise for who you are and stay true to your values, don’t look for people to love you or to like your quotes look for real tangible impact in people lives and remember to stay humble.

In the always on era, creativity is key to business success

It’s often forgotten that business is a creative pursuit. Every business, be it a technology giant such as Microsoft, or a tiny corner store serving one community, stems from a single idea. An idea that’s born from creative intent, but can be lost in deadlines, bottom lines and lines of business. Success today is still defined by return on investment (ROI) and numbers, but it’s strengthened by the organisation’s ability to build a culture of creativity. In the era of the always on business, customer and employee, this is as invaluable as ROI.

This ethos has driven the rapid growth and expansion of Skynamo, a South Africa original organisation. Founded by Sam Clarke in 2012, the organisation now has a presence on four continents and in five countries, from New Dehli to South Africa to Columbus, Ohio with support teams that run 24/7. The goal of building a company at scale, globally, with offices in multiple locations with cross-functional teams has already delivered with a percentage increase in employee numbers 2020 of 66%.

“We grew from a company of 60 people to 100 in 2020, which was quite an exceptional increase for one year,” says Clarke, Chief Executive Officer of Skynamo. “We aren’t looking at doing that again – we’ve stabilised now, and are continuing to increase our capacity and growth at 10% year on year. This consistent growth has required that we focus on building a robust culture that’s embedded across every office, branch and silo.”

The core that Skynamo gets right is recruitment. This is the key to ensuring that the organisation catches the attention of the right talent, and that this attention is tightly held over the long term. One of the biggest challenges facing global organisations today is the lack of skills and talent diversity, which makes recruitment and talent management absolutely critical to ensuring business success. High turnovers, toxic environments, challenging workplace cultures tend to overflow into the public domain and have long-term negative impacts on reputation and organisation. To resolve this, companies have to get the core right.

“There’s an energy that comes from people working on projects they care about in environments that care about them,” says Clarke. “An energy that’s reflected in quality of product and service, and in a culture that’s capable of adapting to change and uncertainty. Elastic, capable and relevant companies are those that do more than just invest into process, talent and technology. They focus on the core creativity that each skilled person brings to the company.”

Clarke believes that the energy that drives projects and the passion that defines people who are passionate about those projects are two qualities that need to be replicated in the working environment. This has led to a recruitment drive that focuses on hiring people that share company chemistry right from the outset. They need to be capable of working autonomously and delivering to KPIs and creating outcomes without being handheld through the working day. They also need to understand that the customer sits at the heart of the business. Here, every employee spends time at the customer coalface so that they fully understand how their work impacts the business, and the people the business serves. Each employee is empowered to do this as a new starter as part of the company’s onboarding process is for employees to spend time taking customer support calls, for example.

“This ethos is embedded by a Chief People Officer, Sarah Rice, who does a deep dive chemistry check into a person’s values and their ability to fit within the culture of the company,” says Clarke. “The emphasis is on creating one team, globally. This isn’t one value set for one company in India, and another in the US – it’s shared teams, values and culture across every customer, partner and employee.”

The reality of 2020 has set in. The business shifts are being seen in 2021. Companies are no longer powered by shoulder pads and rage, as defined by the 80s and 90s. Today, business success is as visible in its bottom line as it is in its culture, creativity and recruitment retention.

Kate Bohn: Stepping out of the Usual

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected industries adversely, yet the business must go on. During such difficult times, we, as in the business world, are in a need of innovative leaders to rely on. One such young and inspiring businesswoman is Kate Bohn, Incubator & Accelerator lead at Lloyds Banking Group.

In an interview with Tycoon Success, Kate talks to us about her inspiring journey of becoming an award winning evangelist. Her unique ideology and exceptional methods have led her in achieving many milestones in her pathway. She wishes to cement the ‘Technical Women in Leadership’ network which she co-founded for a much-needed, psychologically-safe space for senior female practitioners in the tech and FS industries. Moreover, in the future she also plans to co-edit a book.

