Women In Business Archives

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.

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.

Kelly Bagla : A Gem in the Jewel of Business Legality

Meet Kelly Bagla, a best-selling author, Minternational award-winning business attorney, a powerful women and what not. Being the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Bagla Law Firm, APC, she has spent her entire career helping entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses. Also, her unique ideology and methodology raised her company in achieving many milestones in its pathway.

Tycoon Success such admire such leaders and takes pride in featuring Kelly as the cover for “The 10 Most Recommended Law Firm to watch in 2021.” Below are the highlights of the interview:

A peek into Kelly’s Journey

Originally from England, Kelly began her legal careerat one of the world’s most prominent international law firms. By 2009, she realized that starting her own firm would better allow her to concentrate on her passion: helping businesses to thrive in the United States.

“I love helping international entrepreneurs establish a presence in the U.S.,” Bagla says. “I work with entrepreneurs and investors abroad to properly set up legal entities in the United States. Whether they are launching a new business, or want to base a subsidiary here, I can help. The laws in this country are complex, and it is important that those who want to establish businesses here do it properly. The United States is a highly litigious country, and failure to properly protect yourself can result in lawsuits, and loss of assets. That’s why it’s vital to structure everything properly from the outset,” Bagla explains. Thus, she states that she wrote a short e-book explaining the U.S. legal system and the process for foreign based businesses looking to do business in
the USA. One can get a free copy of the book here: https://www.baglalaw.com/books-by-kelly/

Compassionate towards Clients

Kelly’s clients are domestic and international entrepreneurs, investors, and CEOs who are in the early stages of establishing companies. Her international clients are innovators and investors from a wide array of industries ranging from digital entertainment to cyber security to healthcare products.

“My international clients in particular, trust Bagla Law Firm because I’m an immigrant myself. I came to the U.S. for many of the same reasons international investors and entrepreneurs want to come here. The possibilities for business owners are endless. I became a business owner after learning from some of the most brilliant business attorneys on the planet. In launching my own firm, I experienced the unique challenges of setting up a U.S. based business, which can be complicated. This first-hand experience has helped, as my international clients know that I’ve personally done this myself for multiple businesses I own,” says Kelly.

Adjacent Ventures

In addition to helming San Diego, CA based Bagla Law Firm, Bagla is also the founder of Go Legal Yourself! – an online business formation company, along with two best-selling books by the same name. Meanwhile, the Second Edition of Go Legal Yourself! was released in early 2021.

The ethos underlying everything Kelly has done, is a fierce belief in entrepreneurship. She explains, “I watched my father in England work in a factory for years, saving and strategizing the entire time. Ultimately, he was able to buy the factory he worked in, which was incredibly impactful. I saw the hard work he put in, and the sense of pride he had in becoming a business owner. I knew I not only wanted to do the same, but I wanted to help others
experience that sense of accomplishment, and independence.”

Continuing Kelly says, “The desire to protect and aid those brave enough to dream big is what motivates me. Whether it’s through my work as legal advisor to incoming companies, or when I’m writing a book to tell people how to protect themselves when setting up new ventures, or hosting a podcast (Go Legal Yourself Podcast) aimed at educating future entrepreneurs. Everything I have done is to help others achieve their own version of the American Dream,” she adds. Incidentally, Kelly’s podcast, Go Legal Yourself! has been named a top 20 Law
Podcast by Feedspot which is available in 25+ countries.

Like all entrepreneurs, Kelly also faced some initial challenges, when launching her own law firm and her subsequent enterprises. “There will always be people who are fearful and try to steer you away from embarking on your own venture. I assume they are well-intentioned, but if everyone were afraid to dream big or to take a risk, we wouldn’t have medical research companies; we wouldn’t have the Teslas of the world. So, I chose not to listen to the naysayers, who thought leaving the comfort of a large law firm was too big of a risk. I did it, and it was a great decision that I’ve never regretted,” she says.

To grow her law firm, and her subsequent businesses, Kelly says she has never stopped taking advantage of every opportunity to learn from successful business owners who came before her. “I listen to a lot of audible books while I’m working out or walking my dogs. I am always looking for inspiration, and looking for ways to improve,” she says. Kelly credits books like Secrets of Closing the Sale, by Zig Ziglar, and Grant Cardone’s Secrets of Selling as being particularly helpful in growing her businesses.

