News
Women Fair Trade Leaders Awarded: Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu Posted on 7 Jan 11:40
The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) has acknowledged soleRebels founder Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu this morning on their website. Along with two other incredible female leaders in fair trade, Carry Somers and Bitten Hogh, Bethlehem was noted for her contributions throughout 2013.Bethlehem and soleRebels featured by Fast Company Posted on 13 May 08:47
soleRebels founder and managing director, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, has just been named One of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company.
Fast Company writes:
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu's childhood village in Ethiopia taught her a sobering economic lesson: "We had lots of artisan talent, but no job opportunities," she says. So, on a plot of her grand-mother's land in Addis Ababa, she created a small-scale solution: soleRebels, a shoe company that pays fair wages and uses locally sourced materials such as organic, hand-spun cotton.
soleRebels Featured on Oprah.com Posted on 5 Mar 08:29
In addition to being featured in the March issue of Oprah Magazine, soleRebels has just been featured on Oprah.com in the article Transforming a Community, One Fair-Trade Shoe at a Time.
From the article:
With her outsize ambition, bethlehem tilahun alemu is bringing ethiopia’s local culture to people around the world—foot by foot.
Read the full article here: Transforming a Community, One Fair-Trade Shoe at a Time.
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu meets Lego’s Jorgen Vig Knudstorp on BBC Ideas Exchange Posted on 5 Sep 08:19
The Ideas Exchange is a series from the BBC exploring the minds shaping global business. It pairs up business leaders from around the world to discuss today's business landscape and their secrets to success.
Watch the video below to see soleRebels founder, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, meet Lego CEO Jorgen Vig Knudstorp.
Forbes lists Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu as ‘Woman to Watch’ on World’s 100 Most Women 2012 List Posted on 23 Aug 08:27
Forbes magazine just published their World's 100 Most Powerful Women 2012 AND soleRebels founder and managing director Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu is on the Women to Watch list!
Bethlehem appears along with Kate Middleton the Duchess of Cambridge, Robin Roberts Co-Anchor, Good Morning America and Sara Blakely the Founder of iconic apparel company Spanx!
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu Named as Keynote Speaker for Europe’s Premier ecommerce event Posted on 12 Jul 18:27
European Ecommerce Conference 2012 [ EEC12] is largest ecommerce gathering in Europe. Bethlehem becomes 1st ever African Chief Executive to deliver the keynote at major global ecommerce event.
Europe’s largest international conference for digital business, the European Ecommerce Conference [EEC’12], today named soleRebels founder + managing director Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu as the keynote speaker for their conference taking place in Madrid at the famed Teatro Circo Price de Madrid, from October 24-25th 2012.
The honor recognizes Bethlehem’s status as Africa’s foremost ecommerce pioneer and as creator of Africa’s most successful global consumer brand.
“I am really excited about being asked to give the keynote at EEC’12. For me it is recognition of each and every person that makes soleRebels what it is - from the cutters who cut our materials, to the weavers who loom our amazing fabrics, to the spinners who hand spin every thread of cotton we use, to the shoe crafters who mould our awesome footwear and onto our marketing wizards who create & maintain our digital platforms, ensuring that our customers can touch and feel and love the total value of what we produce. I am excited to share with EEC’12 attendees just how dynamic the soleRebels brand is, a brand committed to serving our consumers and our workers equally well by continuing to innovate fantastic products, incredible service and satisfying the aspirations of our talented and growing workforce” said Bethlehem.
Bethlehem's keynote will mark the first time the CEO of an African-based brand has keynoted a major European digital conference.
“Bethlehem is a genuine pioneer. She has built soleRebels into a sought after global brand and an ecommerce leader; a brand that is a symbol for BOTH innovation and social responsibility. And she has guided soleRebels to these incredible heights while being the planets’s first and only WFTO certified Fair Trade footwear company, proving that commercial success DOES go hand in hand with deep ethical practices. We are honored that she has accepted to give the keynote at the EEC 12”, stated César Tello Director for EEC’12.
EEC is an expert’s conference, designed to inspire online professionals under the theme “Innovation Through Digital Business”. With over 1500 high level attendees that comprise digital commerce innovators, EEC is the largest international conference about digital business in Spain and is organized by Adigital (Spain Digital Economy Association), the largest eCommerce Association nationwide with partners all over Europe and Latin America. Adigital is a non-profit organization representing over 500 member companies that are transforming the shape of the digital arena. Adigital is the frame of reference for the private and public sectors in Spain in issues related to legislation, eCommerce, innovation, digital marketing and communication.
Sony Pictures Entertainment Spotlights Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu Posted on 16 Jun 21:01
Sony Pictures Entertainment will feature Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, the award winning founder of soleRebels in their upcoming landmark series Trading Secrets: Inside the Minds Shaping Global Business.
Commissioned by the BBC, this 8-part series will air worldwide to over 300 Million homes at the end of 2012. Filming for the project begins this week in Addis Ababa and then moves to Denmark over the coming weeks.
The series explores the new world of business through the experiences of the 16 greatest business leaders on the planet in an exciting and groundbreaking format. BBC will heavily promote the series through a fully integrated marketing campaign that combines TV, print, multimedia, and social media.
