Global EqualityArchived
Rize
Leadership for Africans. By Africans. Of Africans.
Rize was a bold pilot entrepreneurial competition brought by Diversify and B-Lab Africa, spotlighting and supporting women-led businesses and start-ups in Nigeria with transformative ideas grounded in climate and social justice, products made in Africa, and strong social-impact potential. A nearly 100%-digital initiative using social media and community engagement to discover, amplify and fund early-stage ideas.
SummaryA bold pilot, built for social media.
Format: open call for applications → top 10 selected → virtual pitch-practice sessions → live pitch competition on Instagram/TikTok → public voting → top 3 winners celebrated in person in Lagos → all 10 finalists invited to digital business-development workshops.
Organised by Diversify and Diversify Consult, co-organised with B-Lab Africa — driving economic systems change across Africa through stakeholder governance, responsible business and B Corp certification.
OutcomesPrize structure.
- 1st place, + 6 hours mentorship
- ₦1,500,000
- 2nd place, + 4 hours mentorship
- ₦750,000
- 3rd place, + 3 hours mentorship
- ₦500,000
- 4th–10th place, + 1 hour mentorship each
- ₦250,000 each
Plus an in-person professional-development workshop in Lagos and a featured-guest slot on the Overnight Wisdom podcast for the top 3. Winner names, funds distributed, and follow-on business results were not published on the live site.