Tycoon Success admire such businesswoman and take pride in featuring Kate in its latest issue, “The 10 Young and Inspiring Businesswomen to Watch.”

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Into the Shoes of Kate

Growing up with a migrant lifestyle across both hemispheres of the globe has helped Kate to attain a resilient approach towards change. Initially, she straddled the creative world and science/math avenue in terms of her interests and capabilities, which resulted her acquiring an undergraduate degree in both Art History and Chemistry, for a secure future career path into academia or art conservation.

Initially, Kate came across an awful roundabout of attempting to move industries where she did not have enough experience for the position or was overqualified for the role. She solved this conundrum by taking various contract roles which offered her an opportunity to experience a number of different employers before taking on a permanent contract. “A ‘try before you buy’ on both sides”, says Kate.

One such role was with an American operation called Citigroup Global Investment Bank, and there, her interactions whilst visiting senior management from global headquarters in New York, led her being asked to build out an innovative platform offering customer online access to equities research content and create profiles/alert notifications. Eventually, this grew into the primary digital access channel for the Bank.

Kate states that the ability to interact with sales personalities and traders, research analysts, clients, to travel, all the while creating a space in which both buy and sell-side actors could have the complexity of their roles simplified, automated, analysed and nudged using technology and data-driven metrics was an exciting proposition for her. She also states that this opportunity resulted in her entry in the industry massively labelled as “Fintech”, “customer journeys”, and “problems to be solved.”

Defining Success Differently

“There are so many lenses to success for me – not just the traditional markers of money or titles,” says Kate.

Kate believes that, while measuring success, one must understand that the mental and physical health are foundationally important. She also believes that the ability to have quality spare time and to be involved in an activity that one can really get behind in terms of impact and purpose, surrounded by people working together in mutual respect, is priceless.

This approach was not only game changing in a period of time where ‘digital’ was still to be fully understood. It remains in play today and she is incredibly proud of all the colleagues and partners involved in bringing that original vision to life.

On the basis of her past achievements and experiences, she believes that ‘success’ will often be wrapped up in the ability to action and execute on outcomes that offer simplification, time saving and ease of use/engagement for any consumer. It is also important to her that this is achieved without negatively affecting future generations or creating negative consequences, albeit unintended, for the current social or economic welfare of all.

“My ego would also like to note that the ability to have made a difference in the fact that I took on a role or undertaking, shaping it in my own unique approach, rather than it was merely completed, is also in there somewhere!” asserts Kate.

Principles One Must Follow

Kate believes that soft skills have always been key for her growth in the industry, especially the ones that can be learnt but are often more authentically core to an individual’s personality and make-up. She seeks to build strong teams with high engagement levels in supportive and positive environments where obstacles are tackled with trust, transparency and appropriate levels of risk. The certain principles she admires as her ‘top three’ are empathy, curiosity, and influence without authority.

“The drivers of my unconscious motivation are deeply rooted in ‘imposter-syndrome-meets-perfectionist-meets-try-harder-and-carry-on-regardless.’” quotes Kate.

She also notes there are many leadership styles albeit some may feel ‘better’ than others to each individual in execution or engagement. However, Kate states, every style has its place in a leaders’ toolkit, flexing across the spectrum of ‘autocratic’ to ’laissez-faire’ as a situation demands or unfolds.

Kate believes that one characteristic every leader must possess, in the current Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) and amid the Covid-19 pandemic, is enhanced curiosity. By quoting an old Chinese proverb ‘the wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcher’, Kate asserts that an agile leadership may be the ultimate requirement for leading today/ tomorrow’s talent, underpinned by the core characteristic of constant curiosity that our ever-changing world demands.

