Ellen Tshidi Cooper, a South African entrepreneur creating an eco-friendly marketplace for startups — Lionesses of Africa

Tell us a little about your team

I am lucky to have a team of 2 dedicated individuals, without them I wouldn’t have gotten this far. Lelo, who is our copy-writer, is mainly focused on writing our weekly blogs and newsletters, covering topics around conscious beauty, fashion, home decor, and lifestyle. Mosa does our PR, media communication, and vendor relationship. I (Ellen) manage our e-commerce, social media content creation, and sales. My other unofficial team member is my husband who is my biggest support.

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

The first business I ever attempted was in 2012, it was a fashion business called ‘Walk Tall Boutique.’ As a tall woman and former model I always struggled with finding clothes that fit me properly. I saw a gap in the market and started to build on this idea. At the time I was also an air-hostess and a university student living in Dubai. It was tough to keep it going and manage it when I spent the majority of the time in the air or in another time zone. Although my first business wasn’t a success due to the timing of it all, I decided to focus on my Business Degree whilst working as an air hostess, this gave me the foundation and skills I needed. Prior to this, I had completed an internship in the Technology, Programming sector.