Women In Business (WIB) 2026 Kick-Off Event

It is often said that when a society invests in women, it is investing in the people who invest in everyone else. And as society sees what women can do, and women realize their own potential, it will inspire more women to take action, benefitting us all.

About the Women In Business (WIB)

GNBCC’s WIB mentorship programme is a strong proponent of this belief. The WIB Program, a sub-project within GNBCC’s Private Sector Development (PSD) Program, is an initiative aimed at strengthening women-led enterprises in Ghana, particularly those within the horticulture and cocoa value chains. Through a three to six-month mentorship program, female-led businesses are guided to build stronger brands, improve their internal operations, expand their markets, and better position their businesses for sustainable growth. In addition to mentorship, WIB offers field visits, networking opportunities, and workshops across various thematic areas to supplement the mentorship support and learning.

WIB Kick-Off Event 

On Wednesday, 8^th April 2026, the WIB Team organised a kick-off launch for this year’s cohort of 20 women entrepreneurs. Tracy Abbey Mensah, the WIB project lead, with great excitement, welcomed everyone present, congratulated the women who had been selected for the three-month mentorship programme, and introduced the purpose of the WIB programme to all present and its expectations.

The program was kick-started with an address by Hilde Famaey, General Manager of the Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council (GNBCC). She provided an overview of GNBCC’s mission, emphasizing its dedication to empowering women-led businesses in the horticulture and cocoa value chains. Hilde also highlighted other relevant GNBCC initiatives, including the SME Support Desk and the Horticulture Business Challenge Project, encouraging participants to explore these resources.

Hilde’s address was followed by a keynote address from Wendy Van Meel, Deputy Dutch Ambassador to Ghana. Drawing on her personal experiences in both entrepreneurship and motherhood, Wendy encouraged the participants to confidently proceed on their journey and to strengthen other young people along the way.

An inspiring address on Women Leadership was delivered by Isabelle Indeweij, Country Director of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Isabelle shared essential advice for succeeding in leadership, which is best summarized in the following three points.

• Stop Waiting for Perfection: Take action now, without waiting until you are ‘perfect’.
• Be Yourself: Leverage your unique strengths.
• Build Your Network: Develop a strong support system and professional network.

WIB 2026 Mentors 

The series of formal addresses concluded with the introduction of the Women In Business mentors. The mentors took the stage, introduced themselves to their mentees, and set clear expectations for the three-month mentorship season ahead.

The 2026 cohort mentors are:

• Fatima Alimohammed
• Barbara Davis
• Dr. Florence Vanderpuye
• Celestina Danso Arhin
• Evelyn Lokko
• Catherine Krobo Edusei
• Susanne Roelofsen Afum

Exhibitions & Networking

The event also included exhibition and networking moments, during which the WIB participants proudly showcased samples of their products to event attendees and built essential business networks with one another. 

Wellness was also a key focus of the Kick-Off, with Lizette Beri of Brain Fitness Centre Africa giving a brief, inspiring presentation on the need for fitness and wellbeing; specifically emphasizing fitness in body, mind, and soul for wholesomeness in being and performance among women in professional environments.

Mentor-Mentee Breakout Session

Following the presentations, a dedicated breakout session was held. This allowed each mentor to interact with their assigned mentees one-on-one, introducing themselves, and discussing the mentees’ unique businesses and current challenges.

PUM Partnership and Conclusion

The day concluded splendidly with an insightful presentation by PUM Netherlands Senior Experts, represented by Wisdom Abodakpi. He introduced PUM’s mission and its international pool of senior professionals who support SMEs globally. The presentation sparked an engaging Q&A focused on how the mentees can leverage PUM’s technical support to strengthen their businesses.

A big congratulations to this year’s selected mentees. Thank you to our mentors and deep appreciation for our keynote speakers for joining us in officially opening this year’s edition.