Retrenchment during COVID was a reality for many professionals. Rita reveals how she explored new entrepreneurial opportunities after being let go of a job, with over 20 years of experience in employment. By drawing on her innate skills, life experiences, and determination to keep going, she was able to explore a range of business opportunities, driving forward her success. Listen to this episode and learn more about her drive, intercultural businesses, and how to identify growth opportunities.     Rita has over 20 years of experience in Strategy, Partnerships, Programme, Innovation and Business Management fueling growth, competitive advantage & transformative change in the Technology and Energy sectors. She is a Board Member at the Event Managers Association of Kenya and a Co-Founder of Go Gaga Experiential Company Limited a leading Conferencing Events Company in East Africa. She is also a co-founder of Zuri Foundation which aims to champion women change-makers through Zuri Awards, Trade Linkages, Training and Mentorship, Fund Raising and Women Launch-Pad. She is extremely passionate about technology, youth and women empowerment on all fronts – economically, intellectually and even socially.  

Bukola Smith, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FSDH Merchant Bank, holds an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, U. K, and a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Lagos. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), an Honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, and an Associate Member, Certified Institute of Pensions (Nigeria). She was Executive Director, Business Development at First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and held several other leadership positions since she joined FCMB in 2006. She was responsible for the banks over 200 branches across Nigeria and under her leadership, the bank’s SME-focused team moved from 5th position in the industry to 1st position in 2019 within three years. She established the FCMB Women in Business Desk (branded SheVentures) which supports female entrepreneurs and set up FCMB Trustees and FCMB Custody.  She currently sits on the boards of Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR), and the Toyin Oni Foundation (NGO for cancer awareness). She serves as a mentor to several young women within and outside these networks and also mentors teenagers in Public Schools. In this 🎙️ episode, you'll discover what influenced her decision to pursue a career in banking, as well as her experiences and lessons learned while transitioning to leadership and executive roles in the banking sector for nearly three decades. She also gives tips and advice to females who want to work in the banking industry.

In this podcast, I share some questions that will help you reflect in detail on your 2021. The reason I ask myself these very questions is to determine what direction I should follow in 2022. I want to grow and improve in every area of my life, as well as remain aligned to my overall 25-year plan. Here is a glimpse of the questions you can ask yourself: What did I do that I shouldn’t have? What did I spend a lot of time on? Where did I let things happen to me? How can I take a good experience and make it better? Listen to this week’s episode of the Accelerate Podcast and get some tips that will help you look back, and plan for a successful 2022 as well.

Nataliey Bitature is the Chief of Staff at The Simba Group, and the founder of Musana Carts, a social enterprise building solar-powered street food vending carts and HER an online mentorship platform with over 3000 young African women.   She has been recognised by Forbes 30 Under 30, The World Bank, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and World Economic Forum as a business leader and innovator.   Passionate about learning, Nataliey has multiple executive education certifications from the Harvard Kennedy School, a Master's in Social Entrepreneurship with a specialization in Project Management from Hult University in San Francisco and received her undergraduate degree and Honorary Doctorate in Business and Innovation from Keele University, UK.   Nataliey recently joined the Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Global Impact for Businesswomen, Entrepreneurs and professionals as a council member (WICCI). She has been appointed as a board of directors of both Uganda Property Holdings Ltd (UPHL) and the Makerere Innovation and Incubation Centre. She is also a board member for the Quiin Abenakyo Foundation, Start-Up Hub, Capital Solutions Social Innovation Fund, Save the Children Africa Advisory Board and their Women’s Network.   In this 🎙️ episode, you will learn: ✨ What informed Nataliey’s decision to get into social entrepreneurship and her experience running Masana Carts and HER.✨ How she balances between fulfilling her personal dreams and running her family business.✨ Her experience and challenges faced as a 2nd generation entrepreneur and working with her parents, and advice to parents who would like their children to join them in their businesses.✨ Her thoughts on female entrepreneurship & leadership in Uganda and East Africa.  

