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PRESENT
The first and only public relations and communications mentorship initiative dedicated exclusively to African female tech founders.
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Read the 2026 Program Relaunch Announcement
Africa’s Premier PR and Communications Mentorship Initiative for African Female Tech Founders
We are excited to announce the return of The Future Is Female Mentorship Program for its sixth edition in 2026. Read more about the highly anticipated return of the program here and learn more about the program’s history below.
The Future Is Female Mentorship Program is the first and only PR and communications mentorship initiative dedicated exclusively to African female tech founders. Since launching on Africa Day in 2020, the programme has grown into one of Africa’s leading platforms supporting women building technology-driven businesses across the continent and in the diaspora.
Created by Africa-focused PR agency C. Moore Media, International Public Relations (CMM), now part of Allison Worldwide, the initiative was born during one of the most uncertain moments in recent history — the global Covid pandemic — with a simple but powerful mission: to ensure African female founders were not left behind. African female tech founders are often unsupported and overlooked in the male-dominated tech world, and we wanted to empower and support this group. The initiative has been supported by Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Africa Program, Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund and F6S expanding the scale and reach of the initiative
In 2020, in the middle of the global pandemic, when businesses around the world were reeling from the pandemic, and we, too as a company was trying to navigate the new normal, we wanted to reach back and help African female entrepreneurs and founders of startups during the global chaos that was surrounding us all.
The Future is Female Mentorship Program provides early-stage African female tech founders with insights into PR and communications fundamentals, including creating a communications plan, business storytelling, media relations, and more. The ultimate goal is for PR and communications to support these women in raising the visibility of their startups with multiple stakeholders leading to increased customers, audiences, media coverage, partners, and, of course, direct investment.
Since its launch in 2020, the program has received applications from 37 African countries, a 253% increase in applications from its inaugural edition. To date, the initiative annually receives 500+ applications representing all five regions across Africa namely, West, South, East, North and Central Africa. Now entering its sixth edition in 2026, the program continues its mission of equipping African female founders with the communications tools, visibility, storytelling expertise and industry connections needed to grow and scale impactful technology businesses. This year’s edition will also introduce expanded resources, a broader network of support and exciting new ecosystem partners who will provide additional opportunities and benefits for selected finalists.
The program continues to gain international recognition and the 20 finalists for the fourth edition have been exclusively announced in international business magazine, Forbes. This press coverage immediately provides these African female tech founders with international visibility to the global business community. The 2022 and 2021 finalists were exclusively announced in Pan-African tech publication, TechCabal and leading international business magazine, Forbes respectively. Click here to see the 2024 finalist announced in TechCabal
Who We Are
New York headquartered PR agency focusing on the US, UK, and African markets.
C. Moore Media International Public Relations (CMM) was founded by Claudine Moore, a global award-winning PR leader, international speaker, and New York University Adjunct Professor. In July 2022, Allison acquired C. Moore Media International Public Relations expanding its presence in Africa and named Claudine Moore, the Managing Director of Africa and DE&I. Claudine has received numerous awards for her global work. In 2023 she was listed as one of the PR Leaders to Know by the Public Relations Society of America. In 2021, she was awarded the Best Leader in Public Relations and Communications by the World Communications Association, Davos, and in 2020 was listed on Provoke Media’s Innovator 25 List in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) which features the top 25 most remarkable PR and communications innovators). Other Previous awards include being honored on Britain’s Top 100 Most Influential Black People and listed on The Network Journal’s 40 under Forty US High Achievers list.
Claudine Moore and Allison have experience working with a cross-section of global, Africa-focused, and African brands, US & African tech startups, and organizations, providing a range of expertise, including internal communications, brand development, media relations, crisis communications, content creation, and more. Organizations include global heritage brands such as Louis Vuitton and Johnson & Johnson, Africa-focused startups such as AFEX, WorldRemit, WorldCover, Konga, and System One, and African/African diaspora brands such as The Africa Channel, Heirs Holdings, Demand Africa, Transcorp, Arik Air, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Goldman Environmental Prize, Food4 Education, Anderson, Bloomberg Philanthropies, etc.
