20 inspirational women of african diaspora in europe 2011 list

Copyright 2011 - Top 20 Inspirational Women from African Diaspora in Europe 2011 - adipwe.wordpress.com

20 Inspirational Women of 20 Inspirational Women of 20 Inspirational Women of 20 Inspirational Women of African Diaspora in African Diaspora in African Diaspora in African Diaspora in

EuropeEuropeEuropeEurope

2011 List


20 Inspirational Women of African Diaspora in Europe 20 11


How This List Has Been Built?How This List Has Been Built?

• This is the result of the votes cast for women from the African Diaspora who people find inspirational

• What ‘Inspirational’ means was left to the voters’own appreciation of what that means for them

• The reasons why these women are inspirational are included in their profiles

• Nominations were submitted between 24/01 and 03/03/2011

• The aim of this first list in 2011 is to give more visibility to African Diaspora women in Europe


Chimamanda Ngozi ADICHIE Novelist

In 2007, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie became the first African writer to win the Orange Prize for Fiction with Half of a Yellow Sun, a novel set amid the bloody violence of the Biafran war in her native Nigeria.Born in 1977, Chimamanda grew up in Nsukka, Nigeria before moving to the US. Her first novel, Purple Hibiscus (2003), won the Commonwealth Writers Prize. She uses her fictional characters to inspire her readers to live according to their strengths. She is ‘bold, fearless and unapologetic’. Her speech "The Danger of a Single Story" at TED has inspired people across continents.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chimamanda-Adichie/774 98713718

Photo


Francine BELEYIFounder of nucleus of change

Born in Paris and raised in Lome-Togo, Francine is a Change Strategist & Business Coach. She advises, coaches and mentors business owners & leaders across organisations for an enhanced performance. She is also a speaker and talks about personal and business change. Prior to establishing her business, Francine has led multi-million pound projects for multinational corporations in Africa, France and the UK. Francine is passionate about grooming the next generation of Authentic Leaders and is committed in helping the most disadvantaged people. She is project manager of a social project, SOHCA that is building a school in Sierra Leone. Francine is equally dedicated to the empowerment of women and served in the steering committee of EPWN-London for 2 years to raise the voice of women in leadership roles and the aspiring leaders.

http://www.nucleusofchange.com http://twitter/franci nebeleyi

Photo


Simi BELO Inventor and Entrepreneur

Simi Belo’s invention, the Simi Weave™, has been heralded by industry-leading magazine Black Beauty & Hair as ‘a new invention set to take the hairdressing world by storm’. Sold internationally, Simi’s products have been an overnight success amongst customers, hair and beauty experts, the media, celebrities and retailers alike.Her company won six major national and international awards, and has been short listed for numerous ones. Simi also takes the time to share her experiences and expertise with other entrepreneurs and inventors to help them succeed with their products and services.

http://www.SimiWeave.com/pages/SimiBelo

Photo


Ngozi EDOZIEN Head of Actis West Africa

Ngozi Edozien is the Head of Actis West Africa. Ngozi is responsible for all aspects of Actis’s private equity business in West Africa. Actis is currently involved in a number of companies in West Africa including Diamond Bank, Mouka Foam, UAC and Exoro (Seven Energy). Prior to Actis, Ngozi was the founding CEO of EVHA, an innovative investment vehicle focused on expanding access to healthcare goods and services in sub-Saharan Africa. Ngozi began her career in investment banking at Solomon Brothers and then at JP Morgan. Post MBA, Ngozi worked for McKinsey & Co. in London and Paris

Photo

http://www.act.is/515,52/Ngozi_Edozien


Ida HORNERFounder of Ethnic Supplies

Ida has been voted for her work in helping and inspiring African women in the UK to become financially independent. Ethnic Supplies is a social enterprise working to alleviate poverty amongst East African women involved in textile and handicraft production. Ida also helps the women of her native Uganda. She is the editor of Africa on the Blog, so that the voices of ALL Africans get heard. She got a top 100 website to donate the revenue from it's advertising to sponsor twin girls in Uganda.

