Not Silicon Valley

Coming from different continents, Maxwell Raymond, Julie Lecuyer and Temesgen Gebrehiwot are three young entrepreneurs who are very different from the typical image of a Silicon Valley startup. I spoke to them about how they started their businesses, the challenges they face and their hopes for the future.

Sitting behind his desk, Temesgen Gebrehiwot proudly tells me about his business. “We do the same thing Uber does,” he says, “we’re just doing it in Ethiopia.” Gebrehiwot and his partner Ambaye Tesfaye launched a taxi service app in 2016 in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

Very similar to Uber, their company grew rapidly. Today, alongside a similar service called RIDE, Gebrehiwot and Tesfaye transformed the Ethiopian transportation system. With the help of sponsors, they now control a large portion of the Ethiopian market for phone application taxi services. Their company ETTA (Ethiopian Taxi) operates the exact same way Uber does, as an application that connects taxi drivers to customers.

In Ethiopia, internet services are not always guaranteed as electricity shortages or government censorship can occur — only a few months ago, the former Ethiopian prime minister declared a state of emergency and internet service was interrupted for multiple weeks. “Our company suffered a lot!” Gebrehiwot says. “As we run on a lot of ads, we lost a lot of clients.” That is why his company today also offers a call service, in order to directly call an operator who connects you to your driver over the phone. While this system might seem rudimentary, it has proven to be very effective.

A graduate from the Korean University of Technology in Seoul, South Korea, Gebrehiwot studied electronic communication with a specialization in robotics, humanoid robot, brain computer interface and data analysis. His studies helped him understand the market he was getting into prior to making any investments. Unlike some entrepreneurs who come up with an idea randomly and pursue it, Gebrehiwot knew exactly what he wanted to do. In his words, “Think big, start small, act now.”

Maxwell Raymond, "Consumato" Sustainable, United States

Eight thousand miles across the Atlantic, Maxwell Raymond, a young skater from Detroit, Michigan, developed a passion for the sewing machine. While his bags aren't available in his favorite botiques and skate stores yet, I can hear the same ambition and determination as Gebrchiwot in his voice.

The growing trend of “green” or sustainable fashion has become increasingly accepted and Raymond is hoping that his creative collection might attract a lot of clients. Like Gebrehiwot, Raymond says: “It doesn’t matter how good of an idea you have if someone else has the same idea. If you don’t act on it, someone else will.”

Still in the very early stages, the inspiration for his first line of bags called “Consumato” (consumed in Italian), was fueled by the concept of minimalism. The concept allows him to “recreate something from the old, repurposing used materials that could be considered trash or obsolete to some and giving them a second life.” Empty packs of swisher sweet cigarillos don’t go in the trash when Raymond’s around. He gives them a second life by adding other recycled materials.

Julie Lecuyer, Tata Rachel Maternity Suitcases, Hong Kong

Julie Lecuyer’s brand Tata Rachel began in Boulogne-Billancourt, a suburb just outside of Paris. Her idea rose from the constant search for the perfect gift for her work friends’ baby showers. She realized that no one made beautiful bags that carried all the essentials for the first months of maternity. After extensively researching the market online, Lecuyer realized that “maternity suitcases” were virtually nonexistent and the few that did weren’t functional or elegant. She then chose to make her own luxury maternity suitcase brand, Tata Rachel. It all started with a drawing. “I’ve had this vintage hat box for more than 10 years,” she mentions, “and I absolutely wanted to make something of it.” That hat box was her first prototype.

Lecuyer studied audiovisuals and journalism in France. She worked as a journalist for several French TV channels before quitting her job and moving to Hong Kong to fully commit to her passion in 2015. Since then, Tata Rachel has known an unprecedented success, shipping to over 35 countries. Her ingenious maternity suitcase is sold globally and has even had huge exposure on celebrity Camilia Guiribitey’s YouTube page, racking up over 150,000 views.

Many would think that the obstacles she faced as a woman might have dissuaded her to continue her passion. But not Lecuyer: “I don’t feel any difficulty as a woman,” she says. “Baby clothing is a world full of women!” On the contrary, Lecuyer says “Men are the ones who encourage me the most.” As an entrepreneur herself, she recognizes that every day is a challenge. For her, “The hardest part is leaving something secure for something insecure.” That is the risk entrepreneurs are willing to take.

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY AMANUEL NEGUEDE