Dear friends,

Exactly one year ago today, on 8 March 2022, The African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative launched the #ShePowersAfrica Matching Gift Challenge Campaign. Our goal was to raise $667,000 USD to fund the continued growth of our mission and impact. We are thrilled to announce that with the help and support of a phenomenal group of generous donors, we were able to achieve our goal in February 2023.

Thanks to this incredible achievement, AWEC is now even more committed to furthering its mission of empowering women entrepreneurs across Africa. Every penny raised will go toward providing these women with access to the resources they need to build successful businesses and create meaningful change in their communities. Join us in celebrating this milestone and supporting AWEC as we work toward a brighter future for female entrepreneurs in Africa, and please consider joining our network of donors by making a contribution to AWEC today.

With that, we’d like to welcome you to this month's special edition newsletter! 

We’ll kick off by celebrating International Women’s Day and exploring the theme for this year: #EmbraceEquity. We delve into what it means to provide equitable solutions for women and how this plays a crucial role in empowering women entrepreneurs across the continent.

Undoubtedly, enabling women-led businesses to transform the future of the African continent requires a supportive ecosystem comprising advisors, advocates, champions, cheerleaders and experts. Following a successful fundraiser, we are thrilled to embark on the next phase of our campaign: #HowShePowersAfrica. In the coming weeks, we will unveil campaigns to highlight the many trailblazers and game-changers driving progress across the continent. We will also acknowledge the tireless efforts of catalysts who ignite change and empower these visionary leaders. But no need to wait, you can start by reading up on some of the spotlights featuring this month!

We would be remiss to end this message without expressing our heartfelt thanks to the supporters who have helped us financially secure AWEC’s future: leading philanthropic foundations, The Center for Global Enterprise (CGE) board, the AWEC Board of Stewards, our alumnae, the AWEC team of staff and mentors and our overall AWEC community. Thank you.

Happy International Women’s Day!

With gratitude,

Dawn Leaness

Managing Director

Miranda Naiman, 

Board Chair, AWEC Board of Stewards, Founding Partner, Empower

Spotlight Corner: Seats of Equitable Success!

This month the spotlight is on AWEC Alumnae Justice Tujilane Chizumila and Uchenna Jane Ibe who have both been selected for prestigious seats at their respective industry tables.

On the 16th of February, Justice Chizumila, Cohort 2 Alumna, was re-elected as Judge at the African Court on Human & People’s Rights.

Her re-election took place during the Africa Union Executive Council meeting held in Addis Ababa on 16th February 2023.

She is the Co-Founder & Managing Director of Tijulane Chizumila Foundation, which offers legal consulting services, etiquette training and election monitoring services.

She became the first female Ombudsman in Malawi in 2010.

Uchenna Jane Ibe, Cohort 3 Alumna was the only candidate selected for the 2023 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Growth Fellowship Program.

Her prize includes an all expenses paid trip to New York City to take part in the Growth Fellowship events taking place in March, which kick off a 4-month mentoring program that will lead to funding opportunities.

She’s also one of four Nigerians selected for the 2023 Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship accelerator program. Uchenna is the Founder & CEO of Ivy League Collections, a contemporary and traditional textile inspired Interior design and soft furnishing company based in Lagos, Nigeria.

READ: Rise & Resist - How to Change The World

Clare Press has written this inspiring book to share motivation and tools to change the world, one action at a time. The book beautifully illustrates how even the smallest of ideas can spark monumental change and it encourages us to unite as individuals, and work towards creating a better world than the one we inherited. The future is not set and will be shaped by those that take action today.

LISTEN: Wardrobe Crisis

This is a chart-topping podcast that explores the intersection of fashion, ethics, social justice and environmental sustainability! Launched in July 2017, it's now in its 7th series and has garnered a loyal following of listeners. Interviews include a diverse range of guests including designers, change-makers, academics, creatives and fashion insiders.

Sofie Beck Petersen, Legal Consultant, World Bank Group

WATCH: Daniel Goleman on Emotional Intelligence

Daniel Goleman, a renowned scientific journalist, best-selling author, and psychologist, has revolutionized the field of psychology with his groundbreaking research and innovative framework that redefines intelligence. His latest book offers invaluable insights into leading and managing teams through the five components of EQ: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Tune in to his podcast or follow him on LinkedIn for regular updates on how to develop emotional intelligence and lead with excellence.

READ: Built to Last - Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

The book’s in-depth exploration examines what makes companies endure and prosper over long periods, even through multiple product life cycles and generations of active leaders. It effectively argues that great companies are not just built on a single idea or market timing, but rather on the development of robust systems. Through compelling case studies, it demonstrates how visionary companies have created sustainable success by implementing strong systems and processes that stand the test of time.

Doris Ahiatia, Co-Founder & CEO, Crescendo Consult

LISTEN: The Changes in U.S. - China Relations Shaping CEO Decisions

For the last few decades, CEOs have operated their businesses factoring in a relatively cooperative economic and geopolitical relationship between the U.S. and China. But today things are different. The latest episode of The GET features two people who have been leaders in U.S.-China relations, one in government and one in business. John Hamre, President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Sam Palmisano, Chairman of The Center for Global Enterprise, and Chairman of the America’s Frontier Fund discuss how things have changed and the factors CEOs need to address as they operate their business over the next few decades.

The GET Podcast, The Center for Global Enterprise