Twenty-five African female-founded tech startups have been selected for the second edition of The Future is Female Mentorship Program, a PR and communications mentorship program dedicated exclusively to African female tech founders. C. Moore Media, International Public Relations (CMM), a New York-headquartered PR agency focusing on the US, UK, and African markets, launched the inaugural edition of the Program on Africa Day in 2020. When businesses worldwide were reeling from the effects of the global pandemic, CMM wanted to help the least supported group, early-stage startups led by Africa female tech founders. In this second edition, the Program received 180 applications from 26 different African countries translating to a 30% increase compared to the applications received in the inaugural edition.
The Finalists
This Program gained the attention of leading international business magazine Forbes who exclusively announced the 25 finalists of the Program, immediately giving these African female tech founders visibility with international business audiences.
The 25 selected finalists for the 2021 edition can be found here. The finalists will become mentees of the Program, making up the #Classof2021.
The 2021 Mentees
Nigeria
- Joanne Osuchukwu, Hlink
- Ifedolapo Lawal, Afrinovate Technology
- Adaobi Eneh, RoboRep
- Ibironke Yekinni, Testify Limited
- Wunmi Akinsola, Fashtracker
- Olarenwaju Erogbogbo, Doing Good Work in Africa
- Kosi Ejieji, MyChassis
- Tale Alimi, Owoafara
South Africa
- Thato Schermer, Zoie Health
- Gugu Kheswa, Hello Africa Travel
- Joshna Nagar, APJ Technologies
- Siyanda Mpambani, Pink Torque Projects
- Noxolo Fani, Platform Excel.
Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya
- Nisingizwe Joselyn, Smart Ikigega Project (Rwanda)
- Eva Barasa, Valley Hub Ltd (Rwanda)
- Prisca Magori, Tenten Explore (Tanzania)
- Nancy Passiany, Veesh Africa (Kenya)
- Cathy Chepkemboi, Tushop (Kenya)
Guinea, Cameroon and Senegal
- Marly Diallo, BRT Energy (Guinea)
- Selma Ndi Ekfvei, Data Girl Technologies (Cameroon)
- Fatou Gning, Amal Crowdfunding (Senegal)
Egypt, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Eswatini
- Heba Eldessouky, As Good As New (Egypt)
- Rebecca Nanono, Shetechtive (Uganda)
- Nadege Bolingo, Connecticut Institute for Social Entrepreneurship (DRC)
- Setsabile Mkhabela, Boast-ID (Eswatini)
Once the 25 finalists have completed the Future is Female Mentorship program; they will own insights into the fundamentals of PR and communications and understand how to leverage this knowledge to gain visibility, grow their business, work with media and build their brand.
Program Details
The Future is Female Mentorship Program is the first PR and communications mentorship program dedicated exclusively to African female tech founders. The Program is complimentary to ensure no entry barriers for any female founder who wants to apply. For the second edition, CMM announced a partnership with Africa Communications Week (AfricaCommsWeek). This partnership enables the Program to bring further world-class and Pan-African PR insights from additional leading experts, complementing CMM’s global and Africa regional PR expertise.
Mentorship Session Details
CMM’s MD & Founder, Claudine Moore, alongside AfricaCommsWeek’s founders, will lead group masterclass sessions for the selected mentees and participate in Q and A sessions. AfricaCommsWeek will also support CMM in creating content for the customized sessions taking place over three months.
The customized sessions will provide insights into PR and communications fundamentals for early-stage tech startups, including creating a communications plan, corporate storytelling, media relations and more.
For more information on the finalists and details of the Program, visit www.thefutureisfemalementorshipprogram.com.
To stay in touch, follow #CMMtheFutureIsFemale, @CMooreMedia, and @ClaudineMoore on Twitter and Instagram for more details. Visit www.thefutureisfemalementorshipprogram.com for news and updates.