Laurendeau & Associates

L&A launched Enkopa Lab Japan on March 10 in Tokyo with key stakeholders taking part in Japan-Africa investment including corporate leaders, investment bankers, fund managers, entrepreneurs, development professionals, media reporters. We would like to thank all of you for taking the time to join us in the launch of our boutique advisory firm designed to assist Japanese corporations, entrepreneurs, and investors looking to expand, venture or invest in Africa. In 2025, we will focus on Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. We would like to particularly thank our keynote speaker Ken Shibusawa for a very insightful talk on why the African continent represents a growth opportunity for Japanese investors, why Japanese know-how is key for tech/knowledge transfer for African countries, and why ‘Made with Japan’ can transform many industries. L&A is grateful to pursue this venture with our Alliance Partners Kasi Insight and The Culture Factor Africa The Culture Factor Japan. Thank you for your trust and partnership. Visit our website to learn more: www.enkopalab.com

What if every young girl had the tools, support, and opportunity to turn her dreams into reality? This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the resilience, ambition, and impact of women entrepreneurs who are shaping a better future. Women reinvest 90% of their income into their communities, driving economic growth and job creation. At Mesirat, we’re proud to support women-led businesses—with 80% of our program dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs who are not just thriving but creating impact within their communities. Here’s to the Women Who Dare to Dream & Lead! Happy International Women’s Day! Our Women-Led Service Marketplaces: AfroHeat Fitness BeSingularity Bina Pads Byogenic BZ Sign Chap!Chap! Logistics DINK TV Efoy Nanny And House Keeping Training Center GUAROFARMS Kabba Transport kamrach.com Nuniya's Kitchen Lelije Solutions Lenat LonAdd HR Consultants MERQ Mogzit In-home Care Muyaspace Rohobot Home Based Health Care Service Sr Yemisrach TVET The Talent Firm TheDay WAZA Trading PLC WeCare ET YeneHealth Zafree Zowie Home Gebeya Inc. Shega Media Laurendeau & Associates Center for Accelerated Women's Economic Empowerment The Urban Center : Kebet Eske Ketema @American College of Technology (ACT) Mastercard Foundation #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2025 #EmpowerHer #WomenInBusiness #Mesirat #AccelerateAction

I’m happy to share that I’m starting an additional position as Founder/Owner at Enkopa Lab based in Tokyo Japan (with parent company Laurendeau & Associates based in San Francisco CA USA)

Great to be at the Japan-India-Africa Public-Private Forum here in Tokyo today, organized by Nikkei and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Lots of very interesting conversations on the opportunities the African continent offers, as well as how India can be used as a base to export Japanese Made in India products to Africa. But a few things were missing: 1?? Africans - there were no participants from Africa. And out of 30 or so speakers, only one was from Africa, and even that was through a pre-recorded video African Development Bank Group 2?? Data - the sources of information being used were mostly macro type of indicators from the IMF, WB, etc. Almost no dissagregated data on transactions, consumers, etc. With Enkopa Lab Japan, the first thing Laurendeau & Associates wants to do is show up. Indeed, that's the first step for Africa to make deals with Japan: we need to show up! Second, is to provide our clients with expert advice through our Le Circle network, real time and AI-powered data through our partner Kasi Insight, and intercultural management tools through our partner The Culture Factor Africa The Culture Factor Japan .

In our latest case study, we break down how Arifpay- a portfolio company- was built from the ground up and now shaping digital payments in Ethiopia Read more: https://lnkd.in/e-4NXnmC

Enkopa Lab on Power Lunch on CNBC Africa. ------- Laurendeau & Associates is soon launching Enkopa Lab, a boutique advisory firm to help Japanese clients expand to Africa ?????????? ?????????? in Tokyo ???? ?????????? ????????????????, ?????? ????,?????? ???? ????????. Here's what we talked about with Tabitha Muthoni: ?? ??????????'?? ?????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ?????? ???????? ???????????????????? for the last few decades, focused on quality investment rather than quantity. As an example, TICAD (meeting between Japan high level officials and African ones) has been around for over 30 years. ?? ??????????'?? ???????????????????? ???? ?????? ?????????????????? ???? ?????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????????????????? (Financial Services, Tech, FMCG on top of Auto, Electronics, Machinery)- there are a number of reasons for that trend. ?? While it is true that most large Japanese companies are more risk averse than that of other countries, it is important to note that ?????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ?????????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????????????? ???????????????? ???? ?????????????????? ???? ???????????? and with a ?????????????????? ???????? ????????????????. ?? The onus remains on firms like Enkopa Lab ???? ?????????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????? ?????? ???????? (real-time and AI-powered) to those companies, in a timely manner, so they can ???????????????? ???????? ????????????????????. Kasi Insight Full interview here:?https://lnkd.in/gwqFj3Kg

?? Empowering the Future Workforce ?? Our recent Mesirat Ethiopia Knowledge Series workshop successfully engaged different participants, from Addis Ababa City Administration Labor and Skill Bureau including officials, TVET Communities, and youth, to explore the dynamic gig economy and its potential for job creation and entrepreneurship in Ethiopia. Key highlights: ? Raised awareness about the gig economy and its role in job creation. ? Introduced the Mesirat program and explored future collaboration opportunities. ? Engaged stakeholders in discussions on regulatory frameworks and support from BOLS for the ecosystem development During the session, we covered a range of impactful topics, including: ?? An overview of the gig economy's landscape and opportunities ?? A deep dive into the Mesirat Program ?? Research findings that enhanced the understanding of challenges and potential pathways for employment ?? Insights into the Mesirat Upskilling Program ?? Collaborative discussions on strategies to drive gig economy growth Participants provided valuable feedback, highlighting the need to onboard more TVET and polytechnic colleges and to hold sessions more frequently. Looking forward to continuing this journey and strengthening partnerships for a brighter future! ?? #GigEconomy #DigitalSkills #Ethiopia #MesiratProgram #TVET #JobCreation #Entrepreneurship #FROG #Enkopa #FutureOfWork #Collaboration

L&A is excited to announce the launch on March 10th of Enkopa Lab Japan, a boutique advisory firm supporting Japanese organizations expanding into African markets, with expert advice, real-time and AI-powered insights, and intercultural management tools. We are deeply honored to have Ken Shibusawa, CEO at Shibusawa and Company, as our keynote speaker. Join us on March 10th at 10 AM at FinGATE KAYABA in Tokyo, and be part of this milestone in Japan-Africa business collaboration! ?? RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/eK-yS6Hm

L&A, a San Francisco USA based consultancy, is expanding its operations to Japan through its new venture #Enkopa Lab GK (gōdō gaisha 合同会社) ?? Stay tuned for more details

Laurendeau & Associates' (L&A) E?????????? N???????????? ???? covering ???????? ?????????????????? ???? ???????? In 2022, Le Circle was launched with #Ethiopia ???? as an initial phase. In 2025, Le Circle is expanding to: #Egypt, ???? #Kenya, ???? #Nigeria,????? #Rwanda,????? And #SouthAfrica ???? ???????? ???? ???? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???? ???????????????? ???? ??&?? Le Circle connects L&A’s clients looking to or actually operating in Africa with a global, curated and strategic network of world-class experts and professionals. ???????? ???? ???????????? ???? ????????????? ???????? ???? ???????????? ?? ?????????????? ???????? ???? ????????????: https://lnkd.in/g4HZRh2h