GEWNg2013: Day 1, Removing Barriers to Scaling Up!

The first forum to be held during the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Nigeria is just a week away!
Women in Enterprise is a forum that will hold on the 18th of November, 2013, with the theme, "Removing Barriers to Scaling Up". This theme will be dissected in a round table discussion, where questions like these will be thrashed out:
- What are the barriers women engaged in entrepreneurship face?
- How can they be removed?
- What role is technology playing in helping women grow in entrepreneurship?

Venue: US Consulate, Walter Carrington street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Date: November 18, 2013

The speakers for this great event include Mrs. Adesuwa Onyenokwe, Mrs. Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, and Mrs. Adenike Ogunlesi.

Adesuwa Onyenokwe is the editor-in-chief of Today’s Woman Magazine. She obtained her first degree in Drama from the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, and later her Master’s degree in Language Art from the University of Ibadan. Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka mentored her during her pursuit of her first degree at Ile-Ife. She worked at the Nigerian Television Authority for 15 years before retiring. After her retirement, she became an independent producer of the popular television show Today’s Woman and presenting One On One, an interview programme covering socio political issues. She dropped the television show and turned her attention the print media. She converted her television show into the magazine Today’s Woman which has rapidly gained popularity. She is married to Ikechukwu Onyenokwe and has six children with him. She believes that career women can actualize their professional goals without jeopardizing their family life.

Mrs. Audrey Joe-Ezigbo is the Co-Founder and Executive of Falcon Petroleum Limited, and Co-Founder and Managing Director of FalconGaz Limited. The company has between 20 and 50 employees, and generates over $5 million in revenue.

She has over 19 years serial entrepreneurship experience, and has garnered a wealth of business development and management skills in that time. She has a passion for mentoring aspiring, early, and growth-stage entrepreneurs, with a focus on institutionalization of business best practices, and positioning them for long term growth and sustainability in business.

A highly sought-after consultant, business and motivational speaker, she has her core areas of competence within business strategy, financial and investment management, corporate restructuring, and resource optimization.
She is also a prolific writer and a published author.
Please visit her blog to get to know her better before the event.

Even if you have not heard her name, you will recognize the brand she stands behind, Ruff 'n' Tumble, West Africa's leading children's clothing line, and one of the earlier 'Made in Nigeria' brands.

For over a decade now, Ruff 'n' Tumble has earned accolades both at home and abroad, for her exciting, international and cool apparels in the children clothing category. Ruff 'n' Tumble began from a tiny shop and is now a growing business with over 50 employees and with distribution spread along the West African coast line.

Oh, and she's a University drop out like Bill Gates and the best of them. She left Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria, because she wasn't sure that the legal profession was for her.

From working with her mum who ran a tailor's shop with 30 employees in Ibadan, to getting married and becoming a full-time mum, she had only the discovery of loving the art of making clothes to point to as progress.

Then the light-bulb moment came, when she needed pyjamas for her children and made them herself. From pyjamas, she made playgroup clothes, then she started selling out when other parents showed interest.

With indispensable support from her husband and children, she took the plunge from there and never looked back, growing Ruff 'n' Tumble from her home, to the big apparel label and household name it has become.

She is currently a mentor of the Fate Foundation and Junior Achievement of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, have you registered to attend the event yet? Please do so right away! You do not want to miss this opportunity to have these dynamos in one room!