When passion meets opportunity, a side hustle becomes a business empire. In this episode of Accelerate Podcast, Yoadan Tilahun discusses the foundation on which she built a successful business, as well as the key attributes that led to her company's tremendous growth in Ethiopia and throughout Africa. Yoadan founded Flawless Events while working full time in the Washington, DC area. She re-located the company to Ethiopia in 2008 in recognition of the opportunities on the African continent.  Flawless Events organizes summits, corporate events and conferences throughout the African continent. The most rewarding part of her work is the satisfaction of seeing her clients’ vision for their event come to life. She is an enthusiastic advocate for professionalizing the MICE industry in East Africa.  In 2015, Flawless won the “Event Planner Africa” award at Meetings Magazine’s Women in MICE celebration. Yoadan serves as the president of the newly-established Ethiopian Events & Exhibition Organizers Association. The UNDP awarded her “Seasoned Entrepreneur of the Year 2018” award and MeetingsNet had Yoadan a 2017 Changemaker for her trailblazing role in Ethiopia’s events industry.  She has also been featured on Forbes Afrique and on How We Made It in Africa. She holds an MBA in International Business and is fluent in Amharic, English and French.  Along with her husband, they are raising their three growing boys!  

My initial exposure to 10X thinking was through Google. Google engineers are guided by seeking ways to improve something 10 times, rather than by 10%. They begin their thinking process with a blank sheet of paper and ask themselves questions that are out of this world. Naturally, we think about how to double and consider our existing systems and processes. This is the easiest way we think, as our brains are wired to think this way. However, this leads to working harder and putting more effort into what we do. Instead, we need to start thinking exponentially. 10X is about a total rewrite of your existing rules. The results that you can get will be higher, with less effort. In this podcast, you will discover why it is crucial to adopt 10x thinking, starting right now.

Nora Bannerman is an accomplished and internationally acclaimed fashion designer and entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience promoting indigenous businesses and successfully managing a number of companies.

Yemi Keri is the CEO of Heckerbella Limited, a Technology Business Transformation company, and a Partner at Holmen Consulting, an IT Business Consulting firm. With over 22 years of experience in the Information and Communications Technology sector at top management levels in both the public and private sectors, she was the Director and Regional Manager, West Africa for SAP Africa and the pioneer Managing Director/CEO of the Edo State Government ICT Agency. Yemi serves as a mentor to various digital and technology-enabled start-ups, a Director of the Lagos Angel Network and Co-founder of Rising Tide Africa, a women’s movement initiated to increase women’s participation in angel investing, education and cross border investments. In this 🎙️ episode, Yemi shares what prompted her to start Rising Tide Africa, who angel investors are and what it takes to become one. You will also learn what to look for in an investment and what female entrepreneurs must do when pitching their business ideas.

Catherine Engmann is the Partner and Head of Sirdar Ghana with over two decades of experience in corporate governance and company secretarial practice. She was the Managing Director and Founder of Platinum Corporate Solutions, an organization that focuses on supporting entities with the implementation of best practice corporate governance frameworks, cultural transformation, leadership development, organizational development and personal growth. Catherine has a degree in Biotechnology, is a graduate of the ICSA (UK) and has several certifications in the human potential arena, including cultural transformational tools, leadership development, coaching and self-esteem. She is also a certified John Maxwell Coach, an Executive Director of the John Maxwell Team, a certified Jack Canfield Success Trainer.   In this 🎙️ episode, you will learn: ✨ The challenges she faced setting up a business in Ghana after relocating from the UK. ✨The mistakes to avoid and advice to repatriates looking to grow their business in Africa. ✨Her experience as a top corporate governance expert and the value of establishing boards in growing companies, especially those led by female founders and CEOs ✨ The value of having a coach or mentor, building and sustaining relationships as you rise in your career. ✨ And so much more!

Peju is a seasoned C Level Executive who has led significant P&L’s ($500m in 2015) and is an experienced Non- Executive Director, Board Advisor and Chair. She has led in different ownership and governance structures including Publicly listed, Private Equity, Individual and Family-Owned businesses and has extensive international experience in Africa, Europe, the US and the UK.  She has worked across multiple sectors including Manufacturing and Distribution (Cement, Mattresses, Food), Energy (Renewables), Agriculture, Financial Services and Consulting. Peju won the 2015 CNBC Africa Business Woman of the Year award and the 2013 Harvard Business School Nigeria Leadership award. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, MBA from Harvard Business School and an AMP and AVIRA from INSEAD. She supported the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning in the development of the 2017 – 2019 National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan in Nigeria. In this 🎙️ episode, you will learn: ✨How Peju navigated her career path as MD and CEO in the private sector to become a high-performing Commissioner for the Ministry of Agriculture and successfully coming back in the corporate landscape. ✨The importance of networking beyond your comfort zone and advice to those aspiring to enter the public sector or become NEDs beyond their experience as MDs or CEOs in large corporate organisations. ✨The importance of writing down the future you want, being accountable and preparing yourself for it. ✨ And so much more!