LinksLinkshttp://ethnicsupplies.org/http://www.Africaontheblog.com

Photo


Mariéme JAMME Philanthropist, CEO and social Entrepreneur

Mariéme is CEO of SpotOne Global Solutions, a company that helps IT organizations to access Europe, the EMEA markets. She also created iConscience.co.uk, a think tank that brings together business experts and like-minded individuals to brainstorm ethical scenarios for sustainable business, social, technological and environmental development in Africa. Mariéme is passionate about empowering Africans through education and social entrepreneurship. She is also an international speaker, and an advocate for education and health on the African continent. She works with the UK Home Office and advise them on how to help members of the African Diaspora transfer their knowledge and skills to their countries of origin.

http://mariemejamme.com/

Photo


Salha KAITESI Entrepreneur, Founder and Proprietor

Salha is acclaimed by many voters as embodying the new Rwanda. This African country that was once ravaged by genocide is now healing through its largely ambitious social economic development plan. Salha was inspired by the hard working men and women of different associations that sold local crafts in Rwanda. Most of the members of these associations are survivors of the genocide and include both the wives of people who committed atrocities and the victims of rape who are now HIV positive. Their crafting skills passed down from one generation to the other constitute their only means of earning an income for them and their families. With Beauty of Rwanda, Salha helps this community by marketing actively online their unique cultural products.

http://www.beautyofrwanda.com/http://www.twitter.com/beautyofrwanda

Photo


Wendy MCLEANJewellery designer / maker

Wendy has been nominated as someone who inspires others to believe in the truth and to seek out their own strengths. She previously worked as an R&D scientist during the apartheid era in South Africa during the 1990's as a so-called coloured person. Wendy have since been living in the UK (from 1998). Her chemistry career never really took up in the UK and she is now divorced and single, and running her own business in the area of Peterborough, as a jewellerydesigner maker. She also run jewellery workshops to teach her unique style of jewellery making. She believes thar her science background definitely helped in many of her decisions and entrepreneurial abilities.

http://www.designbywendy.co.uk

Photo


Mukami MCCRUM, MBEPolitician

Mukami McCrum, former Director of Central Scotland Race Equality, currently works with Scottish Government as a Policy manager to the Gender Equality and Violence Against Women team of the Scottish Government. She is also a co-founder of Shakti women's aid, founder of Mukuyu women. Mukami inspirational fight for justice, racism and women rights is remarkable. She always goes the extra mile, however busy she is she always manages to give her time. She has been nominated for her deep and personal commitment to peace, equality and justice and she will fight till the end. She has been recognised by the Queen and honoured with an MBE.

LinksLinkshttp://www.centralscotlandrec.org.uk/id20.html

http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/echoes/echoes-17- 03.html

Photo


Kanini MUTONIAudit Director at Private Bank Kleinwort Benson and

owner of myAzimia.org

This young Kenyan woman of 35, left her home country 10 years ago and has scaled to the top of her profession in Europe. She has been recognised in Kenya and ranked as one of the top 40 women under 40 and nominated and shortlisted in the UK as a Shell Woman of the Year (UK) 2010 and as the Barclays Wealth Woman of the City (2010). She has just set up a microfinance platform to fund women owned businesses in sub-saharan Africa, a social enterprise to play her part in the development of Africa.

LinksLinkshttp://www.myAzimia.org

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/kaninimutooni

Photo


Freda MUYAMBOElectrical Engineer/Project Manager

This young African female has chosen to study and work in a male dominated and challenging field: electrical engineering for a UKs Utilities and Power industry. She takes on electrical infrastructure projects and supplies customers with up to 132,000 volt connections. She is on site and in board rooms reporting project performance to directors, chairpersons and other stakeholders. Her work inspires the blog afriquanwoman.wordpress.com

LinksLinkshttp://uk.linkedin.com/pub/freda-muyambo/25/b17/54

Photo


Nyakio NDUNGU Entrepreneur Beauty & Fashion

Nyakio Ndungu has defied the odds and made opportunities where none existed. After graduating from Edinburgh University in 2008, at the height of the Economic recession, with a lack of opportunities in Banking and finance, she has launched OKIANY, an ethical, African Inspired Fashion line whose aims are not only to spread African culture in Scotland through fashion, but whose garments tell a story of a woman's journey to work her way out of poverty.She is an inspiration to the youth in Glasgow and in Kenya where the lives of several women depend on their work with OKIANY.

LinksLinkshttp://www.okiany.com

http://www.businessfightspoverty.org/profile/Nyakio Ndungu

Photo


Tchi Mbouani NGALIAE Consultant and Entrepreneur

In 2010, Tchi Mbouani set up Kosia, a consultancy practice advising businesses willing to expand into Africa. Kosia aims at fostering inter-continental business linkages and knowledge transfer.

Tchi Mbouani studied in France and Germany and holds a Master’s degree in Business Management from EDHEC Business School.

http://www.kosiacompany.com

Photo n/a


Ify OTUYISinger

A Singer, Songwriter and Performer, Ify Otuya studied Music Performance and Production at the London Centre of Contemporary Music. She is talented, motivated and with a relentless personality.Based in London, she's written, recorded and toured the UK with musicians including Folk-Soul sensation Whateverland, and Contemporary vocal group Souls of Prophecy Gospel Choir (Prince's Trust Fund). She's also been visible at different times, in circles within the Nigerian music industry (Felabration, Star Trek).

