How To Raise VC Funds as Women in Agriculture with Pretty Kubyane

Let’s Talk Agriculture Podcast

Raising VC Funds has always been a challenge for many agriculture women founders and even women outside of this space. Often, they have used their personal savings to fund and sustain their businesses. In this week’s episode of the Let’s Talk Agriculture podcast show, our podcast host, Sharon Idahosa discusses with Pretty Kubyane, the COO of efama and Coronet Africa on the various ways to access VC Funds, the strategies and a lot more. Tune in right away! TRANSCRIPTION [00:00 - 00:17] Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. Now, if you're just listening to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast and you do not know who we are, yes, I'm going to tell you. So we are a public relations and communications firm. [00:17 - 00:34] helping you as an agriculture business owner to build brand visibility and establish leadership in your domain. So if you're looking for an industry specific public relations firm to help you with your PR and media relations, [00:34 - 00:53] social media and a lot more, then I would definitely tell you that we are the right company to do that for you. So please quickly explore Let's Talk Agriculture dot com. And if you like to have a conversation with anyone, just send an email to hello at Let's Talk Agriculture dot com. [00:54 - 01:12] See you soon. So I'm picking up this podcast episode from my opportunity decks where you will be learning how to gain access to VC funds as women founders in agriculture. And of course, women from other domains can equally benefit from this episode. [01:12 - 01:32] You see, getting access to finance has always been a major challenge for women founders in agriculture and beyond. And that is why I decided to make this episode, because I believe that this will help women to plan better and also to get access to funds for their businesses. [01:33 - 01:48] Now, let's welcome our guest for today's show, Preeti Koubiani, the co-founder of Coronet Africa and e-Pharma. Hello, Preeti. Thank you so much for joining the show today. Just like your name, Preeti. Thank you so much for joining today. How are you doing today? [01:49 - 02:13] I'm good. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me on the show today, Sharon. I must say I love what you did with your brand. I love what you did with your website. I think by just looking at your personal brand and your company brand itself, one can already know exactly that you really are kind of a woman who put your money where your mouth is. [02:13 - 02:35] Like, it's so brilliant. I can already see the outcomes of those that work with you on the PR aspect. Thank you so much for the kind words. I mean, we have to, you know, put out the best. We don't want anybody to see agriculture as unattractive. So we have to, you know, position ourselves in that light as well to make sure people find it very attractive. [02:35 - 02:54] I know that agriculture doesn't really have to be the farm. I mean, you can always do something outside of being on the farm or doing the no production and the rest. So I'm sure that our own way of pushing it out as well. So thank you so much. Absolutely. I totally agree with that. [02:55 - 03:16] Sure. Thank you. So I know I didn't get to give the good description of who you are. So I would definitely love for you to just share a little bit about you and what you've been doing so far in the agriculture space, how you got to this point, really, because I've been seeing how amazing you are and what you've been doing so far. [03:16 - 03:32] So I would like you to share with us just a little bit. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Sharon. I was born on the east side of the country in the Eastern Cape into a farming community in a family business. [03:33 - 04:02] So my father ran a car fixing workshop. So from a very young age of six, it was like house chores. When you come back from school, it's either you're washing dishes or you are going