Advice to Rely on

In this particular excerpt, Kate emphasizes over the advice presented to her on her way to success. She states that the drivers of her unconscious motivation are deeply rooted in ‘imposter-syndrome-meets-perfectionist-meets-try-harder-and-carry-on-regardless.’ Below are few of many pieces of advice she adapted and moulded herself for the better approach, in her own words:

“These elements (or Life scripts as Taibi Kahler would define them) are fabulous motivators in respect of propelling me forwards and to succeed, and yet the flip side of this is that I regularly hold myself to expectations and standards that are significantly higher than anything I would ever apply to colleagues or peers. As part of a recent 360 feedback session, I was advised to STOP doing this, and so I am working on becoming more intentional on wrapping that insight into the primary advice I use on a daily basis: “Yes, if….”

“Yes, if….” should be used in place of any phrase that starts “Yes, but….” This phrase was introduced to me by Vicki Lintern (then working at Salesforce, and now with Temenos) in respect of creating better, braver outcomes – be that public speaking engagements, new ways of working/ collaborating, or simply retaining curiosity and an appetite for the art of the possible. If you never say ‘yes, if….’ you’ll never know just how supported, empowered, confident and valued you can feel while you deliver courageous work and outstanding results.”

Sujata Dasgupta: Leading the way for the Greater Good!

Amidst COVID-19 pandemic, many sectors in various industries have had faced difficult time. Be it healthcare, fintech or IT, the damages done to businesses ranges from lowest to the highest. Yet, in such striving/difficult times, some leaders have beautifully portrayed their exceptional skills on sustaining their organizations to its desired stature. One such professional is Sujata Dasgupta.

Being the Global Head – Financial Crimes Compliance Advisory at Tata Consultancy Services, Sujata has excellently implicated her unique ideas and methods to enhance the financial risk management and compliance.

“Early in my career, my goal was to rise the corporate ladder, just like anyone else,” quote Sujata. She envisions to finding a purpose and adding value through the work she does, rather than to only focus over the career growth. That later become her driving force to last 5-6 years. Moreover, she is extremely active in the global community on financial anti-crimes, and wrote in multiple journals and spoke extensively at industry events about this subject.

Tycoon Success admire such leaders and takes pride in featuring Sujata in its special edition ‘The 10 Young and Inspiring Businesswomen to Watch’.

Below are the highlights interview:

A Journey worth Appreciating

She started his career as a Banker with India’s largest bank, State Bank of India (SBI), in the year 2000. Having worked across varied functions from retail banking to corporate credit, foreign exchange, risk and compliance in India and New York for close to 7 years, she moved to the IT industry as a banking advisory consultant. She states that in the last 14 years, she initially worked in IT services and eventually moved to IT and Management Consulting, focusing on non-financial risk and compliance. During this period, she worked earlier with IBM and Infosys, and now with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) where she head the global advisory on financial crimes risk management and compliance. She have worked in 7 countries across USA, UK, Europe, and Asia, in Risk and Regulatory compliance related transformational programs for leading global banks. And, she is currently based in Stockholm, Sweden.

Accomplishing many Achievements

Sujata states that there have been several achievements during her career which are very precious to her, as each has helped her to grow both personally and professionally. From being the topper in the selection for foreign postings from SBI India (leading to her New York deputation) to several awards in IBM, Infosys and TCS, being featured in interviews by leading international journals viz. She also states that the Economist and Bloomberg, the privilege to run her own column in Corporate Compliance Insights, USA, being invited to speak in the FinCrime World Forum where each one has been very special. However, she states that the most recent accomplishment, and probably the most notable yet, has been winning 2 prestigious international awards in the March 2021 – ‘Risk Professional of The Year’ by Waters Technology in their ‘Women in Technology & Data Awards’ and ‘Fraud Prevention Award’ by Themis in their Anti-Financial Crimes Awards 2021. “Industry recognitions like these are truly motivating and drive me to pursue my passion in the risk and compliance field with a stronger resolve!” quotes Sujata.

