Connect with us

Business

Africa’s Business Heroes Builds Out Vibrant Ecosystem of Partners and Judges

Entrepreneurs and small business owners will have until June 6 to apply for this year’s edition

Published

2 years ago

on

Business-Heroes

Entrepreneurs and small business owners will have until June 6 to apply for this year’s edition

KIGALI, Rwanda, May 25, 2022/ — The Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) prize competition (https://AfricaBusinessHeroes.org) has expanded its ecosystem of partners and judges for its 4th edition. With a more robust partner and judge network in place, the ABH program will be able to better fulfil its mission of spotlighting and supporting entrepreneurs from all industries across the continent.  

Entrepreneurs and small business owners will have until June 6 to apply for this year’s edition. ABH is one of the Jack Ma Foundation’s flagship philanthropic programs. The official slogan for 2022, “It’s African Time”, is a bold call to action to all talented African entrepreneurs who are challenging stereotypes associated with “African time” – creating local impact and building a better, more inclusive future through their businesses.

ABH continues to deepen its partnership with anchor partners – The Room (www.TheRoom.com) (an initiative of the African Leadership International), SA Innovation Summit (SAIS) (https://InnovationSummit.co.za), RiseUp (www.RiseUpsummit.com), VC4A (https://VC4A.com/) and Ashesi (www.Ashesi.edu.gh). Alongside its anchor partners, ABH will provide applicants with a range of training and talent development programs.

Africa's Business Heroes - Application Deadline 6th June - Hurry Up

ABH has also increased its pool of channel partners to influential stakeholders in Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. These partners will bolster the program’s efforts in finding Heroes across Africa as well as providing participants with additional resources and support. The channel partner pool now includes African Management Institute (AMI) (https://AfricaBusinessHeroes.org), African Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (www.AWIEForum.org), AfriLabs (https://Afrilabs.com/), Briter Bridges (https://BriterBridges.com), Disrupt Africa (https://Disrupt-Africa.com), ImpactHub Dakar (https://Dakar.ImpactHub.net), MEST Africa (https://Meltwater.org), Moroccan Center for Innovation and Social Enterprise (MCISE) (https://www.MCISE.org/) and Seedstars International (https://www.Seedstars.com).

  • “AfriLabs is committed to supporting programmes and interventions targeted at enabling entrepreneurs, creating a conducive environment for ventures to thrive while stimulating economic growth and social development in Africa. Through this partnership with ABH, we will leverage our Pan African community to scout business heroes from across the continent to stand a chance to be one of the finalists.” – Anna Ekeledo, Executive Director of AfriLabs
  • “Disrupt Africa is happy to partner with Africa’s Business Heroes and play a part in helping early-stage tech startups on the continent access vital funding and support. We will utilise our network and reach to ensure this valuable opportunity gets in front of as many founders as possible.” – Tom Jackson, co-founder of Disrupt Africa.
  • “In partnering with Africa’s Business Heroes, the Moroccan Center for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (MCISE) aspires to convey one of the best international and African opportunities to its community and beyond. This endeavor draws on the MCISE’s previous efforts since 2012 to foster social entrepreneurship in Morocco and provide an opportunity for Moroccan entrepreneurs to broaden their projects to a continental scale.” – Nafaa Hanane, Communication and Marketing Manager of MCISE.
  • “At Seedstars, our mission has always been to create a positive impact in emerging markets, so this partnership with ABH is something our team is excited about. The African startup ecosystem is beaming with opportunities and we’re thrilled to be one of the organizations helping further enable its growth.” – Lina Ng’inja, Head of Partnerships in Africa for Seedstars.
  • “The African Management Institute (AMI) is one of the leaders in business learning across Africa. We believe that skilled people build thriving businesses, thriving businesses create quality jobs, and quality jobs drive prosperity and dignity. That is why are very excited about our new partnership with Africa’s Business Heroes, an initiative of the Jack Ma Foundation. Behind each thriving business is a hero and team of people growing Africa’s economy and prosperity, one success at a time,” said – Patricia Maina, Partnerships & Gender Lead at AMI. “AMI and ABH’s missions are uniquely aligned, and together, we are committed to enabling ambitious African entrepreneurs across the continent to thrive, turning Africa’s business heroes into Africa’s business superheroes.”

Ventureburn, Ventures Africa and AfterSchool Africa will also support ABH’s efforts in amplifying the ongoing call for applications. In addition, ABH is expanding its community of Judges who will help narrow down applications received to the Top 50, Top 20 and Top 10.

ABH Judges currently include senior professionals from companies such as Facebook, Mastercard, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, VC firms as well as established entrepreneurs such as Dr. Anino Emuwa of Avandis Counslting and Rafeh Saleh of Cubit Ventures. Seasoned entrepreneurs, VCs, academics and business professionals from all sectors are invited to join the ABH community of judges here (https://AfricaBusinessHeroes.org).

Current judges reflected on their experience with ABH and are encouraging others to join ABH as fellow judges.

  • “Being an ABH judge was an exciting, inspiring, and humbling experience for me. I learned a lot and it was a great opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise with the applicants and my fellow judges. Most of all, it was an honour to watch and support such committed change-makers across the continent, they are all true heroes,” says Adaora Ikenze, Head of Public Policy, West Africa at Facebook.
  • “Exceptional young entrepreneurs and fresh ideas! Judging and mentoring through ABH is a great way to give back, while also learning about new trends and business models emerging throughout the continent,” says Matthew Grollnek, Consultant – Venture Fund Lead, Mastercard Foundation.

ABH is currently calling for all entrepreneurs, start-ups and business owners across the continent and every sector, age group, and gender to submit their application – in either French or English – for a chance to become one of the Top 10 finalists. Applicants for this year’s ABH competition (https://AfricaBusinessHeroes.org) have less than three weeks to throw their hats in the ring for their chance to win a share of the US$1.5 million grant. To date, the competition has already attracted applications from all 54 African countries for the third consecutive year.

In addition to a cash grant, applicants will also gain access to mentoring, networking, and publicity opportunities for their ventures. All applicants also have access to training and scaling opportunities across a vast range of business disciplines in the form of webinars, presentations, and events.  They can also take advantage of the competition’s ABH Community Lead program, which gives them access to Heroes from the competition across the years.

To apply to the 2022 Africa’s Business Heroes competition, enter your application on ABH’s official site (https://bit.ly/3Ngq1rT). You can also follow Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/36KuX7A), Twitter (https://bit.ly/3wBUV7S), Facebook (https://bit.ly/37NRKQb) and Instagram (https://bit.ly/358i5Ye).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH).

 

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Business

Azentio expands its leadership team with 2 new appointments

Published

1 hour ago

on

July 4, 2024

By

Women in leadership takes centre stage as Azentio welcomes Aarthi Ramesh and Emma Foley

SINGAPORE, Singapore, July 4, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Azentio Software (“Azentio“) (https://apo-opa.co/3XVs4JH)- a leading end-to-end software company specializing in the BFSI sector, today announced the appointment of Aarthi Ramesh as Chief Customer Officer and Emma Foley as Chief Marketing Officer.

Ramesh joins Azentio with over two decades of experience in the IT industry, both within the services and SaaS space. Most recently she served as Vice President at Freshworks, managing a large portfolio of strategic accounts across Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. During this time, she contributed significantly to the company’s growth, including as Head of GTM Operations, where she played a pivotal role in scaling the operations function and aligning it with the company’s IPO objectives. Prior to Freshworks, Aarthi had a long successful stint with Cognizant as global COO for a large business unit.

At Azentio, Ramesh will primarily be focused on delivering excellence in customer success. In her role, Aarthi will ensure customer satisfaction and retention by overseeing all customer-facing activities. This includes managing customer success teams, support services, and customer experience strategies to ensure seamless onboarding, adoption and ongoing engagement with Azentio products suite.