Both her own experience in running a business, and watching her father become a business owner also taught her to be prepared to work incredibly hard as an entrepreneur, which is something she continues to do each day. “My husband runs a construction company, so we get up incredibly early. He’s up by 3:00 am and I’m up by 3:30 am. We take our dogs out for a long walk. Then, before most people are awake, I’m already working out,” says Kelly, who was named Ms. Southern California 2010, and still holds a professional body-building card.

A peek into Kelly’s Life

Kelly also makes time each day to appreciate the beauty and the blessings of God, in what might be best described as simple meditative practice. “San Diego is beautiful, and I make sure to appreciate the beauty surrounding me. I work extremely hard, but I also take the time to enjoy the beauty and blessings, and results of my hard work every day. If you don’t take the time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, and the blessings around you, then there’s no point in working so hard,” she muses.

Kelly is also in her office early, available to meet the needs of overseas clients in different time zones. She also makes sure to network a little bit each day, as she’s quick to note that as a business owner, she needs to remain connected and involved in her community and her industry.

By early evening, she leaves her office, though she remains available for calls until retiring for the evening. “My husband and I have a nice dinner, a glass of wine, and take another long walk with the dogs to enjoy the sunset,” she says.

Her weekends are filled with more of the same. With learning as her favorite hobby, she spends her free time reading and traveling, along with playing with her dogs, and exercising. “I often listen to a sales presentation while I’m doing other things. I’m a lifelong learner and listening to a talk by Tony Robbins or the like while I’m exercising is a great way to stay in a mindset of success,” she says.

The Queen of Business Law

Suffice it to say, her hard work has paid off. Bagla Law Firm has been named Best International M&A Law Firm by Acquisition International, and the winner of Innovation & Excellence Awards 2021 by Corporate Live Wire. Kelly was named a Businesswoman of the Year by the San Diego Business Journal in 2018. She was also named the “Powerful Women Entrepreneur” of the year at the 2017 DREAMS Inspiration awards. She has been featured on all San Diego news outlets, along with appearances on national news programs. Not surprisingly, when a client coined her the “Queen of Business Law®” the nickname stuck.

So, what advice would the Queen of Business Law offer to those looking to launch a company in the U.S? “You must believe in your product,” Kelly says. “If you don’t nobody else will.” Moreover, she advises international and domestic entrepreneurs take the time to build a solid foundation. “You need to structure your business properly from the start. There are a lot of new innovative business structures that are designed for companies that want to give back to the community through civic initiatives and incentives. Some of these business structures make a
lot of sense for new businesses, as they are a great way to immerse yourself in the community, all the while ensuring you have the protections that proper business structuring affords,” she explains. “No matter what business structure is ultimately the best for your venture, it’s essential that everything is done legally, and meticulously by the book,” says Kelly. “After all, how high you fly is based on how strong your foundation is.”

Bagla says her favorite quote that she has lived by is “Why blend in when you were born to stand out.” – Guru Granth Sahib.

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.

Why i am resolute in my afro-optimism despite the continent’s challanges

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It is becoming clear that most – if not all – our major social, economic and political decisions over the next few years will be made through the prism of the coronavirus and the ripple effects of the pandemic.

However, it is certain that we are yet to see the worst of the disease, in terms of health, social impact and the economy. While lockdown measures are evident in much of the region, public health experts are unanimous in their view that we won’t escape a surge in new infections, especially as we head into the colder winter months.

Already, the economic effects of lockdown can be felt, as informal traders and small to medium enterprises grind to a halt due to government restrictions. The effects, while impossible to fully predict, are likely to reshape the future of the continent in fundamental ways.

While our current focus is on overcoming the immediate challenge posed by the virus, I cannot help but look up and consider what awaits us beyond the immediate horizon. And, despite the chaos and uncertainty we all presently feel, I remain highly optimistic about our collective future, both as a business leader and as an African citizen.

Inspiring an entrepreneurial spirit

Due to the digital skills divide and a number of other factors, most Africans are not actively working in the digital economy. The overwhelming majority of Africa’s citizens are informal traders, smallholder farmers and other forms of entrepreneurs.

