Alumna featured in The Guardian, Nigeria
Inspirational entrepreneur, Anna Ekeledo (MSc International Marketing Management 2012) was featured and interviewed for The Guardian, Nigeria.
Anna is the Executive Director of AfriLabs, a network organisation of over 300 technology innovation hubs spread across 49 African countries. They develop programmes and build partnerships that support African innovation hubs and other stakeholders to support entrepreneurs who can stimulate economic growth and social development in Africa.
Anna shares her career journey, and offers insight into how SMEs can identify and leverage technology to digitize processes and reduce costs; how she is strengthening innovation hubs across Africa, creating access and opportunity for girls to learn about STEM and career pathways, and how women can innovate and succeed in the tech space.
“A lot of women were raised traditionally to be good homemakers, wives and mothers, with little priority given to the importance of career growth. While I believe it is ultimately the woman’s choice to pursue a career or not, it is important that from home, school and even in the workplace, women should be mentored on making important career decisions. Women shouldn’t have to feel like they have to choose between a thriving career and a family.”
Alongside her role at AfriLabs, Anna is also an international speaker, trainer, innovator and mentor, as well as a member of the advisory board at African Europe Innovation Partnership, an initiative supported by the European Commission. She chairs the working party on AfCFTA negotiations, eCommerce Forum Africa (EFA) and is a mentor on Google Launchpad Accelerator Africa for Entrepreneurs.
