Peace Hyde-Media Maven Inspiring Women World Wide

Peace Hyde is an innovator who creates gold from everything she touches. We can’t wait to see what she does next.

WOE: Who is Peace Hyde?

PH: I began my journey in the media industry when I made the transition from a Chemistry, Physics, and Biology teacher in the UK. At the time, the goal was to find some meaningful way of contributing to the African narrative by telling and celebrating positive black and African role models in the media. When you are British Ghanaian but have never stepped foot in Africa and you expect your students to know about successful black or African role models to look up to, you soon realize you are fighting a battle you cannot win. It was either I became a part of the problem or the solution. Moving into media was me choosing to be the latter and it started with taking the plunge and leaving all that was familiar and moving to Ghana. I am a living testament to what happens when you just move and take a leap of faith. I would describe myself as a content creator and executive producer, journalist, and activist.

WOE: You are the Co-creator of Netflix’s exciting, first African Reality TV Series, Young, Famous and African. Please share with us how this opportunity came about.

PH: The show came about when I realized, there was not a series or story that celebrates the exploits of successful young and aspirational Africans and since I have spent almost a decade speaking to the wealth of Africa along with chart-topping and pioneering entrepreneurs, I felt it would be good to have a show that uncovers the lives and relationships of some of Africa’s elite. I was tired of the old narratives of Africa and I wanted to watch people who reflected the other side of Africa. The glitzy and sexy side of Africa is where dreams do come true and people are making their mark in their respective industries.

WOE: As a former teacher, education is near and dear to your heart. What is your mission for Aim Higher Africa?

PH: I believe education is a social leveller and provides the catalyst we need to transform impoverished communities into self-sustaining and developed ones. The only difference between a street child and a home child is the access to opportunities the latter has and the only way to level the playing field is to equip our youth with education. Aim Higher Africa seeks to leverage the power of education and entrepreneurship to transform impoverished communities by giving them the tools they need to build scalable and sustainable businesses. We have done that by establishing over 6000 start-ups who in turn have employed some 20,000 people in their local communities across Africa

WOE: As a British/Ghanaian entrepreneur and media maven you have become a role model worldwide. What advice would you give to young women of the Diaspora for pursuing their passions and achieving their goals?

PH: The longer you sit and debate whether you should take the leap and pursue your passion, the longer nothing happens. Just jump. You may fail or you may succeed, either way, you win. If you fail, you would have learned key lessons that will equip you and add to your experience and knowledge base which means you have gained something. And if you succeed, you would have progressed in making your dreams a reality so there is really no way you can lose if you simply jump. Take the leap of faith and do something out of your comfort zone and you will be surprised how far that will take you.

WOE: With your hit show, My Worst Day with Peace Hyde, you have the honour of being the only journalist who has interviewed all of the continent’s billionaires. What sage insight have you gleaned from these financial geniuses?

PH: My Worst Day, focuses on interviewing all the billionaires in Africa particularly about their most challenging day in business. It seeks to understand the mindset that comes with overcoming failure and succeeding. My other show, Against All Odds, seeks to unravel the psyche of remarkable women and how they mentally overcome impossible odds. My goal with the shows I create is to always inspire others to achieve their fullest potential. I believe the best way to learn and grow is to take lessons from those who have gone before us and who have achieved seemingly impossible feats. I believe it takes a village to succeed and I want that village to be groundbreaking, ambitious, and African game changers and that is the main insight I have gleaned from these remarkable entrepreneurs. They have shown me the power of failure and the ability to fail quickly, adapt and learn from that failure in order to reach your end goal.