Women creating wealth…with Zainab Almond

The 2027 Guardian Woman Festival, hosted by Federal Palace Resort, is committed to driving change among women across sectors. The fourth edition, themed ‘Women as wealth creators’, spotlights Zainab Almond, a food business educator, restaurateur, author, and hospitality consultant, the driving force behind Almond Rouge, a food business and hospitality education company focused on strengthening Africa’s hospitality industry.

Take us through your career path.
My career journey began in my second year at the University of Lagos, when I started my first food business, Food Cottage. At the time, I was exploring my interest in food and entrepreneurship, and that experience introduced me to the world of business and showed me how much I enjoyed creating something of my own. After graduating, I stepped away from the food business and spent about a decade working in marketing communications.

That experience taught me about branding, communication, strategy, and how businesses connect with their audiences. But my love for food and hospitality never really left me. Eventually, I returned to the industry, attended culinary school, and had the opportunity to work with one of Nigeria’s leading chefs. I went on to build Almond Rouge, with a vision to contribute to the hospitality industry through consulting, restaurant management, business development, education and training. I have also started building food businesses, including Donore Pasta, which I co-founded with a business partner.

Today, my work sits at the intersection of hospitality, entrepreneurship, and education. I am also pursuing a Master’s degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management at Rome Business School. Looking back, I don’t see the different chapters of my career as detours. Each has contributed something valuable to what I am building today.

What does women creating wealth mean to you?
To me, women creating wealth goes far beyond money. While money is an integral part of wealth creation, I believe it is ultimately about the freedom it provides, the opportunities it creates, and the value we are able to bring to the world. Real wealth is the ability to build something that outlives you. It is being able to create value not just for yourself, but for the people around you, your community, and the generations that come after you. That, to me, is legacy. Money is a tool, but wealth is much bigger than money. You can be rich in knowledge, relationships, people, ideas, businesses, systems, and opportunities. You can create wealth by building institutions, developing people, creating jobs, and sharing knowledge.

For me, the real question is not simply, “How much money have I made?” but “What have I built, who have I empowered, and what will continue to exist because I was here?” That is what women creating wealth means to me: building a life and legacy of value that extends beyond ourselves.

How are you creating sustainable wealth as a woman?
I am creating sustainable wealth by building businesses and investing in people, knowledge and systems.

Through Almond Rouge, I work with hospitality businesses to strengthen their operations while training people who want to build careers and businesses within the industry. Through Donore Pasta and other ventures, I am also building businesses that I hope will be commercially viable, create jobs and open up opportunities for others. I am intentional about building beyond myself. I want to create businesses with the right structures, people, and systems to grow and continue creating value, even without my constant involvement. For me, sustainable wealth is not just about what I can earn today, but what I can build that will continue to create value tomorrow.

What is your charge to other women on living purposefully?
My charge to other women is this: don’t spend your life trying to look successful. Don’t try to walk in somebody else’s shoes or spend your life trying to become somebody else. There is a gift in you that is authentic to you. Part of living purposefully is discovering what that is and having the courage to build your life around it. Your timeline does not have to look like anyone else’s, and your definition of success does not have to be borrowed from someone else. Be intentional about what you are building, who you are becoming and the value you want your life to create. At the end of the day, some of the strongest questions we will ask ourselves are: What did I do with my life? What did I build? Who did I become? And what did I do it all for? My charge is simple: live a life that gives you answers you can be proud of.