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Explore every episode of the podcast Afropolitan
Dive into the complete episode list for Afropolitan. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Power of Porn: Why Men Can’t Stop Going Back | 25 Jun 2025 | ||
What happens when we stop centering shame in conversations about sex?
In this deeply vulnerable and transformational episode, we sit down with Olawunmi Esan—one of Nigeria’s leading certified sex therapists and educators—to unpack the emotional, cultural, and psychological layers of sexuality that society rarely names.
From her personal story of surviving sexual trauma to helping thousands heal their relationship with pleasure, Olawunmi brings science, soul, and softness to the conversation. We discuss porn addiction, performance anxiety in men, desire discrepancies in marriages, and what it truly means to create safety in intimacy—for yourself and with others.
Whether you're single, dating, married, or healing, this episode will shift how you think about sex, connection, and emotional honesty.
🔗 Explore More from Olawunmi Esan:
Sexcapades: Erotic Intimacy Exercises
https://learning.olawunmiesan.com/sexcapades
Book a One-on-One Session with Olawunmi
www.olawunmiesan.com/myservices
Take a Course on Pleasure & Healing
https://learning.olawunmiesan.com/products/
Chapters:
00:00 - Redefining Sex Beyond Intercourse
01:43 - Why Ola Became a Sex Therapist
03:46 - The Link Between Shame, Pleasure & Pain
05:31 - When to Start Teaching Children About Sex
10:53 - The Problem with Porn Education
18:32 - Faith, Masturbation & Porn: Complex Conversations
24:36 - Sexual History, Marriage & Performance Anxiety
34:48 - Not All Men Cheat: Reframing Intimacy Norms
42:29 - Lagos and the Epidemic of Desire Discrepancy
46:14 - Olawunmi’s Personal Story of Rape & Healing
53:07 - How Parents Can Create Safe Spaces for Kids
57:02 - Reclaiming Your Body After Sexual Trauma
1:00:00 - Advice for Partners of Trauma Survivors
1:03:24 - Sexual Discipline & the Diddy Allegory
1:08:23 - Why Erectile Issues Are Often About Anxiety
1:12:23 - Men, Intimacy & Emotional Healing
1:14:06 - Rapid Fire: What Men Should Stop Doing in Bed
1:15:22 - Why Planned Sex Isn’t Boring
1:17:17 - The True Definition of Sex
1:20:09 - Final Question: Who Should Sit in This Seat Next?
1:20:23 - Breaking Hypersexual Habits Before Marriage
The Afropolitan Podcast is your passport to conversations at the intersection of legacy, liberation, and global Black excellence.
Subscribe and turn on notifications to never miss an episode.
| |||
| How To Build a Success Mindset Through the Power of Belief | 18 Jun 2025 | ||
From Ikorodu to Times Square: Tunde Onakoya on Pain, Purpose & Breaking World Records Twice | Afropolitan Podcast
What does it mean to turn pain into purpose—and purpose into global impact?
In this unforgettable episode of the Afropolitan Podcast, we sit down with Tunde Onakoya, the Nigerian chess master, movement builder, and two-time Guinness World Record breaker. From growing up in poverty in Lagos to leading a cultural revolution through Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde shares the full, raw story behind his meteoric rise—from the streets of Ikorodu to the bright lights of Times Square.
This isn’t just about chess.
It’s about:
The emotional cost of reinvention when the world wants you to stay who you were
Fame, friendships, failure, and finding purpose in pain
Building global influence without losing your soul
What it takes to be an outlier—and why greatness always starts in small places
Whether you're a dreamer, builder, or just someone navigating your own season of becoming, this conversation will meet you where you are.
00:00 - Intro
02:09 - Grit, Purpose & Outliers
12:09 - Growing Up in Ikorodu
22:09 - Chess as a Tool for Reinvention
37:09 - The Crisis of Fame
47:09 - Breaking the World Record (Twice)
1:07:09 - Ferdinand’s Story
1:17:09 - Dating, Desires, and Private Love
1:27:09 - Rapid Fire: Books, Suya, and Legacy
🎥 Watch the full episode and let us know what part hit you the most.
📍 Subscribe to The Afropolitan Podcast for more conversations that redefine legacy and soft power across the diaspora.
#AfropolitanPodcast #TundeOnakoya #ChessInSlums #AfricanExcellence #GuinnessWorldRecord #Reinvention #FameAndPurpose #NigerianCreatives #LegacyMakers
🎧 This is one of the most powerful episodes we've ever recorded. | |||
| How To Build Unshakable Confidence And Self Esteem Today With Nicole Chikwe | 18 Apr 2025 | 01:04:42 | |
We know Nicole Chikwe as the confident beauty entrepreneur, influencer, and founder of The Mummy Summit. | |||
| What WOMEN Don't Understand About the Modern Man | 18 Apr 2025 | 00:55:25 | |
In this solo episode, Chika and Eche dive into one of the most uncomfortable but necessary conversations: Is masculinity dying and what’s really going on with modern womanhood? | |||
| How He Built Two Billion Dollar Companies Before Turning 30 | 18 Apr 2025 | 01:35:35 | |
What does it really mean to build a legacy—from billion-dollar companies to your own home? | |||
| How To Reinvent Your Life Starting Today With MI Abaga | 16 Apr 2025 | 01:18:55 | |
Subscribe to @Afropolitan for more podcasts like this | |||
| Shaping the Future of African Commerce Through Vertical Integration With Daniel Yu (Founder & CEO of Wasoko) | 17 May 2023 | 00:27:44 | |
Quote - “The spirit of Afropolitan, and why I'm so excited about the
community that's being built, is to connect one of the most powerful
forces in the world, which is human communities, to the fastest
growing place in the world, which is the African continent.”
The Afropolitan Podcast highlights Afropolitans who embrace the
unknown and walk with purpose. Through this podcast, we aim to empower
Africans in the Diaspora to maximize their potential and contribute to
the development of a vibrant and progressive black community.
In this episode, we chat with Daniel Yu, Founder & CEO of Wasoko, a
technology company that is transforming the $600 billion market for
essential goods sold through mom-and-pop stores in Africa. Wasoko
provides on-demand ordering, delivery, and financing services to these
small retailers. Wasoko's platform enables shop owners to place orders
at any time via SMS or a mobile app, and offers free same-day delivery
of goods directly to their stores. Additionally, Wasoko provides "Pay
Later" financing options to support the growth of these shops. The
company operates in several African countries, including Kenya,
Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Côte d'Ivoire, and Senegal, and collaborates
with major companies such as Unilever and Procter & Gamble. Wasoko has
raised over $145 million in equity financing from investors like Tiger
Global and Avenir Growth Capital, making it one of the largest tech
companies in Africa.
Daniel Yu is an entrepreneur and software developer with extensive
experience working and traveling in over 65 countries, primarily in
emerging economies such as Africa, the Middle East, Central America,
Brazil, Southeast Asia, and China. He is skilled at exploring markets
and building networks to effectively launch technology-driven
businesses. Daniel is conversational or fluent in eight languages:
English (native), Mandarin, Swahili, Arabic, Spanish, Cantonese,
Portuguese, and French.
Daniel is passionate about leveraging technology and innovation to
transform the retail landscape in emerging economies, empowering small
businesses, and making a positive social impact across Africa. Join us
as Daniel discusses his journey with Wasoko and the importance of
digital technology and services to solve Africa’s supply chain
problems.
