“The most important thing for me is that it has opened my eyes to where my true passions lie and motivated me to start taking every day deliberate steps towards turning that passion into a viable action”
About Olga
Born in Harrare to a Zimbabwean family, Olga has moved a lot. Travelling and photography
were among her passions that kept her going. She lived all over Zimbabwe, South Africa, China and now in the Netherlands. “Each new country brings its own challenges but most importantly great opportunities if you are willing to take them and be a little open minded”- she says. Olga has made a career in arts, culture, advertising and communications in the development sector and adds that “I have tended to choose career paths that stimulated my drive to create and inspired me to make a difference in the lives of others"
“Moving to Holland was a little different from South Africa and China but also quite refreshing. I must admit I was anxious for some time but I was lucky enough to find a job in a non-profit that I absolutely love and is also within the arts and culture sector in Amsterdam”
Olga says that entrepreneurship has not been a planned career choice for her. Even stated that ‘If I had been asked this question 10 years ago, I would have said absolutely not”. She only recognized her business skills while doing her degree on business which helped her to turn her passion into an idea. “That has led me to be brave about a lot of trial error, and going entrepreneurial at a time when environment is so unforgiving”
Her Program experience
During ICE Academy program, Olga has worked on her business concept on cultural
representation. She describes her idea as “ a platform for well-made African products that are not the norm or usual. Products that are made paying attention to quality, production means, sustainability and the communities that they affect and are produced in”.
When we asked why specifically this idea, she said: “The more I have lived outside of my country and continent the more certain things like dressing, food and even traditions have become a bit of a nostalgia for me, hence the motivation to try and introduce them to other audiences” Olga admits that “Ice Academy has been a breath of fresh air. I was truly looking forward to my weekly treks to Rotterdam. The design of the program, workspaces, interaction with other program participants has made it quite an experience”.
Most importantly, she says she felt lighter, motivated and quite happy after her Tuesday
classes, and was quite sad that it came to an end.
Olga Muhwati
Founder of Yellow Bone
Participated at ICE Academy 2019 (to learn more about ICE Academy, go here)