The 2010 Maisha (Swedish-African) Entrepreneur of the Year is Awa Ndao

The award for Entrepreneur of the Year went to Awa Ndao who has shown great resilience in the face of adversity and overcome a destructive and oppressive marriage to create a thriving business, centered around, extensions, braids, plaits, dreadlocks and cornrows.

It is a business she has run successfully for six years. Her success has led to such accolades as a collaboration with fashion giant Elle magazine. She was and is also instrumental in creating a platform for African hair and fashion to be showcased in Sweden, by way of a mastodon hair and fashion show involving a host of models and live music. A show that she plans to hold annually.

But perhaps the most striking of her achievements has been to introduce one of kind, diploma certified, courses in extensions, dreadlocks, braiding and platting.