Our third and final speaker at TEDxEustonSalon next Saturday is a feminist, a citizen lobbyist, and an advocate for climate change progress and women’s rights in Africa. Olasimbo Sojinrin is passionate about women-focused renewable energy access and is ready to inspire you to be too!
Olasimbo has been working in the realm of climate change and renewable energy for over 10 years. She joined the British Council in 2004 as a Project Manager where she managed several partnerships that strove to educate secondary school students on the issue of climate change. From there she became the Capacity Development Manager to the UNDP’s Access to Renewable Energy Project in 2011 providing a strong voice in the drive to create climate change legislation.
Currently she is the Nigeria Country Manager for Solar Sister, a civil society organisation with a mission to eradicate energy poverty through women's economic empowerment. Olasimbo leads a network of women entrepreneurs who are bringing affordable clean energy solutions to their communities’ doorstep.
Join us next Saturday at TEDxEustonSalon as she explores harnessing the potential energy of the Continent and seeks to empower us all.
If you’re serious about investment, it’s clear that the question is no longer whether you do business in Africa, rather how to start and what to consider.
As many of us are already aware, Africa presents an incredible opportunity if you are willing to invest in high-growth economies.
There are some key facts which haven driven the economic growth of the Continent in the last few decades. Here are some:
Over 1 billion people live in Africa. That is 15% of the world’s population.
More than 60%, 700 billion people, have a mobile phone, and the entire continent is undergoing connectivity leapfrogging.
Africa’s combined economy is over $2 trillion, with this forecast to more than double by 2025.
Economic growth is 2% above the global average, and has been since 2000, currently standing at 6-7%.
60% of the population are younger than 30 years old, creating the world’s largest labour force by 2035.
Nearly 50% of the population live in cities, with increasing amounts of urbanisation underway.
Over the years several African entrepreneurs and economists have given talks at TEDxEuston – providing salient advice and wise information about the continent’s business environment – food for thought for our TEDxEuston’ers who are considering returning, setting up anew, expanding their enterprises or bootstrapping their start-up for major growth, and even simply if you are looking at increasing your involvement by investment.
There are many ways to take advantage of the opportunities across the continent. Here are a few suggestions, of which certain themes emerge from our previous TEDxEuston speakers.
The continent beats to its own rhythm, with a distinct culture and way of operating which differs from Western markets. Appreciate and have a perspective, and respect the differences. As our speaker Frances Mensah Williamsdiscussed – allow everyone at home their own way of expression to you.
Focus on local dynamics as reflected by our TEDxEuston speaker Kene Mkparu. There is no single Africa strategy. Each market is unique – the continent comprises a rich tapestry of countries. Markets present opportunities in a different way, and business products and services should be offered according to these consumer requirements.
Commitment to long-term and to standards, as mentioned by Dolika Bandaat our Facing Forward event in December.
Planning – deciding your time period for growth, reviewing your sector, market and objectives for success, as well as planning our business activities, positioning, country launch selection, as well as creating a specific hub for business development.
Perseverance – a critical characteristic for all business, and remarked byJason Njoku, keep failing until you succeed, and understanding the reality of Africa may be, as stated by Ali A. Mufuruki, very different to the Africa Rising narrative.
Relationships and Partnerships – working with local, experienced management and partners, including government, community organisations and other players in your field, will yield long-term gains.
Local Talent and People – invest in your local team, and over the long-term, understand the role of training in broader society, mentioned inTutu Agyare’s talk. As the pace of commercial expansion will be significantly greater than the growth of formal education and training mechanisms.
