Keypoints:
- Haskè Ventures backs women-led businesses in West Africa
- Madji Sock empowers Senegalese women through innovation
- WIC Senegal invests $5m in grassroots ventures
FOR years, the world has spoken of Africa’s untapped potential. Madji Sock is done waiting. The co-founder and president of Haskè Ventures is actively rewriting the narrative—by backing Senegalese women to launch and scale sustainable businesses that reflect their own ambitions and realities.
Speaking on Episode 7 of Dreaming in Color, a podcast hosted by The Bridgespan Group’s Elisabeth Makumbi, Sock described how her work shifts the continent’s story from one of dependency to one of self-directed growth. ‘Africa’s future rests on innovation-driven economies,’ she said, ‘and when we invest in our communities from within, we unlock far more than GDP—we build dignity, agency and resilience.’
For Sock, who was raised abroad but always felt anchored to Senegal, this mission is personal. Her name, Madjigan—meaning ‘in reverence of women’ in Wolof—speaks volumes. So too does the influence of her father, a fierce believer in gender equity, who instilled in her the importance of women’s leadership in national development.
‘When you grow up away from home,’ she reflected, ‘your parents make sure you know where you come from.’ That grounding has shaped every part of her journey—from finance to entrepreneurship to activism.
Haskè Ventures: From blank paper to business plans
Sock’s Haskè Ventures is more than an incubator. It is a job-creation engine focused on scalable, profitable ventures in Francophone West Africa. The firm guides businesses from the earliest ideation phase through to Series A financing—empowering local entrepreneurs, especially women, to build ventures that thrive in their own markets.
‘I love starting with a blank piece of paper,’ she said. ‘That’s how many Senegalese women feel. Their ideas are there—they just need structure, capital, and support. That’s what we provide.’
With over 60 percent of Senegal’s population under 25 and women comprising half the population, the stakes are high. Many young women face limited options, trapped between unstable informal work and the lure of migration. Sock’s work is aimed squarely at expanding those choices, helping women forge futures where they are.
WIC Senegal: Tontines meet 21st century finance
Sock also co-founded the Women’s Investment Club (WIC) Senegal, a platform that brings a modern structure to an ancient African idea: tontines, or collective savings. WIC builds on that model to channel investment into women-led enterprises.
To date, the club has invested around $5 million in women-owned businesses, inspiring similar models in other African countries.
‘I once sat with a tontine group of women and watched their meeting unfold,’ Sock recalled. ‘It was beautiful—organised in their own way, maybe not “formal” in a Western sense, but deeply effective. That’s the spirit of WIC. It works because it’s built on trust, shared purpose, and women’s resourcefulness.’
A grounded vision for Africa’s growth
Sock’s work is neither charity nor trend-driven. It is deliberate, rooted, and reflective of African women’s lived experience. Whether through venture capital or peer financing, her mission is constant: empower women to lead their own economic revolutions.
Her story, rich in both purpose and pragmatism, is detailed in Episode 7 of Dreaming in Color, launching July 17 on all major podcast platforms. For anyone curious about where Africa’s future is being built—it’s being shaped by women like Madji Sock.