Daniel’s Reading List:
1. Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Help Others,
Do Work that Matters, and Make Smarter Choices about Giving Back by
William MacAskill - https://amzn.to/41EnFJj
2. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight - https://amzn.to/3IkPMq2
3. Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder - https://amzn.to/455COGn
Show Notes
2:00 Daniel breaks down his background and what led him to Africa as
an entrepreneur
3:27 Daniel, as the founder and CEO of Wasako, has been working to
transform commerce in Africa and tells us the problem it aims to solve
4:49 Daniel details the monetization model of Wasoko
5:16 Daniel talks about some of the assumptions he had of this
commerce model and what challenges he faced going to market
6:54 Daniel talks about the importance of startups to vertical
integrate in Africa to ensure successful delivery of their chosen
offerings and how the process of building in Africa differs from being
in California, where certain aspects are already taken care of, and
the focus is primarily on software development
8:20 Daniel explains why he started in certain African countries
compared to others and the cultural differences experienced in each
country
10:09 Daniel paints the customer onboarding process early on
11:16 Daniel details the early stages of a startup and the struggles
you have to go through
12:37 Daniel talks about his educational background and how It
informed the work he does today | |||
| Scaling Impact with Obinna Ukwuani (Chief Digital Officer, Bank of Kigali Plc) | 22 Mar 2023 | 00:51:58 | |
Quote: "Don't approach entrepreneurship from a position of desperation; instead, build and have leverage." The Afropolitan Podcast highlights Afropolitans who embrace the unknown and walk with purpose. Through this podcast, we aim to empower Africans in the Diaspora to maximize their potential and contribute to the development of a vibrant and progressive black community. In this episode, we chat with Obinna Ukwuani, Chief Digital Officer at the Bank of Kigali Plc, where he drives digital product development to achieve digital financial services objectives. Obinna, born in America with Nigerian roots, studied Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He founded and directed the Makers Robotics Academy Rwanda and NESA by Makers, and now serves as the Founder and Director of Bruk Oil Mills in Enugu. Obinna previously worked at Paystack and shares his entrepreneurship insights in this episode. Obinna is passionate about education, entrepreneurship, and the transformative power of Web3/Blockchain technologies for people worldwide. Join us as Obinna discusses his journey to the Bank of Kigali and the importance of digital technology and services in solving Africa's challenges. Obinna's Reading List: 1. Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson - https://amzn.to/3kD1fbO 2. The Biafra Story: The Making of an African Legend by Frederick Forsyth - https://amzn.to/3Zt7vBN 3. The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis - https://amzn.to/3ICWJlD Show Notes: 1:22 Introduction to the Afropolitan Podcast 1:42 Obinna's background and journey to MIT, earning a BSc in Economics 7:28 Obinna's decision to return to Nigeria and his role in nation-building and creating opportunities 12:09 Obinna's work with the Makers Robotics Academy Rwanda and its impact on the local community 14:14 Obinna shares his first significant encounter with failure and the lessons learned 20:46 Obinna discusses insights from working with Paystack and Bank of Kigali on technology's potential for Africans 24:19 Obinna talks about his experience raising funds for startups and offers advice for first-time founders navigating the fundraising process 28:35 The importance of managing desperation and balance when dealing with investors 31:20 Sam Altman's New Yorker profile and the need for Africa to leapfrog - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/10/sam-altmans-manifest-destiny 38:12 Obinna shares his thoughts on Web3 and Blockchain, addressing skepticism and guiding principles 42:53 Books that have profoundly impacted Obinna's life 50:27 Hypothetical title of a book about Obinna's life 51:35 Obinna's perspective on what it means to be Afropolitan The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Connect with Afropolitan: Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https: | |||
| Being A Conduit For Resources and Information With Kyle Maloney (Co-Founder of Tech Beach) | 22 Feb 2023 | 00:37:29 | |
Quote - “Founders need to realise that investors love founders that have failed before because it is in your failings, you learn the most.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Kyle Maloney, Co-Founder of Tech Beach; a startup with an active community designed to connect the Caribbean with the Global Technology Ecosystem. Klye studied Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and was exposed to entrepreneurship early on which culminated in Co-founding Tech Beach to offer a much needed service in the region. He is passionate about empowering people and companies in the Caribbean through technology to scale and solve pertinent issues. Listen and enjoy as Kyle talks to us about his journey with Tech Beach, his background and plans for the future. Kyle’s Reading List Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Arthur R. Pell https://amzn.to/3XzOzzZ The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller, Jay Papasan https://amzn.to/3lFdS6a Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear https://amzn.to/2P8LAvI Show Notes 2:30 Impact of covid and background of Tech Beach 5:58 Context of the Caribbean for startups 7:52 Expansion in the Caribbean compared to Africa 9:07 Fundraising process, challenges and advice 11:32 Recruiting and retaining talent 13:31 Kyle’s background and influences 19:49 Lessons from failure 24:00 Process to find the right mentor within the ecosystem 28:15 Title of the book about your life 30:53 Reading list 32:44 Being Afropolitan 35:03 Future plans The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Breaking Boundaries Beyond Africa With Hanu Agbodje (Founder & CEO of PATRICIA) | 15 Feb 2023 | 00:34:27 | |
Quote - “There is no joy to be found in playing small and dimming your lights.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Hanu Agbodje, Founder & CEO of PATRICIA; a fintech company founded in 2017 using Blockchain technology to process cryptocurrency transactions in Africa and beyond. Hanu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics from University of Port Harcourt and founded PATRICIA after 13 other unsuccessful businesses. He is passionate about crypto and how the technology can solve Africa’s biggest problems and synergise payments. Listen and enjoy as Hanu talks to us about his journey with PATRICIA and ambition to transform alternative payments solutions in Africa. Hanu’s Reading List The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason https://amzn.to/3E3l8iW Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters https://amzn.to/3lt34Iq How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell https://amzn.to/2VzobXM Show Notes 1:23 Patricia's mission and vision for the world 1:58 Recruiting and retaining talent 3:30 The journey to Patricia 9:39 African founders competing anywhere in the world 12:25 What promise cryptocurrency holds for Africa? 15:02 Advice for founders dealing with government regulation 16:25 Dealing with failure and lessons learnt 19:23 Balance between creativity and objectives 20:38 Title of the book about your life 22:07 Other passions aside from Patricia 24:08 Self-care and avoiding burnout 25:07 Reading list 30:41 Being Afropolitan 32:38 Future of Patricia The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Changing Lives Through Chess With Tunde Onakoya (Founder of Chess In Slums Africa) | 08 Feb 2023 | 00:30:10 | |
Quote - “This frail body will house the greatest spirit humanity will ever know.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Tunde Onakoya, Founder of Chess In Slums Africa; a non-profit organisation that utilises the game of chess to educate and empower underprivileged children to achieve far more than their circumstances. Tunde holds a National Diploma in Computer Science from Yaba College of Technology and created Chess in Slums Africa to use chess as a tool to educate and propel the destiny of children out of poverty. He is passionate about equaling the playing field and has a goal to educate 1 million children in slum communities in 5 years. Listen and enjoy as Tunde talks to us about his journey with Chess In Slums Africa and redressing the imbalance in society. Tunde’s Reading List Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations: Ancient Philosophy for Modern Problems by Jules Evans https://amzn.to/3DMbVLF The Prosperity Paradox: How Innovation Can Lift Nations Out of Poverty by Clayton M. Christensen, Efosa Ojomo, Karen Dillon https://amzn.to/3DNoFBO Self-Discipline through Ikigai and Kaizen (Longevity and Happiness at Hand) by Mark Morimoto https://amzn.to/3lnLVQb Manifesto for a Moral Revolution Paperback – May 4, 2021 by Jacqueline Novogratz https://amzn.to/3RGYd2i Show Notes 1:29 Background and discovery of chess 4:31 Creation and mission of Chess In Slums Africa 9:07 Impact on children/slums 11:28 Ferdinand with cerebral palsy winning the chess tournament in Makoko 14:17 Partnership with chess.com 16:10 Finding purpose with Chess In Slums Africa 19:42 Fulfilling potential linked to mission of Chess In Slums Africa 22:43 Reading list 25:24 Future plans and how to get involved/support 27:28 Title of the book about your life 28:13 What does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Venture Capitalist Investing Insights With Yida Gao (Managing General Partner of Shima Capital) | 01 Feb 2023 | 00:31:56 | |
Yida Gao Quote - “Talent is everything for an early stage company and the people they hire early on define the trajectory of the company.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Yida Gao, Managing General Partner of Shima Capital; an early stage crypto and Web3 investment firm. Yida holds a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He previously worked in Wall Street for Morgan Stanley in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group. He is passionate about investing in crypto and Web3 companies that chart new territory. Listen and enjoy as Yida Gao talks to us about his journey with Shima Capital and insights on the venture capitalist environment. Yida’s Reading List Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead, Kevin Maney https://amzn.to/3jfIPx0 Show Notes 2:02 Journey into crypto 4:10 Shima’s investment thesis and approach to funding startups 6:09 Main criteria to invest in a founder 8:34 Fundraising process for Shima Capital 10:50 Misconceptions about venture capitalists 12:13 VCs inspired by 13:09 Recruiting and retaining talent 14:48 Navigating the fundraising environment 17:25 Process of capital calls 20:20 Best guidance that Shima offers for portfolio companies 23:47 First encounter with failure and lesson learnt 26:25 Reading list 28:14 Title of the book about your life 29:28 What does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| How Breaking a World Record Led to a Million Dollar Business | 11 Jun 2025 | ||
How Breaking a World Record Led to a Million-Dollar Business
In this powerful episode of the *Afropolitan Podcast*, DJ Obi opens up about the highs and lows of his journey through Nigeria’s entertainment scene—from breaking world records to battling personal loss.