LinksLinkshttp://www.myspace.com/ify2u

http://www.facebook.com/IfyOtuyaMusic

Photo


Gail PAMEL Founder of Ace

The dance company Ace Dance has been praised not only for its international work but also for the impact made working with the local multicultural community in Birmingham and further afield. Gail inspires children and adults via inclusive participatory classes which give opportunities for families and individuals to experience contemporary dance in a professional setting regardless of ethnicity or ability.

LinksLinkshttp://www.acedanceandmusic.com/aboutus.htm


Naomi SESAYFounder of Billionaire ladies club

Naomi Sesay is an International Speaker, author and the founder of Billionaire Ladies Club. Her goal is to lead entrepreneurs to financial freedom. Naomi powerfully inspires entrepreneurs into thinking bigger than just the income stream. Passionate about global transformation, Naomi successfully links the power of entrepreneurship, social contribution and creating a phenomenal lifestyle into seamless steps of action. She is the founder of SOHCA, a social project for building a school in Sierra Leone and other poor countries.

LinksLinkshttp://www.billionaireladiesclub.com

Photo


Hapsatou SYEntrepreneur and founder of Ethnicia

Hapsatou has been nominated as a role model and a proof that business success is possible regardless the obstacles. Raised in one of the most challenging Parisian suburbs, this young lady started her business in 2005 from scratch and has now several salons across France and manages 70 employees.She has launched an initiative ‘100 women who have decide to change their life” to give the opportunity to these women to start their own beauty salons and create jobs.

LinksLinkshttp://www.ethnicia.com/http://hapsatousy.typepad.com/

Photo


Dr Jane WAI-OGOSSOUGlobal Health & Project Consultant

Dr Wai Ogosu is the founding member of 3 organisationsfor developmental projects in Africa: London Focus Group Sickle Cell Africa, AfrikCare and Experiential Christian Ministries. For Dr Ogosu, the best drivers for Africa development are Africans themselves who can drive projects from bottom up by mobilizing the grassroots to get involved in building community democracies, rather than relying on billions of pounds worth of aid that have limited results in achieving a real impact. She is passionate about reversing the 'braindrain' in Africa into a 'braingain'. There are positive results of her work in countries like Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Liberia and Ghana.

http://www.afrikcarecim.com

Photo


Frances MENSAH WILLIAMSChief Executive of Interims for Development,

publisher and Editor of ReConnect Africa

Interims for Development is an award-winning UK-based Human Resources, Careers and Training consultancy. The company has assisted businesses and organisationsacross Africa, providing volunteer Interim Managers for skills and capacity building as well as HR consultancy services, Diaspora recruitment and in-house/open training programmes.ReConnect Africa is an online magazine and website providing essential information on careers and business for African professionals in the Diaspora.

Linkshttp://www.reconnectafrica.comhttp://www.interimsfd.com

Photo


Rhoda WILSON Talk Show Host

Rhoda Wilson has built her brand and her vision through hard work, dedication and passion.Her strapline "Inspiring you to aspire" has become a motivational mantra for many. All the guests on her showhave responded with gusto to her work ethos, her personality and her vision. From her roots in Nigeria to her talk show in the UK, Rhoda Wilson is fast becoming an international phenomenon.

Linkshttp://therhodawilsonshow.wordpress.com/about/

Photo


What is ADIPWE?What is ADIPWE?

• ADIPWE, African Diaspora Professional Women in Europe is an online forum with the aim to:– Celebrate the success of African Women in Europe– Give the visibility to African Women who have

achieved success in their own way but are still unknown

– Inspire the new generation of African Women and share ideas to fulfil their potential

– Contribute to Africa rebranding and development by identifying opportunities to transfer the vast amount of knowledge gained in Europe

• This forum is open not only to all women of African Diaspora but also to those who have a passion about Africa development


Credits photosCredits photos

businessfightpoverty.orgdesignbywendy.co.ukreconnectAfrica.com

stopandstir org ukvoice-online.co.uk

myspace.comtiloumag.com

Act.is

acedanceandmusic.comentrepreneusemag.typad

africaontheblog.comtopnews.in

mariemejamme.combeautyofrawanda

linkedin.comprlog.com


Editor : Francine Beleyi, founder of African Diaspora Professional Women in Europe (ADIPWE)

Other Information Other Information

To download the full list of ADIPWE Top 20 list 2011 go tohttp://Adipwe.wordpress.comFacebook http://groups.to/adipwe/http://twitter.com/FrancineBeleyi

If you want to stay in touch for the 2012 edition, please go to http://wp.me/pSWtT-1pEmail [email protected]

20 inspirational women of african diaspora in europe 2011 list

Business

links copyright

african diaspora

social project

sierra leone

scottish government

20 inspirational

african women

international