Izzy Obeng

There’s advice that can change your day, and then there’s advice that can truly change your life. Being able to give financial advice to my family, friends, and even strangers who trust me with their stories is something I’ll never take for granted. Since co-founding myStashhq in 2021, I’ve been fortunate to gain a lot of insight into Finance and Wealth Management. I didn’t start off knowing much about Personal Finance - unfortunately, these vital skills aren’t typically taught in schools. That’s why my team and I are passionate about empowering young people through our free financial training sessions. So, its #BWAM40under40 moments like this that make me catch my breadth and reflect on how far I've come. Yet, I realize there's still so much to learn. I’m deeply honoured to be recognized among such incredible women in the Finance and Wealth Management space. Will be holding my breadth, crossing my fingers, and counting down to October 3rd! P.S.: Its giving "Oscars" 😂 #BWAM40under40Awards #wealthmanagement

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The Black Opportunity: Insights from Tino Chibebe on Venture Capital and Afropean Entrepreneurship "The Black Opportunity, rooted in my book, envisions a world where discrimination doesn't hinder progress. By prioritizing the hiring of black managers and investing in black founders in venture capital, we can unleash a wave of innovation. This means creating products tailored for the black community while also benefiting broader society. Imagine the possibilities if we fully embrace this opportunity." - Tino Chibebe Key highlights ·Tino Chibebe's Journey: Follow Tino Chibebe's remarkable journey from Zimbabwe to Belgium, exploring his experiences in entrepreneurship and racial identity. ·Navigating Identity: Explore Tino's reflections on navigating racial identity, from feeling limitless potential in Zimbabwe to facing barriers in Belgium. The Black Opportunity: Delve into Tino's book, "The Black Opportunity," which challenges conventional narratives and advocates for a paradigm shift in venture capital. ·Structural Barriers: Learn about the "black network gap" and the disparities in access to funding within the black community. ·Addressing Bias: Tino addresses the intersection of race and business, advocating for awareness to mitigate microaggressions and foster inclusivity. ·Pattern Matching in VC: Tino warns against the pitfalls of pattern matching in venture capital funding decisions and advocates for smarter investment strategies. ·Vision for the Future: Tino envisions a future where discrimination is replaced with boundless opportunity, urging for the prioritization of diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship and venture capital. Catch the full episode: https://lnkd.in/eJHg8Cxv #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #DiversityAndInclusion #VentureCapital #BlackOpportunity #IdentityNavigation #RacialEquality

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What do founders need to know when preparing for funding? Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of consulting for companies across Africa and the UK, helping founders navigate the complexities of fundraising. From crafting compelling pitch decks to refining financial models, I’ve seen firsthand what separates those who secure funding from those who don’t. Investor readiness isn’t just about having a great idea – it’s about knowing how to present that idea in a way that makes investors stop and listen. A few key questions to ask yourself before seeking investment: 1. Are you able to articulate your growth potential clearly? 2. Can you demonstrate product-market fit? 3. Is your business model scalable and sustainable? If you're building an innovative earlystage pre-seed or seed startup, I’m here to help guide you through the investor readiness process. My goal is to ensure you're fully prepared before pitching that investor. Let’s make sure you're set up for success. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat about how we can prepare your business for its next funding round! #InvestorReadiness #Fundraising #BusinessGrowth #Startups #VentureCapital

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Congratulations to Marcia Ashong-Sam, MCIArb on being named one of the 100 most influential Africans! I really enjoyed this write-up of Marcia Ashong-Sam, MCIArb and The Boardroom Africa. I've had the pleasure of getting to know Marcia as we've both been @B-WEL Fellows this year. (I've also joined TBrA as a member.) Marcia truly combines vison and strategy with grace and strength. Study after study shows the positive impact diversity on boards has on corporations. Yet, we still do not see a great deal of diversity on corporate boards. Marcia and the team at The Boardroom Africa are working to change that by providing training, developing relationships, and sourcing qualified female candidates for board seats. In her words: “I saw how systems were guiding women away from being part of the decision making. I saw how difficult it was to keep going at the rate I was without being pushed down by the patriarchal setting. There was a constant need to always have allies, to work harder than everybody else...When I see a gap in the social fabric, I want to do something about it. But I wanted to come from a business-case perspective… to being a really practical solution for business, merging the traditional advocacy approach with the need for business to maximise profits. Add to that the importance of creating access to opportunity and how we continue to give women the resources they need to build their leadership capacity. It was important that TBrA took a multi-pronged approach.” https://lnkd.in/erH5yx3U #Leadership #Strategy #Africa #Boards #CorporateBoards