We explore:
* The emotional cost of chasing dreams
* His transition from DJ to cultural brand
* Navigating grief, celibacy, and healing
* Setting boundaries in love, life, and industry
* Reflections on turning 40, fatherhood, and redefining success
* The evolution of Afrobeats and building cultural equity
DJ Obi speaks candidly about the mental and physical endurance it takes to sustain an entertainment career, while also unpacking the softer, often hidden, side of ambition: vulnerability, accountability, and the journey back to self.
This is more than a music story. It’s a life story.
Watch now and join the conversation. | |||
| Delivering Data-Driven Insights On Africa With Fadekemi Abiru (Head Of Insights at Stears) | 24 Nov 2022 | 00:22:59 | |
Fadekemi Abiru Quote - “Afropolitan is daring to be yourself in a rapidly changing world and not having to ask for permission.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Fadekemi Abiru, Head Of Insights at Stears; a financial data/intelligence company providing subscription-based data/insight to professionals/businesses. Fadekemi holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Bristol and an MSc in African Development from the London School of Economics. She previously worked as an economist for the UK government and provided analysis on various projects. She is passionate about ensuring that decisions whether in business or government in Africa are driven by real time data and insights to drive critical economic developments. Listen and enjoy as Fadekemi Abiru talks to us about her journey with Stears and the importance of data-driven insights on Africa. Fadekemi’s Reading List All About Love: New Visions by Bell Hooks https://amzn.to/3EiIoZj Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7) by J. K. Rowling https://amzn.to/3OlqtG7 Economics Rules by Dani Rodrik https://amzn.to/3As5j3w Show Notes 1:55 Founding of Stears and its mission 3:10 Plans to cover the 2023 Nigerian elections 8:03 Data-driven insights/expectations on the Nigeria 2023 elections 10:22 How has technology enabled the Stears Elections product 11:12 Significance and likely impact of the Nigerian Electoral Act 2022 on the upcoming elections 12:29 Conducting polls in the future 14:08 Data trends that make this upcoming election different from the last election 15:58 First encounter with failure and lesson learnt 16:02 Title of the book about your life 18:45 Reading list 21:09 What does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Improving Financial Literacy in Africa With Arese Ugwu (Founder of Smart Money Africa) | 16 Nov 2022 | 00:27:15 | |
Arese Ugwu Quote - “Afropolitan means showcasing the brilliance of Africa on a global stage.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Arese Ugwu, Founder of Smart Money Africa; an edutainment platform providing financial literacy and education for the African millennial. Arese is a graduate from Aston Business School and University College London and has previous experience with leading African financial services brands before transitioning to Smart Money Africa. She is passionate about creating content and avenues that break down financial barriers for African youths especially women. Listen and enjoy as Arese Ugwu talks to us about Smart Money tribe and her thoughts on financial literacy for the African millennial. Arese’s Reading List The Smart Money Woman: An African girl's journey to financial freedom by Arese Ugwu https://amzn.to/3UAVTdJ The Rich Are Different: A Priceless Treasury of Quotations and Anecdotes About the Affluent, the Posh, and the Just Plain Loaded by Jon Winokur https://amzn.to/3AbZSpd Sex and Vanity: A Novel by Kevin Kwan https://amzn.to/3trG6lD Show Notes 1:30 Upbringing and background 2:59 Start of Smart Money Africa 6:35 Challenges/process of self-publishing a book 12:24 Netflix picking up the The Smart Money Woman series 16:26 Balancing multiple roles professionally and personally 17:50 Financial advice for young people 19:11 Season Two of The Smart Money Woman 19:57 First encounter with failure and lesson learnt 20:45 Title of the book about your life 21:45 Reading list 23:20 What does being Afropolitan mean to you 24:00 Beauty of South Africa The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Transforming Home Management With Nadayar Enegesi (CEO and Co-Founder of Eden Life Inc.) | 09 Nov 2022 | 00:37:17 | |
Quote - “What I like the most about building in Africa and building for Africa is that everything is so greenfield.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Nadayar Enegesi, CEO and Co-Founder of Eden Life Inc.; a tech-driven home management platform in Africa providing services such as food, laundry and cleaning. Nadayar is a graduate from University of Waterloo in Canada and has previous experience at Fora Inc. and Andela before transitioning to Eden Life Inc.. He is passionate about upgrading the home lifestyle and bridging the gap between service providers and service demanders through tech. Listen and enjoy as Nadayar Enegesi talks to us about entrepreneurship, Eden Life Inc. and his guiding life principles. Nadayar’s Reading List Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage in Human Consciousness by Frederic Laloux https://amzn.to/2Jb3qME Bushido: The Way of the Samurai by Tsunetomo Yamamoto https://amzn.to/3FSr4gg Show Notes 1:32 Journey as an entrepreneur 4:56 Time at Andela 6:49 Transition into the role as CEO and Co-Founder of Eden life Inc. 10:35 Process of assembling the founding team 15:48 Fundraising process and advice 19:03 Founders who have influenced you in the tech space 21:42 Reading list 25:12 Recruiting and maintaining talent 30:27 Title of the book about your life 32:49 What does being Afropolitan mean to you 34:38 Impact of Covid-19 The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Changing The Fashion Industry Through Tech With Ibi Cookey (Co-Founder of Fitted) | 02 Nov 2022 | 00:24:40 | |
Quote - “Afropolitan means remembering who we were in the last thousand years at scale” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Ibi Cookey, Co-Founder of Fitted; a fashion-tech company revolutionising scalable custom fashion. Ibi is an international business management graduate and a former investment banker. He is passionate about simplifying the custom fashion supply chain for all stakeholders. Listen and enjoy as Ibi Cookey talks to us about entrepreneurship, Fitted and transitioning from investment banking to tech. Show Notes 1:10 Background and transition from investment banking to tech 3:33 Insights gained from private equity 4:46 Transition to Fitted 6:22 What does Fitted solve 8:18 Utilising data from Fitted to solve international measurement challenges at scale 11:11 Fitted’s role in the supply chain ecosystem 13:47 Fundraising challenges and insights 18:11 First encounter with failure and experience learnt 19:56 Title of the book about your life 21:53 What does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Building a Media Empire With Morgan DeBaun (Founder/CEO of Blavity Inc.) | 26 Oct 2022 | 00:41:31 | |
Quote - “As a founder of a startup, we have to get to the end goal - to liquidity and huge wealth gains for ourselves, employees and early investors.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Morgan DeBaun, Founder/CEO of Blavity Inc.; a leading digital media company for Black culture and millennials with over 100 million readers per month. Morgan is a serial entrepreneur, executive, corporate advisor, and angel investor. She is passionate about building companies and communities. Listen and enjoy as Morgan DeBaun talks to us about entrepreneurship and Blavity’s incredible journey. Morgan’s Website https://bit.ly/3Tj1TaH Morgan’s Reading List Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki https://amzn.to/2NIasgG The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John C. Maxwell https://amzn.to/3VICqJb The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries https://amzn.to/3CQouV0 Show Notes 1:17 Investing in the stock market at 13 years old 2:27 Misconceptions of being a founder 4:16 Advice/strategies for founders in recruiting/retaining talent 7:16 Fundraising as a black woman founder 10:08 Managing boundaries 12:56 Impact of the pandemic professionally/personally 17:40 Remote work vs office work 21:25 Dealing with letting people go 26:56 First encounter with failure and experience learnt 30:42 Reading list 31:57 Title of the book about your life 33:29 Transition from Intuit to Blavity 35:16 What does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Angel Investing in Africa With Biola Alabi (Co-Founder of Atika Ventures) | 19 Oct 2022 | 00:32:24 | |
