It's another Wednesday, a day set aside to specially celebrate one of our own!
Today, on the WCW (Woman Crush Wednesday) series, we'll be crushing on BETHLEHEM ALEMU.
Here's a little piece we need to know about our WCW.
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu (born 1980) is an Ethiopian business woman, founder and executive director of Solerebels, Africa's "fastest growing footwear company". Alemu has received honors and accolades for her business acumen, as well as her efforts to shift the discourse on Africa away from poverty to the continent's entrepreneurial spirit, social capital, and economic potential. Alemu launched "The Republic of Leather", designing sustainable luxury leather goods, and "Garden of Coffee" retail outlets to promote Ethiopian coffees.
Alemu was born in the Zenebework area of Addis Ababa. Her parents worked at a local hospital. Alemu attended public primary and secondary schools, and then went on to study accounting at Unity University, graduating in 2004.
Early 2005, Solerebels was founded on a plot of land owned by her grandmother in Zenebework. This was established so as to provide sustainable jobs for the people of her community. SoleRebels has flourished over the years and has employed hundreds of people, with distribution outlets in thirty other countries. In 2016, Solerebels sold 125,000 pairs of shoes, employing over 1200 people.
In 2014, Alemu announced a new business venture, The Republic of Leather, via a blog post on the Solerebels website. Alemu identified the luxury leather goods industry as being "ripe for a total re-imagining," along similar lines to what she had accomplished with Solerebels and the footwear industry.
1n 2017, she established a new company "garden of coffee" beginning with outlets in Addis Ababa.
Alemu seeks to challenge the traditional narrative about Africa and in particular, Ethiopia, "countering the shibboleth that Africa and Africans don't know how to create their way to prosperity". The global success of companies like Solerebels helps to dispel these old narratives and allows for Ethiopians to shape their own international image.
She has a net worth of over $5million.
Here are some awards and accolades gotten by Alemu.
In 2011 Alemu was chosen by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.
In 2012 Alemu was included on Forbes '100 Most Powerful' and profiled as a "Woman to Watch."
In 2012 Alemu was named by Business Insider as one of "Africa's Top 5 Female Entrepreneurs."
In 2013 Alemu was listed as #62 in Fast Company's "100 Most Creative People in Business 2013."
In 2013 Alemu was a Counsellor at that year's One Young World Summit.
In 2013 Alemu was listed as one of Madame Figaro's "15 Most Powerful African Women."
In 2013 Alemu was chosen by readers of The Guardian as one of "Africa's Top Women Achievers."
In 2014 Alemu was named as one of CNN's "12 Female Entrepreneurs Who Changed the Way We Do Business.
(source:Wikipeadia)
Alemu has left a quote for people who aspire to do better and be successful, she quoted; “Love what you do, because without a genuine love and passion, you won’t be successful.”
Alemulemu is one of the women putting Africa in the limelight and deserves to be celebrated. May we be motivated by her story as we continue on our journey to success!
Together, we can make the world better.
You can follow her on twitter @Bethlehemalemu, @soleRebels, @Gardenofcoffee, @Repubofleather.
See you next Wednesday. Cheers!
Written by
Myrtle Tam' Daniel
(Writer and Author)
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