ETHEL COFIE

A pioneering leader of Africa's 'Women-in-Tech'

Founder & CEO of Edel Technology Consulting

Country: Ghana

Sector: Technology

Ethel Cofie is a leading tech entrepreneur from Ghana and the founder and CEO of Edel Technology Consulting, a company that provides IT and software services as an enabler and catalyst for businesses to achieve their goals. Ethel is the founder of Women in Tech Africa, initiator of the 1st Pan African woman in tech meetup and was shortlisted for the UN GEM Tech Award for work supporting women in ICT. She has been featured by the BBC and CNN for her work in technology and promoting women's leadership.

Ethel sits on numerous boards and is also a President Obama Washington Fellow for Leadership (YALI).

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Ethel's Startup Story 

Ethel Cofie is a woman with a genuine passion for technology and is a real advocate for women’s entrepreneurship in the sector. Today, her company Edel Consultancy, which she founded in 2013, is the primary vehicle for driving her technology passion. At the same time, it provides a platform from which to run powerful women in technology networking groups and alliances, focused on education and enhancing women’s careers in the sector. In the preceeding decade, she gained invaluable global industry experience working with a wide range of innovative and transformational tech systems and products in different capacities including Product/Solutions Management, Business Analysis, Software Development, Service Management, Strategy Development and Implementation. Her career path took her to the UK between 2006 and 2009 where she undertook her MSc in Distributed Systems at Brighton University, followed by a corporate position as a Business and Systems Analyst with RDF Solutions. Both proved to be invaluable experiences that were to help shape her next career moves.

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Ethel Cofie is a real inspiration, not just to women entrepreneurs in Africa’s tech sector, but to all those women who would like to build a career or a successful business in this highly competitive and male dominated industry. She is living proof that with enough tenacity, self-belief, and a vision to be an industry game changer for the benefit of others, you can achieve incredible results. --- Melanie Hawken, LoA founder & editor-in-chief

At the core of EDEL Technology Consulting is the belief that  technology is not just a tool, it’s the strongest enabler an organization can have.

“I have 3 passions: Technology, Female Leadership and Empowerment, and Entrepreneurship”

“I created women in tech Ghana because I wanted to create a girls’ club – if corporate promotions and business has been conducted over the golf club and over beers, then I was going to create a space for women in tech to help each other move up and excel.”

"I was asked why I became an entreprenuer when I had a promising corporate career and I said, I got tired of living someone else's dream."

Featured

Follow Ethel making news
Ethel Cofie recognized as Africa’s Most Influential Woman in Business and Government for ICT by CEO Global
Ethel Cofie recognized as Africa’s Most Influential Woman in Business and Government for ICT by CEO Global

Ethel Cofie, CEO of EDEL Technology Consulting is Africa’s Most Influential Woman in Business and Government for the ICT Category, according to CEO Global. The award was conferred on her in South Africa on Tuesday November 23, 2016. The awards are the leading African recognition programme honoring excellence in the private and public sector. The programme covers 23 economic sectors and has for the past sixteen years independently recognized leaders who are at the pinnacle of their industry.

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100 LIONESSES: Women in Tech Founder, Ethel Cofie, Announces Largest Global Gathering of Women in Technology Week Celebration to be Held Across Africa and the Diaspora
100 LIONESSES: Women in Tech Founder, Ethel Cofie, Announces Largest Global Gathering of Women in Technology Week Celebration to be Held Across Africa and the Diaspora

Women in Tech Founder and CEO of EDEL Technology Consulting, Ethel Cofie, has announced the first and largest ever global women in technology week to be held both physically and virtually in over 40 countries.

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100 LIONESSES: Ethel Cofie participates in the Citi Business Festival in Ghana focused on “Technology Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century”
100 LIONESSES: Ethel Cofie participates in the Citi Business Festival in Ghana focused on “Technology Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century”

The first outdoor event of the Citi Business Festival, The Footprint, takes place at the Ghana Telecom University College. A key participant, Ethel Cofie, will be contributing to the event theme: “Technology Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century”.

