7 Female Entrepreneurs Shaking Things Up Around the World
Each of us makes the world a better place through our actions big and small, in our homes, workplaces, and communities.
Some of us make the world a better place by seeing needs and innovating solutions to fill them.
How about you?
My mission has always been to help women advance and become equal economic partners in companies, businesses and society. Lately, I’ve been focused on bringing men into the conversation and providing them with the specific actions and tools they need to support the advancement of women.
I’ve also been inspired by these female social entrepreneurs from around the world and hoped that they might inspire and bring forth new ideas in you.
Eastern Europe
Agnieszka Osytek, Poland: Co-founder of Migam, a remote service that provides live video translation – via a web browser and mobile app – for communication between a deaf person and a translator. Follow Agnieszka on Twitter @Migam_Aga.
Africa
Angel Adelaja, Nigeria: Epidemiologist and Founder and CEO of Fresh Direct, manufactures, installs and market customized hydroponic systems, greenhouses and container farms to help smaller farmers grow more food on less land sustainably.
Follow her on Twitter @FreshDirectNG.
Asia
Zihan Ling, China: Founder of TechBase, China’s first accelerator for women-led startups. After realizing that only 10% of China’s new tech companies were being started by women, she set out to make a difference. In her first year. Zihan was able to get almost 100 participating teams some guidance and eight received a total of 50 million yuan (U.S. $7.7 million) in venture investment funds. Follow her on Twitter @zihan_ling.
Latin America
Natalia Ca, Argentina: co founder of Incluyeme, the first job portal in Latin America that helps people with disabilities find employment.
Follow her on Twitter @nataliachasky.
Middle East
Asma Mansour, Tunisia: Ashoka Fellow and the Founder of the Tunisian Center for Social Entrepreneurship, the first organization dedicated to social entrepreneurship in the country that offers training, mentorship, networking events, and help with fundraising. TCSE is also an intermediary between social entrepreneurs and companies looking to develop their CSR. Follow her on Twitter @mansour_asma.
USA & Kenya
Lesley Marincola: CEO of Angaza. Through a women’s angel investor network that I co-founded, I invested equity capital in Angaza last year. Angaza removes the upfront price barrier of purchasing solar products by enabling off-grid customers to prepay for clean energy through Pay-As-You-Go mobile technology. Follow her on Twitter @angazadesign.
Komal Ahmad, USA: Named Toyata’s Mother’s of Invention and Founder of Copia, she created technology to help distribute excess food. Self-described as “hellbent on solving hunger” and reducing disposal costs, follow her on Twitter @komal_ahmad.
How are you changing the world? Know a woman who is?
Email us at [email protected] and let us know, we’d love to feature them (or you!) on The Way Women Work.