Tania Habimana

Business | Innovation | Leadership

• Belgium
• Tania Habimana is a Rwandan entrepreneur with a passion for digital innovation and SME development in Africa.  She was recently nominated as part of the Digital Female Leader Awards 2018 in the 'Global Hero' category; an initiative of the Global Digital Women network.   From driving a brands' monthly turnover from 10,000 USD to a yearly turnover of 8 Million USD in just 18 months, to leading social media campaigns attracting over 100K followers in months, Tania is a 360 digital marketer and entrepreneur, that's not afraid of being hands-on.   Her accolades have demonstrated an understanding of business and a flair for technology, and are further exemplified by her rapid ascension up the ranks from her entry-job as a digital analyst to her position as Commercial Director for Sub-Sahara Africa of the international fashion label Suitsupply, which earned her the recognition as person responsible for the international label's market-entry and expansion into the sub-Saharan African market.   Today, Tania uses her knowledge and network to support and mentor entrepreneurs all over the continent. Additionally, she is the co-founder of Johannesburg-based, NONZēRO Agency, a purpose-driven marketing agency focussed on enterprise development and impact programs in Africa. The company is known as the founders of "Threads, stitched by Standard Bank" - the business of fashion accelerator program in South Africa as well as the FASHIONTech™ Africa Conference & Hackathon.   Tania holds a number of public appointments and was recently recognized by the European Commission for her international mobility career and efforts to promote the internationalisation of the youth under the “Erasmus+” program. She is now the face of the British Council for the Erasmus+ Youth Mobility program and a strong advocate for Pan-African youth mobility, job creation, cross-border enterprise development and the women in tech dialogue.   In 2019, Tania was awarded South Afirca's Brand Summit - SMME Brand Contributor of the year award for her effrots to develop the SME landscape in South Africa.   Tania was also one of the official Moderators for the launch of the African Union's African Continental Free Trade Area Launch (AfCFTA) event in Niamey, Niger taking place in July 2019. TOPICS: <strong>Needs based Innovation</strong> What happens when a continent skips an era, enters directly into the 4th industrial revolution, having left all of its fundamental needs unresolved? Needs are resolved using innovation & digital technologies. In this talk, the host of CNBC‘s show Tailored Business – a show that investigates and showcases entrepreneurship across Africa defines what needs-based innovation is (ie innovation born out of a necessity as opposed to a desire to build something „new“) and outlines the best examples. This talk visits the concept of needs-based innovation and its implication on the African continent, from creating a new generation of tech-savvy schoolers to digitally-operated smart cities and institutions. <strong>Preparing for Crazy</strong> Preparing For Crazy is a talk about the power of imagination and preparing for the unlikely to happen. The anecdotal talk shares life, career and entrepreneurship lessons through Tania’s journey doing business across Europe and Africa. The talk leaves the audience wanting to know more and BE MORE. <strong>Recognizing the Future:</strong> Our continent is often described as the world’s youngest continent and indeed 220 million Africans are between 15 and 25 and are expected to be around 350 million by 2030. Africa’s burgeoning youth population represents the continent’s greatest asset and will determine the development trajectory of Africa over the next decades. For the first time in Africa’s history, we have a generation that has developped at the same pace as the rest of world, who have access to the same amount of information, the same news channels, the same online courses as the rest of the world, thanks to modern day technology – and in many instances, young Africans have in fact proven themselves to be innovative and living in the future. <strong>Personal Branding & Dressing for Success</strong> Your team is the most powerful marketing tool at your disposal. If you are adding new product categories, going after a new market segment, establishing a new sales campaign, or simply, trying to increase your bottom line, it’s a great time to start investing in the individuals brands that form your team and you! And guess what, it doesn’t matter if you are a one-man show, entrepreneur or an employee, personal branding benefits everyone. Learn the secrets of personal branding in this course as I outline how to develop your story, craft your messaging, define your audience and more.