As June comes to an end, the FoundHer accelerator program 2024 of Wentors also comes to an end.
The aim of this program is to present a flagship innovative platform to drive inclusion within technology for women-led startups and foster female-inspired, gender-specific solutions to thrive in the tech industry.
The accelerator program presents 10 startup founders with the opportunity to access funding, global mentorship, business development support, etc.
It consisted of a three-week mentorship program combined with three days of soft skill training. It ended with a pitch day, following which two selected firms were assigned to represent Nigeria in the She Loves Tech regional competition.
The secret sauce of this program? Our incredible mentors and speakers! These dedicated individuals invest their time throughout the week to guide our founders, making sure they have the tools and knowledge they need to conquer the next stage of their startup journey.
Let’s find out what the Wentees have to say about their Wentors!
Ezinwanyi Onuiri — Human Resource Professional
Ezinwanyi is a mind transformation coach with over 10 years of professional experience in various aspects of Human Resources and Operations Management in the Banking & Financial Services Industries and Start-up Companies. She is also a Certified Life Coach, Neuro Linguistic Programming & EFT Practitioner, and a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist.
During the course of mentorship, Ezeinwanyi mentored Phebean Obe, the founder of Evet. An organization that helps farmers access veterinary extension services, run lab tests, and buy vaccines and drugs.
On behalf of Evet! We say thank you!
Yuliya Alyasheva — Co-founder at LLC Heyday
Yuliya is an experienced Security Professional with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. She is also the co-founder of LLC Heyday. a specialist provider of technology services and healthcare solutions, consistently delivers best-in-class solutions and an unmatched cost advantage to organizations worldwide
During the course of the accelerator program, Yuliya mentored Bukunola Bolajoko, founder of 1101 Technologies, an organization aimed to deliver impactful deep technology solutions for a market driven energy transition.
“I gained valuable insights and guidance from my experienced industry mentor, Yulia. Additionally, accessed essential resources and tools that have supported my business development through the weekly sessions” Said Bukunola
Caitlin Hafer — Co-founder at Hedgehog
Caitlin has spent the last 15 years honing her creativity, leadership, and problem-solving skills as a performing artist and producer. She brings these same skills to digital marketing and start-up realms to find new solutions to old problems and spot underutilized connections.
During the course of the accelerator program, Caitlin mentored Oke Egbi, the founder of Mida. Mida handles all loan repayment needs from collections to recovery.
“Dear Caitlin, thank you for bringing great structure and tips to every meeting and for your incredible energy. I really appreciate your support and will keep in touch” — Said Oke Egbi
Mary Ikegbulam — Information Security Consultant
Mary is a A Cyber Security Analyst with a demonstrated history of working in the banking industry. Strong information technology professional with a Master’s degree focused in Information Technology from Bournemouth University.
During the accelerator program, Mary mentored Odianosen Joy Peter, the founder of 10MG Pharma. 10MG Pharma aims to provide affordable and accessible chronic pain medications in Africa.
“Thank you Wentor for the amazing session. I learnt how best to shape my healthcare solution of providing affordable chronic pain medication” — Joy Peter
OFONIME BROWN — Program Coordinator @ Women Who Codes
Ofonime is a a community driven female software developer on the frontend track with extensive and transferable cross industry experience in web and mobile development with project(programs)management/product development + UI/UX design and n-tier architecture, data modeling and high performance optimisation on e-commerce systems with B2B models with research skills.
During the accelerator program, Ofonime mentored Etim Monic Monday. The founder of Gemhands. Gemhands is a social enterprise that aims to bring solutions to environmental and social problems through recycling.
“A very big thank you to my Wentor for the inspiring session, recommendations and feedback. My take home from the session with her are so immerse and i will put everything into practice” — Monic
Ufua Ameh — Meta Scrum Master @ MTN
With over 14 years of experience and 5 years as a Scrum Master, Ufua has successfully led and coached high-performing Agile delivery teams across various domains and technologies. She has a strong background in technology product and solution delivery, and is proficient in using various Agile and Lean tools and techniques to create efficiency and transparency for the products and services being built.
During the accelerator program, Ufua mentored BOLARINWA KEMISOLA, the founder of Nextweartech. Nextweartech is a smart, portable and compact early detection wearable device .Easier to fund, deliver and implement — in any health facility anytime, anywhere.
“Dear Ufua, I want to use this medium to express my heartfelt gratitude and support during my sessions with you. Your insight and advice are incredibly valuable to me. Thank you so much for your time and your attention. I sincerely appreciate it. You are such a sister and an angel. I wish you all the best in your endeavors” — Bolarinwa
Omolara Osiyemi — Co-Founder The Product Cradle
Omolara is the co-founder of The Product Cradle, a community of product people by product people, and a former product manager at MTN Nigeria, one of the largest telecommunications and technology companies in Africa. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, she has led the creation and launch of innovative products and services that solve customer pain points and create value for the business.
