INTRODUCTION OF MYSELF TO THE GROUP

My name is Gladys Shumbambiri.I am an Economist, financial education trainer, microfinance practitioner and trainer and business consultant with a combined experience of over 10 years working in the Central Bank of Zimbabwe, microfinance industry and private sector. I am a certified ITC/ILO trainer in Making Microfinance Work: Managing for Improved Performance.

I am passionate about economic empowerment as I believe that a woman must ultimately have economic and financial freedom to be able to transform herself, family and community. I am a product of my special mother, Priscilla Chipo Mutsopotsi who raised me to be what I am today and am so proud of that hardworking woman who raised us as seven children through her efforts of teaching and crossboader trading.

Whilst at the Central Bank, I participated in research on Financial Inclusion for the poor. This research made me to realise the need to do something and bring about change for women at the grassroots level. Thus I registered a private business consultancy company called Intelligent Business Consultancy in 2007 to help small business persons and entrepreneurs. I also believe that if you empower the woman, you have empowered the nation and thus she needs to be well equipped with the necessary tools to realise a total transformation. Having realised this need as Intelligent Business Consultancy, that I founded, we train financial education, microfinance and we offer business loans to women and youths to foster economic empowerment and business growth in our community. I am the CEO of Intelligent Business Consultancy and a blessed mother of four children, Shayne, Shameika, Shelomi and Shuvael and a wife to my dear husband Emmanuel.

I am so excited to be co-leading this group to learn from the wider community and to impart and share ideas that will help us as women around the world to make meaningful changes in our families, communities and nation.

My Vision for the future

An economically and financially independent woman

My region of interest

Sub Saharan Africa

East and West Africa

Latin America

Europe

Asia