Carmen Granger, a beacon of transformative change and empowerment, has over three decades of experience in business coaching and small business development. As the founder of Imagionati and co-founder of Traction Africa, Carmen is not just a businesswoman – she is a mentor, a counselor, a healer, and a visionary who turns dreams into tangible realities.
An alumnus of Universidad de Salamanca, Carmen has proven her skills in various coaching domains, including executive, wellness, life, business, and leadership development. Her holistic approach towards coaching intertwines powerful personal transformational tools with mindfulness and meditation, providing an innovative methodology for sustainable change.
Established in 2022, Imagionati has been Carmen’s platform to nurture individuals seeking transformational change. This venture offers a fresh, modern approach to life and business coaching, helping clients discover their true selves and manifest their lives. Carmen uses her refined techniques and years of expertise to help her clients clarify their goals, identify their hurdles, and devise strategies to overcome obstacles.
In 2001, Carmen co-founded Traction Africa. Traction designs and executes innovative technology-enabled programmes to promote entrepreneurship and small business development. Through over 20 major programmes with various stakeholders, Traction has supported more than 25,000 entrepreneurs and small businesses. This role further showcases Carmen’s creativity, innovative marketing strategies, and prowess in complex project planning and operations management.
Carmen’s multifaceted career also expands to trauma counseling, where she applies specialized healing techniques to help clients improve their relationships, make healthier decisions, and change their day-to-day lives to attain greater fulfillment.
Carmen’s Portfolio of Impact – A Rich Tapestry of Value Propositions
Throughout her career, Carmen has left indelible footprints across various impactful projects, all underpinned by their own unique value propositions. The breadth and depth of her engagements showcase her adaptability, strategic acumen, and a strong dedication to both economic and social development.
During the global crisis of Covid-19, Carmen contributed to a significant initiative led by the African Development Bank, the Innovation Lab, and SECO. This project focused on alleviating the effects of the pandemic on South Africa’s SME sector. Carmen’s contributions in strategic workstreams fostered entrepreneurial growth and offered valuable business development support to ventures grappling with the crisis. The value proposition of this project lies in its detailed insights into South Africa’s start-up market, informing investors, government entities, and organizations about the national economic growth prospects and providing strategic guidance to new ventures.
Carmen also dedicated a significant part of her career to Big Brother Big Sister, a non-profit organization. As a mentor, she invested 16 years in helping young individuals make positive life decisions and realize their potential. The social value of this commitment cannot be overstated. By investing in the personal development of young individuals, Carmen helped enhance their future prospects and foster healthier communities.
In the realm of digital innovation, Carmen was involved in a project by Bla Bla Bla Studios, which developed social games and mobile applications to support small businesses. These interactive digital tools offered innovative ways for businesses to engage with their customers, fueling growth and success in a digitalized business environment.
Carmen’s entrepreneurial prowess was also evident in the media sector. As the initiator and publisher of a popular magazine, TV TALK, under the banner of Creative Publishing, a division of the Concept Group, Carmen managed to increase its circulation over three years significantly. The magazine’s wide readership provided a platform for information dissemination and entertainment and a valuable advertising channel for businesses.
Carmen’s engagement with the Western Cape Government of South Africa led to the development of the Digital SMME Business Support Map. This strategic platform is designed to offer comprehensive business support to small businesses, fostering digital adoption among these businesses, thereby boosting their competitiveness in the digital era.
Lastly, but certainly not least, Carmen managed all operations at the Galeshewe SMME Village in South Africa, an incubator providing crucial support to 24 SMEs. This initiative directly contributed to regional economic development and job creation, making tangible, long-term benefits to the local economy.
Carmen’s multifaceted engagements, spanning across sectors and regions, are testament to her unwavering commitment to the growth and development of South Africa. Each project she has been involved with carries a distinct value proposition, adding up to a comprehensive portfolio of impact, and leaving a lasting legacy of positive change.