Overcoming the Challenges

Sujata addresses that her area – financial crimes risk and compliance – is a very dynamic, complex, and challenging space to work in. Thus, it takes a lot of effort to stay up to date with all that is going on in the financial world in terms of Regulations, technology advancements, emerging risks and designing corresponding controls. “But this is an area which has grown beyond my profession – it is more of my passion now, and I consider myself one of the many fincrime fighters who are doing their bit to prevent some of the disastrous impacts of these crimes on human lives, environment and the economy!” says Sujata. So, in addition to helping her clients develop robust risk management and controls framework around fincrime and other non-financial risks, Sujata is and has been very active in the global community writing and speaking on this particular subject to bring awareness in these areas as well.

A Unique Approach

Sujata asserts a commonly known definition of leadership which states that it is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could. And she tries to inspire by example, by pushing her own boundaries, reinventing herself and accomplishing new milestones, continuously learning while keeping her ear to the ground to stay ahead of the curve. She also believes in and also practice sending the elevator back down, to groom and nurture the next layers and build the leaders of tomorrow. When asked about success, Sujata explains that success for her is to be happy doing what she love and making a difference in the process by achieving tangible results. With years passing, her idea of success has changed from material wealth and rising the career ladder to pursue her passion of research and innovation, writing and speaking on the subject that has grown very close to her heart—anti-financial crimes. “The fact that I have had a positive impact on the businesses of our clients as well as the global community in this pursuit, and the recognitions that have come my way through this are what I hold as my successes!” Sujata adds.

Creating Room for new Ideas

Sujata states that she is a strong advocate of data-driven and AI powered solutions for financial crimes risk management & compliance (FCC), aligning with the business 4.0 agenda that is steering all industries globally. FCC is poised to witness a digital disruption in this new decade, and she has been sharing her ideas on leveraging digital innovations like smart identification and verification solutions for KYC, automated screening for customers and transactions including adverse media, AI based transaction monitoring, graph technology based linkage analysis for discovering criminal networks, dynamic risk monitoring and due diligence, to name a few. She advise that enriching financial institutions’ data quality through ongoing remediation and integration of internal data with external data, as the effectiveness of AI models are heavily dependent on the firms’ data quality. She describes herself as a people’s person and have strived to build effective relationships with her teams and all stakeholders she work with.

Through quoting, “A leader is as good as his team, and that is why I invest a lot of effort in grooming those who work with me, bringing out the strengths they are not sure of themselves!” Sujata states that she leads her team from the front, with a clear vision of what she and her team must and can achieve, enabling her team to work towards that goal. She trust her people and give them the autonomy to drive initiatives on their own, while providing all the required support to achieve the target.

Advice to Rely On

Sujata expresses that her parents have always advised her to stay humble and keep her feet firmly on the ground, no matter how high life takes her. Incidentally, after her successive international award wins this year which are undoubtedly some of the highest points of her life, a close friend of hers gave me this very advice which says, “I do not to get carried away by this success but stay humble and continue the hard work!”

Sujata believes in ‘Empathy!’ She recites a quote that she read long ago: ‘if you want your team to accomplish great things, you must first show them that you truly care’ and has always stayed with her. She admire such quality in her superiors and do practice with her teams. She discovered that empathetic leaders are able to communicate with their team better, eliciting more effective feedback in the process.

AirDoctor: Redefining the Customary Ways of Monitoring One’s Health

Since the inception of fourth industrial revolution, the world has witnessed a robust implementation of technology in various industries. Be it an IT or healthcare, almost every industry has experienced the glimpse of these technology in order to uplift their businesses.

AirDoctor is one such who beautifully implicated technological aspects for better healthcare experience for its customers. It is an interactive web app & application that matches travelers’ medical needs and local doctors’ expertise, making it easier for users for monitor their health. Moreover, being led by the Jenny Cohen Derfler, the Chief Executive Officer and Founder, the company has achieved many milestones in its pathway.

Tycoon Success appreciate the contribution made by Air Doctor and takes pride in featuring in its “Recommended Insurance Tech Solution Providers for 2021.”

Below are the highlights of the interview:

The Story behind Air Doctor Inception

Like any other tech giants of today, Air Doctor began in Jenny’s garage. During the initial days, Jenny and her team started to develop the platform and work as a bootstrap, using its limited resources to convert the idea into a reality. Her dream was to develop a technology and a global medical network. Thinking big from day one, they soon realized the difficulties finding and vetting doctors around the globe and of having a multi-platform app while vetting and recruiting a global doctor’s network.

