Startup Story
Neidy Carvalho is the founder and general manager of Imbe-Consultoria, Serviços e Soluções, Lda, also known as Imbe CSS. Her business, which was founded in 2019, is located in Mozambique. In the beginning, it was focused only on environmental consultancy, but then expanded to water treatment, HSQ and Energy sector (renewable and non-renewable energy). Imbe CSS helps other companies to become more green and environmentally aware in their day-to-day practices. It also provides environment permits, audits, monitoring and evaluations, environmental studies, assistance, and more as they need. The business has grown as it became more serious in its focus. Neidy considers herself persistent and studious, traits developed over the past few years. She now has almost 7 years of experience in the environmental area, and is surrounded with a young and vibrant team of 3 people. In the future, Neidy aspires to grow the business further, and help companies and others to be more sustainable as the planet requires of us.
LoA spoke to the inspirational and passion-driven Neidy Carvalho to learn more about her business and her mission to help businesses and organizations to become for environmentally responsible.
What does your company do?
In my company we provide consultancy, and also services in the sectors of environment, water (WASH), HSQ (Health, Safety and Quality) and more recently energy. In the past years our core business was only focused on environment, but with time we decided to expand to engineering. We do environmental technical studies, audits, environmental permits, action plans, monitoring an evaluation plans, water treatment plans, projects and more. Our set of services aims to help companies to become more environmentally sustainable and environmentally responsible. We help with our consultations, solutions, and corrective interventions whenever necessary.
“Our set of services aims to help companies to become more environmentally sustainable and environmentally responsible.”
What inspired you to start your company?
What inspired me to start my business were the ups and downs of life, the need to put my knowledge into practice, and have more freedom to do so. Throughout my career I noticed that small companies and individual entrepreneurs had limited access to environmental services due to many reasons and some even received warnings from the competent authorities. Several times my intervention was to solve matters already in advanced stages of problems, hence I saw the need to make a difference in the industry in which I operate, being able to reach the companies in that situation.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
What makes my business services special is our intention to provide the best and most viable solutions to our clients; our performance in carrying out our work and doing what has to be done and our team, which is made up of young, qualified, up-to-date people with a lot of energy.
“What makes my business services special is our intention to provide the best and most viable solutions to our clients.”
Tell us a little about your team
My team is made up of 3 professionals - including myself, we are four in total, two men and two women. We all have our degrees in the environmental area. Although we are a young team, we already have more than 7 years of experience in the field. I consider them more experienced than I am, which makes me feel safe and confident of having them by my side. The company has 3 years in existence, the knowledge and experience is counted by the years of the collaborators' career and by their skills. Although we are scientists, each of us also plays an administrative role. The company also has a qualified range of technical partners.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I started my journey as an environmental independent consultant in 2016 as soon I ended my degree in environmental engineering. I started with small collaborations in projects, that then led to more opportunities. After having participated in an intensive bootcamp on entrepreneurship in 2018, I left with ideas bubbling up. I already had plans to open a consultancy company, but only in 10 years’ time. I learned a lot of tools in that bootcamp and it was what I needed to start from the basics, with what I had at the time. There were already some initiatives to support startups at that time, I joined some of them also. In December 2019, I decided to formalize my business, and then I walked alone until 2021. Since then, I am always learning more about entrepreneurship and also about new subjects. After all, a consultant and entrepreneur must always be up-to-date.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
I want to expand my business, create new services, cover the whole country, and also internationalize our brand and services. I want to get the certifications that the company needs, and conquer with all this a good place in the market, reach more people, and continue to grow. We want to continue to help companies and others to be more sustainable as the planet requires of us.
“We want to continue to help companies and others to be more sustainable as the planet requires of us.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
The freedom to put new ideas into action; the fact of adding value to my colleagues' lives and contributing to their careers; the fact of helping our clients to reach their goals and improve their performance, after all, their pain relief is our satisfaction; always being able to meet new people; and the events and conferences that my company attends. Also the fact that I am an entrepreneur which allows me to participate and also that I am fulfilling a dream and building an empire.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Take risks, follow your dreams. Protect your business ideas and projects, although you are the only ones who can put them into practice in the best way, it is exhausting to have the idea stolen. Don't get carried away by other people's demoralization. Take your time, start with what you have, and go after your dreams. Celebrate your milestones.
Contact or follow Imbe-Consultoria, Serviços e Soluções, Lda
BUSINESS LINKEDIN | PERSONAL LINKEDIN | EMAIL neidyc@imbecss.com
Why LoA loves it…
At Lionesses of Africa, we love to hear the stories of women entrepreneurs who are passionate about the environment and who want to play an active role in safeguarding our planet for the future. Neidy Carvalho is one such entrepreneur, and her business and expertise is helping others to make the right decisions and put in place strategies and interventions that will drive sustainability. Neidy is a great example of how passion and entrepreneurship can make positive change happen in the world. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa