Entrepreneur
Female
&
African
This past week She Leads Africa allowed Washington D.C. to see we are REAL! In true NkemLife style, we had the pleasure of popping in to the Impact Hub DC to soak up all the #AfricanGirlMagic in the Chocolate City She Leads Africa had to offer. And honey did we leave the conference glistening and glowing from inside out, like most of the other attendees.
Fellow, girl bosses from all over the world who believe females are the future of Africa filled the room. Co-Founder Afua Osei and the #SheHIVE team welcomed us all with opened arms, passion and enthusiasm.
My sister and I were proud to capture “the power of young African women who are working to build amazing careers and businesses, while serving as community leaders and influencers.”
With ease, guest mingled and connected in various workshops as we learned the tools of international and national businesses affairs. All of us were reminded with each activity to think locally and globally like #MotherlandMoguls.
The speakers identified with the fresh dreams and aspirations of the women in the audiences. Each spoke from their hearts about the things they had been through and how personal obstacles, like only having $20’s in their bank account for seven years until they made it. Can you imagine ?
Along with sharing personal life struggles, they answered curated questions from the #SheHIVE team about proper business etiquette which shed light on the mindset of the new age African woman in today’s market place.
Among all the phenomenal speakers, Ivorian-American international development professional based in Washington DC, Stephanie Kimou, left us speechless and beyond inspired. Stephanie is the proud founder and Executive Director of Population Works Africa, a consulting firm working on the reproductive health of young women across sub-Saharan Africa. She captured all of our attention and spoke as if she was talking to girlfriends at dinner over cocktails but yet with a very cut throat business savvy conference approach. She threw-out the washed up socially-constructed image of the old mama village business woman, even though we all mostly grew up respecting that reguritated image of what an African business woman looks like. Instead, she traded in that image for an 21st century African woman that can make a mean pot of jollof rice, be a wife, raise a family, who makes time for friends, health, hobbies, who’s also an international business woman in six inch heels.
In the end, my sister and I left the #SheHIVEDC conference feeling magical, inspired and capable of using some of the tool shared in our own businesses. We left knowing that the possibilities are endless; undoubtedly reassured that, yes SHE does lead Africa!
Check out our recap video for more #SheHIVEDC and #AfricanGirlMagic as we “eventually take over the world!”