Women from across Africa will converge in Nairobi in October for the entrepreneurship and innovation summit whose main objective is to unlock their economic and strategic potential.
The two-day entrepreneurship and innovative summit, to be held at the Boma Hotel on October 10th and 11th, will bring together over 300 delegates from 30 African countries who will include business leaders, managers and innovators as well as artists and opinion shapers from various sectors.
The delegates will explore ways of women playing a bigger role in innovation-led economies under the theme, “Opportunity Countdown.”
The entrepreneurship and innovative summit has been organised by Expodium Africa Ltd, an events company based in Nairobi.
Expodium Africa CEO Evelyn Kimathi says the entrepreneurship and innovative summit seeks to break the barriers to entrepreneurship for women and ensure support for female entrepreneurs by advocating measures to improve access to finance, education, innovation, government policies and networks.
“The entrepreneurship and innovative summit aims at connecting entrepreneurs with investors, corporate and policymakers to facilitate their growth strategies,” said Ms Kimathi. “Conversations will centre on impact investing, innovation and more.”
In today’s fast-paced world, businesses are becoming highly digitalized and work highly distributed and mobile. She says embracing technological innovation will reshape women entrepreneurship and create a virtuous circle of investment and growth.
Women have lately been consolidating their collective contribution to economies through active participation in policy formulation and economic growth. In most countries, women contribute at least 25% to the national GDP.
“With women empowerment programs and support groups, African women can confront gender-based attacks in all sectors of the economy. Africa is producing talented women entrepreneurs’ despite the odds and obstacles that impede their success in business,” says Ms Kimathi.
She said gender equality is crucial to creating inclusive and sustainable economies and societies.
“A woman is facing twice the hurdles a man would have faced while establishing himself as an entrepreneur,” she said. “It is time we work towards creating enabling an environment for women entrepreneurs.”