Quote - “Technology is bringing us back all together.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Biola Alabi, Co-Founder of Atika Ventures; a women-led venture fund providing early-stage capital to consumer technology start-ups in West and East Africa. Biola is a Non-Executive Director at Unilever Nig. Plc. and Monty Mobile, an Angel Investor at Lagos Angel Network and the Executive Producer at Biola Alabi Media and Entertainment. She is passionate about investing in startups that will solve real problems at scale. Listen and enjoy as Biola Alabi talks to us about investing in startups and how the investment landscape has changed over the last decade. Biola’s Reading List Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson https://amzn.to/3EXXWDE Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life) by Cathie Black https://amzn.to/3Sclh7L True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership by Bill George https://amzn.to/2AkWI67 Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown https://amzn.to/3MH5tst Show Notes 1:37 Lagos Angel Network 2:43 Changes/challenges in the investment landscape over the last 10 years 3:59 Advice to startups in the current regulatory environment 5:37 What do you look for in investing in startups 7:20 Advice/strategies for founders in recruiting/retaining talent 8:54 Managing expectations of Limited Partner (LPs) 11:22 First angel investment 12:50 First encounter with failure and experience learnt 15:44 Transparency as a founder 18:09 Background and upbringing 23:19 Reading list 27:26 Title of the book about your life 28:59 What does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Navigating the Crypto Space With Zeneca (Founder/CEO of ZenAcademy) | 12 Oct 2022 | 00:46:15 | |
Quote - “Think of all unfortunate experiences as learning experiences.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Zeneca, Founder/CEO of ZenAcademy; who was a professional poker player for 15 years and has transitioned to being a well respected NFT influencer. He created ZenAcademy to build a community and space to educate and help others understand the crypto and NFT space. Listen and enjoy as Zeneca talks to us about burnout in the tech ecosystem and offers advice on trading crypto and NFTs. Roy’s Reading List Letters from a Stoic by Lucius Annaeus Seneca https://amzn.to/3VkqdKA Meditations by Marcus Aurelius https://amzn.to/2XsyOQl Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker https://amzn.to/3CP6tHB Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl https://amzn.to/3g2BIpF Show Notes 1:18 Transition from a professional poker player for 15 years to Crypto 2:31 Burnout and self-care 5:55 Distinction between NFTs and crypto 9:01 NFT trading - highs and lows 11:47 How to evaluate projects 15:10 Meaning of Zeneca 17:08 Favorite philosophers 18:21 Reading list 20:09 Start of ZenAcademy 26:45 Future of online platforms in growing online communities 30:23 Encounter with failure and lessons learned 36:43 Navigating the crypto space and dealing with loss 41:34 Title of the book about your life 43:24 What does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Transparency and Entrepreneurship With Ngozi Dozie (Co-Founder of Carbon) | 05 Oct 2022 | 00:41:42 | |
Quote - “If you want something really badly, the whole universe conspires to help you get it.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Ngozi Dozie, Co-Founder of Carbon; a Pan African digital bank based in Nigeria and a leading digital finance platform. Carbon’s mission is to empower all people with the financial access they need to pursue a life of dignity and prosperity. The Carbon app was launched in April 2016 and the business has grown rapidly. A CFA charter holder, Ngozi holds an MBA from Wharton School and has worked as a financial analyst at Deloitte & Touche and an investment banker at JPMorgan in New York. Listen and enjoy as Ngozi talks to us about the importance of transparency and access to loans in the Nigerian digital finance ecosystem and shares tips for new founders to navigate the regulatory landscape. Ngozi’s Reading List The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho https://amzn.to/3BSXIMu The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey https://amzn.to/3CA05UO The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran https://amzn.to/3ycbiIf Show Notes 1:27 Carbon’s vision and mission 6:34 Nigerian ecosystem - Type of loans and access to loans 5:36 Transparency and execution 8:54 Advice for founders navigating the regulatory landscape in the tech ecosystem 11:50 Advice for founders fundraising 16:56 Impact of the pandemic on Carbon 22:15 Recruiting talent and retaining talent 25:08 First encounter with failure, dealing with it and lessons learnt 29:50 Reading list 35:01 Title of the book about your life 38:16 What does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Creating Your Own Destiny Through Entrepreneurship With Fatima Dicko (Founder & CEO at Sugar) | 28 Sep 2022 | 00:37:37 | |
Quote - “Great ideas happen when two old ideas meet for the first time.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Fatima Dicko, Founder & CEO at Sugar; a community management platform for apartment building. Sugar has raised over $3.5M in VC funding from some of the leading investors in the property technology sector. Fatima was on a product innovation team as a senior engineer at Procter & Gamble focused on bringing new ideas to market. She is passionate about building products people love and supporting youth to become future leaders in tech. Fatima was named as '18 Inspiring Women to Watch' by Inc and listed on the 2021 Forbes 'Next 1000' list. Listen and enjoy as Fatima talks about the COVID 19 pandemic influence on her business and shares some of her fundraising challenges. Fatima’s Reading List The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho https://amzn.to/3BSXIMu The Founder's Dilemmas by Noam Wasserman https://amzn.to/3Siw01f The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz https://amzn.to/3raLhVW Show Notes 1:36 Impact of Covid-19 pandemic professionally and personally 6:34 Fundraising challenges as a founder 9:56 Background and upbringing shaping the entrepreneurial mindset 17:19 Initial team recruiting process and retaining talent 21:17 Reading list 22:06 Breakdown of Web3 27:54 Title of the book about Fatima’s life 29:12 First significant encounter with failure and lessons learnt 31:31 Importance of culture 34:40 What does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| How To Conquer The Digital Artspace With Anthony Azekwoh (Digital Artist) | 21 Sep 2022 | 00:52:31 | |
Quote- “Your environment directly impacts your health and your ability to succeed.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Anthony Azekwoh, Nigerian-based digital artist and author; who has taken the NFT art scene by storm and whose art has been seen all around the world. In 2020, his painting “The Red Man” was sold as an NFT online for $25,000 and he has since captured the imagination of the global art community. He has also written five books and has worked with artists such as Adekunle Gold, Blaqbonez and many more international clients. Listen and enjoy as Anthony talks about his journey into NFT's, offers advice to upcoming digital artists and shares the inspiration behind his “The Red Man” painting. Anthony’s Artwork https://www.anthonyazekwoh.com Anthony’s Reading List The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho https://amzn.to/3BSXIMu Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell https://amzn.to/3qMrpZ5 Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho https://amzn.to/3Btlxc2 Show Notes 1:10 Discussing Afrobeats: The Backstory documentary and lessons learnt 6:23 Anthony on his work being mature 8:51 Anthony on his journey into the digital space 11:35 Influences in storytelling and art 14:20 Art ecosystem and relationship with his parents 26:17 Transition to NFT and crypto art 34:13 Advice to digital artists in Africa trying to find their feet 36:19 The internet enabling Africans to challenge limitations 42:27 Inspiration behind “The Red Man” painting 45:34 The difference between art and writing 49:57 Anthony’s reading list 50:46 What does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| How This Chef is Building a Multi-Million Dollar Nigerian Empire | 04 Jun 2025 | ||
What does it take to build a culinary empire in Nigeria, from scratch?
In this powerful episode of The Afropolitan Podcast, we sit down with Chef Fregz, one of Nigeria’s most beloved chefs and creative entrepreneurs, as he pulls back the curtain on his journey from a passion project to building a group of thriving food and lifestyle brands.
From shutting down his business at the peak of success to launching four new ventures and a creative agency, Chef Fregz shares the real story behind his reinvention—what it cost, what it taught him, and how he's now building a purpose-driven, multi-million dollar empire rooted in culture, storytelling, and vision.
Subscribe for more conversations with culture-makers, builders, and Black visionaries across the diaspora.