In 2019, Claudine moderated a groundbreaking session for the Organization of African First Ladies (OAFLAD) at the 74th United Nations General Assembly. During this event, 41 first ladies renewed their commitment and reinforcement of gender equality and women’s empowerment across Africa, with technology to play a significant role. This event, alongside her work with The Tony Elumelu Foundation, provided Claudine with the inspiration to create a mentorship program dedicated to African female tech founders; the Future is Female Mentorship Program was born.
Claudine personally leads group masterclass sessions for the selected mentees of the program and one-on-one sessions with the Allison’s team. The Allison team taking part in The Future is Female Mentorship Program include David Idagu, Africa Regional Consultant for Allison and provost of award-winning and Nigeria’s leading PR and communications education body – The Public Relations Skills Academy. And Tope Adubi is Allison’s Digital Marketing Consultant providing digital marketing and social media consulting for both Allison’s clients across Africa and the US.
The Future is Female Mentorship Program is a PR and communications mentorship program by C.Moore Media International Public Relations (CMM), designed exclusively to the business development needs of African Tech female founders.
The 2026 Program
Mirroring the structure of previous editions, the 2026 edition of the program will feature an expanded ecosystem of partners spanning technology, media, venture capital, business development and innovation sectors.
To date, the initiative annually receives 500+ applications from 37 African countries, a 253% increase in applications from 2020 inaugural edition.
Mirroring the structure of previous editions, the 2026 edition of the program will feature an expanded ecosystem of partners spanning technology, media, venture capital, business development and innovation sectors. These collaborations will provide finalists with greater access to mentorship, training, networking opportunities, strategic advisory support and industry insights tailored to the realities of building and scaling African startups.
NEW PARTNERS — COMING SOON
The sixth edition of The Future Is Female Mentorship Program will introduce new and exciting partners across diverse sectors, significantly expanding the resources, networks, and expertise available to mentees and selected finalists. Partner details will be announced in the coming weeks. Organisations interested in partnering with the programme are encouraged to reach out directly.
Previous partners and collaborators of the program have included Africa-focused tech publication, TechCabal, Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Africa Program, Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund, Africa Communications Week and F6S, the world’s largest startup database.
Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund has an active interest in Africa and continues to assess opportunities across the Continent. The Fund has invested in some of the region’s top Africa-focused tech startups including Flutterwave and Andela. As part of their support for the program, they will host a session on VC funding for the selected female founders from across Africa.
Mirroring previous editions, the sixth edition of The Future is Female Mentorship Program will provide African female tech founders of early-stage startups with the PR and communications insights, knowledge, and skills needed to gain visibility and secure investment. It is aimed at African women based on the Continent or in the diaspora and is launching or growing a tech business for African markets or serving Africans in the diaspora. fifth
The program is delivered virtually, and the mentees are invited to participate in masterclasses and sessions customized to the specific needs of their sector and business. During the mentorship program, female founders will learn insights into the fundamentals of PR and communications for tech startups, including creating a communications plan, incorporating storytelling into your business communications with multiple stakeholders, and more. During the selection process, special considerations will be given to startups that focus on health, education, finance, agriculture, and sustainability. In addition, startups that provide solutions and/or address African women’s and girls’ needs will also receive special consideration. Click here to see the 2022 finalists as featured in TechCabal and here to see the 2021 finalists as featured in Forbes. Click here to see the 2024 finalist announced in TechCabal
2026 Program Details
If you are a female-founded African startup with a fantastic service or product and want to learn how to leverage PR and communications to elevate your growing company, my madam, this program is for you!
• Customized online masterclasses with Claudine Moore, Allison+Partners Managing Director, Africa and Adjunct Professor, New York University and TechCabal Editor, with contributions from AfricaCommsWeek’s founders.
• Customized virtual sessions with Allison+partners team members and leading experts from the tech ecosystem specific to your business and sector
• Insights into the fundamentals of PR and communications for Africa-focused startups
• Practical examples of how to incorporate storytelling into your communications
• A topline review of The Three T’s: Theme, Tone, and Timing of communications and content creation
• Information on how to create an actionable communications campaign
• An overview of media relations with an outline of the differences between the hyper-local, regional and global press
• Tips on business relationship development with a cross-section of stakeholders
Who Should Apply
We’re interested in resilient, resourceful, and savvy female founders with demonstrated traction in building their tech-enabled business.
