Explore every episode of the podcast SheShapes Africa

What does it really take to walk into a room and be heard, especially when self-doubt, bias, or plain nerves are working against you?

In this episode of SheShapes Africa, Caroline Mbugua sits down with Kenechi Okeleke, Senior Director at GSMA Intelligence, for a candid conversation on presence, confidence, and the practical work of getting past imposter syndrome to actually own the room.

"The opportunity to speak means that I am good enough for it. I am not going to put myself down, and I will not allow anybody else to put me down either." — Kenechi Okeleke, Senior Director, Regional, Social and Policy Research, GSMA Intelligence 

Presence is a skill, not a personality trait

Kenechi was a shy child who once refused to get out of the car at a friend's birthday party rather than face a room full of strangers. He unpacks how that same person went on to build a career built on speaking to rooms of a hundred people he has never met, and why presence can be learned by anyone willing to put in the work.

Self-doubt does not disappear, it gets managed

He speaks openly about imposter syndrome, including a moment speaking at an event in Seoul where he was the only Black person in the room. He shares the one thought he returns to every time doubt creeps in before walking onto a stage.

Preparation defeats bias before you even speak

Kenechi breaks down why knowing your subject inside and out is the real answer to walking into a room where people already have assumptions about you, and how preparation changes the reaction in the room by the time you finish speaking.

Listening is where the real preparation happens

Before you can speak with impact, Kenechi explains, you have to understand your audience's pain points and even the positions of people who disagree with you. He shares how this kind of listening is what makes an audience actually stay with you instead of switching off.

Keeping control when the room pushes back

Kenechi shares a personal story of losing his composure while defending a point, and the lesson it taught him about staying level-headed with a difficult or disagreeing audience, including knowing when to simply admit you got something wrong. 

Hosted by Caroline Mbugua HSC.

—
An initiative by Caroline Mbugua HSC
In partnership with THOP Institute
Produced by ASER45 Agency

What does it really take to unlock your full potential as an African woman in a world that was not always designed with you in mind? 

In this episode of SheShapes Africa, Caroline Mbugua sits down with Angela Wamola, Head of Africa at GSMA, for an honest, personal, and deeply inspiring conversation on potential, what it means, what blocks it, and what it truly takes to unlock it. 

"Show up boldly, show up bravely in that mindset that you can get there. The vision of you is what you make it to be. It doesn't need to be validated by anybody else."  — Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA 

Potential is personal  

For Angela, unlocking potential is not an abstract concept. It is her mantra, the lens through which she approaches her work, her family, and everything she does. She unpacks what potential really means, why so many people leave it untouched, and how to begin identifying what is already within you. 

Navigating a room that was not built for you  

Angela walked into engineering as one of very few women in the room. She did not leave. She shares what kept her going, why panic is allowed but paralysis is not, and how she learned to see her peers not as competition but as fellow human beings figuring it out one day at a time. 

The power of asking for help  

Coaches. Mentors. Sponsors. Angela breaks down the difference between each and why actively seeking support in every shape and form is not a weakness but one of the most important investments you will ever make in yourself. 

Unlearning to move forward  

There came a point where working hard was not enough. Angela had to unlearn the belief that effort alone would open doors, and replace it with a more complete understanding of how to show up, present herself, and invest in her own growth deliberately and continuously. 

Context is everything  

As someone who crisscrosses the African continent, Angela reflects on what it means to lead as an African woman, why Africa's solutions must come from Africans, and why the grass is far greener here than we have been taught to believe. 

Hosted by Caroline Mbugua HSC.

—
An initiative by Caroline Mbugua HSC
In partnership with THOP Institute
Produced by ASER45 Agency

Boldness is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It is about showing up as yourself, even when nobody else in the room looks like you.

In this episode of SheShapes Africa, host Caroline Mbugua sits down with Elizabeth Migwalla, Vice President International Government Affairs at Qualcomm, for a candid conversation on maneuvering complex cultural spaces, standing your ground with grace, and what it really takes to lead with confidence in rooms that were not built with you in mind.

Reading the room

Before you walk into any meeting, in any country, Elizabeth's rule of thumb is simple: understand whether you are dealing with a high context culture, where trust and relationship come first, or a low context one, where only the content matters. Get that read wrong, and even the best message will not land.

Turning outsider into insider

Elizabeth was the only woman in her engineering school at a time when there was not even a bathroom for female students. She unpacks why feeling like an outsider is not a weakness to hide from, but an opportunity. Bring enough value to the table, and you become an honorary insider.

The quiet power of competence

Boldness without substance is just noise. Elizabeth explains why soft power, the ability to bring people along without any real leverage over them, is built on truthfulness, competence and consistency, not volume. In the work she does, there are no second chances. Your yes must be yes.

No precedence, no perfect answers

Working in policy and emerging technology often means writing the rules as you go. Elizabeth speaks openly about the discomfort of getting it wrong, and why being vulnerable enough to learn in public is part of the job, not a failure at it.

"Feeling like an outsider gives you the opportunity to bring something different, because if you have value to add, you will be an honorary insider. You will be let in, because you have something valuable for the community that you're acting in."
 — Elizabeth Migwalla, Vice President International Government Affairs, Qualcomm

Preparing like it's an exam

For anyone stepping into a high-stakes negotiation or an unfamiliar international arena, Elizabeth's advice is grounded and specific: know your subject, do your homework on the norms and expectations of the room, and never assume one success means you can walk in unprepared next time.

