HERA Nigeria Nigerian Women Founders Scaling Globally

From survival to strategy. From Lagos to the world

Executive Summary

HERA Nigeria is a 3-week intensive, trauma-informed, cycle-aware accelerator designed specifically for Nigerian women and women-identifying founders aiming to scale their ventures to North America.

The program equips founders with:

  • Practical business and startup skills aligned with global standards (YC, Techstars, DMZ)
  • Cycle-aware and trauma-informed methodology
  • North American market exposure and investor readiness
  • Ongoing mentorship, support and post-program acceleration

Problem Statement

Challenges faced by Nigerian women founders:

  • Only ~12% of Nigerian startups are women-led
  • African women-led startups raised just US$209M (2019–2023)
  • Less than 10% accessed global investors or diaspora funding
  • Limited mentorship, trauma barriers & systemic gender bias

Gap HERA Nigeria Addresses:

  • High-quality global startup training for women founders
  • Cycle-aware & trauma-informed leadership development
  • Access to North American investors and diaspora networks
  • A culturally sensitive, safe learning ecosystem

Empower Nigerian Women Founders to Scale Globally

  • Equip founders to compete at global standards
  • Accelerate venture growth with trauma-informed support
  • Unlock mentorship, capital, and North American networks
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Program Objectives

  • Equip Nigerian women founders to compete globally
  • Build founder identity & leadership confidence
  • Provide technical, business & financial mastery
  • Connect with mentors & global organizations
  • Ensure investor-readiness: pitch deck, valuation, negotiation

Target Participants

Eligibility

  • Women & women-identifying founders from Nigeria
  • Tech & Non-Tech ventures
  • Founders preparing for global scaling

Sectors Covered

  • Tech
  • Non-Tech
  • Impact
  • FinTech
  • Agriculture
  • ClimateTech
  • HealthTech
  • Manufacturing
  • EdTech
  • Handicrafts
  • Tourism
  • AI / SaaS
  • Creative Industries




Program Structure

  • Duration: 3-Week Intensive + 3-Month Post-Program Acceleration
  • Delivery Mode: Hybrid (Virtual + Optional North America Immersion)
  • Daily Commitment: 2–3 hours + weekly 1:1 coaching

Key Principles

  • Cycle-Aware Learning: Align challenging work with follicular/ovulation phases; reflection & integration with menstrual/luteal phases
  • Trauma-Informed: Address cultural silencing, survival-mode patterns, and intergenerational trauma
  • Global Scale Orientation: Prepare founders for North American investor expectations, market entry, and diaspora collaboration


Cycle-Aware Curriculum

Menstrual (Inner Winter)

Days: 1–5

Strengths: Reflection, intuition, emotional clarity

Avoid: High-pressure pitching

Program Alignment: Storytelling, identity circles, gentle workshops

Follicular (Inner Spring)

Days: 6–12

Strengths: Energy, planning, idea generation

Avoid: Overcommitment

Program Alignment: Business model design, strategy, brainstorming

Ovulation (Inner Summer)

Days: 13–18

Strengths: Visibility, collaboration, leadership

Avoid: Over-talking, burnout

Program Alignment: Pitch practice, networking, NA market simulations

Luteal (Inner Autumn)

Days: 19–28

Strengths: Focus, finishing tasks, operations

Avoid: Starting new things

Program Alignment: Branding, GTM execution, financial clarity





Detailed Weekly Curriculum

Week 1

Week 1 – Identity, Power & Business Foundations (Menstrual → Follicular)

  • Trauma-informed founder psychology
  • Story & identity reclamation
  • Value proposition & business model design
  • Customer discovery (local & diaspora focus)

Deliverables: Founder Identity Statement, Business Model Canvas, Customer Profiles

Week 2

Week 2 – Go-To-Market & North American Expansion (Follicular → Ovulation)

  • Brand story & positioning for diaspora & North American audiences
  • GTM strategy for local and global markets
  • Sales, partnerships, negotiation & boundary skills
  • Collaboration with diaspora networks and mentors

Deliverables: Brand Messaging Kit, 3-Month GTM Plan, Sales & Partnership Pipeline

Week 3

Week 3 – Investment Readiness & Leadership (Ovulation → Luteal)

  • Startup finance, revenue modeling, and valuation
  • Investor landscape: North American & diaspora networks
  • Pitch architecture, media, and visibility
  • Demo Day simulation with investor feedback

Deliverables: Investor-ready pitch deck, Funding plan & ask, Demo Day presentation

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Post-Program Acceleration

  • Access to incubators tailored for women (Nigeria & North America)
  • Mentorship from global investors, sector experts, and diaspora leaders
  • Funding pipelines: angel networks, micro-VC, impact funds
  • Office space and hybrid working support
  • Ongoing peer accountability & community
Growth
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Support & Community

Support & Community

  • Weekly trauma-aware coaching circles
  • Multilingual accessibility: English, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa
  • Alumni community & diaspora exchange
  • Curated networking & office hours with global mentors
Program Impact

Program Impact

Expected Outcomes:

  • Founders ready to scale into North American markets
  • Sustainable leadership & cycle-aware productivity
  • Investor-ready ventures with clear GTM plans
  • Empathy-driven business design for local & global impact

Key Metrics for Success:

  • 80% of participants secure international partnerships
  • 50% raise funding within 6 months post-program
  • 100% complete North American market simulations
  • 90% report increased confidence and leadership clarity

Funding & Partnership Opportunities

  • Partners & Investors: Global accelerators, diaspora networks, ethical VCs
  • Use of Funds: Stipends, office access, mentorship, NA immersion

Call to Action

HERA Nigeria is your pathway from Lagos to North America – a 3-week intensive accelerator for women founders ready to scale globally.

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