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Spotlight on Purposeful Ventures’ Social Entrepreneur in Residence: Sophie Humphreys OBE    We aim to provide the highest level of expertise to our ventures. That is why we are delighted to have Sophie on the Purposeful Ventures team 👏 🎉    Sophie is the co-founder of two national organisations aimed at breaking destructive cycles. Pause - Creating Space for Change enables vulnerable women to take control of their lives. It has also saved local authorities millions of pounds collectively by preventing more children being taken into care. SHiFT exists to break the destructive cycle of children caught up in, or at risk of, crime.     The #BreakingCycles 'core ingredients' that Sophie devised have been evidenced as effective in breaking destructive cycles and creating wider system change. These ingredients are at the centre of Pause and SHiFT's work and are beginning to be applied to sector-wide issues. Sophie also undertakes serious case reviews into child deaths and offers child protection expertise to national and international governments.       With a wealth of knowledge and first-hand entrepreneurial experience, Sophie has been bringing her expertise to bear in our Children & Families portfolio. She is supporting Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust and other PV partner ventures, using her Breaking Cycles lens to help the teams stress-test their ideas, distil their messaging and define their approach to scaling.      Through working closely with founders and embodying Purposeful Ventures’ high-challenge, high-support ethos, Sophie equips these early-stage organisations to set themselves up for a successful entry to the sector and long-term impact 💪 🏆      The methods Sophie employs enable us to identify the most determined and impact-driven organisations for our portfolios; she is working closely with Michael Clark to further develop Purposeful Ventures’ framework for evaluating pipeline ventures. In this exciting growth stage, Sophie is helping us expand in a focused, systemic and, above all, purposeful way.     'Sophie’s depth of understanding and experience with vulnerable young people makes her an invaluable adviser to Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust. She pairs this experience with great communication skills, helping us to refine our core messaging and values. Her background in founding charities means that, along with the Purposeful Ventures team, she challenges us on what it takes to scale whilst keeping a strict focus on maintaining the quality of what we deliver for our young people.' Emmanuel Akpan-Inwang, Founder and Director, Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust 

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From a recent chat with Byron Grealy, a fellow Saffa 🇿🇦 living in the UK 🇬🇧 We spoke a bit about the evolution of Rafiki.works (Baobab '24), our beliefs around the future of work, the booming freelance economy across Africa, and how that growth is being met by the adoption of open talent strategies globally...but not without its problems and the need for solutions specific to the collaboration of talent and the subsequent flow of money for independent talent across Africa 🌍 Check out Byron's podcast and newsletter and hit him up for your content & copywriting needs! ✍️ #futureofwork #freelanceeconomy #opentalent

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Missed our X Space on intergenerational wealth retention and black tax? No worries! You can catch the full conversation here - https://lnkd.in/dDgMp7aC From candid stories to actionable insights, this session had it all. Revisit the discussion and discover tips on balancing family obligations with wealth building. #BlackTax #GenerationalWealth #YourStoryMatters

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Opportunities for Impact Businesses 1) Marble is offering a Founders-in-Residence programme for entrepreneurs who can identify a breakthrough approach to have a 1% impact on the climate crisis. Throughout the 12-month programme, Marble will support entrepreneurs to develop ideas into pre-seed climate tech startups. The programme grants funding at its different stages. Deadline: 3 May 2) The Food Planet Prize is seeking more groundbreaking projects for 2025. The prize awards $2 million annually for reducing the environmental impact of eating habits. The prize focuses on future impact and can be awarded to individuals or organizations in commercial and non-commercial settings. Deadline: 10 May 3) Women TechEU is an EU-funded project supporting women in deep tech startups, aiming to create a gender-balanced entrepreneurship ecosystem. The project goal is to provide 160 beneficiaries with €75k grants and a personalized business development program, including mentoring, coaching, and targeted training. Deadline: 20 May 4) The ABN AMRO + Techstars Future of Finance Accelerator is a three-month in-person programme in Amsterdam that connects entrepreneurs with industry mentors, corporate partners, investors, and alumni. The accelerator offers financial and fundraising opportunities. Deadline: 22 May 5) RootCamp - A SpinLab Company is offering two programmes (based on startup maturity level) for AgTech and Bioeconomy startup founders to scale more quickly by providing founders with access to funding (up to 40k euros), potential clients, partners, mentors, and experts. Deadline: 30 May #opportunities #calls #deadlines

