On 26 November 2024, PIM hosted its final 10th Anniversary event Creating Impact: A Social Entrepreneur & Changemaker’s Toolkit for Success. During the inspirational and energising session, our speakers Akua Nyame-Mensah, Andrea Paz Donaire Gálvez and Ihab Sabbah shared candidly about their entrepreneurship journey. Guided by the session moderator and PIM’s Director of Operations, Leslie Dong, our speakers delved into the mindset, habits and strategies to thrive as a changemaker.
Overcoming Self-Doubt
What advice would you give to first-time social entrepreneurs who are struggling with self-doubt and feeling underqualified?”
Akua reassured the audience that self-doubt is natural – it shows that you care. However, she stressed the importance of self-awareness, asking oneself whether the doubt stems from internal or external factors. By leveraging resources and a supportive network, one can better overcome self-doubt.
Andrea echoed Akua’s view and cautioned against letting self-doubt paralyse you. She added that confidence is built through action: “You do it and then you build self-confidence because you did it… it doesn’t work the other way.”
Ihab introduced the Confidence Matrix, which maps the relationship between one’s actual abilities against how capable one feels. He explained that self-doubt arises due to a disconnect between one’s abilities and one’s confidence to act on them, hence we should be aware of the gap and work on bridging it.
Navigating Challenges
“What was your entrepreneurship journey like, and what advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs who are adjusting to the challenges of starting their ventures?
Having grown up in a challenging environment where school was often disrupted by conflicts, Ihab shared that the adversity built adaptability, experimentation and resilience within both his community and himself, which he believes are key to an entrepreneurial mindset.
Akua advised entrepreneurs to “be really excited about solving whatever problems you are looking to solve”, rather than be fixated on fundraising or external validation. Her own experience building an online service platform highlighted the importance of finding real product-market fit instead of being distracted by funding opportunities.
Andrea reflected on her own transition from an employee to an entrepreneur, noting how disorienting a self-directed lifestyle can be. Hence, she encourages entrepreneurs to establish a routine that works for themselves, stay connected to their purpose, and learn from failures. Most importantly, she added, “treat yourself with compassion and love, talk to yourself kindly, and give yourself grace.”
On Financial Sustainability
How can social entrepreneurs balance creating social impact with financial sustainability, without feeling that profits are compromising their mission?
Andrea discussed how social entrepreneurs with background in social work or non-business fields often feel that charging for services compromises their mission. But it is important to develop a healthier and more sustainable approach to financial management.
Akua advised entrepreneurs to identify their revenue streams – will it be from the people you serve, or through other sources like grants? Her approach has been to charge fair prices for services, while also taking up pro bono work to ensure business sustainability. Akua also emphasised knowing your “survival number” (the minimum amount of income needed to support your personal and business expenses), to find a balance between social mission and financial health.
Ihab echoed Akua’s views, as a lesson he learnt was that depending on grants entirely to finance operations can leave entrepreneurs vulnerable once the funding runs out. He reiterated the importance of diversifying income streams to ensure sustainability.
On Leadership and Team Management
What advice do you have for budding social entrepreneurs who are learning to lead and manage a team?
Akua pointed out self-awareness as a key leadership trait, and suggested cultivating a habit of introspection. She also advised entrepreneurs to grow their teams prudently when bootstrapping, accounting for financial and mental bandwidth to support new team members. Akua concluded, “leadership is an odyssey: it has ups and downs” – it is crucial for leaders to recognise when to pivot, to let go, or to push forward.
Highlighting the risks of rapid team expansion, Andrea warned that it can lead to toxic company cultures, unclear job expectations and even mass layoffs. Instead, she recommended organic team growth through thoughtful hiring. She also encouraged entrepreneurs to embrace diversity, check their ego and be confident enough to hire people better than them. Lastly, she shared the principle of “hire slow, fire fast”: take time to evaluate potential hires and be ready to part ways with those who are not a right fit.
