Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, the founder of soleRebels, has been recognized by CNN, Forbes, Fast Company, the World Economic Forum, and more, for her accomplishments as an internationally-recognized entrepreneur.
Follow the timeline of Bethlehem's achievements and awards below:
- CNN placed Bethlehem at #4 of their list of The 12 Women Entrepreneurs who changed the way the world does business over the last Century , along with Coco Chanel founder of iconic fashion house CHANEL, beauty products icon Elizabeth Arden founder of ARDEN Cosmetics, Giuliana Benetton founder of global fashion house BENNETON, famed entrepreneur Sara Blakely creator of SPANX, and BODY SHOP founder Anita Roddick!
- Recently named by FORBES magazine World's 100 Most Powerful Women list as Woman to Watch along with , Robin Roberts, Good Morning and Sara Blakely , Bethlehem is now being hailed globally as & as the JIMMY CHOO of Africa .
- FAST COMPANY Magazine followed by naming Bethlehem one of the MOST CREATIVE PEOPLE IN BUSINESS in 2013! And she was ranked #7 on the NAM’s 2013 "Trailblazers under 50" list behind US President Barack Obama [# 6] and #3 on NAW’S 2013 list of the Top Business Women In Africa
- Bethlehem’s efforts to re-imagine African commerce were honored when President Bill Clinton invited her to address the September 2010 Clinton Global Initiative’s panel Supply Chains of Opportunity , making her the very first woman African entrepreneur to address the Clinton Global Initiative as a speaker and panelist.
- On march 9th 2011 in Davos, Switzerland the world economic forum endorsed Bethlehem’s vision that Africa’s future prosperity lies in the successful deployment of globally competitive, African controlled brands, naming her 2011’s young global leader from among many thousands of prestigious candidates.
- In May 2011 Bethlehem was invited by the World Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to address the World Bank/UN LDC trade enhancement policy formulation sessions in Istanbul, marking the first time an African woman entrepreneur was invited to assist in formulating global trade policy in this global forum.
- On June 22, 2011, Bethlehem was chosen from a field of deeply distinguished business leaders from across the continent and was named 2011’s Outstanding African Business Woman by the African Business Awards, becoming both the first Ethiopian and the youngest woman to ever win the award!
- The August 2011 edition of the iconic business magazine Forbes Magazine named Bethlehem to the Forbes Magazine 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa List, the youngest person to make the list!
- On September 1 2011 Bethlehem led soleRebels in the launch of the 1st in series of groundbreaking global retail locations! Located in the company’s hometown of Addis Ababa, the interactive store serves as both a destination retail outlet for the soleRebels brand AND the HUB store for the global rollout of franchised soleRebels stores.
- In Mid October 2012 Bethlehem oversaw the opening of stand alone branded soleRebels stores in Austria, and on Nov 3rd 2012 Bethlehem anchored soleRebels Asia wide expansion with the launch of 3 in a series of 30 stand alone branded retail stores in Taiwan.
- With the launch and rollout Bethlehem has led soleRebels to become the very first brand from Africa to undertake a branded global retail roll-out of stand alone retail stores! Additional soleRebels stand alone branded stores are set to open in Sweden, Spain, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, China and BRAZIL in the coming months.
- On September 24 , 2011 at the invitation of the head of the World Bank Bethlehem addressed the Annual Meeting World Bank and IMF, in a panel titled Africa Needs Growth That Delivers Jobs that examined at sustainable ways to create jobs , especially for Africa’s growing youth populations.
- On November 16 2011 Bethlehem won the Most Valuable Entrepreneur award at 2011 Global Entrepreneurship Week [GEW]
- On Dec 1 2011, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg selected Bethlehem as a NYC Venture Fellow in recognition of her extraordinary achievements as a global entrepreneur . the Award honors top entrepreneurs from around the globe ; selected by panel of TOP business and civic leaders , Bethlehem became the 1st Ethiopian to ever win the prestigious award
- On December 8 , 2011 Bethlehem led soleRebels in besting over 3,300 top flight African companies , and was named WINNER of the prestigious
- On January 2, 2012 FORBES Magazine shone a spotlight on Bethlehem in a major story called Africa's Most Successful Women: Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu
- In March 2012 Bethlehem addressed the 2012 Harvard University African Development Conference. Speaking alongside African leaders like Nelson Mandela she spoke about The Next Generation of Leadership in Africa . Bethlehem joins a deeply distinguished list of speakers who have addressed this event including Nobel Prize winning economist Amartya Sen and award winning economist Jeffrey Sachs.