Don’t forget to like, comment, and share | |||
| Tapping Into DNA Science To Expand Access With Lyona Carter (Founder Of Clinical Data Geek) | 14 Sep 2022 | 00:29:47 | |
Quote- “One of the things the CDC taught me back in the 90s was to collect data, understand the data, trend the data but also listen to the people.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Lyona Carter, founder clinical data geek, a clinical data management startup. Lyona assists biotech/pharmaceutical companies review their clinical data. One of her biggest influences is Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta’s cells have been used in over 11,000 patents including polio vaccination and covid treatments. Nicknamed HeLa cells, they have been used to study the effect of toxins, viruses on the growth of cancer cells without experimenting on humans. Lyona is passionate about creating a framework of compensation for those who wish to benefit from the use of their DNA or vitals. She believes clinical participants or their families should get compensated should they want compensation. Listen and enjoy as Lyona talks about her journey into clinical data management, some of her influences and barriers she faces being a woman in the biotech industry. The Legacy Of Henrietta Lacks https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henriettalacks/ Lyona’s reading list Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson https://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-Mazing/dp/0091816971/ref=sr_1_1? On The Pulse Of Morning by Maya Angelou https://www.amazon.com/Pulse-Morning-Inaugural-Poem/dp/0679748385 Show Notes 1:54 Journey into clinical data management 3:25 Henrietta Lacks contribution to present day clinical trial research 5:33 Compensation framework for clinical trial patients and their families 7:16 Journey into blockchain technology and web3 8:42 Influences growing up 13:47 Mental and professional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic 16:27 Benefits of NFT 18:29 Childhood lessons that taught the hardest lessons 20:22 Barriers faced being a woman in the biotech industry. 23:07 Encounter with failure and lessons learned 25:13 Lyona’s reading list 27:00 what does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| How To Take Risks With Michael Ugwu (MD Of Freeme Digital) | 07 Sep 2022 | 00:47:42 | |
Michael Ugwu Quote- “I know a lot of people don't have the luxury of knowing their roots, but I know my roots and that was super important to me.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Michael Ugwu, MD of Freeme Digital, an online digital music distribution network in Africa. Michael is a crypto enthusiast who holds a degree in Economics. In 2019, he liquidated most of his real estate investments and other assets and threw it all into bitcoin. A risk that has paid off over the years. Micheal was instrumental in helping sony music launch in the west African market. He led several projects from licensing catalogs to MTN, Jidenna tour to Nigeria, signing deals of major artists in Nigeria to Sony. Listen and enjoy as Micheal talks about his journey running a distribution company in Nigeria and how NFT can revolutionize the music industry. Michael reading list Think And Grow Rich By Napoleon Hill https://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Napoleon-Hill/dp/0785833528 De Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous https://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Standaard-Decentrale-Alternatief-Bankieren/dp/9916951357 Snow Crash by Neal Stepheson https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Crash-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0553380958/ref=sr_1_1? Show Notes 2:09 Micheal’s journey into crypto. 7:40 Journey to freeme digital. 14:30 Challenges of being a founder in the African ecosystem. 16:27 Impact of the covid-19 pandemic on business and operational challenges experienced. 19:24 Michael’s first encounter with failure as an entrepreneur. 23:50 Lessons learnt at Iroking. 28:37 Approach navigating challenges with signed artists. 32:07 How NFT can revolutionize the music industry. 41:36 Michael’s reading list 45:17 What does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| How To Fund Startups with Elizabeth Yin (Co-founder And GP Of Hustle Fund) | 31 Aug 2022 | 00:40:45 | |
“This world is small, the more you pitch, the more you'll get to those with a pool of money.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Elizabeth Yin,co-founder and general partner at hustle fund, a venture firm that invests in early-stage startups. Elizabeth Yin and her co-founders created the venture capital firm hustle fund to help level the playing field at the pre-seed funding stage. After reviewing about 20,000 pitch decks while working as a partner at 500 startups, Elizabeth came up with the idea of an early stage fund to help founding teams that struggle to attract investors attention. A two time founder, Elizabeth has always had a drive for business, technology and investing. Listen and enjoy as Elizabeth talks to us about her journey to becoming a VC and advises startups entering the bear market. Elizabeth’s reading list The Lean Startup by Eric Ries https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898 Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross https://www.amazon.com/Predictable-Revenue-Business-Practices-Salesforce-com/dp/0984380213 Shoe Dog by Phil Knight https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Phil-Knight/dp/1508211809 Show Notes 1:33 Journey to becoming a partner at hustle fund. 4:04 Misconceptions about being a VC 5:57 Most successful exit. 7:29 Different fundraising process 10:26 Advice to founders on recruiting and retaining talent longterm 14:11 Advice to aspiring venture capitalists 16:47 Elizabeth’s fundraising experience 20:57 Thoughts on sky high valuations for startups 22:09 Advice to startups coming into the bear market and what the market potentially holds 23:57 Vc that has had a major impact on Elizabeth's growth 25:44 Most significant encounter with failure and lessons learned 30:09 Elizabeths’s introduction into crypto and web3 32:19 The hustle verse/ crypto shift initiative 34:13 Downside to web3 35:42 Elizabeths’s reading list 37:49 What does being Afropolitan mean to you? The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ Afropolitan Community - https://linktr.ee/afropolitangroup | |||
| How To Create A Brand With Your Community: Denis Asamoah (Co-founder Of FORVR Mood) | 24 Aug 2022 | 01:02:59 | |
Quote -“Trying to cater and impress social media is only going to lead to disappointments” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Denis Asamoah,Co-founder of FORVR mood, a lifestyle brand focused on selfcare. Denis Asamoah is an entrepreneur, brand development specialist, coach and former investment banker with Morgan Stanley. In 2020 during the pandemic lockdown, Denis and his fiancee Jackie Aina co-founded and launched FORVR mood.They successfully self funded and scaled DTC to 7-digits within a few weeks. Denis is passionate about the creator economy and is on a mission to empower more people of color to launch brands and flourish in their space. Listen and enjoy as Denis talks to us about the creative economy and how he has successfully built a multimillion dollar business. Denis’s reading list The One Thing by Gary Keller https://www.amazon.com/ONE-Thing-Surprisingly-Extraordinary-Results/dp/1885167776 The 4-hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Workweek-Escape-Live-Anywhere/dp/0307465357 Show Notes 2:07 Naming process for the owambe collection. 4:49 Was the owambe collection a PR stunt? 16:18 Cancel culture 22:40 Denis’s mental selfcare 26:57 Transition to the creators economy 33:36 Advice to creators. 38:25 How creators can leverage their relevance to diversify 38:40 Sephora partnership 43:13 How Denis deals with negative comments on social media. 48:47 Internal and external scorecards 51:19 Most significant encounter with failure 52:20 FORVR mood sales during the pandemic 54:33 How FORVR mood manages the shipping process 57:33 Denis’s reading list 1:01:11 What does being afropolitan mean to you? The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ Afropolitan Community - https://linktr.ee/afropolitangroup | |||
| How Bitcoin Can Revolutionize Africa With Ray Youssef (CEO of Paxful) | 17 Aug 2022 | 00:38:06 | |
Quote- “You don't have to raise funds to get validation. A lot of people will raise funds just for validation.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Ray Youssef, CEO of ‘Paxful’ - a peer-to-peer bitcoin marketplace used by millions worldwide. As an immigrant from Egypt raised in New York, Ray has always been passionate about helping others. Ray believes that education is important in creating equitable opportunities and through his non-profit organization, built with bitcoin he has been able to provide that for so many children in Africa. He has always dreamed of a world where finance is accessible to everyone and that idea manifested as Paxful. Listen and enjoy as Ray talks to us about the African crypto market and the exceptional human capital on the continent. Ray’s reading list King, Warrior, magician, lover : Rediscovering the Archetype of Mature Masculine by Robert Moore https://www.amazon.com/King-Warrior-Magician-Lover-Rediscovering/dp/0062506064 The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous https://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Standard-Decentralized-Alternative-Central/dp/1119473861 The fiat standard by Saifedean Ammous https://www.amazon.com/Fiat-Standard-Slavery-Alternative-Civilization/dp/1544526474 History of Money by Jack Weatherford https://www.amazon.com/History-Money-Jack-Weatherford/dp/0609801724 Show Notes 1:02 Mission and vision of Paxful. 5:19 African crypto market. 8:15 Advice to founders on navigating regulatory framework. 12:12 COVID-19 impact on Paxful. 13:35 Paxful approach to recruiting and retaining talent. 15:30 Advice to founders during fundraising process 18:02 The Mission of built with bitcoin. 22:51 Significant encounter with failure. 27:10 Ray’s reading list. 34:22 What does being Afropolitan mean to you? The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ Afropolitan Community - https://linkt | |||
