What happens in the week of a an Innovation Strategy and M&E Consultant, Angel Investor and Corporate Moderator? Oh, and with a new title as the Host of the #ESGforSMEs podcast, what goes into moderating a week of new beginnings and impact? Read more.
It has been well over six months, since I’ve had the opportunity to blog again on a highlight reel of what happens in a week of my life. And I’m so happy to be able to share again what has occurred in my week as a Founder of InnovTel, an impact design studio designing impact and facilitating shared value through Innovation Strategy and Monitoring and Evaluation, while Vuyolwethu As a Service (VaaS) is strictly focused on Corporate Moderation, and Brand Influence through Partnerships.
The week captured, will be the week of traveling in and outside of South Africa, for both work and personal reasons. And, most excitedly, hosting the Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHer Conference.
And, what a week it was!
As always with I’ve segmented this outlook into two verticals (VaaS and InnovTel) with highlights each of a scenario that will hopefully provide you with a lens of how I spend my week.
Let’s take a look.
Vuyolwethu as a Service (VaaS):
- Master of Ceremonies (MC) and Moderator of the Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHer Conference: I am incredibly excited to return onto the EmpowHer stage in 2023 with Standard Bank and Topco Media as a MC and Moderator, this time in Durban, KwaZulu Natal. This is the second stop and city around South Africa through the EmpowHer series, equipping female entrepreneurs with the capital, network as well as the resources to scale and impact. Central to the Standard Bank Top Women Regional EmpowHer Conference is The Pitching Den. This is the heart of the program where 11 companies pitch their businesses to an expert panel of judges and have the opportunity to be crowned the regional winner for their city, and ultimately standing that chance to be the Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHer Winner for 2023 and that cash prize of R50 000.
- Exploratory Opportunities: This is truly a behind the scenes perspective, as it’s an opportunity to field requests and availability for opportunities, from Corporate Moderation and Digital Facilitation to brand partnerships. And, the key thing to keep in mind is always engaging with opportunities that are authentic and in alignment with my skills as well as areas of expertise.
- Production for #ESGforSMEs Season 2: It’s official, Season 2 of ESG for SMEs is in production, with some exciting updates and knowledge sharing that will be a part of this season, launching in November 2023 during Global Entrepreneurship Week.
InnovTel:
- New Client: As impact design, advisory and reporting firm, we take the advisory and education incredibly seriously with a client prior to resuming the monitoring and evaluation journey with them. As a company, we’re incredibly proud to have executed an impact report for a client in waste solution with an underpin in technology, and are excited to have made not only them, but their investors incredibly happy.
- Angel Investment Updates: As a novice in angel investing, I always try to not only seek opportunities for investment, but to also dedicate a full day to analyse the growth (or lack thereof) of the companies that I invest in, especially as I seek to dedicate a particular amount to either reinvest or to invest in a new company.
- Exploratory Conversations with Potential Client: As an entrepreneur who works either on a project or seasonal basis, it’s incredibly important to continuously seek seeks and retain them. This week, I grabbed a breakfast with a potential client, as we scouted opportunities for impact extrapolation to the work that et are currently doing across the continent.
And there you have it, a brief executive summary of what goes on in my week – some highlights, important lowlights and some tactics employed to ensure that value creation is achieved.
How does your week look like, and what services and conversations do you engage in to ensure that you make the most of the value that you trade?
I’d love to hear from you.