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Research released today by the Impact Investing Institute, in partnership with Social Finance, reveals continuing momentum in the UK impact investing market. At £77 billion, it is now about 8% of the global impact investing market, and growing faster than conventional investments. Two-thirds of the survey respondents plan to maintain or increase their allocations to impactful companies, assets and projects in the UK over the next five years. And compared to the Institute's 2021 market sizing report, there has been a notable decline in the number of respondents highlighting a lack of suitable investment opportunities or insufficency in data and research. In her foreward, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy notes: "This report highlights the huge opportunities that exist and the potential for impact investment to radically improve our daily lives ." The report is available at: https://lnkd.in/eT8Uy8eA #impactinvesting Sarah Teacher Bella Landymore The Global Impact Investing Network The Investment Association Just Climate The Dunhill Medical Trust Schroders Columbia Threadneedle Investments EMEA APAC Federated Hermes West Midlands Combined Authority West Midlands Pension Fund Responsible Finance Pathway Fund Department for Culture, Media and Sport

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ICYMI catch the latest episode of 54 Unscripted with Gitau Mburu and some words of wisdom unpacking why entrepreneurship should be accessible to all! 🚀🚀🚀

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Black Female Entrepreneurs needed for Diaspora VC Research Project Research Objectives: 1.Critically analyse system biases and barriers within Venture Capital 2.Conduct primary research to investigate the systemic inequalities against Black Female Entrepreneur’s? 3.Formulate solutions and recommendations Introduction Venture capital is not a level playing field’. (British Business Bank, 2023). VC firms are the critical gatekeeper of technological innovation globally. ‘VC’s decide which new technologies and tech companies are worthy of funding’, (Kleinman,2021). Consequently, excluding marginalised groups in society from the opportunity to build generational wealth and better future for their offspring. Barriers to capital flow for black female entrepreneurs (BFE’s)report (2021) identified three ‘demand side barriers’, within the context of the investment pipeline. a)‘BFE’s access to existing investment instruments is difficult or not possible’. The contributing factors are poor financial literacy and access to financial instruments. The limited ‘access to quality education’ to study business or STEM subjects. Social and economic challenges like lack of generational wealth further compound these issues. b)‘Historical interactions discourage BFE’s from engaging with investors.’ Therefore, a resistance to dilute ownership of their company. c)‘BFE’s have limited ability to ‘bootstrap’ or access early-stage capital’. Contradictorily, bootstrapping is the only option. The Context -       the project is a university module called the live commercial project with Leeds Beckett University. However, I intend to start the fund independently from the university when I complete my studies in September. -       I must conduct primary research to validate the hypothesis; Is there a need for this for fund? And what ‘value creation’ do Black Female Founders desire in a VC Fund? 🔌 Participants needed Are you a Black Female Founder, with experience of VC fund raising? Whether you were successful or not, is no issue. I would love to interview you to substantiate the need for the new fund. Interview slots are available between the 12th – 26th of August 2024. At a flexible time between 8am – 10pm.  The Interviews are under 60mins and conducted remotely. 🔔 Contact me for participant information. And everyone, please share and comment below.  

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Speaking at the Soft Launch and Mini Fundraising for the Ghana Menstrual Hygiene Management Project at the invitation of the Rotaract Club of Ring road, I shared that as we navigate the myriad of challenges our communities face, it has become increasingly clear that the complex issues we aim to address, be it poverty, education, health, or social justice are far too vast for any one organization to tackle alone. For too long, many of us have worked in silos, driven by the desire to protect our missions and secure our own resources. While this approach has led to important successes, it has also limited our collective impact. The time has come for us to embrace a new model. One that prioritizes collaboration over competition, partnership over isolation. I believe that by pooling our resources, sharing our expertise, and aligning our efforts, we can create synergies that amplify our impact and accelerate progress. Collaboration allows us to innovate, leverage diverse perspectives, and address the root causes of the challenges we seek to solve more effectively. #MWF2024 #YALI2024 #YALI2024Fellow #MandelaFellows #Exchangeourworld #EwuraAdamsKarim #maltitifoundation #leadershiprenaissance #renovatingGhana

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Orientation day for almost 300 entrepreneurs today Women from all Over Africa Businesses from different sectors All female owned businesses!! The Graça Machel Trust Women Creating Wealth Programme is an incredible programme funded by Mastercard and run through Graça Machel Trust with the mandate to grow and scale female owned businesses; boost employment, create jobs and create wealth for all involved! so proud to be part of the team #growthcoach #lifecoach #businessdevelopmentcoach #programmemanagement #projectmanagement #businessinafrica

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These sessions provide valuable insight and an opportunity to shape the future of the Social Economy