Aarthi and Emma are both driven and effective leaders who bring a wealth of experience, vision and innovation that will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Azentio

Commenting on the announcement, Aarthi said, “I am delighted to join Azentio and lead our efforts towards achieving complete customer centricity. With my extensive background in both product and services and my dedication to driving customer success, I am confident I can significantly benefit both our business and our customers.”

Foley brings with her over 20 years of B2B marketing experience primarily focused on the tech space in the MEA, APAC and European markets. Most recently serving as the Head of Marketing for Europe, Middle East & Africa at Temenos, Foley is immersed in building high performing teams to drive transformative marketing models. Her expertise in leveraging data analytics to enhance marketing efficiency and effectiveness is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping Azentio’s marketing strategies into the future.

Her primary focus will be in ensuring Azentio’s value propositions are clear, compelling, and simple for customers as well as supporting the business in its strategic growth plans throughout the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia, with a significant focus on digital marketing technology as well as data-driven marketing initiatives.

Speaking about her appointment Foley commented, “I am thrilled to join Azentio, a company I have known and regarded highly for its cutting-edge solutions and customer-first approach. I look forward to leveraging my experience to contribute towards the company’s growth, driving marketing strategies that resonate with our customers and set new standards in the industry.”

Sanjay Singh, CEO at Azentio added, “Aarthi and Emma are both driven and effective leaders who bring a wealth of experience, vision and innovation that will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Azentio. As our company continues to grow, I am confident that both of these leaders will help us to achieve Azentio’s vision and growth ambitions while championing innovation and a customer first mindset.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Azentio Software Private Limited.

Continue Reading

Business

Siemens and PANA Infrastructure Join Forces in Groundbreaking Initiative to Modernize Nigeria’s Power Sector

Published

5 hours ago

on

July 4, 2024

By

Siemens

By integrating innovative technologies and forming strategic partnerships, PANA Infrastructure provides sustainable solutions that support Nigeria’s growth across a range of industry sectors

ABUJA, Nigeria, July 3, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Siemens (www.Siemens.com​) and PANA Infrastructure announce a strategic collaboration to tackle Nigeria’s Electrical Infrastructure sector; The initiative aims to enhance power stability and create job opportunities in Nigeria; Combining expertise, they aim to enhance Nigeria’s power sector.

Siemens, a leading global technology company, and PANA Infrastructure, a Nigerian conglomerate with an increasing footprint across Sub-Saharan Africa, have formally announced a strategic partnership aimed at modernizing and upgrading Nigeria’s electric power infrastructure through the provision of grid automation, and smart infrastructure solutions across Nigeria. This collaboration, solidified through a formal agreement signifies a pivotal step towards addressing Nigeria’s pressing electricity challenges while fostering economic growth and technological advancement in the region.

“This collaboration underscores our commitment to fostering sustainable development and advancing technology in Nigeria,” stated Sabine Dall’Omo, CEO of Siemens Sub-Saharan Africa. “By combining Siemens’ expertise in smart grid technologies with PANA Infrastructure’s deep market insights, we aim to ensure a reliable power supply and drive economic progress in the region.”

We are committed to addressing Nigeria’s critical power infrastructure with the use of advanced low voltage, medium voltage, and smart grid management technologies

According to Mr. Daere Akobo, Chairman of PANA Holdings, “this strategic collaboration with Siemens is a pivotal opportunity to transform Nigeria’s power sector. We are committed to addressing Nigeria’s critical power infrastructure with the use of advanced low voltage, medium voltage, and smart grid management technologies. This collaboration is in alignment with the transformation agenda in the power sector by the Nigerian government to significantly improve power supply in the country, in a manner that translates to economic progress for all Nigerians.”

The agreement signed between Siemens and PANA Infrastructure, focuses on enhancing grid reliability and stability, deepening electrification rates to meet the rapidly growing demand for electricity in Nigeria.

