Estelle Dogbo, a social entrepreneur empowering African artists through global exposure — Lionesses of Africa

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I spent most of my career in healthcare with multinational organizations and I have also worked at startups with structures and processes. Even though most people who work with me would say that I am laser focused on results, being an entrepreneur is a totally different experience. The foundation made me understand the true meaning of being a “self-starter”: in essence, there is nobody to catch the ball before it drops, and timelines can easily be missed without focus. On the other hand, I believe that leading in corporate organizations prepared me for what is to come by giving me the balanced view and confidence required to run operations in an organization.  My hope is to be able to grow the foundation into a strong and sustainable venture, while maintaining the flexibility that comes with startups.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

As a champion for African Artists, one of our strategic goals is to increase the number of emerging African artists in global arts residency programs. Creating access to top class residencies is a critical step to achieving our vision and we are working with Curators and artists directly to make that happen. In the short term, we will be officially launching our outreach programs with the objective to expose emerging artists to their audiences through workshops, mentoring and transfer of skills initiatives

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur? 

Besides the gratification of making an immediate impact on the issues we are trying to tackle, I love the sense of accountability required to be an entrepreneur. It teaches me discipline and commitment to a level that I believe will benefit me in my personal life as well. I also like that I get to make decisions that directly align with my vision while building a venture that can become a legacy.

What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up? 

There is no risk in thinking big. As women, especially black women, we are often taught to think and act with moderation. We are told to start small in whatever we do and while it pays to be cautious, having big ideas gets us closer to our goal faster. Whatever you hope to achieve, think bigger!

Contact or follow Yawoa Foundation

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL estelledogbo@gmail.com