While addressing her partner Efrat Sagi Ofir, she states that she with her would travel to Greece and then the UK in search of recruiting clinics with no working platform in their hands to show them. “Slowly but surely, clinics hopped on board and through the hard efforts and long hours a platform with a doctors’ network was created. The idea together with the small but talented and dedicated team behind it grew out to incorporate a larger and larger network throughout more countries across the world and with a better app to streamline the user journey,” says Jenny. Once the first corporate client joined, The Phoenix Insurance, while Jenny and her team covered just a handful of places across the globe, the speed in which they were able to recruit clinics and then attract more clients grew exponentially. Today the company covers over 1,700 cities across 61 countries around the world with over 18,000 physicians and cater to the largest insurers in the industry.

Products to Rely On

Jenny states that company’s main product is a complimentary service for Travel Insurers or OTAs to offer their customers a VIP experience while sick abroad. Using Air Doctor, end users have a streamlined and digital way to easily search, browse and book a doctor within a few taps. “Consultations can be set for in a clinic, at home or virtually,” says Jenny. “What is amazing about our product is that other than us and one other small company, no one else in the world has a solution for the international traveler,” she adds. She also states that irrespective of the language one speak or where he/she belongs to, Air Doctor can help and guide one through stressful times. While the company is pioneer in the international travel health arena, its second product focuses on the domestic population. Starting with the Israel, the company is planning to develop an offer to extend the great service it provides to international travelers, to locals who get sick or need to see a specialist using their private health insurance.

Into the shoes of the leader

Jenny Cohen Derfler, Air Doctor’s CEO, worked many years at Intel Corporation in executive positions around the world. After leaving Intel she was involved in 2 start ups within the electrical transportation industry before she founded Air Doctor. The experience working for a huge corporate with a global footprint brought by Jenny, as well as the rest of the founders, allowed Air Doctor to dare from day one to aim to find customers and doctors in 5 continents around the world without any fears. During the time at Better Place and ElectRoad, she gained the necessary experience in fundraising, marketing, and creating a strong team of supporters and shareholders. Jenny has demonstrated experience and character to rapidly adapt to changing realities and technologies in order to bring value to her target market.

Overcoming the Challenges

Jenny states that the moment COVID struck, and the world went into lockdown, the company saw a huge challenge ahead. “At the time we were seeing about 1,500 visits a month from only one business customer, and suddenly they crashed to almost nothing. Not knowing what the future would hold, how long the pandemic would keep the world in isolation, and many other questions everyone had, we had to make a decision; do we continue as is and hope travel picks up soon or do we pivot and make the best of the situation? Looking back today, I can confidently say that pivoting was the right call,” she asserts. Further, she states that the teams were able to foresee the change the insurance sector would undergo and place all their efforts in being the first ones to offer them the change and prepare for ‘the day after’. “During the past year, though travel has been low, and the company has not seen much traffic, we have been able to growth from 1 business partner to 11, all signed during the pandemic. More companies than we estimated want to be ready for ‘the day after’. A major adaptation was to add to our solution a telemedicine service based on our own doctors, in 15 languages and 24/7 with the ability to prescribe prescriptions. We understood people would not want to go to hospitals for treatment, fearing Covid and would prefer to do a video consultation or see a local specialist,” Jenny adds.

Building better customer Relationships

Jenny emphasizes that when looking at a customer, one must ask himself/herself, ‘how can I provide them with value?’ and ‘what are their pain points and how can we resolve them’. “Adding real value is the base of building a long-term relationship. Doing so sometimes implies putting your own benefit second,” she adds. She also when the Phoenix came aboard, we had a network coverage in 3 countries. Since they needed at least 18 selected countries to launch, our whole team (including myself) worked relentlessly days and nights to recruit the necessary clinics in those countries and provide The Phoenix with what we promised on time. There is nothing impossible for us, only challenges that we need to transform into opportunities.