We require that:
- The business is less than two years old.
- You are female-founded or have at least one woman who is part of the co-founder team.
- Your company is Africa-focused serving African markets or Africans in the Diaspora.
- The company is an early-stage startup (pre-series A investment).
- You have a business plan in place and a minimum viable product (MVP)
- You should have a functional website
- You have launched your startup and have initial traction (i.e., money, users, etc.)
While we welcome applications from a vast cross-section of businesses and sectors, startups that focus on health, education, finance, agriculture, and sustainability will be given special consideration. We will also pay special attention to businesses that address the needs/service African women and girls in African markets or the Diaspora. Click here to see the 2022 finalists as featured in TechCabal, here to see the 2021 finalists as featured in Forbes and here to see the 2024 finalists announced in TechCabal.
The 2026 Sessions
The sixth edition of The Future Is Female Mentorship Program will introduce new and exciting partners across diverse sectors, significantly expanding the resources, networks, and expertise available to mentees and selected finalists. Partner details will be announced in the coming weeks. Organisations interested in partnering with the programme are encouraged to reach out directly.
Previous partners and collaborators of the program have included Africa-focused tech publication, TechCabal, Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Africa Program, Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund, Africa Communications Week and F6S, the world’s largest startup database. Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund has an active interest in Africa and continues to assess opportunities across the Continent. The Fund has invested in some of the region’s top Africa-focused tech startups including Flutterwave and Andela. As part of their support for the program, they will host a session on VC funding for the selected female founders from across Africa.
Mirroring previous editions, this sixth edition of The Future is Female Mentorship Program will provide African female tech founders of early-stage startups with the PR and communications insights, knowledge, and skills needed to gain visibility and grow their business. It is aimed at African women based on the continent or in the diaspora and is launching or growing a tech business for African markets or serving Africans in the diaspora.
Leading pan-African tech publication, TechCabal, and Africa Communications Week, a global platform that builds bridges between communications professionals focused on Africa’s transformation, have partnered with the program for three consecutive years as official partners of the program. The partnerships enabled the Program to provide additional perspectives, tools, and insights for the selected female founders and also bring world-class and Pan-African PR insights from additional leading experts, complementing CMM’s global and African regional PR expertise.
As part of the partnership, selected TechCabal team members led two masterclasses providing the 25 finalists with insights on working with tech media, understanding how to position their startups to gain the attention of the tech press, and the importance of partnerships and growth strategies. The partnership with AfricaCommsWeek gave the founders expanded Pan-African and multi-market PR expertise, a key component for many female founders whose startups cover multiple African countries.
The selected mentees participated in four private masterclasses. The first masterclass will be hosted by CMM MD/founder(now Allison‘s Managing Director Africa and DE&I) Claudine Moore with contributions from AfricaCommsWeek Co-founders; Annie Mutumba and Eniola Harrison. Techcabal (Big Cabal) will host the second and third masterclass sessions. The fourth and final masterclass session on VC funding will be hosted by Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund.
In addition to the masterclasses, selected mentees will participate in three customized mentorship sessions in October, November, and December, led by Allison+Partners team members and the program mentors; Claudine Moore, David Idagu and Tope Adubi. The mentors will share insights into PR and communications fundamentals for early-stage tech startups, including creating a communications plan, corporate storytelling, media relations, digital marketing, and more.
Once the 25 finalists have completed the Future is Female Mentorship program; they will own insights into the fundamentals of PR and communications for early-stage tech startups; they will also learn how to create a communications plan, storytelling best practices, strategic business communications with multiple stakeholders, how to position their startups for investment opportunities and more. The program will also provide mentees with insights customized for the unique needs of their business and sector.
Past Program Guest Facilitators
Ngozi Chukwu
Reporter, TechCabalNgozi Chukwu is a Reporter at TechCabal, a leading pan-African tech and business publication. She has produced insightful news reports, features, and investigations on a wide range of topics, including fintech, web3, banking, logistics, e-commerce, and mobility. Her work, read by hundreds of thousands, has sparked industry-wide conversations.
