Rahama Wright: A Queen "Boss," NextGen Leader & Social Entrepreneur Ep. 28

Women are the fastest growing business owners in the US, especially black women. Although the US ranks #1 in terms of women entrepreneurs (based on a Dell study), there are still many gaps to ensuring that women-led enterprises are successful. Over the last decade Rahama Wright has traveled the entrepreneurial journey, which spans bootstrapping to securing her first venture capital investment and landing deals with Whole Foods Markets & MGM Resorts International. Her company Shea Yeleen is also a triple bottom line social impact company that is rooted in the financial empowerment of women in Ghanaian villages. She's merged business and policy with her role on the President's Advisory Council and speaking engagements with the World Bank, UN, and Dept of State. Rahama can provide insight on a wide range of topics including social entrepreneurship, women in business, retail, distribution and work/life balance.   To learn more about Shea Yeleen please visit www.sheayeleen.con    About Rahama Wright Rahama Wright is the Founder and CEO of Shea Yeleen Health and Beauty a social impact company she created after serving in the Peace Corps. The DC-based enterprise develops shea butter creams, balms, and soaps that create living wage jobs for women in West Africa. Shea Yeleen products are currently distributed through select Whole Foods Markets, independent natural grocery stores, and MGM Resorts International. The products have been featured in a variety of media outlets including O, The Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and CNBC Africa. Rahama completed her first round of private equity investment with the Pan-African Investment Company supported by Dick Parsons and Ron Lauder.   A leading voice on African women’s economic and business development - she has presented at the United Nations Thematic Debate on Entrepreneurship for Development, the U.S. Secretary of State Global Diaspora Forum, the World Bank Africa Region Growth Dialogue, and the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. In 2014, Rahama was appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa. She also serves as an advisor to entrepreneurs in the Johns Hopkins University’s Social Innovation Lab. Most recently, she appeared as a contestant on the BET/Centric reality competition Queen Boss, which focused on women entrepreneurs.  Rahama received her BA in International Relations from the State University of New York at Geneseo. An avid traveler she has visited and worked in 30 countries.    Follow our hashtag #ignite2impact  Please share this podcast & tell us what you think, *subscribe in iTunes and leave a review