An estimated sixty percent of Africa’s workforce are engaged in agriculture alone. The continent’s 250 million smallholder farmers, working on plots of around 2ha each and earning less than $1,000 per year, produce 80% of all food consumed here. A single smallholder farmer financially supports multiple family members and makes an invaluable contribution to food security. Any intervention that supports this sector has the potential to deliver dramatic socio-economic returns.

We can see this in Nigeria, where an initiative by the Convention on Business Integrity’s for-profit arm CBI
Innovations has seen the deployment of a technology tool to support 850 000 maize farmers and connect them more sustainably to the agricultural value chain.

Where countries have invested in building stronger agriculture sectors, the entire economy has been lifted. World Bank data shows that Ethiopia’s poverty levels dropped by a thirds since 2000 mainly thanks to impressive agricultural GDP growth of nearly 10% per year.

A growing and evolving continent

Africa’s population growth has been on an accelerated path for some time. Experts agree that, at current rates,
the continent’s population will double by 2050. This will be accompanied by a mass urbanisation that could see rural areas empty as more citizens seek a better life in fast-growing cities.

The World Economic Forum predicts that the population in Lagos in Nigeria could pass 88 million by 2100, making it the most populous city on the planet.

However, these oft-quoted predictions are extreme. The latest data shows that the working age population
in Africa – those aged between 25 and 64 – is growing faster than other age groups, which provides an opportunity for accelerate economic growth, also known as the ‘demographic dividend’.

How we engage, mobilise and equip this demographic dividend in service of the continent’s socio-economic goals will be instrumental in our collective effort to build a better future.

Which makes the advances in digital skills development, driven by investments from public and private sector organisations into digital skills development among teachers and students, all the more exciting.

Digital skills training crosses tipping point

With more than 700 million youth spread across 54 countries, Africa’s wealth of youthful talent is the envy of even more developed nations that face ageing – and in some cases, declining – populations.

A broad collective effort has been underway over the past few years to equip this youthful talent pool with the skills and knowledge they need to be active participants and contributors to the global digital economy.

Much of the developed world has been able to quickly shift learning to online platforms thanks to the pervasive high-speed internet connectivity and broad use of internet-enabled devices in those markets. In Africa, too many children simply don’t have that option.

Public and private sector organisations will need to build on the success that has been achieved over the past years to bring digital skills learning to more of the continent’s youth. Such efforts should focus not only on expanding access to technology among especially rural communities, but on equipping teachers and educators with the tools and knowledge they need to be effective digital learning champions.

The investments we make in training our youth today will pay huge dividends as we steer through the coming years and decades.

Diversity our greatest strength

Just as technology is supporting smallholder farmers by connecting them to better information and market opportunities, so too will we see innovations that empower female entrepreneurs to maximise their business ventures.

In the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Women’s Report, sub-Saharan Africa boasted the highest rate of female entrepreneurs at 21.8%. This against a global rate of 10.2% – in Europe, the rate drops to 6%. This means more than one in five women in Africa are engaged in some form of entrepreneurial activity.

Social entrepreneurship is also gaining ground as a more sustainable and broadly beneficial business model for addressing socio-economic challenges on the continent. In 2019, Africa hosted the Social Entrepreneurship World Forum, first established in 2007, in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. In that country alone, 55 000 social enterprises have sprung up to address a wide spectrum of challenges. Surprisingly, more than a quarter of social entrepreneurs in the country are women, compared to only 4.5% who lead mainstream Ethiopian businesses.

I believe it is our diversity and multiculturalism that gives us immense strength in innovation and resilience. Three thousand ethnic groups speaking more than two thousand languages lend the continent an unmatched richness in perspectives and lived experiences.

As a greater share of our daily work output becomes automated by more efficient machines and algorithms, we’re likely to see a shift back to those skills and qualities that make us uniquely human. Empathy, creativity, compassion, the ability to consider and engage with a diverse set of views – these are the skills that will distinguish us as we head into the coming decades.

In closing

There’s no doubt we face a difficult and uncertain road ahead. Things are likely to get worse before they
get better. But we have done so much work over the past decades, achieved so much, overcome such immense socio-economic challenges, that I take heart that our continent will survive.

