{"id":144246,"date":"2019-08-23T20:30:22","date_gmt":"2019-08-23T18:30:22","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2019-08-23T20:30:22","modified_gmt":"2019-08-23T18:30:22","slug":"africa-netpreneur-prize-initiative-announces-world-class-semi-finalist-judging-panel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/africa-netpreneur-prize-initiative-announces-world-class-semi-finalist-judging-panel\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative Announces World-Class Semi-finalist Judging Panel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative Announces World-Class Semi-finalist Judging Panel<\/a>: <\/p>\n

Lagos, August 14, 2019 \u2013 The semi-finalist judging panel for this year\u2019s Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) have been announced.<\/p>\n

The ANPI is a prize competition for African entrepreneurs spearheaded by the Jack Ma Foundation. For the next ten years, the ANPI will be hosted across Africa culminating in an annual finale where ten finalists will compete in a pitch competition. The ANPI aims to support and inspire the next generation of African entrepreneurs across all sectors, who are building a more sustainable and inclusive economy for the future.<\/p>\n

Applications for the first ANPI officially closed 30 June 2019 and nearly 10,000 applications from 50 African countries were received. The semi-finalist judging panel consists of seven esteemed entrepreneurs, investors, and businesspeople from across the continent. The panel will evaluate the semi-finalists and select the top ten finalists for the ANPI. These 10 finalists will go on to pitch Jack Ma and other influential judges for the chance to be awarded a share of USD 1 million in total grand prize money during the finale event in Accra, Ghana this November.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled with the response and the quality of the applications we have received. We look forward to the next phase where this panel of illustrious judges will help decide on our finalists,\u201d said Jason Pau, Senior Advisor for International Programs for the Jack Ma Foundation.
\u201cOur goal when selecting the roster of judges for the ANPI was to find true representatives of the diverse entrepreneurial and business landscape in Africa. The judges we have selected are true leaders in their industries, and bring vastly different backgrounds, accomplishments, and skillsets to the table. Their feedback will be invaluable and will set the tone for the competition. We wish both the applicants and judges the best of luck as we make our way to the grand finale in Accra,\u201d concludes Pau.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s impressive to see the passion coming from across Africa. I\u2019m inspired by the quality of applications received and to see how young and old people are making a difference through the resilience and grit shown by their focus on the community,\u201d said Sam Gichuru, Founder and CEO of Nailab. \u201cI am looking forward to seeing the finalists for the first year. To the entrepreneurs who missed the application deadline, be ready to apply in the coming year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meet the Judges<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu<\/span>: Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu is a globally acclaimed serial entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of soleRebels, the world\u2019s fastest-growing African footwear brand. Bethlehem is also the founder of premium coffee brand Garden of Coffee, which launched in July 2016. Following the success of the brand across Ethiopia, Bethlehem is now in the process of opening 100 Garden of Coffee roastery cafes across China. Bethlehem also founded Perimeter Consulting, a strategic consulting service housing Made By Ethiopia, a public-private partnership with the Footwear Distribution and Retailers of America that enables some of the world\u2019s top brands to manufacture their footwear in Ethiopia. Most recently, Bethlehem launched GIZA digital, a payment and ecommerce platform and NoodFoods, a franchise business that uses locally sourced fruits and vegetables to create snacks. Bethlehem is recognised as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, is a member of the World Economic Forum\u2019s Global Expert Network and was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012 by The World Economic Forum. She is also a Forbes World\u2019s 100 Most Powerful Women and one of CNN\u2019s Top 12 Women Entrepreneurs of The Last Century.<\/p>\n

Fatoumata Ba<\/span>: Fatoumata Ba is a technology entrepreneur and venture capital investor currently serving as the Founder and Executive Chair of Janngo and Managing Partner of Janngo Capital. Janngo builds, grows and invests in pan-African \u2018tech for good\u2019 champions and is backed by top-tier African and international strategic and financial investors; including the Mulliez Family, Clipperton Finance and African HNWI. Additionally, in Ivory Coast she served as Founder and CEO, as well as Managing Director in Nigeria and Member of the Executive Committee at the Africa level of Jumia, the leading tech unicorn in Africa now listed on the NYSE. She is passionate about leapfrogging development through technology in Africa, with a particular focus on women, SMEs, healthcare and education. She has been awarded several distinctions including The World Economic Forum \u2018Young Global Leader\u2019, Choiseul 100 Africa \u2018Economic Leaders of Tomorrow\u2019, Forbes Africa \u201830 under 30\u2019 and the Aenne Burda Award for visionary leadership, optimism and courage alongside Marissa Mayer, Arianna Huffington and Viviane Reding. She serves on the Board of SouthBridge Investment Bank, on the Board and Investment Committee of Creadev Africa, on the Council of Women in Africa and on the Global Future Council on the New Economic Agenda of the World Economic Forum.<\/p>\n