Oke Maduewesi is the Founder and CEO of Zaron group of companies and a mother of two girls, Zara and Ona, from which she had coined the name of her beauty line ‘Zaron’. She holds a degree in Economics from Edo State University, Ekpoma and a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. In 2009, a pregnant Oke lost her husband in a tragic plane crash and was left with a two-year-old child to take care of as well. However challenging, she fought her way through a very dark moment to do more accomplishing things with her life. She quit her job as the Senior Manager at Zenith Bank Plc. to pursue her passion, creating a range of make-up that would suit women of colour. In 2011, she created Zaron, an enterprise that now manufactures and distributes cosmetics and hair products which has been tailored to the specific needs of African women. Zaron keeps empowering Nigerian widows as a way of giving back to society. In this 🎙️ episode, you will learn: ✨ How Oke Maduewesi built a contemporary innovative cosmetics brand that has grown in over 13 countries, whilst contributing to Africa’s fast-growing beauty industry and empowering women all over Nigeria. ✨ How she overcame the challenges of growing her beauty empire in Africa and setting up a skincare line in the middle of a pandemic. ✨ Her experience with international expansion and competing with other international brands in Africa and beyond. ✨ And so much more!

Olatowun Candide-Johnson is an entrepreneur and a lawyer with 30 years of experience in corporate and commercial law and business development and governance of multinational corporations. During her career, she worked in Law Practice, Shipping, Oil and Gas. Before taking early retirement from Total Group, she held the combined role of General Counsel, Executive General Manager, Management Services Division and Chief Compliance Officer for the Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria. In 2016, Olatowun obtained a Global Executive MBA awarded by LSE, NYU Stern and HEC (Paris), known as the TRIUM Global Executive MBA. She is passionate about creating networking opportunities for leading women in business. This led to her establishing GAIA Africa Club in 2018. She is also the Founding parent of Lagos Preparatory School, Ikoyi, one of Africa’s leading British curriculum preparatory schools in Lagos. She serves on several boards as Chairman and Board Member. She is also an Angel investor and a member of Rising Tide Africa – a network of female business angels investing in entrepreneurs across the African continent. She loves all forms of art; culture, food & wine, pilates, books, and interesting places. In this 🎙️ episode, you will learn: ✨  Olatowun’s experience and learnings working as a corporate lawyer in diverse sectors of the economy,  ✨ How she took voluntary early retirement from Total Group at a young age and plunging into the risk and aggravation of starting an entrepreneurial venture. ✨ You will also learn how she overcame challenges in the business world and the value of cultivating a productive network, both personally and professionally. ✨ And so much more!

Audrey Mwala, the Acting CEO of the Public-Private Partnerships Commission of Malawi, is a Certified Public Private Partnership Specialist (IP3) USA, a Certified Project Finance Specialist (IP3) USA, a Fellow Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA) UK, holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. She has extensive experience in Project Finance, Project Management, Project Risk Analysis, PPP contract negotiations, Privatization and PPP structuring through her 24-year career. She is also the Founder of Sycamore Credit Limited, a successful microfinance company and Sycamore Consult- a training and consulting company. She serves as a Non- Executive Director in a number of corporate boards in Tourism, Financial, Education, Agriculture and Social Sectors. She is extremely passionate about carrying out charitable work and she founded and runs The Safe Home, a charity set up to help street children. In this 🎙️ episode, Audrey talks about working with excellence and building trust and integrity as your personal brand, conducting your business professionally, retirement planning, and the key things you need to learn and understand in personal finance management so that you can double or triple your income.

