How Stanford Seed Network Nigeria’s IWD Webinar Series Equipped Women to Build Real Businesses

This year, in celebration of International Women’s Day, Stanford Seed Network Nigeria curated a powerful webinar series designed to move women entrepreneurs beyond ideas, and into execution, structure, and growth.

Across three focused sessions, participants engaged with experienced founders and industry leaders, gaining practical insights on how to build businesses that are not only profitable, but sustainable.

Each session tackled a critical stage of the entrepreneurial journey: execution, discipline, and collaboration.

Turning Plans into Action

The series opened with Seyi Abolaji, Co-founder of Wilson’s Juice Company, who led a session on “Operations and Execution: Turning Your Business Plan into Action.”

His session addressed a challenge many founders faced, having a clear vision, but struggling to implement it effectively.

Participants learned the importance of:

• Prioritizing high-impact tasks that drove real outcomes

• Breaking down strategy into actionable daily steps

• Ensuring team alignment and focus

• Connecting daily operations to long-term business goals

The message was clear: execution was what transformed ideas into results.

Building Structure Through Discipline

The second session, led by Taibat Dayo-Amzat, Founder/CEO of Zenfix Limited, focused on “Discipline is Feminine: Structured Execution in Building a Real Business.”

Here, participants were challenged to rethink what it meant to run a business.

Taibat emphasized that real businesses were built on:

• Systems and documented processes

• Proper financial records and accountability

• Clear roles and operational structure

She highlighted a powerful truth: if a business could not run without the founder, it was not yet a business, it was self-employment.

For many attendees, this session served as both a reality check and a roadmap for building businesses that could grow, scale, and attract opportunities.

Growing Through Collaboration

The series concluded with Funto Boroffice, Founder/CEO of Chanja Datti, who introduced a refreshing perspective in her session, “Give to Gain: Shifting from Competitive to Collaborative Business Models.”

Addressing the realities of operating in saturated markets, Funto challenged the traditional mindset of competition and encouraged entrepreneurs to embrace collaboration as a growth strategy.

Participants were introduced to the idea of strategic generosity, sharing value in ways that expanded visibility, unlocked opportunities, and drove mutual growth.

Her message reframed success, showing that growth was not only about outperforming others, but about building with others.

A Series Designed for Real Impact

Together, these sessions formed a powerful learning journey — equipping women with the tools to:

• Execute effectively

• Build structured, scalable businesses

• Leverage collaboration for growth

Beyond inspiration, the webinar series focused on practical, real-world strategies that participants could immediately apply to their businesses.

Looking Ahead: The Grand Finale

With the webinar series successfully concluded, we extend our sincere appreciation to all participants who showed up, engaged, and committed to learning throughout the sessions.

The journey culminated in the Grand Finale Pitch Event, where selected participants presented their businesses for the opportunity to win ₦1,000,000 in funding, bringing together everything the series represented: preparation, growth, and opportunity.