This time last week I was in Milwaukee and the weather was rainy and cold. Now, instead of being in New York City to make my presentation in front of RachelChris, I'm home waiting for Hurricane Sandy to do what hurricanes do. Heavy rain, strong winds, etc etc.
That reminds me. As I was on the plane last week, I read a USATODAY article about Marissa Meyer, the new CEO at Yahoo! in regards to third-quarter profit earnings. I was happy to read that the company increased its profits under her leadership thus far. It is still too early to decide whether her plan to "grow and redefine" the company will pan out in the long run. Thankfully, the story did not revolve around her summer pregnancy and recent birth of her son. Why is the media fascinated when a women in a high-profile position becomes pregnant? Yahoo! was well aware of her pregnant belly before they hired her. She's already started making serious hiring moves, so hopefully she will be successful at Yahoo!. Speaking of female leaders in the tech world, check out Sheryl Sandberg's fat paycheck. Winning! If you've haven't seen her TED Talk, do yourself a favor and watch it. Thank me later.
It is very tempting to watch a marathon of Project Runway when you're essentially trapped in your home. At least last night, I spent some time searching different topics related to marketing, social media and business school on Quora. This site is pure fun for me. I like to receive feedback and on Quora there is a plethora of advice from professionals, experts, enthusiasts. Everyone has something to say and the whole concept works well, in my opinion. Quora also links to your social media accounts. By all means, invite your friends and followers for a discussion.
I finally started a page for profiles of women entrepreneurs. I will be featuring interviews very soon. I am looking forward to the insight they have to offer. If you know of someone or are interested in sharing your experiences, don't be shy! Contact me.
Showing posts with label women entrepreneurs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women entrepreneurs. Show all posts
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Women of the Motherland
Admittedly, I could gush and reflect about the past seventy-two hours or so but that would be a no-brainer. There is plenty of material for me to write about my first set of business school visits. What I left with is an even stronger desire to eat, or rather, devour business news, trends, mover and shakers and women leaders. Where did that lead me? Google! I did a quick news search of women entrepreneurs and I was very pleased with what I found.
The first story line that appeared at the top of the results page was a New York Times article from October 10, "Women Entrepreneurs Drive Growth in Africa". Go figure. The article is great because it highlights important, exciting information about Africa. And guess what?? It's not about AIDS or a disease! Certainly, the African continent has its issues, but what part of the world doesn't.
One of the woman entrepreneurs that is prominently featured is Bethelem Tilhaun, founder of SoleRebels, a eco-friendly shoe company that reached $2 million in sales in 2011. All their products are handmade which is such a unique selling point and characteristic of the company's brand. Love it!
There was one statistic that blew my mind and is surely not making headlines in the Western world. The article states that based on a recent World Bank report, "more than 20 sub-Saharan African countries, totaling more than 400 million people, have gained middle-income status." The perception that Africans are living on a dollar a day is not the entire truth. There are emerging markets throughout Africa and women are going to be the driving force of entrepreneurship. I think this will have major implications as companies, particularly multinational and global brands, look to get a piece of the pie in Africa. First, they need to truly subscribe to the notion that Africa is growing and will continue to grow. It's as if the continent is a sleeping giant as the world continues to overlook the possibilities of technology, commerce and business.
As a Nigerian-American these type of stories warm my heart and inspire me. I hope I see and hear more stories like these in the very near future.
The first story line that appeared at the top of the results page was a New York Times article from October 10, "Women Entrepreneurs Drive Growth in Africa". Go figure. The article is great because it highlights important, exciting information about Africa. And guess what?? It's not about AIDS or a disease! Certainly, the African continent has its issues, but what part of the world doesn't.
One of the woman entrepreneurs that is prominently featured is Bethelem Tilhaun, founder of SoleRebels, a eco-friendly shoe company that reached $2 million in sales in 2011. All their products are handmade which is such a unique selling point and characteristic of the company's brand. Love it!
There was one statistic that blew my mind and is surely not making headlines in the Western world. The article states that based on a recent World Bank report, "more than 20 sub-Saharan African countries, totaling more than 400 million people, have gained middle-income status." The perception that Africans are living on a dollar a day is not the entire truth. There are emerging markets throughout Africa and women are going to be the driving force of entrepreneurship. I think this will have major implications as companies, particularly multinational and global brands, look to get a piece of the pie in Africa. First, they need to truly subscribe to the notion that Africa is growing and will continue to grow. It's as if the continent is a sleeping giant as the world continues to overlook the possibilities of technology, commerce and business.
As a Nigerian-American these type of stories warm my heart and inspire me. I hope I see and hear more stories like these in the very near future.
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