Ramona Kasavan : CEO of Mimi Women

Ramona Kasavan : CEO of Mimi Women

Written on 08/08/2019
Thriving Network


Durban-born Ramona Kasavan is a social entrepreneur, media personality and menstrual activist. Her passion for empowering and uplifting women and girls shines through in her work.
Ramona is the CEO of MIMI Women, a sanitary pad company which she founded in 2014. Since then, MIMI has donated over 3 million sanitary pads and helped to keep 50 000 young girls in school. Mimi was also South Africa’s first black-owned sanitary pad brand.
Launched MIMI Full Circle, a business that promotes women economic empowerment and makes high quality, hygienic sanitary products accessible to lower LSM markets via base of Pyramid.
As one of South Africa’s few business incubators run by women, for women, Pads and Cents which teaches unemployed young women financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills for a period of six months and signs them on as direct sellers of the MIMI pad in local communities…The goal is to reduce unemployment levels, and encourage women to embark on their own entrepreneurial journeys.


As MIMI grows, Ramona has been nominated for multiple awards, and has won Prism Awards for MIMI campaigns. She has had the opportunity to travel abroad and speak to global organisations, such as UN Women, about the global plight of women regarding access to sanitary products.
Looking towards the future, Ramona is expanding MIMI to reach many more women throughout Africa.

Achievements:


● Top 18 Social Entrepreneurs by Red Bull International and Ashoka (2014)
● Finalist for Mail & Guardian Drivers of Change Award (2014)
● Finalist for Regional Business Achievers Awards by Businesswomen’s Association (2015)
● Selected to participate in Investec’s Global Entrepreneurs Trip to Israel (2015)
● Semi-finalist for Pick n Pay’s Boost Your Biz Competition (2016)
● Nominated to receive the Global Business Leadership Award USA (2017)
● Top 14 finalist for SAB Innovations Awards for MIMI Vending Machines (2018)
● Africa Goalkeeper by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (2018)
Interests:


Ramona is passionate about social entrepreneurship, economic empowerment and female leadership in Africa. She is frequently called upon to speak about these topics on national media platforms, and at events such as Global Entrepreneurship Week, LeaderEX and Levi’s Pioneer Nation - Young Entrepreneurs Festival.
Ramona is currently studying for her Masters in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation at Wits Business School.