Mari\u00e8me Diop<\/span>: Mari\u00e8me Diop currently serves as an Investment Manager at Orange Digital Ventures Africa \u2013 Orange Group\u2019s \u20ac50 million venture capital fund dedicated to African startups. Through this role, she\u2019s actively involved in launching and scaling investment vehicles and direct investments targeted at technology startups across Africa. Mari\u00e8me is passionate about supporting founder teams of early stage technology companies in building Africa\u2019s next business champions. In 2018, Mari\u00e8me also founded an angel network for francophone startups called the Dakar Network Angels (DNA). Her focus over seven years has been technology and innovation and she has occupied different roles of responsibility with a team leadership role and international exposure. Mari\u00e8me is a Fellow of President Obama\u2019s flagship program \u2018Young African Leaders Initiative\u2019, World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and member of the GSMA Programme Leadership Group \u201cPLG.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hasan Haider<\/span>: Hasan Haider is a Partner at 500 Startups, the most active Venture Capital firm in the world, based in Silicon Valley, with more than 2,000 investments in more than 50 countries and $ 400 million in AuM. Hasan heads up the firms practice in the MENA region, with the Arabic speaking market being a core area of focus. 500 Startups has invested in over 100 startups in the region over the course of the last 4 years, including Wuzzuf, Jamalon and fetchr. Hasan was the Co-founder and CEO of Tenmou, the first business angel\u2019s organization in Bahrain and one of the first in the MENA region. Hasan\u2019s work in developing angel investment in emerging markets through Tenmou has been picked up as a case study by the World Bank and is taught to Entrepreneurship Policy makers at Babson College.<\/p>\n

Peter Orth<\/span>: Peter Orth is a founder and Managing Partner of 4DX Ventures, an Africa focused venture capital fund. Prior to founding 4DX Ventures, Peter was an investor for over a decade, with work spanning global macro investing, public and private equity investing, as well as overall portfolio and risk management strategy design. Orth has held investment roles at Bridgewater Associates (Emerging Markets Research and Lead China Analyst), Adakin Capital (public and private equity investing at an NYC-based family office), and JPMorgan (investment banking). In addition, he ran strategy and business development at Mirror Labs, a venture-backed business in the Blockchain space. He graduated from Tufts University in 2007 with degrees in Quantitative Economics and International Relations.<\/p>\n

Ren\u00e9 Parker<\/span>: Ren\u00e9 Parker is the Managing Director and CEO of RLabs, a global social enterprise with a strong focus on community-driven innovation and social change. RLabs currently has activities in Africa, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and North and South America impacting more than 10 million people across 23 countries. She has played a leading role in transforming RLabs into an award winning global social enterprise from the humble beginnings of a community project in Cape Town. She served as a board member of the Living Labs in Southern Africa (LLiSA) network where she fulfilled the portfolio of capacity building, community development and communications. She is a founding member of the Western Cape government youth development network currently focused on driving youth economic empowerment through technology, entrepreneurship and innovation. Rene is also the co-founder of RLabs Women, an organisation that aims to build technology and innovation capacity amongst women in marginalised communities. She also serves in an advisory capacity to several international universities and has done extensive work with organisations such as the Finnish Foreign Ministry, GIZ, AfriLabs, i4Policy, UNWomen, Naspers, NedBank and Accenture.<\/p>\n

Fred Swaniker<\/span>: Fred Swaniker is on a mission to bring better leadership to Africa and the world. He is the founder of the African Leadership Group \u2014 an ecosystem of organisations that collectively aims to develop three million entrepreneurial leaders for Africa by 2035. Swaniker previously worked as a McKinsey consultant in South Africa before earning an MBA from Stanford and becoming an entrepreneur. In 2019, he was recognized by TIME magazine on its list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Swaniker has also been recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader; an Echoing Green Fellow; a Fellow of the Aspen Institute\u2019s Global Leadership Network; a TED Fellow; and was named one of Forbes Magazine\u2019s top ten young \u2018power men\u2019 in Africa in 2011. In addition to his MBA from Stanford, Fred has an undergraduate degree from Macalester College and honorary doctorates from Middlebury College, Macalester College, and Nelson Mandela University. Fred sits on several boards and advisory boards\u2014including the Graca Machel Trust, AGRA and Andela. He also sits on Nestle\u2019s Creating Shared Value Council.<\/p>\n

\"Jack<\/a>
Jack Ma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative Announces World-Class Semi-finalist Judging Panel: Lagos, August 14, 2019 \u2013 The semi-finalist judging panel for this year\u2019s Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) have been announced. The ANPI is a prize competition for African entrepreneurs spearheaded by the Jack Ma Foundation. For the next ten years, the ANPI will be hosted across […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[18],"tags":[8275,3335,953],"class_list":{"0":"post-144246","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-durban","7":"tag-durban","8":"tag-mydurban-co-za","9":"tag-newspaper","10":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144246\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}