While each country on the continent has its own set of laws, regulations, political system and cultures this ever-changing environment of systems and rules post the greatest challenge. Each market should be considered and adapted to accordingly. Africa’s complexity creates investment challenges and it is important to be adaptable and test traditional business models. The consumers within the Continent vary greatly from the new wealth, to rising middle class, and include the basic survivors, living on low or no income in urban slums or rural areas. Due to the connectivity explosion across the continent, this has enabled a range of other services to grow The TEDxEuston team is committed to inspiring ideas about Africa and being a catalyst for our community and those wishing to engage with the Continent. We’re actively seeking to connect members of our community to move forward. So please tweet us @tedxeuston, or me on@FeliciaTedx you want to stay in touch, or find out more. F elicia has been a key active organising team player for TedxEuston over the years. With a MBA from the esteemed London Business School, she holds a specialism in emerging markets. Currently a member of the foundation board, Felicia splits her time and career between Asia, Africa and UK.
Prepare to be blown away on Saturday 13th June 2015, as the latest instalment of TEDxEuston’s Salon takes centre stage. The Salon combines inspiring speakers, the trademark of all our events, in a more relaxed setting alongside drinks, food, friends, music and of course a dance floor! In order to deliver such a special experience, we have moved The Salon to the beautiful Crown Plaza London – The City, set within London’s iconic Square Mile. Here, conversations will be carried over from this year's 'Facing Forward' conference with a focus on 'Harnessing Energy’ - an increasingly hot topic in a continent as naturally abundant as Africa. Get set to be motivated by listening to speeches from people who have made a real difference, as they share their ideas and experiences by addressing some of the most pertinent issues facing the continent. Confirmed speakers include: - Andrew Hunt – the founder and MD of Aduna, a unique African-inspired health and beauty brand and social business. - Olasimbo Sojinrin – Nigerian Country Manager at Solar Sisters, a fantastic organisation that eradicates energy poverty by empowering women with economic opportunity. Cultivating an engaging environment to consume the ideas of astute thinkers and doers, it was important for us to find a location that would serve as a catalyst for motivation and inspiration, yet improve on last year’s successful conference at the British Museum. The Crown Plaza London has all the modern facilities for a great event as such, and with an extra little touch from the TEDxEuston team, it will be an energising hub of activity come the 13th June 2015. The proof is in the pudding they say, so we invite you to seize this opportunity to be part of this intimate event that aims to inspire a new generation of African leaders.
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“I found it really inspiring & it gave me food for thought.
Also had opportunity to network & met really great people”
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Pictures from last year’s event can be viewed here. Waste no time in securing your seat by purchasing a ticket here today! As many have come to expect, an enlightening evening awaits. TEDxEustonSalon is supported by our Principal Partner, Shell Global
Naana Otoo-Oyrtey MBE is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development (FORWARD). She is a social activist, and women’s rights defender passionate about building young women’s leadership. Naana played a key role in breaking the silence on child marriage in Africa. In her talk which she entitles ‘Mind The Gender Gap’, Naana introduces her TEDxEuston 2014 audience to the issues surrounding educating girls in Africa, particularly within the rural areas. Naana explains how long before the kidnapping of the Chibok girls in Northern Nigeria, the still existing cultural and gender stereotype including education policy and practice continue to impact on female education. Naana draws attention to underlying issues that affect female education such as, child brides, child mothers, school pregnancies and female genital mutilation. Naana says that we need to reflect on the need to bring girls back to school...but it is not just what she said but how she said it!
Kunlé Adeyemi is a Nigerian architect, urbanist and creative researcher. He is founder and principal of NLÉ, an architecture, design and urbanism practice. He is a self-confessed ‘waterholic’ with an addiction to cities and an obsession for Africa.
In his fascinating talk at TEDxEuston Salon 2014, Kunle explains the relationship between water and cities, highlighting how much of our world is covered by water. He describes in a way only he can, the importance of water on cities and the impact of climate change particularly on African cities. Makoko, Lagos is an excellent example of how an African city based on water was built from virtually nothing, using the local technology notwithstanding various challenges. Lessons learnt from the Makoko project will be used as the model in moving forward with the ‘African Water Cities Project’ using Chicoco Project as a pilot. His talk had some surprising music in between! Nice one...