NanaAma is the founder of N. Dowuona & Company. She is ranked as a leading lawyer in Legal 500, Chambers & Partners, and the International Financial Law Review. She has advised on numerous significant investments and divestments in Ghana and in other parts of Africa including the USD 200 million sale of Fan Milk International, the acquisition, development and divestment of the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel and Leapfrog Strategic African Investment’s USD 180 million investment in the Enterprise Insurance Group. NanaAma is a graduate of Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School Undergraduate Program, New York University’s Stern School of Business and Columbia University School of Law.  In this episode, NanaAma talks about living the life you want, the challenges of having kids while pursuing a degree in law and became a sought after lawyer, being a woman founder and finding her passion in coaching.

In this episode, Nneka shares her insights while connecting and working with high-performing women and the straightforward tool for accountability she used to track performance, progress, and goals. Also, you'll learn about her new book, "Finding Your True North: Your Guide Book for Revolutionized Thinking."

Enife Atobiloye is the Managing Partner of Human Leadership Resources, a leading Human Resources Solution Provider, and the Regional Head of the TRANSEARCH MEA, a top executive search, and leadership development organization.  She has over 25 years of international experience in executive search and Human Resources consulting. Enife has gained comprehensive proficiency and exposure in several executive roles, such as being Managing Consultant of Kimberly Ryan, a leading indigenous HR Consulting firm in Africa with offices in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya, where she progressively built a well-knit team and brand to international standards. Enife holds a Masters's degree in Organisational Performance (Cranfield University, UK). She is certified for occupational testing, levels A&B (British Psychological Society), and a certified Global Practitioner in Human Resources (GPHR). She is a consultant with the STANFORD seed program.With strong leadership skills and competencies in Human Resources and Organizational Development. Proven track record in building start-ups and leading existing teams to deliver business value HR solutions in the most appropriate, efficient, and effective ways. Strong understanding of connecting the people business with the business strategy as an essential line of sight. She is also a mentor to various youth, young HR professionals, HR Immersion Programs. Furthermore, she is also a Bible teacher on multiple platforms. In this episode,  Enife talks about the context that defines intelligence, relativity to context, and experiences regarding the test of integrity. Checking integrity of what you're saying and who you are, and discipline minimums. You might also be interested in having Enife as a coach, starting with the strategy and tips to excellence for those aspiring for a promotion or to be a CEO.

In this episode, Violet  talks about professional excellence, fame, recognition awards, resilience and adding value to your work, having God in your life, and the self-awareness that you can succeed even when experiencing failures. She also shares how she became the top executive of SHELL International and leveraged the experts' skill sets.

Tinuade Awe is the Chief Executive Officer of NGX Regulation, which is a subsidiary of The Nigerian Exchange Group Plc. She is: a Trustee of The Nigerian Exchange Limited’s Investors’ Protection Fund; member of the Board of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC); and a Non-Executive Director of the Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS). She has an LL.B Degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife as well as LL.M Degrees from Harvard Law School and The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She is admitted to both the Nigerian and New York Bars. She is an Associate Member of Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) and Institute of Capital Market Registrars (ICMR). She is a Life Member of Institute of Directors. She was a member of the Senate’s Technical Advisory Committee on the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) Amendment Bill 2020. Not only that, but she is the recipient of The African Legal Awards 2018, General Counsel of the Year; Law Digest Africa Awards, General Counsel of the Year 2018, and Esq. Nigeria Legal Awards, General Counsel of the Year 2017. She was recently selected as one of the World Federation of Exchange's Women Leaders for 2021. Her interests include education, travelling, African art, gender and development.

WAMBUI MBESA is the CEO of INTRASOFT International East Africa, a Subsidiary of INTRASOFT International, an IT solutions and services company headquartered in Luxembourg. She oversees operations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Zambia. She is passionate about giving back and giving forward. Furthermore, she is actively involved in mentoring the next generation of leaders in general and in the IT space in particular.  In this episode, Wambui talks about how she became an entrepreneur and founder and tips on being successful regardless of your background, how to network and create connections within your community and why creative imagination is more important than knowledge.

In this episode, Nneka shares her takeaways from guests - Audrey Joe-Ezigbo & Ndidi Nwuneli. While listening, you are encouraged to ponder on the following provocative questions. What are you doing about the book you have always wanted to write?  What are you angry about in your country?  And how can you expand and widen your networks to be and do more?