“Participants for this series were selected because they represent the most inspirational business leaders across the world today! Bethlehem through her ingenuity, business acumen, innovative strategies and deep commitment to building a global brand that serves consumers and workers equally well, has earned her place among this exalted group”, stated Mat Steiner, Managing Director for Sony’s GOGGLEbox division, the production entity producing the series.
In each episode, one legendary business figure will meet an equally legendary businessman or woman and their conversations will be filmed. These two seminal business minds will share with each other, and the global audience watching, their experiences of running a global business, the lessons learned and how their decisions and strategies have influenced the shift in the shape of the global business landscape.
Bethlehem, hailed for creating soleRebels, the 1st global consumer brand to emerge from Africa, will be partnering with business maverick Joergen Vig Knudstorp the Chief Executive Officer of the iconic company LEGO, the 3rd largest toymaker on the planet!
“I am excited about sharing what soleRebels is all about with LEGO’s CEO Joergen Vig Knudstorp. He is someone that I greatly admire, not simply for the fact that he resurrected a cherished global brand making it even better and more meaningful in the process, but for the manner in which he did that – with authenticity and ethics driving the entire endeavor. Those elements are KEY drivers behind everything we do at soleRebels”, stated Bethlehem.
These two business mavericks will meet at LEGO’s storied headquarters in Billund Denmark where they will explore subjects ranging from:
- How Vig Knudstorp pulled the beloved 80+ year old LEGO brand back from the brink of death and turned the company into a highly innovative, massively profitable multi-billion dollar globe straddling powerhouse – all while maintaining the underlying authenticity of the LEGO brand.
- How Bethlehem built soleRebels from scratch inside her community – one of the world's most impoverished – turning it into a multi-million dollar global enterprise that creates incredible footwear that people around the planet are passionate about while generating creative employment & prosperity inside Ethiopia.
- What sustainability means for their enterprises, both known for their innovative approaches to full product and company sustainability.
- Their global growth strategies for the next 5 years including how they address their shared idea of allowing consumers to actively engage with their respective brands.
India's Businessworld features soleRebels Posted on 2 Jun 12:29
Businessworld, the largest selling Indian business magazine, did a great story about social entrepreneurs in emerging markets … and they gave a special highlight to soleRebels and its founder, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu!
Here's an excerpt from the article:
Many African social entrepreneurs I met are developing opportunities and partnerships in India.
The most celebrated of these is Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Founder and CEO of soleRebels, a young footwear company based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Bethlehem is walking the talk on being socially responsible and is a business success.
Read the full article here: Social Business Goes Global
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu named Social Entrepreneur of The Year at World Economic Forum Posted on 10 May 07:19
Nobel Prize laureate and father of microfinance Muhammad Yunus , Music icon Quincy Jones and other global luminaries from Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship select footwear icon to receive award ; 1st Ethiopian to ever win this award
Davos, Switzerland / Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship announced today that Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu , Founder and CEO of soleRebels , has received the Foundation's Social Entrepreneur of The Year Award at the 2012 World Economic Forum on Africa taking place now in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia [May 9th-11th].
“We deeply believe that economic as well as social progress can best be achieved through entrepreneurship.” said Schwab Foundation Chairman & co-founder Klaus Schwab. “ Bethlehem embodies the vision and values of the global social entrepreneur community, and we are proud to honour her exemplary work in creating a highly innovative , ethical and sustainable business that continues to make a strong social impact with this special award.”
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is the planets foremost platform dedicated to promoting social entrepreneurship as a key element to advance societies and address social problems. Chaired by World Economic Forum founder Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, its board is comprised of an array of global luminaries including Legendary Global Music Producer and Icon Quincy Jones; Nobel Prize laureate, father of micro finance + Managing Director of Grameen Bank Muhammad Yunus; David Gergen Director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government; acclaimed best-selling author Paulo Coelho; Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant.
The board selected Bethlehem to receive this award for her pioneering achievements in making soleRebels the fastest growing African footwear brand on the planet , the worlds first fair trade footwear company and a global brand that creates award winning products , creative employment opportunities in her community and equitable and sustainable growth!
“I am truly honored that the Schwab Foundation Board has chosen to recognize me in this manner. I proudly share this recognition with every single one of the talented, industrious, committed and cultured people who everyday work alongside me to make soleRebels what it is - the coolest artisan driven footwear company on the planet .” said Bethlehem .
The award will be presented to Bethlehem by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum in a special gala ceremony to be held TONIGHT at the 2012 World Economic Forum on Africa taking place now in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia [May 9th-11th] in the presence of all Forum delegates . Bethlehem is the first Ethiopian to ever win this prestigious award!
The awards will be broadcast LIVE via livestream (18:00-18.30 Thursday Ethiopia time) via the weforum.org website and these channels:
http://www.livestream.com/worldeconomicforum
http://forumblog.org/2012/05/follow-the-world-economic-forum-on-africa-live/
http://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-africa-2012
Hailed for BOTH creating award winning products and their model of equitable and sustainable growth, soleRebels is being showcased to World Economic Forum delegates in a series of interactive site visits to the company’s artisan driven factory and soleRebels innovative flagship retail location , the very 1st private African company to ever be profiled by the Forum in this manner.
- Previous
- Page 2 of 2