Amal Wilemon
Amal Wilemon is co-owner and creative director of Ubuntu Life, a global lifestyle brand based in Kenya. Here, she explains how to build and grow a social enterprise
After graduating from the University of Texas, Amal Wilemon moved to New York, working for production houses Bureau Betak and One Kick. Her love of fashion was cultivated at a
young age by her Pakistani immigrant mother who showed her the world – and every major fashion Mecca in it.
Having spent nine years in the industry in New York, Wilemon found herself longing for more purpose-driven work and a greater sense of community. She decamped to Austin, a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, to help launch Outdoor Voices. Wilemon’s return to Texas also led her to her husband, Ubuntu Life’s cofounder, Zane. Her work at Ubuntu Life weaves together the threads that make up three of her greatest passions: a global vision, a love of fashion, and social impact.
The couple and their rescue Chihuahua, Biscuit, divide their time between Austin and
Kenya.
Below, Wilemon shares her top five tips for building and growing a social enterprise.
Commit
‘In the world of social entrepreneurship, the road is more difficult than the typical entrepreneurial journey. As well as focusing on maximizing profits for business growth, you also want to fulfill a mission to make the world a better place. This takes crazy commitment and unwavering determination to see that mission manifested over time, while also maintaining the rigor to achieve profitability.’
Prioritize self-care
‘On the journey to fulfilling your venture’s mission and creating a healthy, viable business, it’s important to carve out time for yourself. The mission and business will take everything from you and no one will insist that you prioritize self-care. It’s up to you to make your health a priority. I learnt this the hard way. When you look after yourself, you stay healthy for the sustainable wellness of your social enterprise, as well as setting an example for the rest of your team.’
Get the right people around you, iterate, and grow
‘Chances are if you run your social venture longer than five years, you’re going to realise that: 1) you cannot do this alone 2) you desperately need the support and talent of others to scale 3) some people will stick, others will not 4) it is your job as the founder (or founders) to recruit, make space for and constantly iterate getting the right people in the right seats. I’m always ready to have people smarter than me by my side to help me grow.’
Trust the process
‘As a company, we read The Alchemist early on. The theme of this book, “live your personal legend”, still rings true at Ubuntu Life. We encourage all of our team members to live their personal legends within the overall global legend that we’re collectively creating for the Ubuntu Life voice. Living this legend takes time. It’s a journey and, like all journeys, there are many ups and downs, ebbs and flows. It’s so important to learn to trust this process and try your best not to be too judgemental or tied to an expectation. Allow it to unfold in time.’
Work to a steady drum beat
‘We’ve recently learnt this as an Ubuntu Life team and are instituting it across the entire company. Once you discover your voice and learn what you are truly great at, harness it as your core offering as a social enterprise. Establish that cadence, that rhythm of your voice and your offerings, so that you create predictability and consistency for all stakeholders: customers, team members, beneficiaries, and investors.’
young age by her Pakistani immigrant mother who showed her the world – and every major fashion Mecca in it.
Having spent nine years in the industry in New York, Wilemon found herself longing for more purpose-driven work and a greater sense of community. She decamped to Austin, a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, to help launch Outdoor Voices. Wilemon’s return to Texas also led her to her husband, Ubuntu Life’s cofounder, Zane. Her work at Ubuntu Life weaves together the threads that make up three of her greatest passions: a global vision, a love of fashion, and social impact.
The couple and their rescue Chihuahua, Biscuit, divide their time between Austin and
Kenya.
Below, Wilemon shares her top five tips for building and growing a social enterprise.
Commit
‘In the world of social entrepreneurship, the road is more difficult than the typical entrepreneurial journey. As well as focusing on maximizing profits for business growth, you also want to fulfill a mission to make the world a better place. This takes crazy commitment and unwavering determination to see that mission manifested over time, while also maintaining the rigor to achieve profitability.’
Prioritize self-care
‘On the journey to fulfilling your venture’s mission and creating a healthy, viable business, it’s important to carve out time for yourself. The mission and business will take everything from you and no one will insist that you prioritize self-care. It’s up to you to make your health a priority. I learnt this the hard way. When you look after yourself, you stay healthy for the sustainable wellness of your social enterprise, as well as setting an example for the rest of your team.’
Get the right people around you, iterate, and grow
‘Chances are if you run your social venture longer than five years, you’re going to realise that: 1) you cannot do this alone 2) you desperately need the support and talent of others to scale 3) some people will stick, others will not 4) it is your job as the founder (or founders) to recruit, make space for and constantly iterate getting the right people in the right seats. I’m always ready to have people smarter than me by my side to help me grow.’
Trust the process
‘As a company, we read The Alchemist early on. The theme of this book, “live your personal legend”, still rings true at Ubuntu Life. We encourage all of our team members to live their personal legends within the overall global legend that we’re collectively creating for the Ubuntu Life voice. Living this legend takes time. It’s a journey and, like all journeys, there are many ups and downs, ebbs and flows. It’s so important to learn to trust this process and try your best not to be too judgemental or tied to an expectation. Allow it to unfold in time.’
Work to a steady drum beat
‘We’ve recently learnt this as an Ubuntu Life team and are instituting it across the entire company. Once you discover your voice and learn what you are truly great at, harness it as your core offering as a social enterprise. Establish that cadence, that rhythm of your voice and your offerings, so that you create predictability and consistency for all stakeholders: customers, team members, beneficiaries, and investors.’