Sophia Bekele Eshete (Amharic: ሶፍያ በቀለ; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) is an entrepreneur, corporate executive, governance and risk management specialist, policy advisor on ICT, commentator and philanthropist.
As an entrepreneur, Bekele has founded and run various companies and initiatives. She is presently the founder and Executive Director of DotConnectAfrica (DCA) Group based in Mauritius and Kenya. She is the founder of a 6 year "Yes2dotAfrica" global awareness campaign, for re-branding Africa using the .africa top-level internet domain name and founder and CEO of tech start-ups, CBSegroup in California and SbCommunications Network (SbCnet) plc, based in Addis Ababa. Aside from her entrepreneurship ventures, Bekele worked for multinational Fortune 500 Companies in the US.
She has frequently been quoted in the media for her views, as well as spoken regularly on international forums and made public affairs commentary through published articles
Early life and family
Bekele is the daughter of Ato Bekele Eshete Wolde Michael a founder and former Board Director of United Bank,S.C and United Insurance,S.C in Ethiopia and Sister Mulualem Beyene Engida, a medical nurse. She attended a private Catholic high school, and then traveled to America to acquire her higher education.
Higher education
Bekele holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Analysis and Information Systems from San Francisco State University and a Master of Business Administration from Golden Gate University.
She is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Control Specialist (CCS), and certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT), certifications issued to professionals in the field of IS Audit, Security & Enterprise IT governance principles and practices.
Honorary mentions
In 2023, Bekele was also recognized and awarded as the "10 Most Powerful Women Leaders in Business to Follow, 2023, by US based Success Pitchers Magazine selecting her for their cover feature story as a "Serial Lifestyle Techprenure, changing lives and businesses through innovation". In 2022, She was enlisted as one of the "100 Most Influential African Women Leaders & Pioneers" by the Leading African PR & Rating firm, Avance Media, noting "Sophia is among the Most Influential African Women, working to inspire the continent through her Excellence business leadership and performance, Personal accomplishments, her commitment to sharing knowledge and her continuous effort to break the gender digital divide in Africa". In 2021, Bekele was dubbed as "Women of Influence" Honoree, by Silicon Valley Business Journal, which celebrates women of outstanding achievement in their industry and community. In 2021 CEO Today Africa Awarded her for exceptional business leadership and growth, and those individuals who shine as examples of excellence when faced with unprecedented challenges. In 2018, Bekele received a Champion of Development Award by the AfricaLink Solidarity Awards in Switzerland for her work on Miss.Africa Digital program, which enables young women and girls to benefit from training opportunities or financial grants administered via annual competition. In 2017 the UN ITU and UN Women also recognized her for the same, as Miss.Africa was named finalist by the Equals in Tech Awards. The same year, the CIO East Africa recognized Bekele as an "Industry Trailblazer" and "Internet Governance Pioneer In 2013, she was named as "leading ladies in Africa's ICT sector" by Bloomberg TV, In the same year she was listed among the "50 Trailblazers – A future made in Africa" by the UK's NewAfrican Magazine, an IC Publications group, which published a "Collector's Edition" that coincided with the continent's 50th anniversary celebrations of the African Union". In 2005, Bekele was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow award for her contributions in the various works of International Rotary Clubs