My name is Tonia Dabwe.
I am a business strategist and entrepreneur based in the Netherlands. I have a Liberian father and a Dutch mother, and I was born and raised in Liberia.
I hold Master’s degrees in Business Economics and Business Administration from top Dutch universities.
After graduating from university, I built my career in the Dutch private and public sectors, focusing on business growth, funding and development.
I am the Founder & Chair of Mineke Foundation, an NGO that provides primary education and business training to women and youth in Liberia. My NGO also runs social enterprises.
In 2014, I became a full-time entrepreneur and started a business consultancy in the Netherlands. My clients are mainly big businesses based in Europe and the US.
I launched Guide My Growth in 2020. GMG focuses exclusively on small and medium businesses – many in developing countries – that are looking for ways to grow without depending on funders. I help them achieve this.
Guide My Growth’s tagline, “Start. Grow. Thrive”, points to my desire to see these businesses grow and have a huge positive impact on their communities and countries.
Fun facts about me
- I am a passionate believer in the power of entrepreneurship to make this world a better place.
- I am the winner of 3 international awards and have been featured in Dutch, Liberian and international media for my NGO’s work.
- I support female entrepreneurs as an informal investor and lender.
- In my free time, you will find me at a museum enjoying art, travelling, hiking, practising my photography, or dancing salsa.
- I divide my time between the Netherlands and Liberia.
Why did I start Guide My Growth?
There are three key reasons.
One. I was getting many emails from African and South Asian businesses asking me to help them get funding.
Most couldn’t get the money they needed because they could not meet the funder’s demands.
I want to see businesses make higher profits so that they do not have to depend on funders!
Two. I only work with a limited number of clients per year to guarantee high-quality advice.
Businesses that I cannot work with – or that cannot afford my services – can use my blog and online courses to help them increase profits and grow faster.
Three. I am a strong believer in the power of entrepreneurship to fight poverty and increase wealth.
In developed countries, jobs are created by small and medium businesses. Leading to economic growth and increased wealth.
I am proud to see this on one side of my heritage (Europe) and want to contribute to that same development for the other half of my heritage (Africa).
But Guide My Growth is not only for African businesses. Any business looking for a path to higher profits and sustained growth can use my advice to get to a higher level of success. No matter what size you are today.
My ambition is to develop Guide My Growth into the #1 resource for small and medium businesses – mainly from developing countries – who want to grow their business without chasing funders.
Some of my professional achievements
- Worked with West African SMEs to raise 700K USD for growth
- Worked with top US CEOs to build thought leadership
- Created the framework for a 45M EUR Dutch investment fund for high-tech startups
- Designed and implemented an award-winning concept helping businesses capitalise on the economic opportunities of the Sustainable Development Goals
- Developed a strategy to support the growth of Dutch micro and small businesses
- Advised boards of directors and managers at large Dutch healthcare organisations
- Successfully managed multiple projects in the Netherlands ranging from 500K to 10M EUR
START. GROW. THRIVE.
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