During the accelerator program, Omolara mentored If Durosinmi-Etti, the founder of Herconomy. Herconomy empowers women to gain control of their money and secure their financial future through savings.
“My sincere gratitude for your invaluable support and contribution. The past 3 weeks has been a whirlwind of learning and i truly appreciate the time and expertise you’ve invested in me” — Durosinmi
Peninah Kariuki — Head of Technical Operations at Food For Education
Backed by over 10 years of experience in IT and a record of success with Eclectics International, Limited, Peninah has been heralded as a strategic and goal-oriented expert with the ability to optimize organizational strategy. Her diverse expertise in business, technology, and customer-centric sectors allows her to contribute a unique and valuable perspective to each position she holds and has driven her to secure innumerable successes with each company she partners with.
During the accelerator program, she metored Blessing Unoka, the founder of Sambal, A cloud based agritech platform which provides nutritious, healthy and tasty natural food products.
“Thank you so much Mrs Peninah, I appreciate all you did for my startup, it is more than money can ever buy. It was so refreshing seeing someone who is a technologist and a founder too with so much experience to share with me. I appreciate your patience with me ma” — Blessing
Rebecca Bird — Startup Founder @ BixBe Tech
leveraging her diverse experiences, Rebecca established BixBe Tech, a tech-centric enterprise providing comprehensive services such as web solutions, software and hardware support, cybersecurity measures, and IT assistance.
During the accelerator program, Rebecca mentored Folake Kofo-Idowu, the founder of Iyewo, a Subscription-based primary care that leverages technology, community health workers, and local thrift culture to deliver quality care.
“I am really appreciative of the attention to details my wentor gave. The advice and encouragement was top tier. I know this is the beginning of a good relationship” — Folake
Onyinye Madubuko — Microsoft MVP
Onyinye is a strategic Solutions Architect with more than a decade of IT experience in modern workplace technology, digital transformation, oversight of infrastructure, change management and security services. Well-organized and dedicated to customer satisfaction with focused delivery of technical solutions.
During the accelerator program, she mentored Ajirioghene Amadi, the founder of Trashcoin and a qualifier for the SLT accelerator program. Trashcoin is digital Waste Management platform that combines sustainability and fin-tech to recover recyclable waste from communities.
“Thank you so much madam Oninye, indeed a SOLID match for Trashcoin. Thank you for your valuable insight and proper guidance. My Wentor was committed to my advancement and me breaking barriers during the program, so and celebrated me for my wins” — Amadi
We at wentors also say a very big thank you for your dedication in inspiring these founders’ lives. We believe the lessons they have learned from you will improve their branding!
Apart from the Wentors, 3 major individuals have also contributed to the success of these events. They are our speakers for the soft skill training which covers Ideation and Product development, market analysis and customers’ engagement, and go-to market strategy and engagement.
Ideation and Product development
Yewande Oyebo took us through everything it takes to develop a product. From identifying your target audience to conducting market analysis. Yewande has over 9 years of experience in creating impactful, easy-to-use, and revenue-generating products across B2C and B2B environments. She has managed product portfolios generating millions of dollars and reaching thousands of people.
With a Computer Science degree and certifications in finance, marketing and sales, she has a strong background in data and business analytics, user experience and delivery management.
On behalf of all wentees, we say a very big thank you!
Market analysis and customers’ engagement
What is a product that can’t provide customer’s satisfaction?? During this soft skill, Soromfe Uzomah took us through a very impactful session on how to conduct market analysis and engage our customers. Being a Principal Program Manager at Microsoft, Soromfe has over 8 years of experience analyzing the market and engaging the customers.
Soromfe Uzomah is a technology leader with years of experience spanning business development, strategy, innovation and engineering, working on projects covering multiple sectors across Africa. This experience has seen him work with leadership teams across an array of companies to create and execute strategies suited for engendering sustainable growth and creating business impact.
He is passionate about technology and its potential for impact and has successfully led teams responsible for delivering on business innovation and executing high-impact projects.
Go-to market strategy and engagement
Adebowale Ajayi gave a well detailed explanation on how to develop market strategies regardless of the type of products you are offering. He is a marketing leader with extensive B2B Lead generation experience. He is also very adept at building and leading growing marketing teams to achieve an organization’s objective.
He has over 12 years of Marketing experience across different roles, with the last 7 years being in leadership roles. On behalf of Wentees, we say a very big thank you to you!!
Wentors’ FoundHer Accelerator Program 2024 is a program aimed at assisting women-owned businesses.
Funding, mentoring, and company development help are all provided to founders through the program. The founders, experts, and mentors of this year’s program were incredibly committed to making it successful.
The entrepreneurs gained insightful knowledge on go-to-market strategy, market analysis, mentoring, and product development. Additionally, congratulations to the two SLT program qualifiers!
We look forward to seeing their businesses grow in the future!!
