What if the next breakthrough in sustainable food isn’t a laboratory innovation—but a forgotten grain that has nourished communities for centuries?
As consumers increasingly seek healthier diets, climate-resilient agriculture, and ethically sourced food, entrepreneurs are discovering that some of the world’s most powerful solutions have existed all along. The challenge is not creating something new—it’s helping the world rediscover it.
For entrepreneur Solange Domaye, that opportunity became the foundation of Symfonio, a purpose-driven business introducing fonio, an ancient African grain, to international markets while creating economic opportunities for thousands of women farmers.
At Humans of Fuzia, a global thought-leadership platform dedicated to leadership, entrepreneurship, coaching, women empowerment, and socially conscious business, we celebrate founders who combine innovation with meaningful impact. Solange’s journey demonstrates how entrepreneurship can simultaneously improve lives, strengthen communities, and transform global food systems.
Building a Business Around Purpose
Launching a startup is challenging. Launching one around an unfamiliar food product is even harder.
“When you introduce a food product that people don’t know, you also have the challenge of changing consuming habits.”
For more than five years, Solange has worked to build awareness around fonio—an ancient, gluten-free grain with a low glycemic index that she grew up eating because her mother, who was diabetic, relied on it as a healthier alternative to other cereals.
What began as a deeply personal connection evolved into a global mission.
“I thought this is something that the whole world needs to know about.”
Today, Symfonio not only introduces consumers to a highly nutritious and sustainable grain but also creates economic opportunities for more than 2,000 women farmers in Burkina Faso, who oversee much of the production process from cultivation to cleaning and packaging.
Visibility Is Essential for Businesses Creating Real Impact
For Solange, one lesson has become unmistakably clear: meaningful businesses cannot create change if nobody knows they exist.
“I have seen many companies selling nonsense because they communicate well… while companies doing amazing work have no visibility.”
Her observation reflects a growing entrepreneurial reality in 2026. Purpose alone does not build successful businesses. Founders must also invest in thought leadership, storytelling, strategic positioning, and brand visibility if they want their impact to reach the people who need it most.
For entrepreneurs introducing entirely new products, education becomes just as important as marketing. Building trust requires helping consumers understand not only what the product is, but why it matters.
Scaling Through Innovation and Product Diversification
Although Symfonio has established strong momentum, Solange believes the journey is only beginning.
Her next phase of growth focuses on expanding beyond fonio by introducing complementary products such as dried mangoes and nuts. Diversifying the product portfolio will enable more efficient use of processing facilities while creating year-round opportunities for farming communities.
She is equally committed to encouraging food manufacturers to incorporate fonio into mainstream consumer products—from soups and crackers to beverages and snacks—bringing ancient nutrition into modern food innovation.
This systems-thinking approach demonstrates how entrepreneurs can create sustainable growth by strengthening entire value chains rather than focusing solely on individual products.
Execution Tip
If your business introduces a product people don’t yet understand, invest as much effort in education as promotion. Explain the problem your product solves before explaining its features. Awareness is often the first stage of market adoption.
What Honest Entrepreneurship Means
When asked what defines an honest entrepreneur, Solange’s answer centered on service.
“Being an entrepreneur is being at service.”
For her, entrepreneurship extends beyond selling products. It means creating value for consumers, supporting farming communities, operating fairly, and ensuring business success benefits everyone involved.
By delivering healthy, minimally processed food while improving economic opportunities for women farmers, she demonstrates that commercial success and social impact can grow together.
Conclusion
Solange Domaye’s entrepreneurial journey proves that some of the world’s most meaningful innovations begin by reconnecting people with traditions that have stood the test of time.
Through Symfonio, she is introducing global consumers to a nutritious ancient grain while creating economic empowerment for women farmers and advancing more sustainable food systems.
Through stories like Solange’s, Humans of Fuzia continues to provide entrepreneurs, coaches, founders, and changemakers with practical insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, women empowerment, sustainable innovation, and business growth.
Connect with Solange Domaye
- LinkedIn: Solange Domaye | LinkedIn
