The third edition of The Future is Female Mentorship Program, the only PR and communications mentorship program dedicated exclusively to African female tech founders, has announced the 25 finalists for this year. In this edition, the program received 343 applications from 36 different African countries, translating to a 91% increase compared to the applications received in the 2021 edition. C. Moore Media launched the inaugural edition in 2020 on Africa Day.
The finalists for the 2022 program come from a range of African countries. The selected finalists are:
● Folake Soetan Owodunni, CEO and co-founder of Emergency Response Africa, a Nigerian health-tech startup focused on medical emergencies.
● Linda Ekweogu, co-founder of Agrolinka, a Nigerian e-commerce startup providing access to farm produce.
● Vanessa Christian, co-founder of Propslot, a Nigerian prop-tech startup that provides access to real estate properties.
● Jennifer Esiaba, CEO of 8mg Health, a Nigerian health-tech startup providing access to medicine and medical supplies from local pharmacies in Nigeria.
● Fatoye Omowunmi, co-founder of I-Healthify, a Nigerian online marketplace for healthcare.
● Chikere Onyinyechi, CEO of Clozetsales, a Nigerian second-hand clothing e-commerce marketplace.
● Precious Eniayekan, co-founder of Propfunds, a Nigerian prop-tech startup providing ownership and investment opportunities for real estate.
● Wambui Karingithi, co-founder of Chiza Health, a Kenyan health-tech startup.
● Radhika Bhachu, co-founder of Ndovu, a Kenyan investment and fund management startup that provides access to global markets.
● Linet Kinyua, co-founder of Pensoft System Limited, a Kenyan IT services and management company.
● Mercy Angela Nantongo, founder of Simbi Mall, a Ugandan online marketplace.
● Tugume Agnes Brenda, founder of Esoptron Salon, a Ugandan online startup providing home-based salon services.
● Melissa Gondai, founder of Jotter, a Zimbabwean startup.
● Setsoto Hlohlomi, president of BasaliTech, a non-profit organisation providing custom and on-demand technology training to individuals in Lesotho.
● Tlaleng Mokoma, founder of Mphalane.
● Susan Mwandila, general manager of Larn Innovation Hub, an innovation hub aimed at training young people in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
● Amandra Musuumba, co-founder of Edge Express, a Zambian food delivery app.
● Retiana Phiri, the CEO and founder of Invenker Technologies, a Zambian startup that manufactures medical equipment and smart devices and develops medical software.
● Birba Delwende, founder of AI-King Group, an artificial intelligence startup from Burkina Faso.
● Massa Weeks, founder and CEO of Girl in Tech Liberia, a Liberian non-profit organisation that provides technology training to women.
● Gloria Tshiashi, founder of PreventPain, a health-tech startup digitising local hospitals in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
● Vanessa Buhendwa, founder of Malisho.
● Rethabile Konopo, founder of Legaltech Botswana Academy.
● Kalitsiro Mwale, founder of TechPearl, a Malawian program that equips girls with digital skills.
● Monica Mesame Ewang, Ekose-Rx, a Cameroonian health-tech startup digitising pharmaceutical products.
Enterprises offering solutions in health, education, finance, agriculture, gender equity, and sustainability issues received special consideration during the selection process.
For the third edition, C.Moore has partnered with TechCabal and Africa Communications Week, a global platform for communications professionals focused on Africa to provide additional perspectives, tools, and insights for the selected founders.
As part of the partnership, TechCabal will lead masterclasses that will give the selected finalists insights on how to work with the media. The finalists will gain insight on how to position their startups to attract the attention of the press, the importance of collaborations, and growth strategies during two masterclasses led by TechCabal. Africa Communications Week will provide the selected startups with access to extensive Pan-African and multi-market PR expertise.
After these masterclasses, the mentees will participate in three months of mentorship sessions tailored to their unique company needs. The specialised training will give early-stage tech businesses insights into PR and communications fundamentals, such as developing a communications plan, corporate narrative, media relations, digital marketing, and more.
