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.
Find out more about EEC'12
A Big THANKS to Belgium’s top newspaper La Libre Belgique for their great story today on soleRebels on page 2 of their printed newspaper!
And they have also posted it online! Read the full article at the following link: La chaussure verte made in Ethiopia
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.
soleRebels has just been featured on BBC Afrique in an article titled "Succes story" africaine. Check out an excerpt from the article below:
"Nous employons des gens sans expérience mais talentueux, parfois de milieux très défavorisés, nous les formons a nos méthodes d’artisanat et nous les récompensons financièrement ".
Pour l’heure, SoleRebels produit jusqu’à 800 paires de chaussures par jour, dont les prix varient entre 35 et 95 dollars sur le marché international.
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu affirme que son modèle économique, qui mise essentiellement sur internet, lui permet de comprendre les besoins du marché en temps réel.
Click here to read the full article: "Success story" africaine
Click here to read the English translated version: African Success Story
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
Style.it, one of Italy’s coolest fashion blogs, just published a great article on soleRebels titled Scarpe eco e ribelli.
Check out an excerpt from the article below:
Qual è il segreto di SoleRebels? Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu sottolinea l’importanza dell’aspetto ecologico; tutti i materiali utilizzati sono reperiti localmente, come i vecchi pneumatici usati per realizzare le suole. E qui c’è sotto una bella storia che ha dato il nome al marchio; ‘SoleRebels’ si rifà ai ribelli che nel 1991 rovesciarono il regime del dittatore Menghistu e che calzavano ciabatte ricavate dai vecchi pneumatici, appunto.
The article can be read in full at the following link: Scarpe eco e ribelli
And an English translated version can be read here: Shoes and eco rebels
A great crew from the BBC stopped by today and filmed a great segment about soleRebels for African Dream, a program dedicated to spotlighting top African entrepreneurs.
It will be broadcast on BBC World starting in June!!!!
Thanks BBC!
I’m very excited to be speaking at the AWESOME upcoming INDIAFRICA: A Shared Future, Campus Outreach Event at Addis Ababa University on May 18, 2012. ( INDIAFRICA a Shared Future on Facebook )
This is a fantastic event and a must attend for anyone interested in hearing about what the state of entrepreneurship is from an Ethiopia AND Indian perspective.
I will be speaking at both sessions:
- The first session runs from 10.00 am - 1.00 pm and is an Interactive Session with Entrepreneurs from India and Ethiopia called "Building youth innovation and entrepreneurship together" ****Please note space for THIS SESSION IS BY INVITATION ONLY !!!!
- The second session runs from 3.00 pm - 4.30 pm and is an Interactive Session with Entrepreneurs from India and Ethiopia "Success stories from India and Ethiopia to inspire the youth" *(This session is OPEN TO ALL BUT SPACE IS LIMITED SO ARRIVE EARLY!!!)
Both sessions will BE web cast LIVE!!!
During the program we will also be talking about the INDIAFRICA Young Visionaries Program. This is a very unique initiative identifying promising young entrepreneurs in India and Africa and offering them opportunities for growth and collaboration AND A CHANCE AT being awarded one of FOURTEEN Grants of $10,000 USD !!!!!!!!!!!
And no conference should be complete without ENTERTAINMENT. So from 6.30pm onwards on May 18 at Addis Ababa University, THERE WILL BE a musical performance by India's super HOT 9 member rock band Parikrama.
Parikrama will jam with a HOT up and coming addis based band whose name will be revealed in the coming days and who will add some serious spice to the whole event…
And best of all IT'S ALL FREE !!!!
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.
soleRebels , the planets fastest growing global African footwear brand, becomes 1st private African company to be showcased by Forum
Davos, Switzerland / Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The World Economic Forum today named soleRebels , the planets fastest growing global African footwear brand , to the Forums official program at the upcoming 2012 World Economic Forum on Africa taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia May 9th-11th.
Hailed for their model of equitable and sustainable growth, soleRebels will be showcased to World Economic Forum delegates including international executives , leading entrepreneurs and global investment managers in a series of interactive site visits to the company’s artisan driven factory and soleRebels' innovative flagship retail location.
bethlehem tilahun alemu , founder and ceo of soleRebels and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader will lead the tours. Forum delegates will have the chance to interact with company founder + ceo and see+experience how she built both the fastest growing African footwear brand on the planet and the worlds first fair trade footwear company
“I am honored that the World Economic Forum has chosen to showcase soleRebels at this important global gathering which itself serves to highlight the DYNAMIC OPPORTUNITY that IS Africa! soleRebels represents an Africa replete with the ideas, creativity, people , energy , and resources to create world class products and companies . I am deeply excited to share what we have been achieving with soleRebels and show how companies like us can continue to shape, define and position African development as a living and breathing reality that is reflective of the voices of African peoples AND is driven by their talents, their aspirations , their desires and their dreams.” stated Bethlehem.
Among the delegations scheduled to tour soleRebels is The Global Leadership Fellows Programme (GLFP) a unique World Economic Forum leadership development programme. Run by the World Economic Forum the programme finds the next generation of leaders both for the Forum’s own management and governance and also that of the world as a whole.
“The world is on the cusp of major changes and emerging markets are increasingly important as a source of incredible innovation and growth . Seeing and understanding bethlehems vision and her achievement of equitable and sustainable growth is an URGENT MUST for anyone seeking to engage with these evolving dynamics in real time ”, commented Prof. Gilbert Probst, Managing Director of the Leadership Office & Academic Affairs at the World Economic Forum.
The 22nd World Economic Forum Africa gathering brings together 700 global and regional business leaders, heads of state/government and ministers, as well as leaders from media, academia and civil society.
Under the theme Shaping Africa’s Transformation, the programme will focus on three core pillars to address key issues and opportunities:
- Strengthening Africa’s Leadership
- Accelerating Investment in Frontier Markets
- Scaling Innovation for Shared Opportunities
Over the past decade, Africa has become one of the fastest-growing economies worldwide. Ethiopia is a prime example of Africa’s frontier economies. Home to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa is the perfect setting to convene global and pan-African leaders to shape the region’s transformation.
The Co-Chairs of the meeting are Kofi Annan, Chairman, Africa Progress Panel (APP) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Switzerland; Gao Xiqing, President and Vice-Chairman, China Investment Corporation (CIC), People’s Republic of China; Bekele Geleta, Secretary-General, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Socie ties (IFRC), Geneva; Doug McMillon, President and Chief Executive Officer, Wal-Mart International, Wal-Mart Stores, USA; and Tidjane Thiam, Group Chief Executive, Prudential, United Kingdom.
A Big THANKS to Belgium’s top newspaper La Libre Belgique for their great story today on soleRebels on page 2 of their printed newspaper!
