The conference is set to bring in business owners and entrepreneurs from around the world to
Thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, and creatives from around the world are gathering in Atlanta this weekend for Invest Fest, a conference dedicated to financial literacy, business growth and networking.
Among the featured speakers is Valerie Obaze, a Ghanaian entrepreneur and CEO of R&R Skincare, who’s sharing her journey of building a beauty brand rooted in natural African ingredients.
“My role as a business owner in investing is, for me… changing the landscape of the African continent and how people see the continent,” Obaze said. “I started a beauty brand about 15 years ago, creating skincare products that were made from natural African ingredients such as shea butter.”
Obaze said the idea for her company came after she moved from London to Lagos and saw how raw African ingredients were often exported, processed abroad, and then sold back to local markets.
“What we were lacking is value addition,” she explained. “I just felt that it was high time for us to create our own… not just to keep to ourselves, but to share with the rest of the world.”
She’ll be taking the stage Saturday for a panel titled Brick by Brick: The Blueprint of Empire Building, alongside business leader Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest, author and social media personality Tabitha Brown, and journalist Selena Hill, who will moderate.
“It’s quite a humbling experience to be on the stage with these amazing, accomplished women,” Obaze said. “I think we’re going to share lots of shared experiences, even though we’re continents apart.”
Her advice to aspiring business owners?
“Start small. Start with what you have and just do it,” she said. “If you overthink it, you’ll never get it done.”
