Startup Story
Diana Dwamena is the founder and ceo of digital learning and transformation company, The Learning Nuggets Company Limited, in Ghana. She is a trailblazing strategist and tech-savvy innovator who has been shaping the digital transformation landscape for over two decades. With her impressive track record of pioneering impactful technology solutions, she has been featured in the esteemed UK History of Parliament Trust's “300 Years of Leadership and Innovation” commemorative album. She launched her business in 2007 and it employs 5 people.
Lionesses of Africa spoke to Diana Dwamena about her passion for digital learning and her ambitions for the business in the future.
What does your company do?
The Learning Nuggets Company focuses on developing the workforce for the future through digital learning - online, mobile, and virtual learning solutions. We support organisations, teams and individuals who need to upskill, reskill and train their workforce as a result of changes leading to organisational restructuring, growth, mergers and acquisition, market entry, products, services, competencies development and more.
Our digital learning resources - workshops, courses, videos, audios and more, are designed for teams who need to upskill in the latest technologies. We also assist organisations in developing organisational learning strategies, skills and competencies assessments, learning content and learning paths. Our learning management environments and tools include Learner Workspace and our access solutions Campus Companion tablet PCs. We also integrate legacy and third-party solutions on behalf of our clients.
Our management and leadership training programmes e.g., African Women in Leadership, leading in the Digital Age are geared to help leaders (tech/non-tech) effectively manage teams and resources. The Learning Nuggets Company also provides strategy consultancy for transformation, including employee efficiency improvement solutions and leadership mentoring.
“My passion is to using technology to improve the lives of individuals globally. I have ridden many waves of technology and seen its impact and potential for positive change in the way people live, work and play.”
What inspired you to start your company?
I have an extensive background in information technology, telecommunications, and digital technologies and over the years I have worked in roles with a strong focus on bridging the gap between tech know-how and business and social needs.
My extensive journey began in the UK, with a background in Systems Analysis and Design before embarking on a successful career for FTSE 100 organisations, SMEs and start-ups in information technology, telecommunications, and digital technologies. I have been involved in many firsts including managing Mercury Communications Innovation’s early-stage internet services strategies and investments for the finance sector in 1994 and Cable & Wireless Business Networks’ global eCommerce initiative. After working in corporate and on diverse initiatives at an international level, including managing the development of the EU's Central Registry for electronic bills of lading for international trade (BOLERO), which innovated a 200-year-old practice, and large scale projects and diverse global teams that positioned me to manage mission critical developments such as BT Retail’s teams in the UK and Tata Consultancy in the UK/India, delivering broadband internet value-added services and hosting projects worth over £25.5M, I stepped out to form my first company Solution-e Consultancy Limited in 1988 to provide e-Commerce and e-Business consultancy to some of the largest telecommunications and new media companies in the UK.
As a result of the DotCom bubble in 2021, I returned to corporate in 2002 to lead other major work initiatives but I knew I would return to an entrepreneurial role. This was possible when I identified a concept for creating a new vision for delivering learning through digital technologies when pursuing doctoral research in 2005 (Thesis: Exploring E-Learning's Contribution to Organisational Learning). In 2007 I stepped away from corporate again and started The Learning Nuggets Company Limited in the UK.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
My passion is to use technology to improve the lives of individuals globally. I have ridden many waves of technology and seen its impact and potential for positive change in the way people live, work and play. I was born in London with Ghanaian heritage, I embrace my international background with pride, having lived in Ghana in my teenage years and travelled extensively across 20 countries and over 30 cities for work. I come from a background where education matters. In my early years I quickly banished the childhood idea of becoming an air-hostess; as much as I love flying, but I thought I would pursue law like my father. I fell into technology by accident because one of my brothers had started working for a leading hardware company and was raving about it. I was bidding time before starting university and the insurance company I worked for introduced computers for client records management. Fortunately, I was moved to that role and was so excited by it all I decided to do something related to computers.
