Standard Chartered’s CEO, Mansa Nettey, delivered a compelling address at the Women in Tech Conference during the 3i Africa Summit, shedding light on the bank’s substantial investment in empowering female entrepreneurs through its Women in Tech programme.
Ms Nettey revealed that the bank has allocated over $450,000 towards this initiative, with 54 women-led enterprises benefitting from its support.
The Women in Tech programme, initiated in 2014 with its inaugural Incubator in the United States, has emerged as a beacon of success, transcending borders to encompass thirteen global markets. Notably, the programme’s expansion reached Ghana in 2020, with the launch of its First Cohort in November, underscoring Standard Chartered’s commitment to fostering female entrepreneurship on a global scale.
Ms Nettey speaking at the Women in Tech Conference held on the sidelines of the 3i Africa Summit, emphasized the programme’s pivotal role as a launchpad for ambitious young women with grand aspirations.
She lauded the innovative spirit of these entrepreneurs, highlighting their remarkable contributions in integrating technology into diverse sectors such as agriculture, education, and fashion. Despite the nascent stage of these ventures, Ms Nettey underscored their significance in offering tangible solutions to intricate societal challenges.
“Though small today, these fledging businesses are contributing solutions to complex societal problems,” she quipped.
Moreover, Ms Nettey stressed the importance of nurturing women-led innovative companies, asserting that their success breeds further innovation in a positive feedback loop. She articulated a vision where increased investment in women-led innovation could catalyze a profound ripple effect, resulting in widespread societal impact, robust economic growth, and substantial job creation opportunities.
In her closing remarks, she urged the audience to contemplate the transformative potential of redirecting investment towards women-led innovation at a larger scale. She challenged stakeholders to envision the multitude of lives that could be positively impacted and the unprecedented levels of economic prosperity that could be generated through such concerted efforts.
“I want to end by asking us all to pause for a moment to imagine the ripple effect if investment was focused on women-led innovation on a larger scale. The lives that will be impacted, the level of economic growth, and job creation that could be generated. Just think about it,” she posited.
Ms Nettey’s address encapsulated the essence of Standard Chartered’s commitment to fostering gender diversity and inclusion in the tech sector. By championing initiatives like the Women in Tech programme, the bank not only empowers female entrepreneurs but also cultivates a culture of innovation and progress.
In a world where gender disparities persist, Standard Chartered’s proactive stance towards empowering women serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide.
In conclusion, Mansa Nettey’s address at the Women in Tech Conference exemplified Standard Chartered’s unwavering dedication to driving positive change through inclusive economic empowerment, underscoring the transformative potential of investing in women-led innovation.
Source: Norvanreports