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100 LIONESSES: Ethel Cofie's Edel Technology Consulting is nominated for IT Consulting Firm of The Year
100 LIONESSES: Ethel Cofie's Edel Technology Consulting is nominated for IT Consulting Firm of The Year

EDEL Technology Consulting, founded by Ethel Cofie has been nominated in this year’s Ghana Telecom Award now re-branded Ghana Information Technology and Telecom Awards (GITTA), in the category “IT consulting firm of the year”. This follows hot on the heels of being judged one of the '100 Most Globally Competitive Startups in Ghana', compiled by one of the country’s reputed media rating establishments, Avance Media, together with The African Network of Entrepreneurs (TANOE) and Joy Business.

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Ethel Cofie: Diversity in tech: Joining the boys for golf?
Ethel Cofie: Diversity in tech: Joining the boys for golf?

Source: How We Made it in Africa | by Dinfin Mulupi | 20 October 2015

Silicon Valley’s diversity problem has been a subject of much debate in recent years. Women and minorities remain under-represented in tech companies and venture capital firms. In Africa’s tech industry, women are becoming more visible but they too face challenges.

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African Women In Technology Take A Huge Step
African Women In Technology Take A Huge Step

Source: Modern Ghana | by Raindolf Owusu | 20 April 2015

In the past few years there has been a flourishing number of self-organisation amongst African women in technology. Many focus on encouraging women entering the field as coders, IT managers and to establish enterprises that increase women's socio-economic well-being. Projects have also focused on improving self-reliance and livelihoods in rural areas.

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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker honours women entrepreneurs in Marrakesh, Morocco
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker honours women entrepreneurs in Marrakesh, Morocco

Marrakesh, Morocco, November 19, 2014 --- U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker delivered remarks to approximately 300 women entrepreneurs to kick off Women’s Entrepreneurship Day in Marrakesh, Morocco. Secretary Pritzker discussed America’s leadership in empowering entrepreneurs at home and abroad, addressed the importance of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) which she chairs, and touted how a strong entrepreneurial society can lead to greater economic growth, stability and security, and a rising middle class. 

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African women in tech: Ethel Cofie on why men are seen as ambitious and women bitchy
African women in tech: Ethel Cofie on why men are seen as ambitious and women bitchy

Source: MeMeBurn | by Mich Atagana | 13 October 2014

Where are the women in tech? Who are the women building technology or working in technology in Africa? These questions and many more are asked on a daily basis. When it comes to technology in Africa, the general consensus is that women are not present. We beg to differ.

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It's not a man's world: The African women breaking down tech barriers
It's not a man's world: The African women breaking down tech barriers

Source: CNN African Voices | 12 August 2014 | by Ethel Cofie

(CNN) -- When I was doing my degree in computer science in Ghana's Valley View University 10 years ago, there just were seven girls in the class. After four years, only four graduated and out of that number, just two of us have stayed in technical roles. Today, my little sister's computer science class has at least 30% females and a smaller drop-off rate. All across Africa, the number of women entering the tech industry is improving thanks to the several nonprofit groups teaching girls how to code and the bigger availability of funds.

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Q&A: ‘Michelle Obama Made Me Cry’ A Young African Leader Says
Q&A: ‘Michelle Obama Made Me Cry’ A Young African Leader Says

Source: AFK Insider | by Veronica Pamoukaghlian | 7 August 2014

U.S. President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative brought 500 African business leaders under the age of 35 to top U.S. universities to network and develop business and leadership skills.

Ghanaian-born Ethel Cofie was one of them. Selected from a pool of 50,000 applicants, Cofie and her colleagues got to meet Obama and many key industry players in the U.S.

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Entrepreneur Advice

Learn from Ethel's entrepreneur playbook

Stop second guessing and just jump.... 

"Remember the mistakes you make are all part of learning, so instead of overthinking things just do it, and on your way down you will figure it out."

- Ethel Cofie, is a Ghanaian-born entrepreneur and founder of Edel Technologies. This techpreneur is passionate about technology, female leadership and empowering women entrepreneurs. She runs the  women in tech group in Ghana and is a founder of the Women in Tech Africa Alliance. In 2014, Ethel was selected to be a President Obama Washington Fellow.

Videos

Essential videos featuring Ethel
VIDEO: Ethel Cofie, one of the top 5 women changing the face of Tech in Africa
VIDEO: Ethel Cofie, one of the top 5 women changing the face of Tech in Africa

Watch this fascinating interview with Ethel Cofie, one of the leading women in Africa's tech scene, in which she discusses her personal entrepreneurial journey and how she is also helping to propel more women in tech to be successful.

