Darlene Menzies

Tech Innovator and Serial Entrepreneur. World Economic Forum top 6 Female Tech Entrepreneurs (Africa) 2017. Founder of the innovative Fintech businesses - Finfind (Pty) Ltd and SMEasy Business Software (Pty) Ltd. Products include Finfind, SMEasy, GetStarted, Joblinx and eSocialite Founder of The Development House. 15 years’ experience starting and scaling technology businesses 15 years' corporate ICT experience in the banking and IT outsource services sector 3 years NPO sector experience (socio-economic development, BOP job creation & income generation) I have established multiple successful technology businesses - experienced in lean product and product concept to commercialization process. Having liquidated a number of times, my entrepreneurial journey has provided firsthand experience about what it takes to start and scale successful enterprises and the difficulties entrepreneurs have to overcome to do so. I have used these insights to develop simple online solutions that address major challenges for the start-up and small business market. Some of these include the award-winning, online small business accounting system SMEasy, currently being rolled out across Africa by MTN (the continent’s largest telecommunications network provider); and Finfind, South Africa’s leading online SME access to finance solution, which is sponsored by the South Africa Department of Small Business Development and supported by USAID, SA SME Fund, Business Leadership SA and the Banking Association of South Africa. In the last 7 years, I have raised R40M is seed and early-stage funding from 9 Venture Capital Companies to fund the development of disruptive innovations. I am a local and international public speaker and a national media spokesperson for the SME sector on matters of entrepreneurship, small business development, innovation and disruptive technology.