| How To Build A Decentralized Future with Adeniyi Abiodun (Co-founder and CPO, Mystenlabs) | 10 Aug 2022 | 00:34:33 | |
Adeniyi Abiodun Quote- “No one says you need to be an engineer or a PA for life. Nobody said you'll have one particular role for life but you can actually be capable of a lot more.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Adeniyi Abiodun,co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Mysten labs. Mysten Labs is creating infrastructure and tools for the decentralized future. Fedup by the red tape of Big Tech, Adeniyi together with three former facebook employees created mysten lab. A startup focused on web3 and block chain infrastructure. They were instrumental in the development of the diem blockchain and move programming language. A cross-platform smart contract language that helps developers secure against exploits. Adeniyi realized programming and writing applications was something he cared about and hasn't looked back ever since. His career cuts across finance, product and blockchain technology. Adeniyi is passionate about leveraging deep tech to solve developer and consumer problems. Listen and enjoy as Adeniyi talks to us about the newly launched Sui blockchain network and his experience fundraising for Mysten labs. Adeniyi’s reading list The Bible https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+holy+bible&adgrpid=84105609520&gclid=CjwKCAjwi8iXBhB Radical Focus by Christina Wodtke https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Focus-Achieving-Important-Objectives/dp/099600602 8 Inspired by Marty Cagan https://www.amazon.com/INSPIRED-Create-Tech-Products-Customers/dp/1119387507 Show Notes 1:20 Journey to becoming CPO of mysten lab 4:19 Mysten lab’s vision 5:18 Sui’s role in the blockchain ecosystem 11:14 Decentralization VS Centralization 15:19 Advice to founders on recruiting and retaining talent 17:15 Gaming sector VS other sectors in the ecosystem 18:57 Advice to newcomers in the blockchain ecosystem 20:39 Most significant encounter with failure and lessons learned 23:50 Adeniyi’s reading list 25:36 Advice to founders on the fundraising process The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ Afropolitan Community - https://linktr.ee/afropolitangroup | |||
| Building A Legacy That Transcends with Naithan Jones (Former A16z Partner & Head Of Growth, Royal) | 03 Aug 2022 | 01:00:01 | |
Naithan Jones Quote - “There's a fundamental misunderstanding of how success actually happens, how success happens is, you pick something to work on, that you don't mind working on in the wee hours of the night, for 20 plus years” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Naithan Jones, former partner at A16z and current Head of Growth at Royal. Royal enables anyone to own and earn royalties for their favorite songs. In 2011, Naithan drove out to silicon valley in his 1994 Corolla with everything he owned and went on to build Ag local, an ecommerce startup that eventually folded up.He later joined Andreessen Horowitz(A16z) where he did amazing work for seven years. Naithan is a tech executive with over 20 years background in market strategy with emphasis on entrepreneurship, startups and entertainment driven business. Listen and enjoy as Naithan talks to us about the misconceptions about being a VC and royal’s mission to redistribute the ownership of digital property. Naithan’s Twitter post https://twitter.com/naithanjones/status/1550151720319303683?s=21 Naithan’s reading list Hard Things About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hard+thing+about+hard+things&adgrpid=82923967095&gclid=Cj Cybernetics by Nobert Weiner https://www.amazon.com/Cybernetics-Second-Control-Communication-Machine/dp/026273009X The Human Use Of Human Beings by Nobert Weiner https://www.amazon.com/Human-Use-Beings-Cybernetics-Society/dp/0306803208 Inner Engineering by Sadhguru https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Engineering-Yogis-Guide-Joy/dp/0812997794 Man's Search For Meaning https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/080701429X The Black Jacobins by C.L.R James https://www.amazon.com/Black-Jacobins-Toussaint-LOuverture-Revolution/dp/0679724672 Power vs Force by David Hawkins https://www.amazon.com/Power-Force-David-Hawkins-M-D/dp/1401945074 Psychology Of Unconsciousness by C.G Jung https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Unconscious-C-G-Jung/dp/0486424995 | |||
| How Fintech Is Shaping The Future Of Banking With Tayo Oviosu (CEO OF Paga) | 27 Jul 2022 | 00:49:54 | |
Tayo Oviosu Quote- “A life of service is worth living.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Tayo Oviosu, founder and group CEO Paga,a mobile payments company focused on digitizing cash in emerging economies. The Stanford educated professional saw a huge opportunity in the financial service industry and came up with what is now paga. With over 19 million users, paga is unrelenting in bringing financial services to the unbanked. Listen and enjoy as Tayo talks to us about the impact of FinTech companies in Africa and how Paga aims to serve the unbanked. Tayo’s reading list True North by Bill George https://www.amazon.com/True-North-Discover-Authentic-Leadership/dp/0787987514 My American Journey by Colin Powell https://www.amazon.com/My-American-Journey-Colin-Powell/dp/0345466411 Shoe Dog by Phil Knight https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike-ebook/dp/B0176M1A44 Show Notes 1:33 Paga Mission 4:00 Has paga solved the pain point of carrying cash around in Nigeria 6:26 Unique challenges faced while starting paga 8:43 Fundraising challenges founders in Africa face 12:28 How paga has engaged regulatory bodies 15:58 Insights on agency banking model 22:01 How paga has been able to recruit and retain talent 25:52 Operational challenges paga faced during covid 30:01 leadership challenges 31:26 Books that have impacted Tayo’s life 36:05 First encounter with failure as an entrepreneur 42:46 Concept of product management in the tech ecosystem. The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ Afropolitan Community - https://linktr.ee/afropolitangroup | |||
| Understanding NFTs with Deeze (Director of Vibes at Fractional) | 20 Jul 2022 | 00:55:09 | |
Deeze's Quote "Don't enjoy to the point where you're not doing hard work again and don't do hard work to the point where you don't take a moment to enjoy just a little bit." The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Today’s episode features Deeze, the Director of vibes at Fractional, a decentralized protocol that enables collective ownership and governance of one or more NFTs. Deeze is most known for his outstanding work in supporting the NFT community, he hosts twitter spaces to spotlight up and coming artists with quality work in the scene. Listen and enjoy as Deeze talks to us about everything from fractional and how he got started with NFTs. Twitter thread https://twitter.com/punk6529/status/1507787390114488322? Deeze reading list https://www.amazon.com/Million-Stuffed-Shark-Economics-Contemporary/dp/0230620590 The 12 Million Stuffed Shark by Don Thompson https://www.amazon.com/Pre-Suasion-Robert-Cialdini-Ph-D-audiobook/dp/B01JAYK6HI/ref=sr_1_1? Pre-suasion by Robert Cialdini https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Robert-Cialdini/dp/006124189X Influence by Robert Cialdini https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-History-Will-Durant/dp/143914995X/ref=sr_1_1? Lessons of history by Will and Ariel Durant https://www.amazon.com/Tribe-Mentors-Short-Advice-World/dp/B082VM5VZN/ref=sr_1 _1? Tribe of Mentors by Will Ferriss Show Notes 1:15 How did you get started with NFT 7:52 What are NFTs and what can be their use in the future 10:52 Journey to fractional 14:33 Owning a collectible with a group of strangers/ friends 17:21 Advice to newbies joining NFT projects 21:25 Pseudonymity within the NFT ecosystem 27:40 Thoughts on the Azuki scandal 34:50 Favorite books 39:03 Highs and lows of NFT 47:32 First encounter with failure and lessons learned. The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ Afropolitan Community - https://linktr.ee/afropolitangroup | |||
| Investing with Empathy With Mercedes Bent (Partner at LightSpeed Ventures) | 13 Jul 2022 | 00:28:05 | |