Video: Ethel Cofie - be an opportunity creator
Video: Ethel Cofie - be an opportunity creator

Published on 13 September 2015

Ethel Cofie Talk about how being an opportunity creator helps your career. So be an opportunity creator!

Video: Ethel Cofie shares the story of her career path and entrepreneurial journey
Video: Ethel Cofie shares the story of her career path and entrepreneurial journey

Video published on 13 September 2015

Ethel Cofie shares the story of her career path and entrepreneurial journey.

Video: Ethel Cofie discusses Women's Leadership, Technology and Entrepreneurship
Video: Ethel Cofie discusses Women's Leadership, Technology and Entrepreneurship

Video published on 1 December 2014

Ethel Cofie is tech entrepreneur and founder of women in tech Ghana/Africa. In this video she shares her thoughts on Women's Leadership, Technology and Entrepreneurship.

Quotes

Be inspired by Ethel's words

“Don’t only learn from your mistakes, learn from other people’s mistakes too.”

Ethel Cofie, Founder & CEO of Edel Technology Consulting (Ghana)

"I believe entrepreneurship is Africa's way out of poverty. Entrepreneurship is on the increase, because Africa, at last has been emerging and the economies are booming -- several countries are starting to really increase entrepreneurial activity and move to opportunity entrepreneurship, rather than necessity entrepreneurship."

- Ethel Cofie is a technology entrepreneur and the CEO of EDEL Technology Consulting in Ghana. As a high caliber IT Professional, Ethel has gained a wealth of technical and commercial experience across a wide range of demanding roles having worked in the United Kingdom, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone on projects for organizations like Bill and Melinda Gates Mobile Technology for Health project, the Ford Foundation’s Election Monitoring project for Nigeria and as Head of Commercial Solutions for Vodafone. Ethel is founder of Women in Tech Africa, was shortlisted for the UN GEM Tech Award for work supporting women in ICT, and is a Mandela Fellow for President Obama’s Young African Leaders initiative(YALI).

"I think one of the challenges is that women don’t have enough mentors that really do push them beyond their comfort zones, encourage them to dream bigger, to think bigger, and to really supersize their dreams."

- Ethel Cofie is a Ghanaian-born entrepreneur and founder of Edel Technologies. This techpreneur is passionate about technology, female leadership and empowering women entrepreneurs. Ethel is a Mandela Fellow for President Obama’s Young African Leaders initiative(YALI), and has been  featured in BBC and CNN for work in technology and women leadership. She is the founder of Women in Tech Ghana, initiator of the 1st Pan African woman in tech meetup and was shortlisted for the UN GEM Tech Award for her work supporting women in ICT.

“Just because you have failed at something does not make you a failure.”

- Ethel Cofie is a leading tech entrepreneur from Ghana and the founder and CEO of Edel Technology Consulting, a company that provides IT and software services as an enabler and catalyst for businesses to achieve their goals. Ethel is the founder of Women in Tech Africa, initiator of the 1st Pan African woman in tech meetup and was shortlisted for the UN GEM Tech Award for work supporting women in ICT. She has been featured by the BBC and CNN for her work in technology and promoting women's leadership. Ethel sits on numerous boards and is also a President Obama Washington Fellow for Leadership (YALI).

"Entrepreneurship is not new to Africans. We are after-all masters of survivalist entrepreneurship What needs to be taught is how to create strong, scalable industry giants…"

- Ethel Cofie is a Ghanaian-born entrepreneur and founder of Edel Technologies. This techpreneur is passionate about technology, female leadership and empowering women entrepreneurs. Ethel is a Mandela Fellow for President Obama’s Young African Leaders initiative(YALI), and has been featured on BBC and CNN for her work in technology and women leadership. She is the founder of Women in Tech Africa and was recently named one of the 'Top 5 Women Impacting I.T. in Africa' by South Africa's Mail & Guardian.

"We don’t celebrate failure enough."

