My favourite definition of innovation is creativity plus entrepreneurship. While creativity means creating a novel, valuable and non-obvious idea, entrepreneurship is turning that idea into something real. Over the years I have learnt the following about innovation.
· Innovation is about connecting, not inventing.
· Your innovation depends on your network. That is to be successful in your creativity and entrepreneurship, you must know that, it is all about people -networks.
Henry Ford is reputed to have said, “I invented nothing new. I simply assembled into a car the discoveries of other men behind whom were centuries of work… Have I worked fifty or ten or even five years before, I would have failed. So it is with every new thing. Progress happens when all the factors that make for it are ready, and then it is inevitable…”
I recently sat down with Mr Abiodun Akinwale to discuss about how he came up with his food business idea as well as turning that idea into a tangible and marketable food product. Here are some of the questions I asked him: 1. Why and how did you go into food manufacturing? 2. How did you raise funding? And 3. How do you market your products and what is unique about your product? Find time to watch it!
Mr Abiodun Akinwale is a Project Manager with University of South Africa and the founder of Arezer Foods South Africa. I like his can-do-spirit and passion for learning. Abiodun came to South Africa with a Postgraduate Diploma in Civil Engineering however, he has completed a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering and an MBA from University of South Africa. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the same University.