MERCEDES BENT Quote - “one of the biggest, most profound realization I've had is there is no life path that can be planned or followed.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Mercedes Bent, partner at Lightspeed, a venture capital firm based in the USA, with her focus on consumer investments in crypto. Born in North Carolina and raised in California, Mercedes’ parents introduced her to web development at a young age and dinner table conversations were centered around the next invention. It’s no surprise Mercedes found herself working at startups in her early career as a Product Manager and later as a General Manager. Mercedes’ path to VC is a true convergence of her life experiences, finance roles managing P&Ls at two consumer startups (including growing one from $2 to $100M in revenue), and her long-term goal of empowering communities she cares about. A member of Lightspeed’s consumer and crypto investing team, Mercedes is primarily focused on investing in crypto, fintech, and other wealth-building and consumer products. Listen and enjoy as Mercedes talks to us about venture capital. Mercedes reading list https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Green-Gables-Complete-8-Book/dp/0553609416 Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery. https://www.amazon.com/Singularity-Nearer-Ray-Kurzweil-ebook/dp/B08Y6FYJVY The Singularity Is Nearer by Ray Kurzweil Show Notes 6:59 Journey to Venture Capital and Lightspeed 8:41 Evaluating startups 11:00 Common misconceptions about VC 12:40 Why Lightspeed 15:01 Covid’s impact on deal flow and personally 17:41 How the barrier can be broken for women trying to raise capital 21:25 First encounter with failure and lessons learned. 24:17 Advice to founders struggling to recruit and retain talent 28:24 Advice to people trying to break into VC 29:51 If the only thing left in the world was to read a book about your life, what will the title be 33:41 What does being Afropolitan mean to you The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ Afropolitan Community - https://linktr.ee/afropolitangroup | |||
| How Gen Z Will Build the Next Billion Dollar Companies | 02 Jun 2025 | 01:48:24 | |
How Gen Z Will Build the Next Billion-Dollar Companies | |||
| The Bet That Paid Off with Atsu Davoh (Founder of Bitsika) | 06 Jul 2022 | 01:10:07 | |
Atsu Davoh Quote- “Focus on the process, the destination will eventually come but the process is what gets you there.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant afterwards. This episode features Atsu Davoh, the MD of Bitsika, a payment platform that helps people send money across countries. With several startups under his belt, Atsu has always been determined to build his multi million dollar company and he seems to have achieved that with Bitsika. While in college in the United states Atsu realized school wasn't for him. Atsu was more interested in building websites, working on small projects, learning HTML and CSS.He eventually dropped out and focused on entrepreneurship full time, a move that has eventually paid off. Bitsika was a pioneer in afrobeats and fintech collaboration. In 2020, they signed renowned music giant Davido as an official brand ambassador. This partnership was a pivotal moment for the organization as it led to the acquisition of numerous customers. Listen and enjoy as Atsu talks to us about building Bitsika and future plans. Atsu reading list AntiFragile by Nicholas Taleb The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous Inventing Bitcoin by Yan Pritzker Show notes: 4:55 How Atsu scales ideas as a software engineer and technical founder. 8:25 How Bitsika plans to accommodate the central bank of Nigeria's regulation on crypto companies. 16:36 The process of engaging Davido as a brand ambassador and the results after the campaign was launched. 30:10 challenges with hiring and maintaining talent as a startup in Africa. 37:39 The promise of crypto and decentralization. 42:28 Atsu’s entrepreneurial mind set. 48:37 First experience with failure and lesson learnt. 1:02:03 What does being Afropolitan mean to Atsu 1:03:45 Mission behind the social tokens and what it represents in the crypto ecosystem. The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Hard Work is King with Gossy Ukanwoke (Managing Director of Betking) | 29 Jun 2022 | 01:07:46 | |
Gossy Ukanwoke Quote "Don't enjoy to the point where you're not doing hard work again and don't do hard work to the point where you don't take a moment to enjoy just a little bit." The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Today’s episode features Gossy Ukanwoke, the MD of KingMakers, owners of the BetKing brand. With Gossy at the helm of affairs, the brand is evolving to encompass sports entertainment and gaming services. “It’s not just a roadside gambling company, it’s a proper technology business. It’s a product in gaming. It can easily be a fintech company tomorrow, given the spread across the continent, the number of users, the number of transactions. It can roll it out and it can be anything.” Gossy started out reselling Internet services in his late teens to wealthy customers, at a time when wireless routers were not yet commonplace. The Internet service provider caught on to what Gossy was doing and in no time, he found himself out of business. “You know when they say, cut you at the knees, day by day, my clients were just dropping off one by one.” It was a steep learning curve for him, but the lessons he learned would serve him well in the future. Listen and find out what those lessons are. You can also fuel your mind with Gossy’s impactful reading list. https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996 Good To Great by Jim Collins https://www.amazon.com/Talent-Never-Enough-Discover-Choices/dp/0785214038 Talent is never Enough by John C Maxwell https://www.amazon.com/Sprint-Solve-Problems-Test-Ideas/dp/1442397683 Sprint by Jake Knapp Show Notes: 11:05 Gossy mentions one of the things people don’t really talk about in entrepreneurship? 14:55 Gossy talks about his boat business and building confidence in a low-trust environment. 19:42 First and best entrepreneurial experience ever as a reseller of Internet services and lessons learned. 31:21 How he created Beni American University. Building out a school that will address the issues of access, quality and relevance. 42:19 From bootstrapping to fundraising. 46:10: BetKing's growth and expansion. 50:50 What’s important when it comes to recruiting the right talent. 52:33 Gossy’s biggest leadership lessons in managing people The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| We Rise By Lifting Others With Eke Eleanya Urum (Founder And CEO Of Risevest) | 22 Jun 2022 | 00:40:49 | |
Eke Eleanya Urum Quote: “Start up is a Marathon. You want to make sure that the value you're creating, you're not just building for investors because you sold too much too early.” The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black community. Today’s episode features Eke Eleanya Urum, Founder and CEO of Rise Vest - a dollar denominated investment platform. “I've always been passionate about finance, investments. It's what I studied in school, what I worked in, it’s what I did personally. And as a hobby, I just love it.” Following the peak of the Shale revolution and the subsequent crash of oil prices, Eke published a blog post in November of 2014 advising people to find ways to move their money to dollar investments. He went on to co-found BuyCoins with Timi Ajiboye. They later parted ways so that Eke could focus on building core investment products, and this eventually led to the start of Rise Vest. Having to deal with regulatory challenges from the government taught Eke a thing or two about the rules of engagement when dealing with regulators. Listen and enjoy as Eke takes us through the rise of Rise Vest Eke’s reading list The Bible https://www.amazon.com/Alchemist-Paulo-Coelho-ebook/dp/B00U6SFUSS/ The Alchemist by Paul Coelho https://www.amazon.com/Zero-One-Notes-Startups-Future-ebook/dp/B00J6YBOFQ/ Zero To One by Peter Thiel Show Notes: 03:57 How 2021 Rise Vest’s year of ascent. 05:46 The idea that became Rise Vest. 07:09 Starting BuyCoins with Timi Ajiboye. 08:02 Parting ways with Timi and BuyCoins. 08:17 The beginning of Rise Vest. 10:18 Eke talks about recruiting tech talent even if you are a non-tech founder. 11:06 Partnerships that work. How Eke met his co-founder Bosun Olanrewaju. 11:49 Building the first products at Rise Vest 12:35 Building the team at Rise Vest 13:22 How equity works at Rise Vest. 14:24 The process of fundraising according to Eke 17:54 Dealing with regulators. The cases with CBN and EFCC. 23:25 The founders who inspire Eke. 26:24 Eke’s thoughts on running a company in Nigeria versus going abroad. 29:20 The future of Crypto in Africa and why it should be embraced 34:13 Eke’s multiple lens on failure. The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| The Power Of Connectivity With Adia Sowho (CMO Of MTN Nigeria) | 15 Jun 2022 | 00:48:17 | |
Quote: “I often say to people that you want to be careful how you challenge yourself. You don't want to change too many things at once when changing a job.” Today’s episode features Adia Sowho, the CMO of MTN Nigeria, and also the first woman to occupy that position. “I'm not a classic CMO, but interestingly, I think I'm the CMO the tech company needs. I hope to try to, from my role, reconnect MTN to that deeper purpose and start taking the conversation forward. What happens beyond connectivity? How do we make MTN a part of the next bunch of unicorn stories?” Starting with her first degree in Electrical Engineering, Adia’s career has cut across technology, telecommunications, and finance. Adia has been referred to as the Sheryl Sandberg of the startup ecosystem and later as the Olivia Pope of the Nigerian tech ecosystem. Listen and learn how Adia built her track record of creating impactful work in her positions. Adia’s Reading List https://www.amazon.com/Sovereign-Individual-James-Dale-Davidson-ebook/dp/B00AK9IXXM-The Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson and Lord William Rees-Mogg https://www.amazon.com/Formula-Universal-Laws-Success-ebook/dp/B07B863X6B/- The Formula by Albert-László Barabási Show Notes: 03:42 Adia talks about her role as the CMO of MTN Nigeria? 07:03 Adia explains MTN’s position in the tech space. 12:02 How digital finance services help build legacy and trust. 16:32 On corporate companies versus startups. 21:44 Why founders need structure in their companies. 24:37 The turnaround process of Thrive Agric. 29:46 How to navigate intergenerational spaces. 35:56 Building synergy between fintechs, banks and telcos. 39:36 How managing her reputation and making relationship investments have paid off. The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Introducing Afropolitan: A Digital Nation With Eche Emole & Chika Uwazie. | 08 Jun 2022 | 01:13:45 | |