One cannot work without the other. Every team member comes with not only their work experience, but they come with their life experience as well. Each one has ideas and can contribute way more than just what they were hired to do. When you give a customer support rep extra responsibility and a project of their own for example, their eyes light up and they take full ownership with amazing results. Everyone can influence and at the same time everyone is accountable for the results.

Upcoming Prospects

Jenny addresses that the industry has changed course and gone from a conservative giant to an innovative machine where non-oiled rusty components will soon be obsolete. Businesses who do not provide maximal value to their customers cannot hold their grip on the top and so either they have to change their ways or give way to newcomers who do. With the new direction, insurtechs of all kinds are seeing major success, and she believes Air Doctor is riding that wave as well. The company provides a valuable service which helps insurers innovate while significantly cutting their costs down. “2021 will see our clients base burst out, while 2022 will put our Brand name as a global player,” Jenny expresses.

Nicole Carter: Generating Opportunities for All with Carter Consulting, Corp.

Very few people find their fulfillment in helping others. Some are enthusiastically passionate that they feel honored by assisting people and marking their presence in the corporate sector. Nicole Carter is one such leader who finds this as her prime source of motivation. She is quite passionate about helping others grab employment opportunities to sustain their families and livelihoods.

Ms. Carter founded Carter Consulting Corp. to provide technical support and resource development services to non-profit and faith-based organizations. Nicole leads the company in providing grant writing, capacity building, networking, leveraging, marketing, compliance and development training services.

Taking the onus at Carter Consulting, Corp.

Nicole is the firstborn daughter of a southern pastor and a registered nurse. They instilled into her the importance of servicing the community at a very young age. Nicole’s parents, also entrepreneurs taught her the importance of work ethic and civic leadership. Her father, nationally recognized as the foremost authority in grant writing taught her all the tools and tricks of the trade. Her mother was instrumental in demonstrating to Nicole compassion, care and sympathy for those who need it the most. Social justice, community service and economic development are hardwired in Nicole’s heart and brain.

Since the dawn of the company, Nicole has burnt the midnight oil determined to be the standard in corporate leadership, community resources and community support. Her mission is to see all individuals have equal accesses to healthcare, economic opportunities and social supports. Ms. Carter’s dedication and passion for helping others has allowed her to gain all the necessary experience, relationships and knowledge to lead.

Changing lives with Carter Consulting, Corp.

As a Women Owned Minority Business with SBA 8(a) and HUBZone certification, Carter Consulting is committed to excellence and creating innovative and flexible solutions for its clients. The company excels at project management and resource development. From planning and plotting to execution, the team offers honest consultation services and individualized resource offerings.

Carter Consulting, Corp is led under the direction and vision of proud owner and CEO Nicole Carter. Being a proven business mentor, a passionate community representative and a thriving business owner, she aims at aiding other minority individuals, non-profits and businesses to succeed and thrive in the markets they serve.

Ms. Carter is quite passionate about creating community projects that will last and make a tangible difference to the communities who need assistance the most. She has served as project director for HUD, DHHS, Dept of Commerce, Dept of Education, and additional funded programs. Nicole aided the State of Tennessee’s Department of Military with audit/ programmatic compliance with their grants and grants. Nicole is a regular contractor for numerous federal departments; serving in the capacity of panel chair and chairperson. Moreover, she has played a key role in implementing several programs for social service agencies from California to Mississippi in diverse programs and communities.

Under the leadership of Nicole, Carter Consulting offers a wide range of services to its clientele. They aim at improving efficiency, effectiveness, resources, personnel, leverages, board development and budgets. Carter Consulting combines its excellence and experience in compliance, staff training, recruiting, HR, administrative support, and contract negotiations to provide its clients with guided options.

No matter the odds, the team never fails to offer the best quality in their services.