- Ethel Cofie, is a Ghanaian-born entrepreneur and founder of Edel Technologies. This techpreneur is passionate about technology, female leadership and empowering women entrepreneurs. She runs the  women in tech group in Ghana and is a founder of the Women in Tech Africa Alliance. In 2014, Ethel was selected to be a President Obama Washington Fellow.

“Access to the internet is critical – the internet is no longer a luxury; it’s important for development,”

- Ethel Cofie is a Ghanaian-born entrepreneur and founder of Edel Technologies. This techpreneur is passionate about technology, female leadership and empowering women entrepreneurs. Ethel is a Mandela Fellow for President Obama’s Young African Leaders initiative(YALI), and has beenfeatured in BBC and CNN for work in technology and women leadership. She is the founder of Women in Tech Ghana, initiator of the 1st Pan African woman in tech meetup and was shortlisted for the UN GEM Tech Award for her work supporting women in ICT.

"I think the belief that Africa is rising must move from the mere rhetoric to actual practical achievements. Africa cannot be rising if we cannot produce enough electricity for businesses to grow, amongst other things. So it is nice to say Africa is Rising or Ghana is Rising. But the rhetoric must be backed solidly." 

- Ethel Cofie is a Ghanaian-born entrepreneur and founder of Edel Technologies. This techpreneur is passionate about technology, female leadership and empowering women entrepreneurs. Ethel is a Mandela Fellow for President Obama’s Young African Leaders initiative(YALI), and has beenfeatured in BBC and CNN for work in technology and women leadership. She is the founder of Women in Tech Ghana, initiator of the 1st Pan African woman in tech meetup and was shortlisted for the UN GEM Tech Award for her work supporting women in ICT.

"My personal goal going forward is to ensure that my dreams are not small and comfortable, but rather big and audacious, even scary, so that I can be motivated enough to feel excited about the challenges ahead when I wake up in the morning."

- Ethel Cofie is a Ghanaian-born entrepreneur and founder of Edel Technologies. This techpreneur is passionate about technology, female leadership and empowering women entrepreneurs. Ethel is a Mandela Fellow for President Obama’s Young African Leaders initiative(YALI), and has beenfeatured in BBC and CNN for work in technology and women leadership. She is the founder of Women in Tech Ghana, initiator of the 1st Pan African woman in tech meetup and was shortlisted for the UN GEM Tech Award for her work supporting women in ICT.

"Dream big, keep on trying, this is our time. This is Africa’s time."

- Ethel Cofie is a Ghanaian-born entrepreneur and founder of Edel Technologies. This techpreneur is passionate about technology, female leadership and empowering women entrepreneurs. Ethel is a Mandela Fellow for President Obama’s Young African Leaders initiative(YALI), and has beenfeatured in BBC and CNN for work in technology and women leadership. She is the founder of Women in Tech Ghana, initiator of the 1st Pan African woman in tech meetup and was shortlisted for the UN GEM Tech Award for her work supporting women in ICT.

Social Impact

Learn about Ethel's positive impact on society
African And African-Diaspora Startups Sought For Accelerator
African And African-Diaspora Startups Sought For Accelerator

Not every startup in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond has what it takes to become a successful multinational business. But with a $2-trillion economy, Africa is home to some of the world’s most disruptive technology, with new startups and early-stage entrepreneurial activity that have caught the eye of Ghanian and Zimbabwean business partners Ethel Cofie and Dave Chakombera. They have created Africa Twenty 10, a startup accelerator they said will bridge the gap between great ideas, talent and the global market.

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Awards & Accolades

Ethel's recent awards and honours include:

  • Ethel is a Mandela Fellow for President Obama’s Young African Leaders initiative(YALI), and has beenfeatured in BBC and CNN for work in technology and women leadership.

  • Ethel founded of Women in Tech Africa, initiator of the 1st Pan African woman in tech meetup and was shortlisted for the UN GEM Tech Award for   work supporting women in ICT.

  • Ethel sits on numerous boards including Egotickets ( An Africa online ticketing platform) and  Chillax ( A Mobile App for providing tailored entertainment choices for professional Africans) and Social Media week Lagos. 

  • Ethel has spoken at numerous conferences including the Global Entrepreneurship Summit hosted in in Morrocco and Mobile West Africa

  • 2015 - Ethel is included on IT News Africa list of Africa’s Leading Women in Tech for 2015