EPISODE · May 12, 2025 · 20 MIN
Theresa Mami Baduba Ansah, CEO, Founder & Creative Director at MBA Mode, Ghana, Ep. 482
from Take it from the Ironwoman · host Theresa Mami Baduba Ansah, Susanne Mueller
Theresa MBA is a highly qualified Technical Apparel & Fabric Art Design, Cloth Doll & Toy Artist, Fashion and Creative Arts Instructor with solid background in accounting. 17 years of extensive experience in Fashion Entrepreneurship, managing people, building the capacity and empowering individuals to become self-reliant marked by strong leadership skills, work ethics, and a vision-driven approach with a sharp eye for detail posing excellent interpersonal skills and customer care experience across various fields with the drive of motivating and inspiring the youth to embrace productivity and self-employment through motivational and entrepreneurial talks.She was recognized and awarded as Fashion Entrepreneur 2022 under YEA amongst numerous awards received by my company, my incredible journey empowers children and adults alike to embrace their roots, fostering a sense of pride, unity, empowerment and celebrating Africa’s rich cultural legacy through fashion skills. This passion led to the creation of the brand “MBA ModeDolls and Toys,” now branded as “BADUBA - Crafting Africa’s Tale.” Baduba products, sold and exhibited both locally and internationally, are powerful representations of Africa’s beauty, strength, and history. Telling the African story while helping children develop empathy, acceptance, self esteem, confidence, social & emotional skills and diversity & inclusion. I embrace inclusion, therefore, 100% of our production staff are women, including a disabled team member whose ability goes beyond imagination, aligning ourselvesSDG goals 1, 4, 5, 8, 10, and 12.CONTACTS: MBA MODE GH LTDEmail : [email protected] | [email protected]: http://www.baduba.mbamode.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mbamode.ta ***********Susanne Mueller / www.susannemueller.biz TEDX Talk, May 2022: Running and Life: 5KM Formula for YOUR Successhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT_5Er1cLvY Join Substack: https://substack.com/@susannemuellernyc?Enjoy one coaching session for free if you are a yearly subscriber. 800+ weekly blogs / 500+ podcasts / 1 Ironman Triathlon / 5 half ironman races / 26 marathon races / 4 books / 1 Mt. Kilimanjaro / 1 TEDx Talk
What this episode covers
Theresa "MBA" is a widow and single mother of three boys; she is the founder of MBA Mode Institute in Accra, Ghana. Her work spans fashion education and the production of handmade African dolls and toys using recycled fabrics. 💼 Entrepreneurial Journey: she started in 2007 after returning from missionary work in Nigeria. She began with bead jewelry making and training women. In 2012, enrolled in fashion school; started sewing for clients almost immediately. By 2014, she launched her fashion business; then she expanded to include event decoration and beadwork. In 2017, she opened MBA Mode Institute, a fashion training school to close the practical-skills gap in fashion education. 🎓 MBA Mode Institute: focuses on hands-on training in fashion design. They bridges the gap between theoretical university education and practical skills. She has trained over 600 students since 2016. Students can specialize in areas like garment production, bag making, or footwear. 🧸 Doll & Toy Production: They use recycled/waste fabrics to produce dolls, animals, bags, pillows, etc. Theresa designs the dolls as the creative director. 💪 Challenges Faced: Staff turnover: Training takes ~6 months, but retention is hard. Frequent relocation: Four moves due to lack of permanent space hurts the school’s visibility. Access to finance: High interest rates and lack of acceptable collateral. Time-intensive production: Making dolls requires precision and patience.
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Theresa Mami Baduba Ansah, CEO, Founder & Creative Director at MBA Mode, Ghana, Ep. 482
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