I joined more than 50 participants from all over Africa to receive training and mentorship at the Social and Inclusive Business Camp (SIBC) from world-class experts including Isabelle Hoyaux, Founder of Scalechanger, Isadora Bigourdan, team leader at SIBC, Erik Hersman, CEO of BRCK, Tomi Davies, President of African Business Angel Network, Sarah Toumi, Director - General of Acacias for All, Clement Uwajeneza, Country Director, ANDELA, Rwanda, Camille Linquier of African Management Institute, Veda Sunassee, Dean and Founder of African Leadership University and a host of others on leadership, pitching of business ideas and scaling up of social enterprises.
 |
| Marvella Odili making a short presentation |
 |
| Leadership development sessions |
 |
| Team-building sessions |
 |
| Sessions during Start-Up Clinic |
 |
| Marvella Odili with Veda Sunassee (R) Director and Dean of African Leadership University |
 |
| Sarah Toumi, Co-founder/Director, Acacias for All (Matron of the event) |
At the end of the training, all participants were awarded certificates which were presented by Christophe Itier, the French High Commissioner for the Social and Solidarity Economy and Bertrand Walckenaer, AFD's Associate CEO.
 |
| Participants of SIBC |
 |
| Emerging Valley 2019 |
From 4th to 5th December, rendezvous was at EMERGING Valley at Aix-de-Provence, Marseille, where 1,350 participants, 130 speakers, 140 start-ups, 40 big investors from 45 countries came together to discover the new champions of tech innovation from Africa and the Mediterranean as well as to network. It was a fantastic collaboration linking Africa and the Mediterranean to Europe.
 |
| Cecile Lapenu, Director, CERISE |
 |
| Eric Hersman, Founder/Director, BRCK |
 |
| Clement Uwajeneza, Country Director, ANDELA, Rwanda (Patron of event) |
 |
| Isadora Bigourdan, Team leader at SIBC |
The speakers included Bosun Tijani, Founder of Co-Creation Hub, Nigeria, Rebecca Enonchong, President of Afrilabs, Cameroon, Ninon Duval, Director of Bond'Innov, France and Thomas Festerling of Greentech Capital, Germany.
Eight participants of SIBC were given the opportunity to pitch their wonderful ideas and social businesses to investors and the audience. Winners of the Med'INNOVANT Africa competition were also awarded their prizes.
 |
| Diana Serra, Founder/CEO, Be Girl, pitches to investors and the audience |
 |
| Pitching session |
 |
| Pitching in action |
 |
| Isadora Bigourdan introduces the participants of Emerging Pitch Session |
 |
| Winners of Med'INNOVANT Africa are given their awards |
 |
| Marvella Odili at the Marseille Stadium |
EMERGING Valley, founded by Samir Abdelkrim, hosts the biggest tech event in the world. Suffice it to say EMERGING Valley 2019 was a huge success.
- Written by Marvella Odili, Founder/CEO, Save Our Needy