For Ihab, it was crucial to find a good mentor, who has walked the path and can help him avoid common mistakes. He also emphasized the importance of respecting people’s time and being kind to others. Rather than micromanagement, Ihab believes in building trust within the team.
About Our Speakers
Andrea Paz Donaire Gálvez
Learning Consultant & Leadership Coach
Andrea is a reinvented Engineer, Master’s degree in Leadership Skills from Adolfo Ibáñez University, a certified Coach by Newfield Consulting and Zenger Folkman. Throughout her career, she has worked in organizations across various sectors, initially in commercial areas, and for the past decade, she has been dedicated to consulting, facilitation, and coaching. She has also been an entrepreneur. She currently focuses on helping leaders strengthen their leadership skills, through coaching and program development, and works on gender parity issues, actively supporting the increased presence of women in positions of power.
Ihab Sabbah
IT Consultant, Youth Trainer, and Social Innovator
Ihab has journeyed from Palestine to Germany, navigating diverse cultures and social landscapes along the way. With a Master’s degree in IT Management and Consulting, he’s an IT Consultant with a passion for social innovation. Over the last 6 years, he’s been at the forefront of digital change, co-founding social Clubs and projects and empowering youth through education and training. His impressive track record includes leading over 40 international projects that span Europe and the Global South. Now, he’s set on solving one of Germany’s most pressing challenges — the labor shortage — by helping companies embrace diversity and onboard international IT talents. Ihab is a changemaker in the tech and social impact spheres.
Akua Nyame-Mensah
Leadership & Culture Advisor, ANM & Co
Akua Nyame-Mensah has leveraged her innate personality by increasing her self-awareness to go from a city planning graduate to a startup executive to a Leadership & Culture Advisor. She runs a leadership consultancy (ANM & Co)
and helps first-time executives and founders by making leadership easy. Akua is also the host of the Open Door Conversation Podcast and the monthly #PeopleBeforeStrategy Roundtable. Her corporate paid work allows her to be a volunteer speaker, mentor, coach, and judge for various entrepreneurship-focused organizations, including Stanford Seed, Google for Startups, Arlan’s Academy, Founders Institute, Seedstars, African Business Heroes, FemGems, The Women’s Impact Alliance and PIM.
Leslie Dong
Director of Operations, Purpose in Motion
Leslie is a seasoned professional in the field of professional development, cultural exchange, global education, and social entrepreneurship. Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, Leslie is fluent in American English, Chinese Mandarin, Chinese Cantonese, and is also an intermediate Korean speaker. Leslie has helped organize a variety of leadership program all over the world including in Korea, Malaysia, the United States, Switzerland, and more with a focus on creating interactive workshops on storytelling, public speaking, and cross cultural communication. Leslie graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Colorado-Boulder with a 3.98 GPA and is an awardee of over 30 scholarships totaling over 1.3 million RMB.
Other Social Entrepreneurial Resources
Doing Well By Doing Good: Enrou’s Path To Even Bigger Global Impact: This article on Entrepreneurs.com explores how Enrou, a social enterprise, has successfully expanded its global impact by combining business success with meaningful social contributions. Read the article here.
NextBillion: A platform that examines the nexus between development and enterprise, offering articles, case studies, and interviews with leaders in social innovation and impact investing. Visit NextBillion.
Mission in a Bottle by Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff: This graphic novel narrates the story of Honest Tea, a mission-driven business. It provides lessons on entrepreneurship and social impact in a unique and engaging format.
Ting Ting Liew, Interviewer/Writer
Ting Ting is passionate about social impact, innovation, business development, and the nexus among these three areas. She was previously a Business Partner in Enterprise Singapore, a government agency that champions enterprise growth. Ting Ting graduated from the National University of Singapore with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Social Work. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at Yenching Academy, Peking University. She is currently working on her thesis regarding the development of social entrepreneurship in China. During her free time, you can catch Ting Ting running, doing aerial yoga, or finding the best dessert in town!
