The Leader Team, a non-profit organization dedicated to building communities through leadership empowerment and job creation, has successfully hosted the second edition of its annual SHINE Conference in Abuja.
The SHINE Conference is the organization’s flagship initiative, created to promote SHINE core
values: Serve Others, Honour God, Improve Continually, Navigate by Values, and Excel by
Relationships.
The conference inspires participants to embody these principles through service, integrity, continuous growth, and impactful relationships rooted in reverence for God.
This year’s conference, themed “Next is Now,” brought together over 400 entrepreneurs, business leaders, and mentors from Nigeria and abroad at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, for a full day of learning and transformation.
The event challenged attendees to embrace purpose-driven leadership and take decisive steps today toward building sustainable and impactful businesses.
Delivering a session on “Purposeful Leadership,” Kris DenBesten, Board Chairman and
President of The Leader Team, emphasized that true business success goes beyond profit and
is defined by impact and integrity. He urged participants “to shine for the line and honour God in
their businesses and workplaces.”
Speaking on the organization’s impact in Nigeria, Shiloh Karshima, Executive Director of The
Leader Team, stated, “We have trained and supported 74 businesses in Nigeria who are now
committed to leading with integrity and creating sustainable living wages so everyone can live
well and lead well.”
She further encouraged entrepreneurs to channel their frustrations into purpose, adding that “social impact is the new rich.”
In his session on “Redemptive Entrepreneurship,” Williams Karshima, Co-Founder and Country
Advisor for The Leader Team, called on business leaders to operate with integrity, fairness,
honesty, hard work, excellence, and the fear of God. He encouraged a departure from
exploitative business models toward redemptive entrepreneurship – a mindset grounded in
sacrifice for collective success. He further stated “a redemptive entrepreneur is called to love
and serve the world and when we do that, we begin to shine”
Sharing his experience from The Leader Team’s Mentorship Programme, Aminu Sadiq, a 2024
participant, said: “I have learned to be resilient and consistent, and the training has helped me
scale my fashion business, especially through the daily application of the SHINE core values. I am proud to now stand as a champion of integrity and honesty in the fashion trade within my community.”
The conference featured an inspiring lineup of local and international speakers, including Kris DenBesten (Executive Chairman, Vermeer SE), Monte Erritt (CPO, Vermeer SE), Dr. Barka Umaru (Founder & CEO, Mshel Group), Scott Coley (CEO, Vermeer SE), Oladeji Bamidele (Chairman & CEO, Pumpkin Group), Chris Ogden (Lead Pastor, Horizon West Church), and Gabriel Zakka (Youth Pastor), who led moments of worship throughout the event.
The day concluded with the closing session, “Shine the Light,” where participants were encouraged to illuminate their communities with excellence, integrity, and honesty – becoming models of purpose-driven leadership in their spheres of influence.
Since its inception, The Leader Team has trained and equipped 74 businesses across Nigeria regardless of religious affiliations, promoting redemptive entrepreneurship that prioritizes people over profit and imbibe SHINE values in their business practices.
About The Leader Team
The Leader Team is a leadership and mentorship initiative committed to helping individuals live
well and lead well, regardless of status, ethnicity or religious affiliations. Through its Mentorship
Programme, Business Accelerator, SHINE Farm, and SHINE Network, it equips entrepreneurs to build sustainable ventures that transform lives and communities, while empowering rural women to earn a sustainable living wage.
