Gomolemo Lolo Madikgetla CM(SA) is a seasoned leader with close to 18 years of industry experience across diverse industries and sectors including corporate and investment banking, consulting, regional integration, cross-border trade, diamond mining, event design,conferencing etc. She is the Founder of UNGWA Africa, Flam Arc Holdings as well as Co-Founder of DriveThru.
A Chartered Marketer for a decade, she has been previously played roles in local and international board advisory including TEDGlobal, Botswana Media Women Association and Thapong Art Centre.
In 2019, appointed by the Minister of Trade Investment and Industry, she resumed the role of Board Director of Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), mandated to drive the country’s foreign direct investment as well as promote local direct investment. Another Ministerial appointment in 2020 saw her boarding the Botswana Innovation Fund (BIF), a tenure for three years.
She is an Advisory Board Member of the University of Botswana (Marketing Department in the Faculty of Business). She is Faculty at the LORA Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where she has been Lecturer: Marketing Management.
Her community development and passion work includes serving as the Southern Africa Regional Ambassador for WEDO (Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organisation). WEDO is a global organization operating in 144 countries focusing on celebrating, empowering and educating women. Lolo previously co-curated and produced the first TEDx in Botswana, TEDxGaborone.
She completed her tertiary education with the AAA School of Advertising (South Africa) and the affiliate International Advertising Association (IAA) in New York – with a double Specialization in Strategic Brand Management and Media Management. Her postgraduate studies have included University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (South Africa), University of Stellenbosch Graduate School (South Africa), NYU New York University of Public Health (USA) and Strathmore Business School (Kenya).
Scholarships she has received include (and are not limited to) the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and TED LLC, Acumen Academy as well as the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Open EXO (Exponential Organizations).
Playing an intentional and unapologetic role in the co-creation of prosperity through focus on ESG and CSV matters to Lolo. She firmly believes that it is important to her overall purpose, vision and legacy. Lolo is passionate about capacitation though soft-skills and critical elements of human growth such as storytelling, human-centered communication, mentorship coaching-sponsorship and the spirit of UNGWA, a Setswana verb meaning, ‘be fruitful, grow and multiply’. She is a lifelong learner who embraces being a mother amongst other gifts.