Bestie Atti has a lifelong passion for helping African entrepreneurs to start, manage, and scale their companies. She founded the tech company CorporateBestie to help founders to launch their businesses across borders – while avoiding unnecessary stress and paperwork.

Prior to CorporateBestie, Bestie served as the Chief Operations Officer for Innovation Growth Hub, a creative, business and technology incubation hub where she was responsible for implementing business and operations processes to drive growth while also developing programs to grow startups and MSMEs. She serves as a mentor on the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Program and has mentored 6,000+ entrepreneurs under the program. The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Program is the largest African philanthropic initiative. It has empowered over 15,000 entrepreneurs across 54 African countries, investing over $80 million in seed capital to support the kick-off and growth of businesses. She also holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Benin, Nigeria.

Bestie has agreed to an interview as we discover her work with CorporateBestie and her mission to support entrepreneurs to start, launch and scale their companies in Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Tell us about your company.

“CorporateBestie is a tech company that simplifies company formation and compliance management for African and non-African founders. Through our all-in-one tool, entrepreneurs can turn their ideas into a company, obtain their tax ID numbers, access a business bank account and other business growth tools inside our “founder’s toolbox”, thereby minimising their risk of failure within their early stages”. 

Why did you start CorporateBestie?

“I started working with SMEs and startups quite early in my career and realized that most entrepreneurs have fantastic ideas and solutions but lack the know-how to truly turn those ideas into a real company. For many, it was the legal jargon, complex paperwork, and expensive legal fees that hindered them from forming their companies, so we came up with our solution to provide an an-in-one tool to make the process of forming and launching a business as stress-free as possible, allowing founders and entrepreneurs to focus on achieving their goals and changing the world with their ideas.

Who are your clients?

“We target African and non-African entrepreneurs who want to get their companies set up in Africa, as well as those who wish to set up in the United States and the United Kingdom. We help them efficiently and conveniently get incorporated, comply with regulatory requirements, and expand their businesses.

Why did you choose this industry?

“In any economy, entrepreneurship drives growth, productivity, job creation, and prosperity. Entrepreneurs also solve some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges. The world of business and entrepreneurship is growing rapidly, thanks to technology and innovation. We want to empower anyone who identifies as an entrepreneur or is interested in entrepreneurship. We help them start, manage compliance, and expand their businesses globally.”

What drives you personally in your work?

“I believe that everyone has an idea in them that can be utilized to create global impact, influence and income, irrespective of age, gender, race or background and all the other stereotypes that exist. Sometimes, these ideas might look foolish and not worth a dime to others, but when they are put through the right systems, structures and support, these ideas get a chance to thrive. The work we do at CorporateBestie is a representation of that. We want to ensure that the people who identify as entrepreneurs and dare to dream get the support they need to turn their ideas into real, sustainable companies.”

What does entrepreneurship mean to you?

“Entrepreneurship for me is encapsulated in the African word Ubuntu, which translates as ‘I am because you are’. It is a phrase that explains the essence of life and our interconnectedness. Entrepreneurship is not just about starting a business to generate profit. It is about building a business that solves problems while achieving three key metrics: impact, influence, and income. More entrepreneurs need to build solutions with the knowledge and understanding that they are not earning their daily bread today, but are building solutions and organisations that will stand the test of time.”

What do you hope to help your clients achieve?

“I believe that the clients we work with are tomorrow’s innovators, capable of reducing poverty, creating new jobs, and advancing socio-economic advancement around the world. What I love the most about entrepreneurship is its ripple effect nature and its ability to change not only one life – the life of the entrepreneur – but the ability also to impact multiple people’s lives simultaneously, thereby creating quick and impact-driven change.” Learn more: https://corporatebestie.com/