But we’d also add that innovators demonstrate an awe-inspiring level of perseverance and commitment to their ideas, overcoming many obstacles to bring us their new methods and products.

The annual gathering of the African Leadership Network is a great place to spot them. This year, in early November, 350 heads of business, social enterprises and entrepreneurs met in Marrakech under the theme “Exploring the Boundaries of Possibilities in Africa.”

Here are five individuals — managing organizations of various sizes — who caught our eye at ALN2015.

Neku Atawodi, Malaik

How does one go from equestrian sports scientist and polo player to launching an equity crowdfunding platform in only four months?

This is exactly what Neku Atawodi, and her team at Malaik, have done.

“I am passionate about Africa and harnessing the teaming entrepreneurial spirit of the African youth,” she told CNN. “In my entrepreneurial experience, access to the right capital is a huge determining factor in the success of most startups. Traditional forms of finance do not wholly support nascent businesses, it is therefore imperative to find other avenues to close this gap. Malaik aims to play a disruptive role in solving this conundrum. Malaik is derived from the Arabic, Hausa, and Swahili words for angel. A group of angel investors backing a business can really propel it to success!”

Atawodi is not short of ideas: to mediate the perceived and real risks of investing in African businesses, the organization has designed a four-step due-diligence process. In addition, because of the focus on impact and not just profit, Malaik is proposing to track impact in relation to the UN’s new sustainable development goals.

Read more: 5 innovators who want to make your life easier

Source: CNN