Alix Willemez, an entrepreneur in Cote d'Ivoire providing consumers with useful local online information

February 5, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Alix Willemez, founder, Mamafrica (Cote d’Ivoire)

Startup Story

Alix Willemez is the founder of Mamafrica in Cote d’Ivoire, a business that aims to make life easier in Côte d'Ivoire and to reduce dependence on word-of-mouth by offering consumers innovative and practical online services while supporting the development of local businesses. Today, the whole Mamafrica team works every day, through its different specialized websites, to bring quality information on health, leisure, to promote the employment of quality domestic staff, to highlight reliable real estate agencies and local craftsmen, and to support local NGOs.

Fatim Marina Keita, an entrepreneur and accessory designer from Cote d’Ivoire combining modern and traditional design

September 19, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Aya Keita, founder and CEO, Aya K Design (Cote d’Ivoire)

Startup Story

Aya Keita is the founder and CEO of Aya K Design in Cote d’Ivoire. An entrepreneur and seasoned designer, her activity is focused on the creation of high quality traditional-modern accessory for the international and pan-African market. She founded the company almost 4 years ago and now employs 10 people.

Nabou Fall, an inspirational communications leader with a passion for coaching

September 19, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Vizeo, an advertising agency in Cote d’Ivoire helping companies get strategic about communications in Africa.

Nabou Fall is the CEO of Vizeo an advertising agency in Cote d’Ivoire which helps companies implement strategic publicity and public relations in Africa. She started her career as an executive board member for 15 years, as Sales and Marketing Director, Deputy Managing Director and Managing Director in Telecom companies such as MTN (Ivory Coast and Congo Republic), 2XTCOM Vodacom in DRC. She is a public speaker, personal development coach, and a coach of youth and women entrepreneurship, leadership and happiness. Nabou is a TEDx speaker, author and mentor in various empowerment NGOs, the President of Wimnet (NGO involved in women and youth empowerment ), and was recently appointed to be the president of the Women Investment Club in Ivory Coast. She is also the cofounder of Impact Hub Abidjan.

Lynda Aphing-Kouassi, a catalyst for human capital optimization in business

March 28, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Lynda Aphing-Kouassi, founder of Kaizene (Cote d’Ivoire/UK)

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Kaizene, a Cote d’Ivoire and UK based human capital development business shaping tomorrow’s leaders.

Lynda Aphing-Kouassi is a passionate believer in the development of human capital to create the leaders that Africa and the rest of the world need, both today and tomorrow. Her business, the international Kaizene Firm based in Abidjan and London, defines itself as a catalyst, allowing public and private companies, micro-businesses and SMEs to optimize their human capital, improve their services and their quality approach. The services on offer from Kaizene include capacity building, coaching, organization of institutional conferences, and VSE/SME support and shared services.

Lioness Launch / Kaizene launches a new Shared Services Solution for women entrepreneurs and SMEs in Cote d’Ivoire

December 13, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Launch

Kaizene, based in Cote d’Ivoire and founded by entrepreneur Lynda Aphing-Kouassi, has built up a reputation for helping companies and organizations to optimize their human capital, improve their services and their quality approach. To achieve this goal, Kaizene has been offering various training and coaching modules and courses for several years. This month sees the launch of a new Shared Services Solution specifically for women entrepreneurs and SMEs.

Dana Mroueh, an artisan chocolatier celebrating Côte d’Ivoire’s renowned cocoa beans

August 15, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Dana Mroueh, founder of MonChoco (Côte d’Ivoire)

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Meet MonChoco, a proudly Ivorian chocolate brand, reflecting the country’s exceptional terroir.

Côte d’Ivoire is renowned for the quality of its cocoa beans, but up until now, the world has not had the opportunity to widely celebrate those beans in the finest of chocolate forms. But that is rapidly changing as artisan chocolatier Dana Mroueh and her company, MonChoco, are producing a very special raw chocolate brand and range of products that is exciting taste buds in the country.

Prudence Seya, an entrepreneur bringing the power of e-learning to Cote d’Ivoire

February 16, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Prudence Seya, founder of Web Training Academy (Cote d’Ivoire)

Startup Story

For any business looking to get the best from its people in a rapidly changing digital business environment, help is often needed to develop new skills and expertise. In Cote d’Ivoire, entrepreneur Prudence Seya, founder of Web Training Academy, is making e-learning more accessible.

Linda Dempah, an entrepreneur building a natural beauty brand in Cote d’Ivoire that is empowering women across the globe

October 6, 2019 Melanie Hawken

Linda Dempah, founder of Adeba Nature (Cote d’Ivoire)

Startup Story

Empowering women to feel chic and beautiful is the mission of Ivorian natural beauty brand, Adeba Nature. Formulated using fewer than five ingredients, this product range created by beauty entrepreneur, Linda Dempah, is creating a brand that is rooted in the existing traditions preserved in Ivorian villages.

LIONESS LAUNCH / Ivorian chocolatier Mon Choco launches its exciting new Mendiant flavour

September 28, 2019 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Launch

Calling all chocolate lovers! In Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, artisan chocolate company, Mon Choco, founded by the inspirational entrepreneur and talented chocolatier, Dana Mroueh, is launching an exciting new flavour in its delicious raw chocolate bar range this month. Mendiant is a new product which incorporates nuts and candied fruits into its world-class raw chocolate bars.

