Female Founders and Investors Tell Their Stories in a New Doc: Women Who Build Africa

Africa is frequently misrepresented in mainstream media. However, a powerful film is changing the narrative: the story of resilient and tenacious African women breaking barriers as business owners and investors. This is the focus of a new documentary released by Women Who Build Africa (WWBA) and the skincare brand Uncover in partnership with Madica VC.

The Women Who Build Africa documentary highlights the inspiring stories of women entrepreneurs and investors across African markets. These women have come together to build successful ventures despite the odds. They embody resilience, tenacity, and innovation, contributing significantly to the continent’s economic growth and empowerment. 

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The ‘Why?’

The documentary is in preparation for the Women Who Build Africa Assembly, scheduled for September 5th-6th in Nairobi. This event will bring together women entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem players. They will discuss strategies to integrate more women into the business ecosystem and help them thrive. The goal is to create a supportive community for women, offering resources and connections necessary for success.

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“There’s nothing more powerful than hearing the stories of women that are walking the talk and actively working to build – and support – businesses solving real problems in African markets. I’m excited to share just a few of these stories and showcase the women behind them, both for the rest of the world to hear and for any women considering leaping to walk in their footsteps. We hope to tell even more stories like these in the future,” said Thea Sokolowski, Co-founder at WWBA and Head of Marketing at Stitch.

“We are so excited to partner with WWBA on this powerful film showcasing such incredible women builders on the continent,” said Sneha Mehta, Co-founder and CEO at Uncover. “At Uncover, our aim is to empower women to ‘uncover’ whoever they want to be, confidently. That is so much more than products. It is a movement to inspire women to show up unapologetically. By showcasing more authentic stories, our hope is to show courage, confidence, vulnerability, journeys, and the power that really is revolutionary.”

The video features perspectives from women leaders across organizations such as Melanin Kapital, Partech Africa, BuuPass, Delta40, Mosmos, Kola Market, Uncover, Greenspoon, Gobeba, EarthEnable, Earthbond, Founders Factory Africa, Madica, VunaPay, Bloom Money, and many more.

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Women Who Build Africa

WWBA was founded in 2022 by Gwera Kiwana and Thea Sokolowski. This intentional community is designed to unite women and non-binary founders, investors, and operators across Africa to enable essential connections and support. Born out of a need for a central community, WWBA facilitates spaces and opportunities for underrepresented groups across the continent (and beyond) to meet, share ideas, learn, and connect. It also aims to create meaningful spaces for junior women to nurture the next generation of talent. Today, the community has more than 2,000 members.

Uncover

Uncover is a data-driven women’s skincare brand founded in 2021 by an all-female team. This innovative brand creates highly effective, science-backed products tested and approved by melanated women. Uncover built a tech platform that supports product discovery, provides relatable, educational information, and fosters community engagement. The company utilizes thousands of data points on women to personalize skincare solutions for their community’s unique needs. Founded in Kenya, Uncover has since expanded to Nigeria, Uganda, and Ghana. Committed to prioritizing melanated skin and stories, Uncover aims to make a limitless impact on women’s well-being and self-esteem.

Madica

Madica, launched in 2022, focuses on empowering underrepresented and underfunded mission-driven founders in Africa. The sector-agnostic platform, affiliated with Flourish Ventures, aims to enable entrepreneurs. Medica accomplishes this by providing funding and democratizing access to world-class company-building support.

Speakers at Women Who Build Africa panel disucssion: Maya Horgan Famodu; Gwera Kiwana, co-founder at WWBA, and Dr. Ola Brown (l-r)