The second edition of Be Empowered, hosted by Layal Jade Tinubu in partnership with the Noella Foundation, took place on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria. The event welcomed over 150 guests for a one-day summit dedicated to supporting women-led businesses.
This year’s program garnered more than 2,500 applications, from which 200 business owners were shortlisted to participate in the summit. The top five finalists were invited to pitch their businesses to a panel of judges on April 10, 2025.
During the summit, nine winners were announced, with the top grant recipients emerging from the pitch session and others selected based on their applications. Following the event, an additional 11 attendees were awarded grants, raising the total number of recipients to 20.
In her welcome address, Layal Jade Tinubu shared her commitment to empowering women in business, emphasizing that these financial supports would enable them to start, sustain, and scale their enterprises. The summit featured informative sessions with speakers like Elizabeth Isiorho, Founder of BETH Model Management, and Ibiyinka Ibru, CEO and Lead Financial Advisor at Moneystart.
A fireside chat with Layal Tinubu, who is also the Founder and Managing Director of Tots Toys and Co-founder of the Noella Foundation, explored her entrepreneurial journey, including her transition from the corporate world and the challenges of balancing family and business.
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Previous grant recipients from the 2024 edition shared their success stories, detailing how the program transformed their businesses. They highlighted how the funding, along with the intensive bootcamp, equipped them with the necessary tools to enhance operations, strengthen structures, and pursue growth with clarity.
This year, the 20 grant winners completed a comprehensive five-week bootcamp, the culmination of the Be Empowered initiative. The bootcamp included expert-led sessions on strategic planning, financial management, operational efficiency, and long-term scalability.
By merging funding with an integrated learning experience, Be Empowered, founded by Layal Tinubu, continues to set a high standard for impactful entrepreneurship development for Nigerian women in business
