[contextly_sidebar id=”8clBQA4ANbn3LbO4ou0ih20bJ4mgFCW6″]Bright Simons is a Ghanaian social innovator, entrepreneur, writer and an honorary Vice President of one of Africa\u2019s most respected think tanks, IMANI Ghana.<\/p>\n
He is the Founder of mPedigree<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, a social enterprise’ noted for its work to expose makers and distributors of counterfeit machines, and for creating a computer program called Goldkeys that enables the verification of certain products in some countries.<\/p>\n mPedigree uses mobile phones to secure pharmaceutical products against counterfeiting. They have also expanded into the textile and cosmetics industries in Nigeria and Ghana.<\/p>\n mPedigree (then mPedigree Network) was founded in 2007 and has since expanded operations to 12 countries, with offices in nine. They have hundreds of clients, including manufacturers of veterinary medicine, electrical products, baby food, cosmetics and high-yield seeds used in agriculture.<\/p>\n mPedigree sells software that manufacturers use to label individual packs of medication with a random 12-digit code hidden under a scratch-off rectangle on the packaging.<\/p>\n About Wecyclers<\/strong><\/p>\n Wecyclers gives households a chance to capture value from their waste while providing a reliable supply of materials to the local recycling industry.<\/p>\n Wecyclers works in partnership with the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and collects recyclable waste, including plastic bottles, plastic bags, and aluminum cans, at the household level using low-cost bicycle-powered collection vehicles called \u201cwecycles\u201d.<\/p>\n The finalists were announced during a live broadcast on DStv Channel 410 on Wednesday night, marking the start of the award that will travel to East, West and Southern Africa, to recognise the best in business across the continent.<\/p>\n The live finalists\u2019 announcement on CNBC Africa brought together members of the press, key stakeholders and sponsors to reveal this year\u2019s contenders for the sixth season of the awards.<\/p>\n Working through over a hundred qualifying submissions, judges spent well over two months examining, analysing and deliberating the candidates for 2016, narrowing it down to only a handful of business leaders per category, in each region.<\/p>\n The 2016 AABLA finalists for each region are:<\/strong><\/p>\n Young Business Leader of the Year \u2013 East Africa presented by Lancaster University Ghana and Transnational Education Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Darshan Chandaria, Director and Group CEO of Chandaria Group Young Business Leader of the Year \u2013 Southern Africa presented by Lancaster University Ghana and Transnational Education Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Linda Olagunju, Founder and Managing Director at DLO Energy Resources<\/p>\n Jackie van Niekerk, CEO of Pivotal Property Fund<\/p>\n Siya Beyile, Founder of The Threaded Man<\/p>\n Young Business Leader of the Year \u2013 West Africa presented by Lancaster University Ghana and Transnational Education Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Tope Aroge, Managing Director of the Arog Bio Allied Agro Services<\/p>\n Seun and Seyi Abolaji, Founder’s and Managing Directors of Wilson’s Juice Company<\/p>\n Uneku Atawodi, Founder of Bamboo Green Concepts<\/p>\n Entrepreneur of the Year \u2013 East Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Ashok Shah, CEO of APA Insurance<\/p>\n Bimal Kantaria, Director of Elgon Kenya<\/p>\n Entrepreneur of the Year \u2013 Southern Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Stephen Saad, Group CEO of Aspen Pharmacare<\/p>\n Magda Wierzycka, CEO of Sygnia Asset Management<\/p>\n Mark and Brett Levy, Joint-CEO of Blue Label Telecoms<\/p>\n Entrepreneur of the Year \u2013 West Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Paul Orajiaka, is the Founder of Auldon<\/p>\n Wole Faroun, CEO of Netplus Advisory<\/p>\n Suleiman Yusuf, CEO of Blue Camel Energy<\/p>\n Business Women of the Year \u2013 East Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Founder of soleRebels<\/p>\n Joseline Kateeba, Managing Director of Crest Foam<\/p>\n Business Women of the Year \u2013 Southern Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Lindani Dhlamini, CEO of SekelaXabiso<\/p>\n Monica Singer, CEO of Strate<\/p>\n Business Women of the Year \u2013 West Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Sola David-Borha, CEO of Stanbic IBTC Holdings<\/p>\n Udo Okonjo, CEO and Founder of Fine & Country West Africa<\/p>\n Bilikiss Adebiyi Abiola, CEO of Wecyclers<\/p>\n Innovator of the Year \u2013 East Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Danson Muchemi, Founder of Web Tribe<\/p>\n Patrick Buchana, Founder of AC Group<\/p>\n Ernest Kayinamura, CEO of Hexakomb<\/p>\n Innovator of the Year \u2013 Southern Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Thato Kgatlhanye, Founder of Rethaka<\/p>\n Stacey Brewer and Ryan Harrison, Founders of SPARK Schools<\/p>\n Innovator of the Year \u2013 West Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Bilikiss Adebiyi Abiola, CEO of Wecyclers<\/p>\n Bright Simons, President of mPedigree<\/p>\n Company of the Year \u2013 East Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n APA Insurance<\/p>\n Bank of Kigali<\/p>\n National Microfinance Bank (NMB)<\/p>\n Company of the Year \u2013 Southern Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Discovery<\/p>\n Bidvest<\/p>\n Aspen Pharmacare<\/p>\n Company of the Year \u2013 West Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Dangote Group<\/p>\n LafargeHolcim<\/p>\n Nestl\u00e9 Central & West Africa<\/p>\n Zenith Bank<\/p>\n Business Leader of the Year \u2013 East Africa presented by Bosch<\/strong><\/p>\n Juliet Umutoni, Country Manager of DHL Express Rwanda<\/p>\n Egide Gatera, Chairman of Rwanda Mountain Tea<\/p>\n Fatima Abubakar, Country Manager of DHL Express Uganda<\/p>\n Business Leader of the Year \u2013 Southern Africa presented by Bosch<\/strong><\/p>\n Adrian Gore, Founder and CEO of Discovery<\/p>\n Mike Brown, CEO of Nedbank<\/p>\n Business Leader of the Year \u2013 West Africa presented by Bosch<\/strong><\/p>\n Abdulsamad Rabiu, Founder of BUA Group<\/p>\n Issam Darwish, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of IHS Holding<\/p>\n John Bonoh Sisay, CEO of Sierra Rutile<\/p>\n The Lifetime Achievement Award in each region and for All Africa will once again be selected by the judging committee and announced on the night.<\/p>\n The Industrialist of the Year category presented by the IDC along with the Philanthropist of the Year, will take on a similar format.<\/p>\n The AABLA, now in their sixth year, recognise Africa\u2019s bold leaders and change-makers of business in East, West and Southern Africa.<\/p>\n The regional events will be staged in Kigali on September 8, Johannesburg September 29 and Lagos October 20 with the Finale taking place in Johannesburg on November 11.<\/p>\n The winners of each region will go through to the Finale to crown an All Africa winner per category.![\"Announcement\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Announcement.jpeg\")
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\nTrushar Khetia, Founder and CEO of Tria Group
\nJean de Dieu Kagabo, Founder and CEO of Soft Group<\/p>\n
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\nBy: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie\/Citifmonline.com\/Ghana
\nFollow @AfanyiDadzie<\/a>
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