Fabrice Sawegnon shares his experience at AGL’s YIRI’TALK conference
“From vision to action”. It is around this theme that Fabrice Sawegnon, CEO of Life Group and Managing Director of Voodoo Group, moderated, on September 18, 2024, in Abidjan, the very first edition of the Yiri’Talk conferences, initiated by the Yiri innovation center of Africa Global Logistics (AGL).
In front of an audience composed of young entrepreneurs and AGL employees, including Yves Le Guevel, Managing Director of Ascens Services and Fatou Diomandé, Head of the Yiri Innovation Center, Fabrice Sagnewon, who is also an ambassador of the Yiri Center, first spoke about his professional and personal history as well as his passions, particularly for communication and entertainment. He invited young entrepreneurs to enter fields that they are passionate about. For him, it is one of the key to the success of an entrepreneur. “At every stage of my life, I have followed my passions. I had lessons that shaped my career in business,” he explained.
To succeed in entrepreneurship, the speaker shared 5 key steps to follow: have a good idea, believe in yourself and your project, take action, surround yourself with competent and trusted people and finally, develop values. Because, he said, “There are only values that distinguish one entrepreneur from another“, referring, among other things, to creativity, boldness, courage, positivity, perseverance and resilience, essential to succeed in business. These values are also shared by AGL, which makes humility, entrepreneurial passion, agility and solidarity the foundations of its societal commitment. Hence the creation of the Yiri Innovation Center, to stimulate creativity among young people and support the development of entrepreneurship in Africa.
Fabrice Sawegnon also urged entrepreneurs to dream big and not set limits to their imagination, while remaining curious and having a perfect knowledge of their product and their target market. “You can have the best product, but without the understanding of the market, it’s useless,” he said
In conclusion, Fabrice Sawegnon advised young entrepreneurs to focus on project ideas that meet a real need and transcend time. He advocated diversification and action, because for him, “action is magical and creative“.
This first edition of the Yiri’Talk conferences ended with a signing session of the book, “Transcending: the mirror theory” by Fabrice Sawegon. The next edition is scheduled for December 2024 with Régis Bamba, co-founder of the fintech Djamo, as speaker.
