5 must watch videos for women entrepreneurs

Friday April 10, 2015 , 3 min Read

Over the years, TED has been devoted to spreading ideas and powerful stories intended to change the world. These five talks are powerful and carry an important message to invoke and inspire the entrepreneur in you and help you overcome challenges that women often face while starting up.

Leymah Gbowee: Unlock the intelligence, passion, greatness of girls

Today, this young woman is me, a Nobel laureate. I’m now on a journey to fulfil the wish, in my tiny capacity, of little African girls — the wish of being educated.

Leymah Gbowee is a peace activist and nobel laurete who led a women’s movement that played an integral role in abolishing the Second Liberian Civil War. As a single mother of four, she fought for the freedom of Liberia and countless young girls who were victims of sexual tyranny and oppression. Her talk opens the worlds eyes to the hope that exists beyond the grief and gloom that clouds countries in Africa torn with civil wars. Her vision is simple; to fulfil the dream of education that girls all over Africa aspire to. Gobwee founded the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa which provides girls and women in West Africa opportunities in education and leadership.

Sheryl Sandberg: Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders

Believe in yourself and negotiate for yourself. Own your own success.

As the COO of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg is easily one of the foremost voices in technology and business. Her acclaimed book Lean In was born as a result of this TED Talk. Sandberg introspects as to why smaller percentage of woman reach the top of their professions and offers advice to women aiming for the corner office. She encourages women to realise their potential in the workplace and support the refrain that Women in the workforce are great for business.’

Kare Anderson: Be an opportunity maker

Each one of you is better than anybody else at something. That disproves that popular notion that if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room

Kare Anderson is a Forbes columnist and an expert who writes on behaviourally researched ways we become more deeply connected. Kare talks about her astute observations of people around her growing up. Her talk revolves around the power of connection through the power of difference. We are all the best at something she echoes which allows us to realise that we are not merely drawn by our similarities, but united by our differences. Kare further goes onto emphaisise on the three traits of opportunity makers:

Opportunity makers keep honing their key strength.
They become pattern seekers. They deal with people outside their normal circle to find wider patterns.
Communicate to connect.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: Women entrepreneurs, example not exception

We do not invest in victims, we invest in survivors.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is an author and journalist. Through her talk, she unlocks the key component that is often overlooked in the future of economic development-the role of more women entrepreneurs.

Elizabeth Gilbert: Your Elusive Creative Genius

Creativity and suffering are somehow inherently linked.

Author of acclaimed novel Eat, Pray, Love , Gilbert’s throught provoking TED talk begs to question the existence of creative genius in all our minds. Her journey of discovery and the role that creativity has played in the survival of her success is strewn throughout her talk. She realises that the experience of killer success and massive failure isn’t that different because most of our lives are spent in a comfortable middle ground.