Simultaneously, recognizing Nigeria’s potential for substantial investments in industrial modernization, the partnership will concentrate on unlocking Nigeria’s potential in the industrial power sector. This initiative aims to revolutionize Nigeria’s industrial landscape by harnessing the power of advanced technologies and solutions to enhance productivity, efficiency, and quality. Through local capacity development, enhancing employees’ skills and capabilities, Siemens and PANA Infrastructure will pave the way for a new era of industrial excellence in Nigeria.

“Siemens reaffirms its commitment to Nigeria, with a focus on identifying and developing strategic business opportunities within the region. By leveraging a go-to-market strategy that includes knowledge platforms, collaborative business strategies, integrated sales and marketing teams, and global support, Siemens strives to bring significant business value to the Nigerian market,” says Sabine Dall’Omo.

Meanwhile, PANA Infrastructure has positioned itself as a key player in understanding and envisioning the needs of industry stakeholders and local communities. By integrating innovative technologies and forming strategic partnerships, PANA Infrastructure provides sustainable solutions that support Nigeria’s growth across a range of industry sectors.

This strategic collaboration between Siemens and PANA Infrastructure represents the convergence of proven expertise and application know-how, ensuring the highest quality of solution implementation for Nigeria’s industrial power sector. By addressing key challenges in Nigeria’s power and industrial sectors, including electricity losses, rural electrification, capacity building, local production, technology transfer, and quality standards, this partnership aims to drive sustainable growth and development in Nigeria.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Siemens AG.

Continue Reading

Business

Afreximbank announces Board changes and increase in authorized capital

Published

5 hours ago

on

July 4, 2024

By

Afreximbank

Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya was elected to replace Mr. Aliyu Ahmed

CAIRO, Egypt, July 3, 2024/APO Group/ — 

African Export-Import Bank (“Afreximbank” or the “Bank”) (www.Afreximbank.com) is pleased to announce the following Board changes which took place at the Bank’s 31st Annual General Meeting held recently in Nassau, The Bahamas,

Board Changes

Class “A”

Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya was elected to replace Mr. Aliyu Ahmed. Mrs. Jafiya is the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Mr. Amadou Hott was elected to fill the position of the African Development Bank nominated board seat. Mr. Hott is currently the Special Envoy of the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group on the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Hott was Senegal’s Minister for Economy, Planning and Cooperation.

Class “B”

We look forward to their support and insight as we strive to build a prosperous Global Africa

Mr. Noël Mekulu Mvondo Akame was elected to replace Mr. Jean-Marie Mani. Mr. Mekulu Mvondo Akame is currently the Director General of the National Social Insurance Fund (CNPS) of Cameroon.

Class “C”

Ms. Yu Wen was elected to replace Ms Lili Yang. Ms. Yu Wen currently serves as the General Manager of the International Department at the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM).

Increase in Authorised Share Capital

The shareholders of the Bank also approved an increase in the authorised share capital from US$5 billion to US$25 billion. The increase recognizes the rapid growth of the Bank in response to the challenges facing the African continent. It also creates capacity for the Bank to support the growth and development envisaged for the African continent in line with its mandate to promote the continent’s trade and affirm its relevance on the global stage.

Commenting on these significant developments, Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank remarked:

“Afreximbank is most grateful to departing Board Members for their services to the Bank and Africa. They were for many years, part of a formidable team, that made significant contribution to the Bank’s vision for Africa, created alliances, and assisted Africa in navigating major headwinds. We welcome our new board members. We look forward to their support and insight as we strive to build a prosperous Global Africa. Together, we will restore dignity and pride to Africans around the world.”

 He added: “the overwhelming endorsement by Shareholders of the historic increase of the Bank from US$5 billion to US$25 billion reflected their firm belief and trust in the Board and Management of the Bank and in the Bank’s mission. This move gives us the necessary headroom to mobilise the capital we need to create a bank that serves all Africans.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

Continue Reading

Trending