Category: Interviews

• How Technology is Making African Fashion More Accessible

  

  Let’s put these numbers into perspective, mobile devices account for 37 percent of our overall website traffic and 23 percent of sales. Of course, technology plays a huge role in enhancing our business process and operations. We were one of the first Pan-African inspired fashion houses to launch a mobile app for iOS devices (iPhones, iPads,…

  awpnetwork

  August 29, 2014

  Business, Education, Interviews

  54 Kingdoms, Africa, African youths, AWP Network, business, business support, change, collaboration, competition, development, education, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Fashion, fashion entrepreneurs, Ghana, growth, idea, Innovation, Inspiration, Kwaku Awuah, leadership, marketing, Mary Olushoga, Nana Poku, Nigeria, small business, solutions, Startup, startup stories, strategy, sustainability, technology, The AWP Network, women, Young Entrepreneurs, young voices, Youths

• Fashion Entrepreneur Launches Luxury Brand With Kickstarter Campaign

  

  Founded on a mission to create jobs for local artisans in Kenya, fashion entrepreneur Mugo Muna started borawear.com after graduating from Cornell University. Bora Wear is a luxury fashion brand for African men. The company makes one-of-a-kind handmade belts and employs a community of local Kenyan artisans to handcraft each buckle through a sand casting…

  awpnetwork

  August 18, 2014

  Business, Education, Interviews

  Africa, African youths, AWP Network, Bora Wear, business, business support, challenge, change, collaboration, competition, Crowdfunding, development, education, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Fashion, growth, idea, Innovation, Inspiration, Kenya, Kickstarter, leadership, marketing, Mary Olushoga, Mugo Muna, Nigeria, small business, solutions, Startup, strategy, support, sustainability, technology, The AWP Network, Young Entrepreneurs, young voices, Youths

• Fashion Entrepreneur Creates Luxury Brand for African Women

  

  Owner and Creative Director at Elizabeth Waldorf, Jane Ole founded her company to create timeless designs for African women who appreciate luxury, elegance, and style. The AWP Network met with Jane to learn more about how she got started and her plans for growing the company. How did you come up with the name of…

  awpnetwork

  August 14, 2014

  Business, Education, Interviews

  Africa, African youths, AWP Network, business, business support, challenge, change, collaboration, competition, development, education, Elizabeth Waldorf, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Fashion Entrepreneur, girls, growth, idea, Innovation, Jane Ole, Luxury Brand, marketing, Mary Olushoga, Nigeria, strategy, support, The AWP Network, women, women and girls, women entrepreneurs, Young Entrepreneurs, young voices, Youths

• Akachi Nwoke on Why the AWP Network is Important

  

  My name is Akachi Nwoke and I am a makeup artist. Last year, I applied to the AWP Network photography contest and I am glad I did. Although I came in third place, the competition helped me realize that I was not yet ready to start my business.  You may read more about my story here. I…

  awpnetwork

  July 25, 2014

  Business, Education, Interviews

  Africa, African youths, Akachi Nwoke, awards, AWP Network, business, business support, challenge, change, collaboration, competition, cosmetics, development, education, employment, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Enugu, girls, growth, House of Tara, idea, Innovation, Inspiration, Lagos, leadership, makeup supplies, marketing, Mary Olushoga, my voice matters, Nigeria, Nigerian youth, Photo competition, photo contest, photo essay, program, progress, small business, solutions, Startup, startup stories, stories, strategy, Success Stories, support, sustainability, technology, testimonials, The AWP Network, Unemployment, Visages Parfait, women, women and girls, women entrepreneurs, Young Entrepreneurs, young voices, youth, Youths

• Co-Founder of Jumia Nigeria Launches New Startup

  

  Raphael Afaedor, former managing director at Jumia, recently launched a company with Gbolahan Fagbure, Jumia’s former director of operations. Their new project, Supermartng.com is an online grocery delivery service serving the Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and Lekki areas of Lagos. The service allows customers to shop from a wide selection of grocery items that can be…

  awpnetwork

  July 21, 2014

  Business, Education, Interviews

  Africa, African youths, AWP Network, business, business development, business support, challenge, change, collaboration, competition, development, e-commerce, ecommerce, education, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Gbolahan Fagbure, grocery, growth, idea, Innovation, Inspiration, Jumia, Jumia Nigeria, Lagos, leadership, marketing, Mary Olushoga, Nigeria, online delivery service, progress, Raphael Afaedor, shopping, small business, solutions, strategy, Supermart Nigeria, Supermart.ng, support, sustainability, technology, The AWP Network, women, women and girls, women entrepreneurs, Young Entrepreneurs, young voices, youth, youth unemployment, Youths

• Fearless and Bold: Iheoma Obibi Opens Nigeria’s First Online Adult Novelty Store

  

  The inspiration for my business came after I attended a breakout session organized by Life Coach, Esther Passaris, at the African Feminist Forum in Kampala,Uganda (2010).  At the time, I had a growing customer base but did not know how to take the business idea to the next level. Passaris got me to identify obstacles…

  awpnetwork

  June 3, 2014

  Business, Education, Interviews

  adult novelty, Africa, African Feminist Forum, African youths, AWP Network, business, business support, challenge, change, collaboration, competition, development, ecommerce, education, employment, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, growth, idea, Iheoma Obibi, Innovation, Inspiration, Intimate Pleasures, Lagos, leadership, marketing, Mary Olushoga, Nigeria, possibilities, program, progress, retail, sales, sex toys, sex-positive, small business, smallbiz, solutions, store, strategy, support, sustainability, technology, The AWP Network, Uganda, Unemployment, women, women and girls, women entrepreneurs, Young Entrepreneurs, Youths

• African Girls in Technology: WITIN Forum Uncovers New Innovations

  

  by Olufemi Omotayo (Director – AWP Network)   Nigerian girls are techies too! Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN) provides networking, entrepreneurship, and professional development opportunities for women and girls. WITIN educates, inspires and equips women and girls to pursue and keep careers in STEM while embracing the emerging tech market as inventors and innovators.…

  awpnetwork

  April 28, 2014

  Business, Education, Events, Interviews

  Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Africa, African girls in technology, African youths, Africans in technology, apps, AWP Network, business, business support, challenge, change, collaboration, competition, conference, development, education, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, feedback, girls, growth, idea, Innovation, Inspiration, Iyabo Osifeso, Lagos, leadership, marketing, Martha Alade, Mary Olushoga, mobile technology, my voice matters, Nigeria, Nigerian Girls, Olufemi Omotayo, progress, small business, solutions, South Africa, strategy, support, sustainability, technology, The AWP Network, WITIN, women, women and girls, women entrepreneurs, Young Entrepreneurs, young voices, youth, Youths

• Language and Culture – How Genii Games is Using Technology to Spark Innovation

  

  Innovator and entrepreneur, Adebayo Adegbembo founded Genii Games shortly after participating in the tech-in-education hackathon organized by the Co-creation hub. Genii Games is the parent company of Asa – a growing collection of interactive mobile applications that teach Nigerian culture and languages.  Asa uses animation, voice, text, colorful graphics, and interactive games to capture the interest…

  awpnetwork

  April 17, 2014

  Business, Education, Interviews

  Africa, African stories, African youths, Africans in technology, Android, app, Asa, AWP Network, Blackberry, BlackBerry10 mobile competition, branding, business, business support, challenge, change, collaboration, competition, development, education, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Etisalat Pan-African Prize for Innovation, french, Genii Games, girls, growth, hackathon, idea, igbo, Innovation, Inspiration, iOS, Lagos, languages, leadership, marketing, Mary Olushoga, mobile, mobile technology, Mobile Web West African, Nigeria, Nigerian education sector, possibilities, progress, small business, solutions, stories, strategy, support, sustainability, tech in education, technology, The AWP Network, women, women entrepreneurs, yoruba, Young Entrepreneurs, young voices, Youths

• Voices of Young African Entrepreneurs: The Rave about Printivo

  

          Satisfied customers have raved about Printivo.com on social media. We followed the comments and reached out to the company to learn more about the services they provide. Printivo.com is recognized as Nigeria`s leading online print provider. The company works with a community of designers who upload their portfolios to a database…

  awpnetwork

  April 3, 2014

  Business, Education, Interviews

  Africa, African, African youths, AWP Network, business, business support, challenge, change, collaboration, competition, development, education, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurs, growth, idea, Innovation, Inspiration, Lagos, marketing, Mary Olushoga, mobile technology, Nigeria, Oluyomi Ojo, Printivo, printivo.com, progress, small business, solutions, strategy, support, sustainability, technology, The AWP Network, women, women and girls, women entrepreneurs, young, Young Entrepreneurs, young voices, youth unemployment, Youths

• Voices of African Women Entrepreneurs: Nollywood Producer Means Business

  

  Nollywood, Nigeria’s film industry is the second largest film industry in the world. Its rapid expansion is as a result of the innovative use and quick adaptation of new media and digital technology. The AWP Network met with leading Nollywood writer, executive producer, and co-founder of the Royal Arts Academy, Uduak Isong. Founded in 2009…

  awpnetwork

  February 3, 2014

  Business, Education, Interviews

  Africa, African youths, AWP Network, business, change, collaboration, development, education, Emem Isong, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, film, film innovators, growth, idea, industry, Innovation, Innovators, Inspiration, Jobs, marketing, Mary Olushoga, myvoicematters, Nigeria, Nollywood, progress, Royal Arts Academy, small business, solutions, storytelling, support, sustainability, technology, Uduak Isong, voices, women, women and girls, Young Entrepreneurs, youth, youth unemployment, Youths