TONL x Microsoft: Women Taking the Lead
“In short, as important-indeed vital-as they are, Africa will not become renowned for its global business on the sturdy backs of market women alone.”
- Scott D. Taylor, Globalization and the Cultures of Business in Africa: From Patrimonialism to Profit
Women founders like Diana Osei of BezoMoney and Cheraé Robinson of Tastemakers know very well that to make an impact they had to go BIG. That meant recognizing their niche market in this capitalistic society and the barriers of entry for black women in the diaspora and on the continent. It looked like starting a fintech company for Diana and for Cheraé it was tapping into the estimated $25B travel opportunity to Africa. Diana is the Chief Marketing Officer for BezoMoney which is a digital savings platform for informal savings schemes especially savings groups. They help people in the informal sector save and give them access to loans by helping them build a savings and credit history. Cheraé is the CEO of Tastemakers where she saves people through time by creating epic experiences in Africa curated by insiders. BezoMoney’s vision is to help people in the informal sector build a robust credit history that can help them access and afford the necessities of life. Cheraé’s vision is threefold: for travelers it’s to give them access to quality experiences from a trusted source. For curators it’s to make money showing people the things and places that they love in their city/country. For destinations, it’s an opportunity to rebrand and dispel myths about the country which in turn will increase the number of visitors and money spent in the country. We sat down with each of these phenomenal women to understand how their identities have shaped their experience doing business on the continent, what tools have helped them along the way and what obstacles they have had to face along the way. Read their interviews below and be sure to shop the TONL x Microsoft Collection below!
What do you identify as and how has living in Africa shaped that answer?
Diana: I identify as an entrepreneur because in Africa, there are many opportunities to solve problems and make a difference. I grew up observing people in my neighborhood open small businesses year in and year out. They have a drive to succeed despite their economic challenges. Living in Ghana, West Africa, has taught me to be a problem-solver and to maximize my resources so as to complement the Government's efforts to develop my country. My contributions include turning my passion for the environment into a plastic waste recycling business, volunteering to teach secondary school students in underserved communities to read and write and helping people in the informal sector get access to micro loans to grow their small businesses.
Cheraé: I identify as an African American as I have since as far back as I remember. Living on the continent has given color, history, and depth to what that means. I can appreciate every stage of my lineage and journey from the cultural traditions and know-how of West Africa to the resilience of my ancestors in America.
As a female-founder, what obstacles have you had to personally face to get to where you are now?
Diana: Before I became a tech entrepreneur and founder of a fintech startup, I did not know how to turn my ideas into viable projects or profitable ventures. I also did not know where to turn to for business support or mentorship because I was not aware of the availability of such resources. So, I simply shared my ideas with anyone who will listen and fortunately some of them pointed me in the direction I needed to go to find the right kind of help. Throughout my entrepreneurship journey, I have learned to overcome self-doubt and consciously let others know what I am capable of, through my actions.
Cheraé : As a female, Black founder I actually think my biggest obstacle has been getting out of my own head. Initially network was definitely the obstacle - I didn’t have an Ivy League Degree, an MBA, or even large consumer connections coming from the civil society space but, as I made those inroads the real challenge was my own story. As I confronted that and leaned into the space, the doors opened and I charged right through!
What is one tool that has really helped you in managing your business?
Cheraé : Microsoft Azure allowed us to scale from a Wordpress site I built myself that was already taking a beating from our growth and build our own platform with all the capabilities required to meet the needs of our user community.
Diana: I have an Outlook account as my personal e-mail address and I use OneDrive to store my company's customer interview files.
As the Chief Marketing Officer of BezoMoney, I have many conversations with our target customers to understand their pain points and I need a place to store all that information in an organized manner - OneDrive. I share selected recordings with my team so that they can hear firsthand what the customers are saying as well as the emotion behind their feedback. I listen to these recordings anytime and anywhere to remind myself of what matters to our customers and gather insights for our product development.
Cheraé and Diana prove through their endeavors that they are an asset to the community on the continent and worldwide. We want women like Cheraé and Diana to produce this sort of work as they continue to open up opportunities for marginalized groups of people.