We approach all our initiatives, products, and services with the questions: "Why does it matter?", "Who does it help?" and "How can we improve?" I think it is simple. We care about who we sell to and what we sell, whether it is ideas, or a product and we want it to always be the best. For us, quality matters even more.
“We care about who we sell to and what we sell, whether it is ideas, or a product and we want it to always be the best. For us, quality matters even more.”
Tell us a little about your team:
Currently our diverse core team comprises of 5 people straddling the UK and Ghana, as we have temporarily closed our office in Lagos. We work with an extended team of contractors and service managers internationally, depending on the project or service development. Our ethos is to maintain a lean, expert team working in a networked framework.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I would say my impact reaches beyond borders, having worked on projects with the Brookings Institute (USA) and the UN Special Envoy for Education, Former Prime Minister of the UK on The Global Education Platform (GEP). One of the most significant contributions I have made is from 2013 when I negotiated with the Directorate for Education, Culture, Science & Technology - ECOWAS team to adopt the Africa Learning Network, a learning environment to provide common skills and enable individuals learning via the platform to gain common certificates that would enable them to travel and work within the 15 countries in the region. This was intended to address some of the issues associated migration in one of the most active migration paths of the world. The concept was presentation at ECOWAS Parliament Lomé Forum, December 2016.
I set up my first company Solution-e Consultancy Limited in 1988 to provide e-Commerce and e-Business consultancy to some of the largest telecommunications and new media companies in the UK. The Learning Nuggets Company set up one of the first digital learning centres in Lekki, Lagos in 2012 followed by another in Abuja, Nigeria.
Our purpose is to empower learners through innovative educational initiatives and we were early-stage innovators pioneering the development of initiatives like Campus Companion® tablet PCs and Learner Workspace™ virtual learning management environments for educational institutions in 2013.
I am dedicated to supporting the next generation of digital visionaries, as such, I was an early-stage mentor for The Tony Elumelu Foundation's $100 million Entrepreneurship Programme. My company advocates for women in technology and international development. We developed the African Women in Leadership, Leading in the Digital Age series of workshops in 2013 and next year we will be bringing together individuals who want to explore what this means now and for the future.
I have actively contributed to international boards, including The Almas Jiwani Foundation, Canada, The Healthcare Federation of Ghana and the Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Lukes, Redcliffe Gardens (HTB Group of churches), Church Of England.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
We are working on growing the company and aligning it with the emerging technologies we are skilling people in. We are looking for investment opportunities to grow across Africa, UK and internationally.
My vision is a world where digital technology, in particular the emerging technologies of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning play pivotal roles in creating prosperous and transformative societies across communities globally. My passion for lifelong learning and development has led to us creating Skills-ID digital skills learning resources and The Learning Nuggets Academy programmes. I am keen to see these evolve in the next 18 months.
“My vision is a world where digital technology, in particular the emerging technologies of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning play pivotal roles in creating prosperous and transformative societies across communities globally.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Seeing satisfied clients and employees and making a difference with what we do.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Follow your dreams but know it is not necessarily going to be as easy as you sometimes read about - unicorns and "whizz kids" are few and far between.
You must work twice as hard, not because you cannot or are lesser than, but because the system is still stacked against you. So, be strong in your faith, give it your best and persevere.
Also stay wise about who you disclose to and what you disclose. "Brain work is expensive!".
But most of all, if this is truly your passion or dream, enjoy it, love it and learn to have fun doing it with people who care, enjoy it, love it and want to have fun doing it.
Contact or follow The Learning Nuggets Company
Email: dianad@thelearningnuggets.com
Website: http://www.thelearningnuggets.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thelearningnuggetscompany/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/learningnuggets
Why LoA loves it…
At Lionesses of Africa, we believe in digital transformation to drive positive social and economic change across the African continent. Training and developing people to embrace the power of technology in their lives and in business is key. Diana Dwamena is playing her part with the contribution her own business is making to upskilling and training people at all levels. Her consulting expertise is also assisting organisations in developing their own organisational learning strategies, skills and competency assessments, all of which contributes to building strong, digital workforces of the future. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa