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Episode 130 with Edna Frimpong who is an award-winning entrepreneur who is making remarkable strides in the shoemaking business. Affectionately called the "shoemaker girl," Edna is breaking barriers and inspiring others to pursue their passions, regardless of societal norms.

Edna's journey as an entrepreneur began while she was a student at Adonten Senior High School. She had always been interested in fashion and started making slippers as a hobby. However, as she began to receive positive feedback from her peers and family, Edna realised that she could turn her passion into a viable business.

With this realisation, Edna co-founded Ahofade, a popular classic fashion brand in West Africa that specialises in creating unique and affordable made in Ghana designs from Ghanian fashion designers. What started as a small-scale operation has since grown into a successful enterprise, with Edna gaining global recognition as a talented and innovative shoemaker, fashion designer, and entrepreneur.

What We Discuss With Edna

• Edna's inspiration to pursue a career in the shoemaking industry, especially being a woman in a male-dominated field.
• How has Edna used her background in public relations and communications to craft her unique story and build her brand?
• What motivated Edna to write her recently released book, "The Shoemaker's Girl?"
• How does Ahofade support local entrepreneurs in the fashion industry and help them grow their businesses?
• What is the importance of mentorship and coaching in empowering the next generation of African entrepreneurs?

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Trust, Metrics, and Impact: A Blueprint for Success in Africa’s 2024 Startup Economy? Make sure to check it out!

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Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamu

Connect with Edna on LinkedIn at Edna Frimpong, and Twitter (X) @EdnaFrimpong7

Do you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group.

Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at info@etkgroup.co.uk

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Episode 129 with Efayomi Carr, who is Principal at Flourish Ventures, leads Africa investments for Flourish Ventures, and has worked with founders in the startup ecosystem for the last five years.

As of November this year, fundraising declined to nearly pre-Covid levels, with startup founders raising only $3.2 billion in a difficult macroeconomic climate that negatively impacted many global companies and regional scaleups and startups. In this period, Flourish Ventures, a global venture capital firm, has continued to support startup companies across the world, especially fintech founders in emerging markets, with patient capital and expert advisory.

Flourish has also recently announced additional funding of $350 million to double down on their investments in fintech entrepreneurs, a good percentage of which is earmarked for African markets.

What We Discuss With Efayomi

• What role does mission-driven entrepreneurship have in determining the future of the financial system, especially in emerging areas such as Africa?
• How do you strike a balance between giving companies time to innovate without quick profit and ensuring they are on track for long-term success?
• Beyond providing capital, how does Flourish Ventures help entrepreneurs navigate regulatory frameworks and policy landscapes?
• Common pitfalls that startup founders encounter in their journey towards scaling their businesses for success, and how can they be avoided?
• What distinguishes successful founders from those that struggle to achieve long-term growth?

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Building Borderless Banking: Transforming Global Financial Access for Individuals and Businesses? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamu

Connect with Efayomi on LinkedIn at Efayomi Carr, and Twitter (X) @EfayomiCarr

Do you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group.

Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at info@etkgroup.co.uk

Send us a Text Message.

Episode 128 with Ibrahim Toyeeb Ibitade, co-founder and CEO of Leatherback, on his remarkable journey as a fintech founder and entrepreneur and the driving force behind his mission to transform global financial access for individuals and businesses.

Driven by the need to enable global financial access, payments, commerce, and lifestyle opportunities through more equitable financial solutions, Ibrahim started Leatherback in 2019 with an ambition to democratise banking by providing a single access point that empowers individuals and businesses to think and act globally.

Leatherback is a global banking service provider for individuals and businesses, with innovative technology solutions that unlock equal opportunity for borderless global trade and commerce. Users can access more than 15 currencies from 21 countries, including NGN, GBP, INR, EUR, USD, and many other currencies.

What We Discuss With Ibrahim

• How does Leatherback's technology contribute to democratising banking for borderless global trade and commerce?
• What was the process of meeting the regulatory requirements so you could offer a multi-currency wallet in 13+ currencies without a local presence?
• What are some of the unique opportunities you've encountered while expanding to new markets in and outside of Africa?
• What does Leatherback's recent expansion into India through a collaboration with YES BANK mean for users in the India-Africa corridor?
• Is the India-Africa or Asia-Africa corridor an opportunity that is often overlooked when looking at financial transactions to and from Africa?

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Building a Long-Term Payment Infrastructure in Africa That Removes Currency Friction and Accelerates Economic Growth? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamu

Connect with Ibrahim on LinkedIn at Ibrahim Ibitade, and Twitter (X) @ToyeebIbrahim

Do you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group.

Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at info@etkgroup.co.uk