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Today, I want to celebrate an extraordinary woman my source of inspiration & strength: "my Ma", Faieza Sanders, original CREATIVE DIRECTOR of my life. Her journey is a testament to resilience, adaptability, & unwavering dedication. Most know her as the amazing Specialist Sourdough Baker, founder of Cooking Culture-- but this is a mere slice in her list of innovation. Started as a bank teller fresh out of high school, she quickly realised that growth required change. Moved into the Design & Print Industry, she transformed challenges into opportunities, mastered every new skill required. From operating switchboards to becoming a graphic designer, she learned the intricacies of design before the digital age, using dry-transfer lettering sheets, grid paper & markers. When technology revolutionised the industry, she didn't fear change. Instead, she embraced it, becoming proficient in Mac OS, Aldus PageMaker & Macromedia Freehand, ensuring she understood the tools she was selling. This adaptability not only advanced her career but also brought Apple Computers into South Africa, always fostering environments of learning & innovation. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to start multiple successful businesses, from Design services to photobooks & personalised printing solutions. In fact, she was a pioneer in establishing the photobook market in South Africa as. She saw the potential of digital photobooks long before they became mainstream, organising distribution points & working with printers to offer personalised, high-quality photobooks that became a game-changer for photographers & families alike. If you need verification on who started photobooks in South Africa, just ask RapidStudio & iStore South Africa. Taught herself advanced software skills, became a certified expert, shared her knowledge generously, training other designers & empowering them to start their own ventures. Her love for learning & sharing knowledge extended beyond design. She explored various creative avenues, including gourmet cooking & floristry, turning her passions into successful businesses. She believes in the power of continuous learning, research & adapting to new challenges. Every business process she created flourishes, empowers many, and still exists today, even if no longer under her direction. One of her most profound lessons is that there are no problems, only opportunities. She taught me to always think ahead, use the right tools & never stop learning. Her living legacy is one of innovation, creativity & an unwavering belief in the power of perseverance. Thank you, Mummy, for showing me that no matter how many barriers are put in front of us, there is always a way. You are a true superwoman & you continue to inspire me. Here's to all the amazing mothers who shape our lives with their love, wisdom, creativity & strength. 🌟 #BecauseEverydayIsMothersDay The Graça Machel Trust Women Creating Wealth Programme Graça Machel Trust

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Ready to win UKSPF funding? Learn how AutogenAI can boost your chances of success.

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Welcome to Women in Tech Africa UK Chapter! Women in Tech Africa (UK Chapter) is at the forefront of empowering women in the tech industry! Our mission is to ignite the passion and potential of women and girls, guiding them to thrive in the dynamic world of technology. By bridging the gap between current industry leaders and future tech luminaries, we cultivate an inclusive environment that embraces diversity and offers both inspiration and practical expertise. Objectives Include: 📍Cultivating a vibrant tech sector rich with female talent: We aspire to see more women not only entering tech professions but also assuming leadership roles within the industry. 📍Establishing a robust STEM pipeline for girls: Our vision entails providing clear pathways for girls interested in STEM fields, equipping them with the necessary resources to pursue fulfilling careers. 📍Empowering female entrepreneurs in STEM: We actively champion women who are pioneering innovations and building enterprises in STEM domains, providing them with support and resources along their journey. We Can’t Keep Calm! We're thrilled to announce that Kemi Adeyanju will be leading the Women in Technology Africa (WITA) UK Chapter!  WITA is a dynamic organisation dedicated to empowering women in tech across Africa by fostering connections, professional development, and advocacy initiatives. Women in Tech Africa’s Vision is three fold:  📍Creating today’s female leaders and role Models for tomorrow’s Women 📍Showing the world what a strong African woman in capable of achieving 📍Support African growth through technology Meet Kemi Adeyanju Kemi's extensive experience in legal, regulatory, public policy and compliance matters within the tech space across EMEA, combined with her background managing subsea systems and fibre infrastructure suppliers globally, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, makes her a perfect fit to drive WITA's mission forward in the UK. Kemi Adeyanju is passionate about:  📍Launching impactful advocacy initiatives to bridge the gender gap in tech. 📍Building a robust mentorship program to connect experienced professionals with aspiring women in tech.  📍Creating a thriving WITA UK Chapter community through engaging events and networking opportunities. What to do? Are you an African woman in tech based in the UK or aspiring to be one? We encourage you to join the WITA UK Chapter and be part of this incredible movement! Stay tuned for upcoming events and opportunities to connect with fellow members. Together, we can create a more inclusive and empowered tech landscape in Africa and beyond. Want to Get in Touch? Visit the WITA UK Chapter website to learn more and join the UK Chapter here: https://lnkd.in/g225jhzg and the main page: https://lnkd.in/gFq9P84Q Women in Tech Africa

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I am grateful for the opportunity to share my story with Bold Journey. From my roots as a first-gen Nigerian to Fufu and Grits, empathy has shaped everything I do. It’s been a year of growth, reflection, and building intentionality. Check out the full conversation: https://lnkd.in/dep2zqa4

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