September 22, 2022 6 MIN Read

Meet Elizabeth Okullow, An Agribusiness Whizz Who’s Inspiring African Youth

"I believe we all have the potential to change something, even the smallest of things."

The average age of a farmer in Africa is 60 years old, and most young people don’t have career aspirations in the agricultural sector. What got you excited about agribusiness and becoming an entrepreneur?

You could have found a job in an organisation with similar aims as yours. Why did you choose to start your own?

I believe myself to be a natural-born leader, and I realised I would be wasting my potential if I did not follow this path.

Looking back to the start of your entrepreneurial journey, how did you navigate the challenges of bringing in a co-founder and growing your team when you had so many priorities to juggle?

  1. Hustler — Someone who is willing to meet people, represent the business and negotiate deals.
  2. Hipster — Someone who is able to design and customise the customer journey to reflect the customer’s needs and demonstrate how you plan to solve their problems and add value to them.
  3. Hacker — Someone who eats, breathes and sleeps technology.

One of the things we really believe in The ROOM is that no one is self-made. What role have others played in your leadership journey?

Elizabeth's agribusiness

Photo credit: Cynthia Nyongesa

By 2030, Africa will be home to a quarter of the world’s population under 25. What do you believe about the potential for young people on the continent to solve the world’s problems?

I believe we all have the potential to change something, even the smallest of things.

The ROOM is home to a lifelong, highly specialised community of skilled and early-stage talent like Elizabeth who will power the future. Find out how The ROOM is connecting individuals and businesses of all types and sizes with our pool of world-class talent across the globe.