Invest In The Future

Season 3 - Episode 2: Lessons and Insights from Building Andela: The Reunion

We are back! Season 3 continues with a bang, coming back to where it started for our Founding Partner, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, and the Andela 10 year reunion. Andela [https://www.andela.com/]connects software developers with long-term job opportunities, international roles, and career coaching. Andela also offers a talent marketplace that allows companies to hire technical talent from over 135 countries. This company was founded by Brice Nkengsa, Christina Sass, Ian Carnevale, Iyinouwa Aboyeji, Jeremy Johnson, and Nadayar Enegesi. Check out Iyinoluwa's article from 2016, sharing some insights about Andela click here [https://medium.com/@iaboyeji/how-andela-was-founded-f32b22808b8a]

Season 3 - Episode 1: The Future of Work in Africa with Matthew Grollnek

We are back! Season 3 teaser is with Matthew Grollnek - an independent expert on the future of work with a focus on Africa. Join our Partner, V. Chinyere Inya as they delve into the topic. Visual Capitalist article referenced during the call: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/prediction-consensus-what-the-experts-see-coming-in-2024/ Matthew is passionate about aligning African education systems with the skills demanded in their labor markets for the future of work and in impact investing to build inclusive societies across the continent. He currently consults full-time for the MasterCard Foundation where he is leading the effort to launch the foundation's first venture fund. He is also adjunct faculty at the African Leadership University (ALU) and ALX where he teaches business strategy. Prior to this Matthew led management consulting and capital raise projects across Africa while working at Open Capital. He also founded Startup Junction in Zambia, which still hosts the largest monthly gatherings for entrepreneurs in Zambia and has consulted organizations such as the Swedish Government and the Private Enterprise Program (DFID). Beyond this, Matthew previously worked for the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (SEED), U.S. State Department, U.S. Peace Corps and Engineers Without Borders Canada. Matthew holds an M.A. in International Comparative Education from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the African Leadership University.

Season 2 Episode 8 With Babacar Seck - Senior Investment Officer, Private Equity & Venture Capital at Proparco

In this episode, we’ll unpack the role of DFIs in the African Venture Capital space and some of the challenges they encounter with Babacar Seck, Senior Investment Officer, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Proparco and Future Africa’s Investor Success Partner, Caleb Zipperstein. Babacar Seck is an investor and business advisor passionate about projects that drive inclusive development, from education to healthcare and financial services. As a senior investment professional at Proparco, he currently focuses on designing and deploying a €200m Venture Capital program (equity, debt, funds, grants) to fund and support African entrepreneurs while also managing a global investment portfolio of financial institutions. Invest In The Future is a live fireside chat series by Future Africa where we learn from interesting people doing important work globally. The Fund for Africa’s Future backs mission-driven founders turning Africa’s biggest challenges into global businesses that deliver outsized returns and impact. Learn more about Future Africa at www.future.africa The content of this podcast should not be regarded as investment advice.

Season 2 Episode 7 - Corporate Governance in Startups: Now or Later?

When discussing corporate governance in Africa, one crucial concern is whether to get serious about it at the early stages of a startup or later on while the company is in functional mode. It is common to invest more in it at the growth stage since, at the early stage, the founders desire the liberty of innovating and experimenting without any hindrance from traditional rules. Many experts have tried to infer that a balance needs to be struck. Many other experienced professionals believe that the actual role of corporate governance begins when the startup is far ahead from the idea stage and has entered into a more accountable phase. In this episode, Future Africa's CFO, Mayowa Olugbile, unpack these expert perspectives with Ory Okolloh (Partner, Verod-Kepple Africa Venture) and Patrice Raymond Backer (Partner / Chief Investment Officer, AFIG Funds).  Invest In The Future is a live fireside chat series by Future Africa where we learn from interesting people doing important work globally. Future Africa is an early-stage fund that connects investors to mission-driven startups looking to turn Africa's most difficult challenges into global business opportunities. Learn more about Future Africa at www.future.africa [http://www.future.africa/] The content of this podcast should not be regarded as investment advice.

Season 2 Episode 6 With Biola Alabi - Co-founder & General Partner at Atika Venture Capital

In this episode, Wura Kayode talks to Biola Alabi - Co-founder & General Partner at Atika Venture Capital Biola Alabi is the Co-founder & General Partner at Atika Venture Capital, a women-led venture fund providing early-stage capital in Africa. She is also an award-winning executive producer, and founder of Biola Alabi Media – a pan-African media and technology advisory firm that has worked extensively with local and global companies, governments, and development agencies in the Telcom, Media, and Technology (TMT) space.  As an active angel investor and advisor to African technology and media companies, Biola has been involved in myriad start-ups. True to her reputation as a leader in the community, and fuelled by her passion to support up-and-coming talent, Biola is also the founder of Grooming for Greatness (G4G), a fellowship and mentorship program aimed at cultivating leadership skills in young, aspiring professionals and entrepreneurs. Invest In The Future is a live fireside chat series by Future Africa to learn from prolific founders & investors who have invested in and built some of the world's most impactful technology companies. Future Africa is an early-stage fund that connects investors to mission-driven startups looking to turn Africa's most difficult challenges into global business opportunities. Learn more about Future Africa at https://future.africa/www.future.africa [http://www.future.africa/] The content of this podcast should not be regarded as investment advice.