More than that, I believe we are well-placed to create a pan-African community with a shared vision for a
more equitable future, one driven by the deeply African belief in Ubuntu. Some global analysts believe there is opportunity for Africa to rival China’s economic might, despite our challenges.

I think Africa will chart its own course, one that is no less transformational than the so-called Chinese Miracle, but takes all our best qualities: our diversity, our natural wealth, our youthfulness, our creativity and resilience, and forges an inclusive future for all who call this continent home.

ENDS

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To Survive, we must embrace the leadership of both the genders

With Covid-19 still on everyone’s minds and the uncertainty that the pandemic brought, the importance of strong leadership has been highlighted. Last year, much was said about how differently different world leaders lead their countries through this crisis – with a focus on the success in some of the countries with female leaders.

As deputy CEO of one of the biggest financial services companies in South Africa, with a footprint in the UK, India and the African continent, I am proud to say that we value the role women play in society. But I don’t like gender generalisations. I prefer to simply focus on the learnings and apply it where relevant to all of us as leaders. What I found was that these female heads of state responded to the crisis distinctly, and the importance to them was to to care and connect, to use relationships as a channel to nurture, support and show empathy. And that seems to have made all the difference.This has led me to the work done by Richard Barrett who is certainly the world authority on values, both personal and organisational, and the interconnected link between the two.

About a million people globally have completed his personal values framework. It is important to know that Richard Barrett through his research, differentiates between values that tend to be embraced by men and values that tend to be embraced by women.

Of course, this is not always typical and true, as there are always individual differences. However, the two genders, when one looks at them from a distance certainly adopt different sets of values:

Men mostly embrace values such as strength, competitiveness and logic.
Woman on the other hand typically embrace values such as compassion, empathy and caring and relationship-based values.

To create the dynamic that makes the world successful both sets of male and female values are relevant and important and need to be combined.

But right now, our world is in crisis and is in urgent need of the values that women bring, to keep societies going. To keep a connection and to keep our small worlds functioning.

Richard Barrett’s survey has also been conducted with thousands of organisations over the last two decades with interesting results. Many other great researchers in the field of organisational success have come to exactly the same realisation.

During the last 50 years of the previous century companies that were successful adhered to principles such as rules, hard structures, competitiveness, brazen ambition, hierarchy and often bureaucracy.
There can be no doubt that value systems over the past 30 years have changed significantly.
Since the turn of our current century a major change has been happening. This major change is asking for a different approach, a different value system.

Organisations and countries that excel now, are organisations that are embracing the value system and preferences of women. Organisations in the 2020’s are asking for people to connect in much more authentic ways. Organisations are asking of leaders to care more. Organisations that embrace diversity and are much more inclusive, are outperforming organisations that are less inclusive.

Organisations have become so specialised and complex that processes alone cannot fix the disconnect between
divisions and departments. People in organisations must collaborate significantly more in natural and unforced ways. Only caring people with a real need to connect can take organisations in the 2020’s to the next level of performance.

When we look at organisations in the 2020’s we have to look at organisations through the lens of its stakeholders. Our stakeholders directly include all our employees, independent advisers supporting us, their clients and people who may be our future clients. It is our obligation as leaders to bring our values to all our
stakeholders. We need to connect with all our stakeholders with care, empathy and understanding. We must reach out to those we can reach out to and make sure that relationships are alive and well. Because by doing this we are showing new ways in which relationships can determine success in the future.

In our new world, people who influence are leaders… being a leader is not the result of someone’s title.

The new definition of a leader is a person who can influence. To influence things into the right direction is being asked of every person in a business, not only of managers and people with titles. The culture of organisations can only change if there are thousands of people influencing. To create a better future for humanity, we need an even more connected, nurturing, caring, collaborative sharing ecosystem – we need all our leaders to rise to the challenge of becoming influencers and leaders.

Some people say that all this care makes organisations less ambitious. Truth be told, have a look at any mother
and say that they are not ambitious for their families, or that they don’t want their kids to succeed! This is also the bold finding of Richard Barrett and hundreds of other researchers in the domain of organisations and leadership. All the evidence clearly shows that organisations become more successful if they embrace the values women are great at.