Mebrak Tadesse

Empowering Ethiopian women entrepreneurs through mentorship and venture capital access

Mebrak Tadesse is a trailblazing social entrepreneur who founded Ethio-Mentor, a platform revolutionizing women's economic participation in Ethiopia. Launched in 2015, this initiative provides mentorship, training, and seed funding to female entrepreneurs in Africa's second-most populous nation. Tadesse's work addresses Ethiopia's 96% gender employment gap by building ecosystems where women can start and scale businesses.

Through Ethio-Mentor's accelerator program, over 500 women have received business coaching and access to $250,000+ in startup capital. Notable ventures include healthtech solutions for rural clinics and agricultural tech platforms connecting farmers directly to markets. Tadesse also created the first female-focused angel investor network in Ethiopia, enabling peer-to-peer funding circles.

Born in Addis Ababa, Tadesse holds a Master's in Development Studies from the University of Oxford. Her work has been highlighted by the African Development Bank and UN Women, and she was named one of Africa's Top 100 Innovators by AIH. In 2021, she launched the SheEO Ethiopia initiative to train 10,000 women in digital entrepreneurship by 2025.

Her innovative approach combines cultural sensitivity with modern business strategies - Ethio-Mentor's mentorship model pairs local business leaders with entrepreneurs from the same region, ensuring contextual relevance. This has led to a 75% business survival rate among program participants, far exceeding national averages.

Tadesse's vision extends beyond Ethiopia through partnerships with organizations like the African Women's Development Fund. She recently pioneered a blockchain-based crowdfunding platform to connect Ethiopian women entrepreneurs with global investors while preserving local cultural practices.