"Presence comes before influence. You cannot change something when you're far from what you think you should change. You need to be present in the moment."   🌍 Presence Before Influence: Maryann Kahindi Picard on Putting African Women in the Room!   🎙 In this episode of the InvestHer Podcast, host Anne Ravanona speaks with Maryann Kahindi Picard, co-founder of the African Women Presence Initiative and founder of Ubuntuness, about what it means to build presence before influence, why African women must be seen as solution providers rather than aid recipients, and how AWPI is closing the gap between symbolic participation and meaningful representation on the world stage.   🌍 Discover how a young Kenyan woman arrived in Paris as an au pair — without speaking French — and went on to build a cross-continental career spanning hospitality, banking, energy, and entrepreneurship, before co-founding a pan-African platform dedicated to amplifying African women's voices, leadership, and visibility in the spaces where decisions are made.   💡 Don't miss this episode with actionable insights on: • Arriving in Paris as an au pair after just 150 hours of French lessons • Closing the gap between symbolic participation and real representation for African women • Building AWPI around four pillars: access, visibility, narrative change, and business • Pulling "Africa is hungry" flyers from a European church to change the narrative • Why Africa needs patient capital, not investors expecting returns in a year • What Ubuntu, "I am because we are," teaches us about leadership and business • Bringing men and youth in as allies to change African ecosystems from within   This is a conversation about showing up, speaking up, and building a world where African women are at every table that matters.   🔗 Listen Now | 🎧 Apple Podcasts | Spotify | ▶️ Full Show Notes   About Maryann Maryann Kahindi Picard is a Kenyan-born, Paris-based Pan-Afripean entrepreneur, partnership adviser and ecosystem weaver with more than 15 years of experience across hospitality, banking, energy and entrepreneurship. She is the co-founder of the African Women Presence Initiative (AWPI) and the founder of Ubuntuness, a consultancy rooted in the philosophy of "I am because we are." Through her work, she helps organisations, entrepreneurs and institutions build meaningful cross-border partnerships between Africa and Europe.   🌐 Website: https://www.ubuntuness.com/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryann-kahindi-picard-/ 📧 Email: maryannkp@ubuntuness.com   About African Women Presence Initiative The African Women Presence Initiative (AWPI) is a pan-African platform dedicated to amplifying the voices, leadership, and visibility of African women, youth, and emerging leaders in global spaces. Working across four pillars — Access, Visibility, Narrative Change, and Business — AWPI bridges representation gaps by enabling meaningful participation in international dialogues, decision-making forums, and strategic partnerships. By fostering collaboration, strengthening ecosystems, and increasing African representation on major local and global platforms, AWPI is helping to build a greener, more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Africa.   💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/african-women-presence-initiative-awpi/home/?viewAsMember=true   Resources Mentioned 🌐 African Women Presence Initiative: https://www.awpi.fr/ 💼 Carole Tankeu, AWPI Co-Founder (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/carole-tankeu-68027644/ 🎓 Break The Mold: https://breakthemold.space/ 🌱 ChangeNOW Africa for Change: https://www.changenow.world/africa-for-change/   Connect with Anne & Global Invest Her 🌐 https://www.investherpodcast.com/ 📂 Funder Directory: https://funderdirectory.globalinvesther.com/ 🛍 Buy From Her Directory: https://www.buyfromher.com/ 🗨️ LinkedIn: Anne Ravanona https://www.linkedin.com/in/anneravanona/ 🎟️ InvestHer Summit 2026, Paris, 27–28 October: https://investhersummit.com/ 📣 Want to suggest a guest for the InvestHer Podcast? https://www.investherpodcast.com/suggest-a-guest   #InvestHerPodcast #InvestHer #WomenFounders #FemaleFounders #WomenEntrepreneurs #AfricanWomen #AfricanLeadership #DiasporaEntrepreneurs #Ubuntu #PanAfrican #RepresentationMatters #EcosystemBuilding #AfricaIsTheFuture #InclusiveGrowth