Young Legend of Inspiration: Edward Amartey-Tagoe

I hinted on Google plus on how excited I am to outdoor a new inspiring legend here. I believe that once you are letting your light shine, you shall be recognized no matter how dark the corner you have hidden yourself. After all, sugar does not announce it presence but the ants always locate it.

  

Determined to become a medical doctor from childhood, Edward Amartey-Tagoe applied to study biological science at the University of Ghana. Two years after, he unfortunately did not make it on the final list of students going to be admitted into the medical school. Very heart breaking it was for him as he watched his peers make it into the medical school without him.  He finally just had to choose any of the Science majors which he resorted to Psychology.

Though disappointed and heart broken, Edward made efforts which turned things around in his life. He found out he had fallen in love with some thing else after his first love medicine had failed him. He realized he had developed some passion for Entrepreneurship; founded a small venture to supply university students with their mobile phone calls airtime needs. He grew this small venture into a 4 staff venture with a turn-over attractive enough to pay his own bills and no longer depend on his parents. What started in Legon Hall soon got branches into two others and another one in Madina.

After two years, Edward sold his business, although he wouldn't say how much, he says it was enough to provide for himself till he entered MEST.

Edward was born with an Entrepreneurial instinct. He always on the lookout for buying and selling opportunities. Edward has tried his hands and many different entrepreneurship chances, not all were legal though. He has provided passports for the University of Ghana student body before, something he did until Anas stormed University of Ghana and 'spoilt the market'. For two years, Edward connected bed--buyers and bed sellers together and made his cut on the transactions. Though this was seasonal, it became a trade he was very well known for. At the beginning of the academic year, most stranded students would look for Edward, who most often than not, had a list of others who were  willing to sell their beds!

Now he is an ethical business man, and whenever he looks back at all the funny attempts at entrepreneurship, he has  no regrets. For him, these were the stages he had to go through to get to what he is now.

After his Bachelor's degree in Psychology at the University of Ghana, he enrolled at Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology(MEST) , the biggest tech incubator in West Africa. The US State department selected Edward as a tedx fellow in December 2012 to share his inspiring stories with other african youth in the continent. Edward is a Software Entrepreneur with a strong passion for technology, social media and youth capacity building. Edward's leadership roles in Ghana's I.T community has seen him

 in the fore front of tech related events and projects such as Tedx Accra, Tedx Dzorwulu, Blog camp, apps4africa and over 20 barcamp events across the length and breadth of Ghana.

He established Nandimobile. In 2011, less than a year after starting Nandimobile, the young start-up won the Best Business Award at the Launch Conference (formerly TechCrunch 50), one of the world's biggest tech conferences organized in the Silicon Valley. Nandimobile's effective technologies which connect businesses to their consumers on mobile devices, is patronized by more than close to 400 businesses in Ghana which include the nation's big brands. 

Nandimobile's technology is supported by a sound business model which saw the company break even in its second year of operations. Nandimobile in 2013 became the 1st company in Ghana to ever win the United Nation's World Summit National Award and also Global awards in the same year. Techcrunch, CNN, The Next Web, MyJoyOnline and many other reputable journals have recognized Nandimobile's efforts in Ghana.

He led a team to establish the Ghana Social Media Hub. He also managed a team to host BlogCamp12, BlogCamp13 and BlogCamp14, Ghana's biggest social media events. He is currently the Director of Nandimobile Ltd and Director of Blogging Ghana.

 The following are some awards he has received;

• One of Ghana's 100 Most Influential personalities in 2013
• GUBA rLG Development Award, London, Nov 2013
• United Nation's WSA Global Champion, Sri Lanka, Oct 2013
• United Nations WSA Award for best e-content, Accra, Sept 2013
• Best Business Award, Launch Conference, San Francisco CA, Feb 2011
• 1st Runner-up App Circus Mobile App Competition Sept 2011

• Recipient, Presidential award and Scholarship, Jan 2000.
• Best Male Student for Eastern Region, March 1999. 
• Recipient, Methodist scholars’ Award, 1999. 

Born to a diplomat and an entrepreneur, Edward learnt and tasted different cultures because of his father's diplomatic assignments. Many Ghanaians live and die without ever shaking hands with any of Ghana's Preisdents past or present. However as one of twenty winners of Presidential Awards in 1999, Edward got the opportunity to shake hands with Ghana's President Jerry John Rawlings at a colourful occasion usually organized to reward academic excellence.

Edward attended Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School, one of Ghana's best senior high schools known to produce brilliant achievers. Edward has two sisters and is the last born. He is always grateful to his mum who at a very old age still decided to carry her pregnancy to full term whiles still stared at all the possible risks. Edward's challenge at a young age was to dissociate his father's influence from his achievements. 

With his above achievements he has attained, it's very obvious that challenged has been cleared!

I find it very inspiring that even though Edward came from a well-to-do family, he did not allow that to get into his head, but rather went ahead to work hard and take the bold initiatives which brought him huge successes!