Carter Consulting, Corp provides their services nationally with several global clients. The most commonly requested services include funding research, proposal development, and grant review. The process begins with an intimate interview with the client to learn their needs, barriers and successes. This is followed by searching for various funding options that suit the stated needs of the clients. After this, the team develops proposals in response to RFP’s which require robust assessment, requirement compliance, consultation, and devising individualized solutions to complete the final draft.

Once the draft is completed, the team proofreads it, submits the proposal to the funding source, and waits for a response.

Having a commitment to the community and organizations who share her mission; Nicole implemented a Nonprofit Technical Assistance Program. The vision behind the program is to aid non-profit organizations to grow and provide better sustainable and high-quality services to the communities they serve.

Through this program, the company will visit the client site and conduct an analysis of their operational and program design and implement a Correction Action Plan which is an action strategy for sustainable and effective management to improve effectiveness. Corrective plans may include aspects such as: Incorporation and Tax-Exemption, Board Development, Funding Sources, Budgeting, Networking, and Community Collaborations, Staffing & Volunteers, Capital Campaigns & Fund-Raising, Technology & Social Media, Event Planning, Program Implementation, Rural Access, etc.

The Correction Action Plan is then offered to the client; which if followed results in better processes and procedures, detailed timelines and benchmarks; helping the client to serve the community in a better way and grow.

Nicole also developed the “Non-profit and Federal Funding” Workshop which is a free community training aim at providing the essentials in building a nonprofit and locating funding. She has also created several micro-enterprises and small businesses to providing opportunities for others to thrive in the corporate sector. With a national certification from NAHRO as a Section 8 Housing Specialist, she has offered different training programs with HUD and State Departments of Housing.

Road to success

With a massive pool of experience, skills, and knowledge by her side, Nicole led the expert team at Carter Consulting, Corp. to serve a plethora of clients within the country and outside and secured more than 50 Million dollars.

For the past three years, Nicole has secured nearly 10 million dollars in Local, State, and Federal funding. Moreover, she has established more than 32 grassroots/community-based organization and assisted in the initiation of more than 50 Housing and Economic Development programs, including education and employment, crisis intervention, job training, counseling, emergency food assistance, recreational, housing and rehab, elderly, healthcare, domestic violence, family development programs, and whatnot.

Just recently, the company was awarded more than 4 million dollars in contracts and grants. The same year, Nicole led the company to own the first minority hemp farm in Tennessee and acquire three buildings for rental property.

A strong network of corporate relations, smart formulation of strategies, well-planned collaboration with the community, and critical planning and plotting allowed the company to acquire a $500,000 apartment complex with $375,000 cash.

Nicole believes that by collaborating with the community, Carter Consulting, Corp can fulfill the needs of various stakeholders and provide unique support to them.

Future roadmap for Carter Consulting, Corp.

The corporate sector is tough and competitive, so Nicole adds that it is vital to cement her position in the industry and mark her presence in the market. She believes in minority inclusion and social equity and works to ensure that all have the same accesses to corporate growth.

Nicole believes that by standing together with the community Carter Consulting can achieve new heights and help thousands of persons in not just nationally but abroad as well.

Annabel Biggar-David : Promoting Natural Health Essentials Dynamically

Sustainable farming practices ultimately contribute towards a sustainable ecological environment for future generations. When buying organic, you are assisting in reducing the amount of pesticides used on our planet since these unwanted toxic chemicals have farreaching effects on our bodies, wildlife, and the environment. More than ever before, people have become conscious of their health. There has been a dramatic spike in
demand for plant-based, natural and certified organic products. The majority of certified organic essential oil and aroma health product purchasers are people looking for natural solutions and products for their family. Organic products are in high demand and the natural care movement is strong. Bacteria strains are becoming resistant to antibiotics and there is an awakening of going the natural route.

Preaching this awakening and enabling the right natural solutions for people is one inspiring business leader, Annabel Biggar-David. She is the Founder of OCO Life by Organico. “Destined to be an old woman with no regrets, I am an adventurous, independent, spirited, curious, passionate human living who adores people who make me laugh until I’m physically in pain, yeah they are some of my favorite kind of people,” says Annabel joyously.

