Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Articles 11 to 20 of 89
Nigerians are not very health conscious. Consequently, their life expectancy is much lower than that of Americans. Lagos entrepreneur Mosun Dosunmu is taking to the streets with her mobile health testing service to help the people of her country tune into their bodies and take back their health.
Mohammed Al Adham and Adil Lalani, founders of TwitVid, a service that facilitates the sharing of homemade videos through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, hear investors asking these days, "So, you're doing this thing like 'Social Network?'" They are learning lessons in venture capital funding and what factors to weigh to determine the right amount to seek.
Saidat Shonoiki needed only to look at Nigeria's environment for inspiration when she started her business making fish food pellets in 2005. And yet, while lakes, streams and rivers are plentiful, the Nigerian fish farming industry has faltered. Shonoiki is finding ways through her company to strengthen her country's aquaculture trade and help farmers implement sound business strategies.
So often women entrepreneurs build their businesses from skills they have either learned in childhood or taught themselves at home. Such is the story of Sola Babatunde, a fashion designer who taught herself to sew when she needed a job that fit with the demands of motherhood. Her once micro-business now exports to North America, and Babatunde is sharing her success by teaching other young women in her community how to sew.
Aboobaker Moosa is managing director of the South Africa-based Avalon Group, the country's oldest independent cinema exhibition, distribution and entertainment business. Moosa spoke to Knowledge@Wharton on the problems the group has faced in the past and the business opportunities in present-day South Africa.
Fadi Ghandour is one of the Middle East's best-known entrepreneurs. The founder of global logistics and transportation company Aramex, Ghandour has had his hand on the pulse of the Arab startup ecosystem from the beginning as a founding partner of Maktoob, the Arab/English Internet portal that Yahoo! bought in the fall of 2009 for $164 million. Established in 1982 as an express operator for the Middle East and South Asia, Aramex became the first Arab-based company to trade its shares on NASDAQ in 1997, and now trades on the Dubai Financial Market.
The story of Maha Al-Ghunaim, the only woman at the head of an investment bank in the Middle East, is one of both triumph and loss at the whim of the fickle financial markets. The once high-flying Global Investment House, a Kuwaiti investment bank she built with four friends, was in trouble during the global banking crisis in late 2008 and 2009. Al-Ghunaim helped restructure the business and now, with Global's stock price still depressed, waits and watches to see what the future holds. This article is adapted from a case study written by Professor Adrian Tschoegl of the Wharton School with support from a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women grant to the Lauder Institute.
Following years of civil and economic turmoil, the West African nation of Liberia suffers from high unemployment rates, especially among its youth, and limited opportunities for sustained development. The Goldman Sachs
10,000 Women initiative is educating women entrepreneurs and connecting them to capital to help them start and manage businesses with growth potential. Beauty school owner Christine Tour is one example of a woman on a mission to help her family and her country prosper.
A critical step in the creation of a new venture is raising the capital to bring the new venture to life. What sources of capital can entrepreneurs tap and what factors must they keep in mind when going through the process? In this podcast Steve Sammut, a senior fellow and lecturer at Wharton, discusses the promises and pitfalls of dealing with venture capitalists.
Pianporn Deetes has taken on the challenge of helping protect the environment in her native Thailand and beyond. She founded Living River Siam in order to protect the rights of villagers along the Mekong River. She knew water could become one of the most politically sensitive topics. Using her organizational skills, she has empowered villagers, giving them arguments and tools to uphold their interests. She stands as an example of how social entrepreneurship can help improve the lot of the poor while preserving the environment. This article is adapted from a case study written by Professor Victoria Johnson of the University of Michigan with support from a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women grant to the Lauder Institute.
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