Article by Elina Salian, a VSFS intern with the U.S. Department of State, currently studying Economics at George Washington University.
Where others saw piles of discarded plastic, Nicole Mugoli Menemene saw potential. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where waste management systems tend to be underdeveloped, Nicole turned her personal commitment to sanitation into a business that combines innovation with social impact. With support from the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program in the DRC, Nicole has expanded her business, Plastycor, to work toward transforming the waste landscape in her country into a sustainable environment.
Nicole’s inspiration for Plastycor initially came from her mother who instilled in her the importance of proper sanitation and waste management often neglected in their community. After years of advocating for personal responsibility in waste disposal, Nicole met with two Ugandan innovators using recycled plastic for homebuilding, which inspired her business vision of repurposing waste. In 2019, Nicole founded Plastycor, a business that recycles plastic waste into furniture, home decor, and even structural material for walls and houses.
tilatopia_nicole.jpeg
Nicole sitting on a Plastycor bench made from recycled plastic waste.
To further expand Plastycor, Nicole joined the AWE program in 2023 to develop her skills as a business owner. As part of the DRC AWE cohort, Nicole gained tools to grow Plastycor, learning essential business and marketing skills such as financial planning, strategy development, effective organizing, and communication skills. Nicole credits the AWE program as a turning point in her entrepreneurial journey. “AWE gave me a new and better way to think about my business,” she shares. Before joining AWE, Nicole says she lacked structured planning and financial management skills. Through AWE’s masterclasses on the DreamBuilder platform and individualized mentorship sessions, she learned how to set clear objectives, manage her resources efficiently, and create a roadmap to grow and sustain Plastycor.
Nicole now oversees three permanent full-time staff members and over 30 volunteers. Beyond production, Plastycor also offers sanitation and green entrepreneurship training, empowering young people and women to take action on waste problems while building community.
screenshot_2025-01-07_at_11.42.37_am.png
Nicole (second from left) with fellow Plastycor workers cleaning up waste at Lake Kivu in Bukavu, DRC
In October 2024, through a partnership between the AWE program and Harvard Business School, Nicole participated in a fully-funded, two-week training program at Harvard University. Selected as one of 20 women entrepreneurs from the DRC to attend the training, Nicole gained insights from world-class professors and connected with fellow women entrepreneurs in discussions. “The Harvard experience broke barriers for me. It showed me the endless possibilities for my business,” Nicole reflects. Upon returning to the DRC, Nicole changed how she approaches young people about becoming involved in waste management. She decided to show her community the positive impact of waste management on unemployment and well-being rather than advocate for assistance in managing waste in the neighborhood. Since implementing this new strategy, Nicole has cultivated new partnerships with local youth and is increasingly called to provide community training.
screenshot_2025-01-07_at_11.58.36_am.png
Nicole (right) holding one of her products made from plastic waste at Harvard University
Nicole’s experience at Harvard also opened doors for her to collaborate with fellow social impact entrepreneurs in Africa. Nicole connected with a waste management expert in Côte d’Ivoire, and she plans to build partnerships that foster knowledge-sharing across borders.
Plastycor is driving sustainable development in the DRC and Nicole envisions a future where her business plays a leading role in cleaning up cities, creating jobs, and inspiring a new generation of social entrepreneurs. Her dream is for Plastycor to become a globally recognized business that contributes significantly to waste management solutions across Africa. “As you make an impact in many lives, you gain true richness,” Nicole says.
Nicole credits AWE with giving her the skills and networks needed to actively grow Plastycor and change the environmental and economic landscape of the DRC. Her advice to aspiring business women? “AWE is for those who are committed to taking action. It’s the best program to help you transform your ideas into impact.”
The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs is an initiative under the U.S. government’s Department of State that equips women with the professional skills, networks, and resources needed to launch and scale their businesses. The program supports women like Nicole in developing their businesses using the DreamBuilder platform designed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management in collaboration with Freeport McMoRan Foundation and the help of program implementers. AWE offers programs in nearly 100 countries and has empowered nearly 25,000 women worldwide. Nicole participated in the first AWE DRC cohort, which supported 100 women throughout the DRC.
For more information about the AWE program in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, visit https://awedrc.com/about-awe-drc/.
