Culture consultant. Connection merchant. Brain-drain reversal engineer.

In this episode of Shapers, host Benjamin Shaw is joined by Bernard Laurendeau – a trailblazing entrepreneur and founder of Laurendeau & Associates. With roots in Ethiopia and France, and over 15 years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies, Bernard shares his unique journey from Silicon Valley to Addis Ababa and Tokyo.

They discuss the launch of Enkopa Lab Japan, a new advisory firm empowering Japanese businesses to expand into African markets, and the broader implications of tech, data and partnerships in shaping Africa’s economic future.

This conversation offers critical insights into market development, intercultural strategy and what it takes to execute impactful change across continents.

Listen to the full podcast here - https://shaperspodcast.co.za/episode-55-bernard-laurendeau/