Afropolitan is creating a digital nation to enable Africans and the diaspora to build abundant lives. Our history as Africans is one of abundance. Systemic oppression has limited our progress, and being Black is associated with scarcity. It is time to reclaim our abundance. Our knowledge and history have been passed down in Africa through oral tradition. That oral tradition continues till this day, but today we call it podcasting. We seek to preserve our history, achievements, and knowledge for today and the future. This episode features Eche Emole and Chika Uwazie, co-founders of Afropolitan, a digital nation that enables Africans and the diaspora to build abundant lives. Eche is the co-founder of Afropolitan, a network comprising the best that Africa and the diaspora offer across art, finance, tech, and media. Eche is a former executive at Flutterwave Inc., a payment technology company focused on helping banks and businesses provide seamless and secure payment experiences for their customers in Africa and globally. Eche has 10 years of experience building communities across the African Diaspora. Chika is co-founder of Afropolitan. A seasoned HR professional with multiple successful companies under her belt. Born and raised in America, Chika moved back to Nigeria to run Talentbase, a human resource and payroll software company. Chika is passionate about helping export exceptional African talent to the world. The Afropolitan Manifesto: https://afropolitan.mirror.xyz How to Start a Country by Balaji Srinivasan - https://1729.com/how-to-start-a-new-country Eche’s reading list Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb The Almanack of Naval Ravikan by Eric Jorgenson The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida How to start a new country by Balaji Srinivasan Chika’s reading list Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert kiyosaki The Psychology of money by Morgan Housel The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene Show Notes 10:15 Introduction of co founders. 13:15 Birth and transition of Afropolitan. 18:09 Afropolitan mission and why it's personal. 36:00 How to execute the Afropolitan mission. 46:41 Experience with the fundraising process. 50:37 Advice to founders trying to raise capital. 55:47 Most significant encounter with failure and lessons learned. 1:14:48 What does being Afropolitan mean? 1:18:22 Last words. The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn more about Afropolitan? Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/ Afropolitan Community - https://linktr.ee/afropolitangroup | |||
| Introducing: Afropolitan Season 2 | 01 Jun 2022 | 00:01:21 | |
Hi I'm Eche, co-founder of Afropolitan and host of the Afropolitan Podcast, In this new season I’m excited to share what we’ve been up to. Afropolitan is creating a digital nation to enable Africans and the diaspora to build abundant lives. Our history as Africans is one of abundance. Systemic oppression has limited our progress and being Black is associated with scarcity. It is time to reclaim our abundance. In Africa, our knowledge and history has been passed down through oral tradition. That oral tradition continues till this day, but today we call it podcasting. We seek to preserve our history, achievements and knowledge not just for today, but for the future. Listen to season two of the Afropolitan podcast, where we extract the blueprints of fearlessness, innovation and progress from Afropolitan citizens who are building the future of a bold and progressive nation. Join the network of abundance → https://linktr.ee/afropolitangroup Afropolitan Website → https://www.afropolitan.io/ | |||
| Folasanwo Olatunji - Building Curiosity In African Start Up | 28 Nov 2021 | 00:56:28 | |
Today we chat with Fola Olatunji David, the co-founder of Kickoff Africa; a startup focused on investing in startups, enabling quick turnaround time with regards to decision making for startups and connecting experts to startups and also offers training in select fields needed to grow a startup. In this episode, he shares his story about his foray into tech and how his experience and extensive knowledge of Sports betting Venture Capitalism and Product Marketing has helped him to understand African users and become a better consultant for startups. | |||
| The Future of Trucking with Tobenna Arodiogbu of CloudTrucks | 05 Nov 2021 | 00:34:11 | |
In this episode, our guest is Tobenna Arodiogbu. He is the Co-founder and CEO of CloudTrucks. His interest in the trucking business led him to found Scotty Labs, a startup that allows users to remotely control autonomous vehicle. He currently runs CloudTrucks a startup that enables truckers get more revenue, better cash flow and reduces their cost of operation. Listen to Tobenna as he shares his story about his formative days in the world of economics and how the knowledge helped him transition to the world of tech. | |||
| Sodiq Onifade - Finding your voice with Wurld | 29 Oct 2021 | 00:35:44 | |
In this episode, our guest is Sadiq Onifade popularly known as Wurld. He is a Nigerian singer and songwriter who has collaborated with artists such as Akon, Mario, Timbaland; award-winning producer Sarz and electronic dance music DJ Major Lazer. Listen to Wurld as he shares his story of his early days as a singer and songwriter navigating the music industry in Atlanta and Africa; his favorite artist to record with and his plans for the future. | |||
| Odun Eweniyi - a Co-Founder To A Venture Capitalist | 22 Oct 2021 | 00:38:32 | |
Episode 1 of the bonus episodes of the Afropolitan Podcast. In this episode, our guest is Odun Ewenyi. She is the Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of Piggyvest and the co-founder of Wine and Whine and Feminist Coalition. Listen to Odun as she shares her story about her entrepreneurial journey into Fintech, the birth and sustenance of Piggyvest and the active role played during the October Protest. | |||
| How He Built a $350 Million Real Estate Empire Before 35 | 21 May 2025 | 01:36:24 | |
How He Built a $350 Million Real Estate Empire Before 35 | |||
| Building an African Unicorn - Iyinoluwa Aboyeji | 24 Sep 2021 | 00:44:38 | |
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji Today, we chat with Iyinoluwa Samuel Aboyeji, a Nigerian entrepreneur. He is a co-founder of the tech companies, Andela and Flutterwave. He is also the general partner and co-founder of Future Africa, a platform that provides capital, coaching, and community for mission-driven innovators. In this episode, Iyin demystifies the process of building a start-up, knowing when to step back, and staying driven. | |||
| Affiong Williams - Driving agribusiness in Nigeria | 17 Sep 2021 | 00:35:18 | |
Today, we chat with Affiong Williams also known as Affisuparstar, the CEO/ Founder of ReelFruit the largest fruit processing, packaging and marketing company in Nigeria. The company, founded in 2012, retails a range of dried fruit and nut snacks through a variety of channels including over 450 Supermarkets, Airlines, Schools, Hotels, and concluding export sales via Amazon.com ReelFruit is an award-winning brand, winning both an international Women In Business Competition in the Netherlands. She has also been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the most promising ’30 under 30′ entrepreneurs in 2015. Affiong is passionate about agribusiness and looking at innovative, market-driven solutions to add value to local produce given Nigeria’s unique agricultural landscape. In this episode, Affi tells us the story of her journey, her evolution and reinvention. Now let’s head over to Affi. | |||
| Obi Asika - The Mogul | 09 Sep 2021 | 01:07:28 | |
Today we chat with Obi Asika a Nigerian creative industries entrepreneur. He is known for his involvement in the growth of Nigeria’s music industry, as the founder and CEO of Storm 360 - an indigenous music label that spawned entertainers including Naeto C, Ikechukwu, Sasha P, General Pype, L.O.S., Ms. Jaie, Tosin Martins, and Yung 6ix. He is a founding partner of Dragon Africa - a Strategic Communications Firm based in London, Lagos, and Accra, and is the Chairman of OutSource Media, a leading communications and content production company. Asika also sits on the board of the Collecting Society of Nigeria (COSON)., and is a prominent figure in laying the infrastructure for the growth and development of the media & entertainment industry. In this episode, Obi tells us the story of his journey, his evolution, and his reinvention. Now let’s head over to Obi. | |||
| Dayo Koleowo - Investing In Africa | 03 Sep 2021 | 00:41:21 | |
Today, we chat with Dayo Koleowo, Managing Partner at Microtraction, a venture capital firm backing the most remarkable African tech founders at their earliest stage. He oversees Investments, Portfolio Management, and Investor Relations. He manages and supports a portfolio of companies solving important local problems on the continent. These companies have gone on to raise a combined total of $33m+ and have a combined valuation of approximately $147m+ In this episode, Dayo tells us the story of his journey, his evolution, and his reinvention. Now let’s head over to Dayo. | |||
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