Mara Zhanet Michelo, a Zambian social entrepreneur developing young people to fulfill their potential — Lionesses of Africa

Tell us a little about your team

To work for Jacaranda Hub, one has to be passionate, agile, multifaceted, ambitious, and dynamic. We work in a very fast-paced environment and hence the levels of stress can be really high. The Jacaranda Hub team are very youthful and this makes it very conducive to the work we do and the community we serve. One thing you can find among the team is fun. We laugh as much as we work.

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

I have always had an entrepreneurial streak in me and what made it even more apparent that I would end up becoming one was my ability to always see opportunities around me when everyone only saw problems, coupled with my personality, tenacity, and die-hard attitude. If you asked someone about me, the things people would consistently say would be, “she is strong, courageous, hardworking”, but most commonly said is I never give up. I could say I come from an entrepreneurial background because my mother was one, for as long as I could remember my mom was always trading. Before her passing in 1992 when I was only nine years old, my mom owned 3 hardware stores in Lusaka city’s busiest markets town centers market and Kamwala market. She travelled frequently to Congo DRC, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Even at a young age, I found that intriguing and it left a significant mark on who I am today. I want to change lives and I believe I am in the right position to do that as an entrepreneur.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

My ambitious goal and aspirations for Jacaranda Hub are to establish the Start-Up Village of 10 innovation Hubs across the country. Jacaranda Hub will build a startup ecosystem that facilitates the entire entrepreneurial journey from idea to funding, scaling, commercialization and going global. I envision we will be able to build unicorn and exit ventures in the next 5 years.