The message is clear: your culture is not a weakness to manage around. It is a strength to carry into every room you enter, and the mic does not bite. 

Hosted by Caroline Mbugua HSC.

—
An initiative by Caroline Mbugua HSC
In partnership with THOP Institute
Produced by ASER45 Agency

Public policy is not just about laws and frameworks. It is about people and how well you understand them.  

In this episode of SheShapes Africa, host Caroline Mbugua sits down with Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Ghana, for an honest and deeply practical conversation on what it truly takes to navigate competing interests, build lasting trust, and shape policy from the inside out.  

People before positions 
At the heart of effective policy influence is a deceptively simple idea: understand who you are dealing with before you try to move them. Adwoa unpacks why treating every stakeholder as an individual, not a category, is the difference between a policy that lands and one that creates a crisis. 

When interests collide 
Drawing on real experience from the telecom sector, Adwoa walks through what it looks like when regulators, customers, suppliers, and business objectives all pull in different directions at once, and the approach she has used to find common ground without losing the goal. 

The long game of trust 
Trust is not a meeting. It is not a handshake. It is a continuous, deliberate practice of listening, acting on your word, and showing up even when there is nothing immediately at stake. Adwoa shares what rebuilding trust from a low base actually requires, and why giving up is never an option. 

The mistakes that cost you 
Assumptions. Broad brushes. Disengagement. Adwoa is direct about the errors she has seen derail relationships and reputations, and how to course-correct before the damage becomes irreversible.  

"People do not trust because sometimes they have misconceptions about things. They make assumptions. So for you to get close to them, you have to show them what the real situation is, and once you open up to people, they begin to trust." 

— Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, MTN Ghana 

Starting from zero 
For anyone just entering the policy space, Adwoa offers a clear roadmap: invest in your credibility, map your stakeholders, do the research before you make the ask, and nurture relationships long before you need them. 

The message is clear: in public policy, the technical work gets you in the room. But it is the human work that keeps you there. 

Hosted by Caroline Mbugua HSC.

—
An initiative by Caroline Mbugua HSC
In partnership with THOP Institute
Produced by ASER45 Agency

What does it take to enter a space that was never designed with you in mind, navigate its unwritten rules, fight to pass a bill that most people did not know was needed, and do all of it before the age of 30? 

In this episode of SheShapes Africa, host Caroline Mbugua sits down with Hon. Mohamed Umulkher Harun, a nominated Member of Parliament in Kenya's National Assembly, for an honest and deeply practical conversation about breaking into policymaking as a young African woman.

"It doesn't come easy, but when you get there, it gets easier." -Hon. Mohamed Umulkher Harun. 

From civil society to the chamber 

Her path from NGO work in Garissa County to a seat in the National Assembly was neither linear nor guaranteed. She shares how a TV leadership programme, a political mentor, and one moment of being picked from a crowd changed the trajectory of her life.

Championing the deaf community through legislation

A chance meeting with 30 deaf young people set her on a mission to sponsor Kenya's Sign Language Bill. She walks us through the full legislative journey and why good bills still take years to become law.

Stakeholder management as a survival skill 

From community associations to global deaf networks, Hon. Umulkher explains how public participation shaped and strengthened her bill, and why lawmakers who ignore stakeholders get it wrong.

Learning the ropes in an intimidating space

From being mistaken for a visitor in her own chamber to delivering her maiden speech within the first month, Hon. Umulkher shares the advice that kept her standing when the house felt overwhelming.

The art of being remembered

On speech writing, delivery and the elevator pitch, her philosophy is simple: humanize it, keep it short, and make sure they remember the last thing you said.

Her message to young women across Africa is clear: the space is hard to enter, but it is not impossible. Find your mentor, know your focus, and do not stay silent.

Hosted by Caroline Mbugua HSC.

—
An initiative by Caroline Mbugua HSC
In partnership with THOP Institute
Produced by ASER45 Agency

What does it really take to keep children safe in an increasingly connected Africa?

In this episode of SheShapes Africa, host Caroline Mbugua HSC sits down with Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the  International Telecommunication Union (ITU), for a candid conversation on child online protection and why it must sit at the heart of Africa's digital agenda. As connectivity accelerates across a continent where 60% of the population is under 25, the stakes have never been higher.

"We need to make sure that the internet can be the land of opportunity for young people, but in a responsible, safe, and trusted way." - Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Why it matters now - The numbers are stark. Up to one in three young people has experienced online bullying or harassment at least once. Connectivity without safety is not progress.

Partnership at the core - ITU, GSMA, and UNICEF have joined forces through the newly launched Child Online Protection Africa Task Force. Doreen unpacks what this coalition is designed to do and why no single organization can move the needle alone.

Building skills alongside access - 

It is not enough to get children connected. Digital literacy must come with the connection, and young people themselves must have a seat at the policy table.

A message to the next generation - Doreen speaks directly to young leaders: bring your voice, share your ideas, and help shape the solutions that will define your digital world.

The vision - Drawing on her own experience as a mother of four, Doreen describes what a truly safe internet looks like: one where opportunity and protection are not trade-offs, but by design.

The message is clear: more awareness, better tools, and faster implementation. The task force has launched. Now it is time to move.

Hosted by Caroline Mbugua HSC.

—
An initiative by Caroline Mbugua HSC
In partnership with THOP Institute
Produced by ASER45 Agency