Lynda Aphing Kouassi, a powerhouse entrepreneur in Cote d’Ivoire, helping businesses to build capacity through training and coaching

August 24, 2019 Melanie Hawken

Lynda Aphing Kouassi, founder of KAIZENE (Cote d’Ivoire)

Startup Story

Businesses that want to grow the leaders of today and tomorrow need support when it comes to maximizing their people potential. In Cote d’Ivoire, one company is providing the solution. KAIZENE, founded by the inspirational entrepreneur, Lynda Aphing Kouassi, is taking her passion for human capital development and turning into an innovative, successful business that makes a difference.

Abidjan’s women entrepreneurs ‘Lean In’ to share, inspire and connect to build their businesses and networks

August 7, 2019 Melanie Hawken

Abidjan’s entrepreneurial landscape is going through some exciting changes right now and that means good news for women entrepreneurs in the city. At the latest Lioness Lean In event held on 26 July, in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, over 100 women entrepreneurs got the opportunity to meet, network and share their businesses experiences in order to grow.

Marie-Paule Tano, an entrepreneur with a passion for Cote d’Ivoire creating a luxury jewellery and accessory brand inspired by African art and culture

June 15, 2019 Melanie Hawken

In the global jewellery and accessory design space, finding your niche and your design style is all important. For Marie-Paule Tano, founder of rising star brand ROKUS LONDON, her inspiration came from her African heritage and her interest in the ancient cultures of the continent.

Celebrating women entrepreneur job creators at the 3rd Lioness Lean in event in Cote d’Ivoire

April 7, 2019 Melanie Hawken

Lionesses of Africa’s key focus for 2019 on celebrating and acknowledging the power of Africa’s women entrepreneurs to create much needed jobs, continued and was the key topic for discussion at the 3rd Lioness Lean In Event in Cote d’Ivoire on 29 March. Women entrepreneurs who were looking to take their businesses to the next level and be the next job creators in the country, gathered in the city of Abidjan for a morning of sharing, inspiring and connecting for greater business success. The much-anticipated event was again hosted by Lionesses of Africa in partnership with Ambassade du Royaume des Pays-Bas.

Suzanne Mouelle, an entrepreneur in Cote d’Ivoire helping companies to find their market and brand niche

February 2, 2019 Melanie Hawken

Suzanne Mouelle, founder of Market’In Solutions (Cote d’Ivoire) — **Suzanne Mouelle**, founder of Market’In Solutions (Cote d’Ivoire)

So many businesses struggle to break through into the marketplace when they are launching new products and services. In Cote d’Ivoire, specialist help is at hand from entrepreneur Suzanne Mouelle, founder of Market’In Solutions, a division of Blessing Business Cote d’Ivoire.

Cote d’Ivoire’s women entrepreneurs share, inspire and connect at the second Lioness Lean In event in the country

December 5, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Screen Shot 2018-12-05 at 2.16.18 PM.jpg

Cote d’Ivoire’s women entrepreneurs who are looking to take their businesses to the next level gathered in the city of Abidjan on the morning of Thursday 29th November for the second Lioness Lean In event in the country. The much-anticipated event was again hosted by Lionesses of Africa in partnership with Ambassade du Royaume des Pays-Bas. It promised to be a morning of inspiration and great business networking, and it lived up to that promise.

Tatiana Massangu Ilunga, an entrepreneur from Cote d’Ivoire with a passion for bringing traditional African textiles into home decor

November 18, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Tatiana Massangu Ilunga, founder of Kiyana Design (Cote d’Ivoire) — **Tatiana Massangu Ilunga**, founder of Kiyana Design (Cote d’Ivoire)

Africa has a long tradition of producing the most beautiful textiles, and for entrepreneur Tatiana Massangu Ilunga, founder of Kiyana Design in Cote d’Ivoire, that design tradition was the inspiration for her business. Today, she is producing a range of home decor items that celebrate the best of African textile design.

Cindy Maleombho-Codo, an entrepreneur from Cote d’Ivoire helping women-owned businesses stand out from the crowd

November 11, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Cindy Maleombho-Codo, founder of Indoka Creative (Cote d’Ivoire) — **Cindy Maleombho-Codo**, founder of Indoka Creative (Cote d’Ivoire)

In today’s highly competitive and crowded marketplaces, it can be difficult to get your business and brand noticed in Africa. But help is at hand. Cindy Maleombho-Codo, founder of Indoka Creative, knows just what it takes to get your brand and products seen, and importantly, to connect them to those all important customers.

Abidjan inspires and connects women entrepreneurs at its first Lioness Lean In event

September 16, 2018 Melanie Hawken

On the morning of Thursday 13 September, 120 women entrepreneurs from across Abidjan gathered together to be inspired and to connect with their fellow women business and brand builders at the first Lioness Lean In breakfast event in the country. And it was a great occasion!

Louise Bijleveld, an entrepreneur in Cote d’Ivoire building a clean technology business converting waste to energy

August 26, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Louise Bijleveld, co-founder of LONO (Cote d’Ivoire)

Africa’s need to find innovative and sustainable solutions to waste management and energy generation is growing, and for Louise Bijleveld, co-founder of LONO, that challenge provided the inspiration for a game-changing business.

Dana Mroueh, an artisan chocolatier celebrating the quality of cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire through her wonderful raw chocolate brand

July 3, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Côte d’Ivoire is renowned for the quality of its cocoa beans, but up until now, the world has not had the opportunity to widely celebrate those beans in the finest of chocolate forms. But that is rapidly changing as Ivorian artisan chocolatier Dana Mroueh and her company, MonChoco, are producing a very special raw chocolate brand and range of products that is exciting taste buds in the country.

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