- On April 26 the London Business School [http://www.london.edu/ ] invited Bethlehem to give a keynote address to the India Business Forum Conference in the India + Africa :Getting Down to Business Forum. She spoke to a capacity crowd about how she built soleRebels into the planets 1st global fair trade footwear brand , right from Africa’s heart - Ethiopia!
- At the 2012 World Economic Forum [Africa ] Bethlehem was featured on the Africa's Innovators panel where she spoke on driving the next phase of African Innovation .
- On May 10th at a gala at the 2012 World Economic Forum [Africa ] , Nobel Prize laureate and father of microfinance Muhammad Yunus , Music icon Quincy Jones and other global luminaries from the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship board named Bethlehem as Social Entrepreneur of the Year, the most coveted entrepreneurial award !!!
- ON JUNE 20, 2012 BUSINESS INSIDER MAGAZINE NAMED BETHLEHEM TO THE #1 SPOT ON THEIR AFRICA'S TOP 5 WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSLIST
- On Aug 23 2012 Bethlehem appears on the list along with , Robin Roberts Co-Anchor, Good Morning America and Sara Blakely the Founder of iconic apparel company Spanx
- On Oct 10 Bethlehem was featured speaker at the Norwegian African Business in Oslo!!
- The NEW YORK TIMES published a feature on October 10th Women Entrepreneurs Drive Growth in Africa , spotlighting Bethlehem and soleRebels!
- Oct 24th Bethlehem addressed the European ecommerce Conference [EEC] as the keynote speaker, in a talk entitled ecommerce : transforming emerging nations trade
- Bethlehem keynote addressed at the 21 Minutes Knowledge of Excellence annual Conference on 16-17 November 2012, in Assisi Umbria, Italy . 21 minutes selects the best minds on the planet, personalities who have achieved excellence in their life and brings them together to inspire others. Speakers at 21 min include an array of global thought leaders including Nobel Prize Winners David Gross, Woodrow Clark II and Martin Chalfie .
- On November 12, 2012 Bethlehem was elected to board of directors of the African innovation foundation, the 1st African private sector chief executive to join the board.
- In Dec 2012 Bethlehem was named to The ARISE MAGAZINE DYNAMIC 100 WOMEN List of remarkable women shaping modern Africa alongside Oprah Winfrey, Dambisa Moyo, Angelina Jolie!
- The WHARTON BUSINESS SCHOOL, one of the planets leading business institutions, SHOWCASED Bethlehem in December 2012!
- Alongside icons Arianna Huffington founder of the Huffington Post, Marissa Mayer CEO of YAHOO, Caterina Fake FOUNDER of FLICKR, Jessica Jackley co-founder of KIVA and Theresia Gouw Ranzetta of ACCEL Partners Venture Capital.
- In the entire month February 2013 Voice of America [VOA] honored Bethlehem for Black History Month by naming her The Next Generation – Icons Making History Now , broadcasting a TV special about her life and achievements through the entire month. She becomes the 1st Ethiopian to ever be featured in Black History month !!
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPyoDgWbsYs
- On International Women's Day 2013 , the guardian newspaper polled its readers and asked them to name Africa’s top women achiever- and they chose Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu as Africa’s top female achiever!
- In March 2013 LeMONDE media in France named Bethlehem, as a GENS AFRIQUE 3.0, one of the 20 people who are reimagining and redefining Africa on the global stage, alongside Nobel Peace Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee and Malawi’s PM Joyce Banda.
- http://www.courrierinternational.com/article/2013/03/06/Bethlehem-Tilahun-Alemu-ethiopie
- http://www.courrierinternational.com/magazine/2013/2013-2-afrique-3-0
- On April 25th 2013 France’s venerable La Figaro Newspaper placed Bethlehem at the #2 spot on their list of Africa’s 15 Most Powerful Women , ahead of Charlize Theron and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. http://madame.lefigaro.fr/societe/afrique-quinze-femmes-puissantes-250413-379686?page=1http://madame.lefigaro.fr/societe/elles-innovent-250413-379668
- In October 2013 Bethlehem was Named COUNSELLOR : One Young World alongside fellow Counselors Kofi Annan UN Secretary General , Nobel Prize Winning economist Mohammad Yunus , Media Magnate Arianna Huffington and Archbishop Desmond Tutu .
- On November 5th 2013 the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) named Bethlehem to the Board of The Green Industry Platform.
- http://www.unido.org/news/press/solerebels-board.html