Enki Toto
Investor, Impact Fund, SalesforceEnki invests in leading technology companies that have a demonstrable impact on their communities and customers. She invests across education technology companies that reduce inequalities in education and lifelong learning; financial technology companies that further financial inclusion, and climate technology companies aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Prior to Salesforce, Enki worked in PwC’s deals practice as an actuarial associate and on the accounting advisory team, helping global companies with their deal structure, workforce restructuring, and financial instruments. Enki also worked in strategic finance at an ed-tech start-up. Enki is based in New York following five years in San Francisco. She graduated from Binghamton University with a dual degree in Mathematics and Accounting.
Eniola Harrison
Co-Founder, AfricaCommsWeekEniola is a seasoned communications professional and the founder of HdH Consulting & Services, a Brussels-based communications consultancy.
She is also co-founder of AfricaCommsWeek International, a network of Africa-focused PR/communications professionals from over 25 countries worldwide, passionate about advancing balanced narratives about Africa through their work. Eniola is also the Head of Programmes & Partnerships at IE University’s Africa Center.
Oluwatobi Afolabi
Features Editor, TechCabalPreviously leading the tech column at Document Women, a media platform combating erasure by documenting women’s influence on society past and present, Oluwatobi’s passion for storytelling and influencing African, particularly Nigerian, narratives has led her to work in a variety of industries, including art and literature, design, and tech media. She is currently the features editor at Tech Cabal.
Annie Mutumba
Co-Founder, AfricaCommsWeekAnnie Mutamba is a strategic communications consultant & trainer with almost 20 years of experience advising governments, businesses, & NGOs in Europe & Africa. She is the founder of Meridia Partners, the first Brussels-based public affairs firm specializing in EU-Africa relations, & co-founder of AfricaCommsWeek, an international platform bringing together communications experts worldwide looking to impact Africa’s transformation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and we will require proof of registration as part of the application process. The program’s objective is to provide PR and communications training to established businesses that have already gained traction in the market and are now seeking to raise their brand visibility and reputation.
Sorry guys, but, no you can’t. The program is aimed at African women based on the continent or in the Diaspora and is launching or growing a tech business for African markets or serving Africans in the Diaspora. If your startup has a team of registered co-founders and at least one is a woman, then you can apply.
If you have raised money (pre-series A) magnificent, however, this is not a requirement.
Our focus is to work with female founders and businesses that provide an excellent service or have an innovative product that will serve Africa and Africans.
The program is a Public Relations (PR) and communications mentorship program dedicated exclusively to the business development needs of African Tech female founders.
No, this program is a complimentary initiative and our contribution to supporting female tech startups in the African startup ecosystem.
Meet the Founding Team and Program Mentors
Claudine Moore
Managing Director, Africa, Allison
Listed on the 2020 Provoke Media’s Top 25 PR Innovators in EMEA and the UK Powerlist: Britain’s Top 100 Most Influential Black People, Claudine Moore is a global award-winning PR leader and MD/founder of C. Moore Media International Public Relations. She has 15+ years of experience working in the US, UK, and African markets focusing on fortune 100 brands, tech startups, and leading African organizations.
David Idagu
Africa Regional Consultant, Allison+Partners
David is the Africa Regional Lead for Allison. He provides regional strategy, insights, media relations, message development, and C-suite positioning for CMM’s Africa and Africa diaspora-focused clients. David has worked with tech startups and African brands and is also the Provost of Award-winning and Nigeria’s leading PR and communication Education body – The Public Relations Skills Academy.
Tope Adubi
Digital Marketing Executive, Allison+Partners
Tope is a digital marketing expert with experience in digital marketing strategy, social media management, website development, email marketing, and PPC campaigns across Africa and the US. Tope provides CMM with digital marketing and social media consulting for both agency and clients. A female founder herself, she has launched Kilali Cosmetics, a beauty and skincare brand focusing on creating products while sharing more about the countries in Africa.
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@ClaudineMoore
#CMMtheFutureIsFemale