Bernice Dapaah is a Ghanaian social entrepreneur who is the founder and chief executive officer of the Ghana Bamboo Bike Initiative in Kumasi.[1][2] This Initiative addresses environmental degradation through the production of bicycles using environmentally friendly resources such as bamboo.[3] She and her company, Ghana Bamboo Bike Initiative have won several awards. In 2016 and 2017 she was listed as one of WomanRising's 100 Most Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs in Ghana.[4][5] Dapaah sits on the advisory board of the WIPO GREEN in Switzerland and is the founding curator of the Kumasi Hub of the Global Shapers.[6] In addition, she is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Biodiversity and Natural Capital.[7][8]
Education
editDapaah graduated from the Christian Service University with a bachelor's degree in business administration.[9] She also holds a diploma in Human Resource Management and Marketing from the Institute of Commercial Management in UK.[10] She hold a diploma in “Executive education” from Harvard University.[11] She currently holds a Master’s Degree in Development Management from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.[12]
Career
editMotivated by the high unemployment rate in Ghana, Dapaah decided to venture into Entrepreneurship just when she was about completing school. She and her friends wanted to create jobs rather than seek one. And hence she and Winnifred Selby founded the Ghana Bamboo Bike in 2009.[9]
She is also an Ambassador for the World Bamboo Organization in Switzerland.[13]
Ghana Bamboo Bike Initiative
editThe Ghana Bamboo Bike Initiative aside providing employment for the youth, helps reduce environmental degradation through the use of local and environmentally friendly resources such as bamboo in the production of bicycles.[14] This Initiative has won several awards including the 2014 UNEP/Dubai International Award, 2013 UNFCCC Momentum For Change Light House Activity Award (Women For Results Category), World Business and Development Award 2012, UN Habitat/Dubai International Best Practice Award 2012, Samsung/Generations For Peace Impact Award 2012, GIZ Impact Business Award 2011, and UNEP SEED Initiative Award 2010.[15][16][17]
Awards and recognition
edit- Vital Voices Lead Fellow[18][10]
- 2014 Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum[18][19]
- She was awarded “Entrepreneur for the World Award” by the World Entrepreneurship Forum[16]
- She was honored World Ambassador of the World Bamboo Organization.[16]
- She won the 2013 International Women Alliance World of Difference Award.[18][10]
- Advisory Board Member of WIPO GREEN[15]
References
edit- ^ "Empower Women - Bernice Dapaah gets United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to ride her bamboo bikes". EmpowerWomen. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ "Glitz top 100 inspirational women – Page 100 – Glitz Africa Magazine". Retrieved 2022-05-28.
- ^ "Bernice Dapaah: Bamboo Bike Entrepreneur". www.rejectedprincesses.com. Retrieved 2019-09-10.
- ^ TheSummit (2017-11-22). "WomanRising Announces 2017 100 Most Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs List". The Summit. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ WomanRising. "2016 – 100 Most Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs In Ghana – WomanRising". Archived from the original on 2019-09-04. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ "Bernice Dapaah". Varkey Foundation. Retrieved 2019-09-08.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Bernice Dapaah Selected as Young Global Leader 2014". Guba Awards. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ Africa, Aim Higher (2018-08-08). "AHA WOMAN: MEET BERNICE DAPAAH THE YOUNG SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR WHO MAKES BICYCLES ENTIRELY FROM BAMBOO". Aim Higher Africa. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ a b Jones, Corinne (2015-05-05). "Ghana's bicycle which is creating jobs while it saves the soil". The Guardian. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ a b c "Bernice Dapaah (Ghana) | WikiPeaceWomen – English". wikipeacewomen.org. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ "Ghana: Bernice Dapaah makes bikes out of bamboo :: AWE - En". africawomenexperts.com. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "Management – Ghana Bamboo Bikes". Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "Ghana: Bernice Dapaah makes bikes out of bamboo :: AWE - En". africawomenexperts.com. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "The Co-founder of Ghana Bamboo Bikes, Winnifred Selby". Women Africa. 2019-03-28. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ a b "Bernice Dapaah". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ a b c "Ghanaian among winners of 2015 Entrepreneur for the World Award - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ "UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana receives a bamboo bicycle". UNDP. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ a b c "Bernice Dapaah, Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative Founder, Named 2014 Young Global Leader By World Economic Forum". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ "Bernice Dapaah named 2014 Young Global Leader". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-08.