by Lionesses of Africa Operations Director
And so the 5th of our Global ‘Start-up Night Africa’ events came and went. Having been to London, Berlin and New York, here at last we had found a home in Den Haag, The Netherlands, to celebrate the opening of our new European Office and of course to showcase some of our incredible Lioness community members.
What-an-evening-it-was!
In front of over 150 Corporate Leaders, Investment Bankers, Fund Managers, other investors and many VIPs, including so many Ambassadors and accompanying Embassy representatives we lost count (we had to add yet more chairs at one point), all specifically invited by the Government of the Kingdom of The Netherlands and their DFI, the FMO, ten truly inspirational, high-growth Lionesses plus some fabulous young business owners as part of the Orange Corners initiative that supports young entrepreneurs (Lioness Cubs!) with growing their businesses through brilliant incubation and acceleration programmes, wowed the crowd with their passion; their belief; their true impact; their ‘Why’; their humour, and above all - such modesty at having founded, nurtured, built and driven quite incredible businesses. Most of whom bootstrapped having started with nothing, yet all within the Lionesses on stage, now have multi-million US$ businesses, employing many and impacting many more.
In addition to the ‘live’ guests (is that the right way to describe non-Zoom participants?) we had to have three separate streams on Zoom such was the interest, and in five countries (maybe more, these were the ones we heard about!) Lionesses had met up in various houses to watch and support together. Over 300 registered for the live Zoom stream, but who knows the actual number of those who actually tuned into watch, support, learn and be inspired!
And yes, a large welcome to those new to us - to experience a real, live Lioness event - it wasn’t long before the ‘chats’ were not only buzzing with excitement, love and support for our ‘live’ (there we go again) Lionesses, but support too for others on the ‘chat’ as discussions started about each other’s businesses and if one could supply another, and “Oh! I know a Lioness desperate for that, how can I put her in touch?”, type questions. This is the heart beat of Lioness meetings and we love it. Those new to a Lioness live Zoom event must have been bemused by the business being done, meetings being arranged, and great products being advertised all around such an event. It is all part of the ‘Stronger Together’ ethos of the Lioness Community.
Back at the live-end of the event (is that better?) it didn’t take long for the first ‘Whoop!’, as a Lioness delivered some fabulous growth figures, which burst into cheers and applause later as Jumoke Dada, founder of Taeillo, announced that she was going to become the IKEA of Africa (she is certainly on the right path given her exponential results) and it became a real Lioness event with laughter, cheers, many more ‘Whoops!’, and serious buzz and energy in the room as the guests saw more and more that through the fun and laughter, they were in the presence of serious, highly professionally run, sustainable impact businesses, founded, owned and run by women, happening right across Africa and right now. By the time we got to Yvette Dickson-Tetteh, founder of Pure & Just Foods (“Oh, I woke up one morning and thought, why not swim for hours and hours down the entire national river of Ghana” - not her exact words, but just imagine her family’s reaction - anyone who knows Yvette, knows this was going to happen - as it indeed did!), the guests were getting more accustomed to what a Lioness event was. Highly professional at every turn, incredible globally impactful businesses showcased, but with laughter, love, smiles and huge, huge support for one another.
And a Lioness event it was for us, when we saw our very own Nomalanga Sitole take to the stage as Host and MC for the evening. Well-known, loved, and respected by us all in our Lionesses of Africa community, she had the unenviable task of keeping these incredible speakers in line and within their allowed 4 minutes (see - Lionesses who have been on our smaller ‘Lean-Ins’? Even for these globally successful, award winning and multi-million dollar businesswomen, 4 minutes is also all they get!). Melanie followed and officially opened the event, and you could see the excitement as she announced the opening of Lionesses of Africa’s new European Office, in Den Haag, The Netherlands. There to continue and exponentially multiply our constant drive for access to markets and access to investment for our over 1.7 million membership. Pressure’s on, Melanie!
As usual for Melanie, she told it straight. The ten Lionesses who were going to showcase their businesses, products and services, and the many, many more thousands and thousands within our membership were:
“Ready to Collaborate.
Ready for Investment.
Ready to do Business.”
Our Guest of Honour and one who has done so much to make this evening happen and to ensure that we see the right people at the right time and in the right place (so essential), Liesje Schreinemacher, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, was equally driven to ensure that those ‘live’ at the event, and also those via Zoom, got the message too. Stating that our new Lionesses of Africa company in The Netherlands was “….a milestone that will help promote women entrepreneurship and connect women led businesses within and beyond Africa.”, she added “…empowering these women is vital to unlocking the continent’s full potential now and in the future.” No surprise, we absolutely agree with The Minister on this. It is absolutely necessary that the Global North realizes the impact it can make through even a small change in direction with regard to how they approach investment and trade with the Global South, especially and absolutely if it involves women-led businesses.
“Women entrepreneurs play a vital role in achieving development impact and building resilient economies and regions.”, this too is so true and we see it ourselves across our membership in all countries and our ever growing Diaspora (shout out! to our new Diaspora member who owns and runs a business in the NL and reached out on LinkedIn immediately after watching this event to ask if she could join - “Absolutely!” was our reply). Development impact and building resilience comes from jobs and from jobs comes community and who builds community best? As The Minister pointed out “Women entrepreneurs typically invest up to 90% of their income in education, health and nutrition for their family and community, compared with 40% for men.”
One of the globe’s top Carbon Credit Lionesses, Sarah Collins of Wonderbag, in fact founder of THE top Carbon Credit Project in the world. Ok, let’s just state that one more time. THE Top Carbon Credit Project in the World, Sarah Collins opened by saying, “Melanie always says ‘for goodness sake Sarah, don’t go off script!’”, and promptly did just that! With Sarah, and it is well known in the office, we disagree with ‘de Boss’ on this point (only!), believing the more Sarah goes off script the better for all our events, such wonderful stories, tales and happenings (anyone see that video of the Black Mamba Snake that slithered over her foot in her office?) that simply as with all our incredible Lionesses, completely confirmed the massive strength in the ‘Why’, not the ‘What’ of their businesses.
Sarah’s ‘Why’ supports and creates opportunities for over 200,000 entrepreneurs across Africa, and she is not alone in this as all of our Lionesses on the stage impact others, some many thousands of others. This ‘Why’, this desire to impact in a positive way the lives of others, is where the power and strength lies with all our Lionesses.
And this ‘Why’ is why our events are different. This ‘Why’ is why they are alive. ‘This Why’ is why they have a serious buzz and energy, and this ‘Why’ is why it is so important for people to truly understand what the Lionesses of Africa actually is. It is not an organisation; it is not a club; it is certainly not a ‘nice to have’; or (heaven above) a tick box, but it is a living, breathing, being, centred around the trust that Melanie builds as she turns her desire to impact in a positive way the lives of many others, into action.
This she has brought through the Lionesses of Africa to the lives of truly incredible businesswomen across Africa and in the Diaspora by time and time again delivering on her promises.
This is our ‘Why’ and in return we are blessed to have the support of such believers as Liesje Schreinemacher, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation; blessed to have such global leading Lionesses fly across the globe to both support our work and bring their ‘Why’ to a greater audience; blessed to have our Lionesses meet up in their own countries and be ‘Stronger Together;’ and of course blessed to have the crackle of business, support and cooperation between Lionesses on Zoom setting alight all our ‘chats’.
We are blessed to have this,
it is the heartbeat of our ‘Why’.
Stay safe.