To Begin With….

Growing up in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Annabel’s grandmother played a massive role in her life. She had a farm bordering a river in Ixopho where Annabel used to spend weekends and school holidays. “It was then that my love for traditional African medicine was born,” she shares. Annabel’s grandmother was the one who instilled
the entrepreneurial spirit in her. “I started my first business at 9 years old. Growing up I questioned everything I read. I questioned everything I was told,” says Annabel.

Annabel then moved to Mitchells Plain in Cape Town, known as the Cape Flats. The city was infested with gang members but she still continued with her small business and extended the range to toffee apples. As she got older, while holding a full-time job, Annabel would make dream catchers and candles at night and sell to stores and colleagues.

Being of mixed race, growing up in the apartheid system, Annabel always appreciated the saying, “Poverty is like paying for a crime you didn’t commit.” “I have always known no amount of security was worth the suffering of a mediocre life,” describes Annabel. She wanted to contribute to something bigger than herself. She was done working in a job she didn’t enjoy. She was done feeling depressed on a Sunday night knowing that Monday was coming, which she considered Day 1 of the Hostage situation.

Annabel did not want to be imprisoned by a haunting thought of ‘I wish I had’ so she was willing to risk almost
everything. She wants to make a difference in society and create employment. Annabel sold almost everything she owned, applied for loans and when money ran out would barter furniture for services. “With tensions high in our country and communities, our high unemployment rate as well as more than 50% of South Africans living in poverty as an SME, we are here to make a difference economically,” states Annabel.

The OCO Life

As a multiple award-winning brand, born in Africa, OCO Life is pioneering the health industry with a revolutionary
range of air purifiers, organic essential oil blends, ultrasonic aroma diffusers and traditional medicine. Proudly 100% black woman owned, OCO Life comprises of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and neighbours. “Our social responsibility is not only an integral part of our business model, but it is our natural way of doing what we do,” says the team of OCO Life.

The company’s mission is to enable employment in South Africa and create a lifestyle of harmony, where a balance and collaboration exist between people, as it exists in nature, with ethics, integrity, care and respect for surroundings, people and the environment. OCO Life harvests essential oils in their native regions to get the best quality oils available through sustainable agriculture. This benefits the environment by maintaining soil quality, reducing soil degradation and erosion, and saving water. In addition to these benefits, sustainable agriculture also increases biodiversity of the area by providing a variety of organisms with healthy and natural environments to live in.

“Our sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals: environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity,” says Annabel and her team. A variety of philosophies, policies and practices have contributed to these goals. There is a saying that there is no softer pillow than a clear conscience. Team OCO’s social and environmental conscience ensures that they are contributing to something greater towards the world. Annabel and the OCO family assists in reducing the amount of pesticides and toxins used that have enormous effects on our bodies, wildlife, and the environment.

Growing Organically

The difference that OCO Life makes is on a grass roots level as a company. With over 50% of South African’s living in poverty and the staggeringly high unemployment rate, companies like OCO Life, are a driving force of inclusive economic growth & development in S.A. It has a passionate, purposeful driven team that captures the essence of economic value by up skilling employees while reducing its own ecological footprint. “We have a great company culture and strive to be flawless in our service and impeccable with our word,” describes the team of OCO. Annabel does not take the smallest gestures for granted as they speak the loudest. As a team, OCO exists to serve, and they are eco warriors who believe in changing the world, naturally.

“Simply put, we improve lives and have created solutions to our client’s health needs,” says Annabel. OCO Life’s family is a bunch of people who are customer-centric and will never fail to deliver what they are known for. In terms of future professional growth prospectus, Annabel is interested in mentoring the youth during their entrepreneurial journey as it is something, she is very passionate about. Personally, she is an eternal
student and loves to learn and travel. Spending time with her dogs, the theatre, arts, photography, music, reading, adventure sports, and dancing are some of her most favourite things to do.