Why is an architect speaking at a TEDxEustonSalon focusing on education? Well, Kunle Adeyemi is not your normal architect and TEDxEustonSalon is not your normal event! This year’s Salon, holding at the British Museum, will be special in more ways than one. Kunle’s passion as an architect, urbanist and researcher is truly evident in his countless innovative projects, including the Makoko floating school project, through which he completely challenges conventional wisdom on everything from the economics of education to the perceived chaos of Lagos. Be prepared to see the world from a whole new point of view after the salon.
Its nearly sold out, so get one of the very last tickets here.
For those that have attended one in the past, it’s a lovely intimate affair where you will not only be able to listen to the speakers, but to mingle with them and others, enjoy some lovely wine and food and you already know how we end all our events.
A few months have passed since the cold Saturday where we huddled at the Mermaid Centre and challenged conventional wisdom on Africa. We thank you again for your continued support, as without you, there would be no TEDxEuston!
Many of you have fed back to us that one year is too long to wait for another TEDxEuston! So in response to this we are putting together a slightly smaller, more intimate TEDxEustonSalon to continue the exciting conversations, challenge our minds, feed our soul and shake our bodies to some great music at an intimate, central London venue on the evening of the 6th of April.
TEDxEustonSalon will be exclusively for the incredibly gifted people that have already attended TEDxEuston to engage and fuel our community.
While the space might be smaller and the length of the day shorter, one thing we will never compromise on is the quality of our speakers. We invite you to join us and two amazing young African women, who will blow our mind away with their captivating talks in between wine and dinner at the beautiful Eight Club in Bank.
The speakers on the evening are:
Chibundu Onuzo - author of ‘the Spider King’s daughter’
Chibundu Onuzo started writing novels and short stories at the age of 10 and less than a decade later, she became the youngest woman ever to be signed by Faber and Faber. Her debut novel, ‘The Spider King’s Daughter’ is part of a two-book deal with the publishing house and charts the unlikely relationship that develops between a poor street hawker and a sheltered rich girl who meet on the streets of Lagos. Since its release in March 2012, the book has been long-listed for the Desmond Elliott Prize for debut novelists and shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize for writers under 30. The Times describes the book as ‘a dark, tense, gripping first novel, peeling back layers of Nigerian society’ and The Observer calls it ‘an energetic thriller debut.’ In other parts of the world, the South Africa Times writes of Chibundu, “...kill me dead. This girl has skills.” She has been profiled on CNN, in The Observer and most recently, she made an appearance on BBC 1’s The One Show. Chibundu finished an undergraduate degree in History from King’s College London in 2012 and she is currently doing a Masters in Public Policy at UCL.
Jessica Horn – Women’s rights activist and founder of Akiiki Consulting and author of poetry collection “Speaking in Tongues”
Jessica Horn is a feminist activist, writer and consultant passionate about the struggle for African women to live empowered, healthy lives in their bodies. She has worked with community groups, NGOs, donors, and the UN around advancing sexual rights, ending violence against women, supporting women living with HIV, researching religious fundamentalisms and ensuring women’s rights in conflict-affected contexts. Early in her career, Jessica was nominated as a Soros Reproductive Health and Rights Fellow, authoring a book chapter on African feminist perspectives on Female Genital Mutilation. She has since been part of creating ground-breaking initiatives, including UHAI- the first African-led fund focusing on sexual health and rights, and FRIDA- The Young Feminist Fund. In 2012 Jessica was named an African woman change maker by ARISE Magazine’s African and as one of Applause Africa’s 40 Africans Changemakers under 40. She is a founding member of the African Feminist Forum, a board member of women’s funds Urgent Action-Fund Africa and Mama Cash, and editor of OurAfrica, profiling African women’s voices on open Democracy. With roots in Uganda’s Mountains of the Moon and the shadows of New York’s Yankee stadium, Jessica grew up in Southern Africa and the South Pacific and has since visited 46 countries including 17 in the African region. .
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