Lowenstein Africa Presents: Venture Voices

Eunice Ajim on Wining & Dining Africa Before Investing

In this episode of Venture Voices, host Rossie E. Turman III [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/rossie-turman] chats with Eunice Ajim [https://euniceajim.com/], a Cameroonian-American tech entrepreneur and founding partner of Ajim Capital [https://www.ajimcapital.com/], about navigating African markets and startups. They cover the mass information disconnect attributed to misconceptions about Africa and the recent Venture Capital "winter" steering capital to SPACs globally. Ajim and Turman apply the "invest in what you know" principle to African investments by encouraging investors to familiarize themselves with the landscape, especially in cultural differences among countries and markets of interest. Speakers: Rossie E. Turman III [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/rossie-turman], Partner and Chair, International Finance; Co-chair, Africa Practice Eunice Ajim [https://euniceajim.com/], Founding Partner, Ajim Capital

Seizing Opportunities in Frontier Markets with a Positive Mindset

Host Rossie E. Turman III [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/rossie-turman]sits down with Ernest Kabuye, managing partner at Seven Capital Ventures, a firm focused on FinTech, e-commerce, and transportation/logistics in Africa and the Middle East, to discuss some of the internal and external challenges faced by underrepresented investors and founders in venture capital, such as the mythical need to follow a 'checklist,' the burdens of both success and failure, and how to assess bias and allyship. Kabuye says, "If we don't know what our biases are,… then it's going to be very difficult for us to be able to properly evaluate what these ideas are. And then, we will miss out—great opportunities and good ideas come from everywhere. The opportunity to then take advantage of them and invest in them might not be the same for everyone, but there are good ideas everywhere you go." Speakers: Rossie E. Turman III [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/rossie-turman], Partner and Chair, International Finance; Co-chair, Africa Practice Ernest Kabuye Ph.D [https://www.sevencapitalventures.com/about], General Partner, Seven Capital Ventures

Jemimah Orevaoghene: A Lesson on Investing with your Sixth Sense

In this episode of Venture Voices, Deangeor Chin [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/deangeor-chin] and Raquel Smith [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/raquel-smith] of Lowenstein's Africa practice speak with Jemimah Orevaoghene [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jemimah-orevaoghene/], a Venture Capital Director at Morgan Stanley and Africa portfolio leader, about her unique experience investing both professionally and personally. Jemimah discusses her role as an angel investor for various African startups, how she uses her sixth sense when choosing companies to support, and how she uses a value-centric approach to investing. She also provides insight on the current African ecosystem and shares candid opinions on the continent's future. Speakers: Deangeor Chin [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/deangeor-chin], Counsel, Africa Practice, Debt Finance, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital Raquel Smith [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/raquel-smith], Counsel, Africa Practice, Debt Finance, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital Jemimah Orevaoghene [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jemimah-orevaoghene/], Director, Morgan Stanley

Growing the Glow from Ghana: A Karité Founder's Journey

Rossie E. Turman III [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/rossie-turman], partner and chair of Lowenstein's international finance practice and co-chair of the firm's Africa practice, speaks with Akua Okunseinde, co-founder of the natural skincare brand Karité, about her journey as a founder, the brand's deep roots in Ghana and Africa, and some of the sustainable initiatives that are core to its mission. Akua describes how her family-owned business enterprise came about, how her background in marketing at large corporations informed her perspective as a founder, and the cross-border challenges of sourcing, packaging, and meeting regulatory requirements across continents. Speakers: Rossie E. Turman III [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/rossie-turman], Partner and Chair, International Finance; Co-chair, Africa Practice Akua Okunseinde [https://www.mykarite.com/pages/about-karite-founders?srsltid=AfmBOopn7gzFpFQu9cJKs3gbt43ijhnd7b-9kMe7fJdi5iLSLFD0OWCu], Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Karité Shea Butter

Eloho Omame: A Female Investor's Perspective on the VC Market in Africa

Hosts Raquel Smith [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/raquel-smith] and Tolulope "Tolu" Adetayo [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/tolulope-adetayo] speak with Africa-focused technology venture capital investor Eloho Omame about her career; Africa's investment potential due to its impressive scale of market and pace of growth; and what she looks for when she invests, such as the ambition and strategy of the founding team, the accessibility of the market in question, and the structure of the deal. Eloho also discusses how she co-founded FirstCheck Africa, a female-led, female-focused angel fund, and the data she's seen that indicates female-led companies perform better. Speakers: Raquel Smith [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/raquel-smith], Counsel, Africa Practice, Debt Finance, Emerging Companies & Venture CapitalTolulope "Tolu" Adetayo [https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/tolulope-adetayo], Law Clerk, Emerging Companies & Venture CapitalEloho Omame [https://tlcomcapital.com/eloho-omame], Partner at TLcom Capital LLP