At the recent Startup Grow Summit, held in collaboration with regional and international partners, leaders and changemakers gathered to highlight emerging models of leadership and community engagement across Africa. The event focused on inclusive development and celebrated impactful efforts in social innovation, capacity-building, and women’s empowerment.
“For Hanane Aït Aïssa, president of the Startup Grow Foundation, this year’s summit—held under the theme ‘A New World, New Challenges for Africa: Women as Drivers of Innovation, Equity and Sustainability’—was more than just an event. ‘It is a living space for dialogue, transmission, and collective mobilization for an inclusive and sustainable Africa,’” she said.
“This summit continues the groundwork laid by the Startup Grow Foundation across Morocco and several African countries,” organizers emphasized. They described the foundation’s mission as “discreet but determined, with a clear ambition: to build bridges, strengthen capacities, and reveal leaders.”
The centerpiece of the summit was the Ubuntu Awards ceremony, which honored women and organizations committed to advancing sustainable development and social equity.
A posthumous “Jury’s Special Tribute Award” was presented to the late Zoulikha Nasri, former advisor to His Majesty the King and a prominent figure in Morocco’s social policy landscape. The award was accepted by Kaisse Ben Yahya, writer, poet, and chargé de mission at the Royal Cabinet.
Amina Oufroukhi, magistrate and President of the National Commission for Coordinating Measures Against Human Trafficking, received the “Inclusive and Transformational Leadership Award” for her work in justice and human rights.
The “Next Generation Empowerment Award” was given to the “Min Ajliki – APEFE” program, in recognition of its support for female entrepreneurship.
Melissa Allen, founder of Capital M and recipient of the King Charles III Medal – Canada 2024, was awarded the “Economic Resilience and Women’s Entrepreneurship Award” for her cross-border work in financial inclusion.
The “Innovation and Women’s Leadership Award” went to Snyleseh Stephenie Dahn Koung, Second Lady of the Republic of Liberia, for her initiatives promoting women’s autonomy in Liberia.
Fatima Camara, Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy of Equatorial Guinea, received the “Voice of the African Diaspora Award,” while the “Institutional Commitment to Equality Award” was presented to CFA Maroc – Club des Femmes Administrateurs, for its advocacy of gender equity in leadership.
The summit concluded with the signing of strategic partnerships between Startup Grow and Veolia Maroc, the Association for the Promotion of Education and Training Abroad (APEFE), and the Group of 77 (Disabled Headquarters), laying the groundwork for future collaboration in education, sustainability, and inclusion.
Through recognition and concrete partnerships, the summit reinforced a shared goal: supporting African-led, community-rooted leadership shaped by and for women.
