Shaping Africa Rose Thiga

On this episode, I am joined by Georgie Ndirangu. Georgie is a journalist and media personality turned public relations strategist. Georgie is an African Thought Leader in every respect and has been open about the struggles and triumphs in his career journey. On this episode, we talk to Georgie about:

- His background in actuarial sciences and the many happy coincidences that led him to a career in journalism

- His advice for young people early in their career

- His journey through a difficult season in his career and finding his next career move that was the right fit and gave him the freedom and purpose alignment he was yearning for

- His advice for making it through the tough seasons in your career 

- His perspective on the future of the journalism / media industry in Africa

- His hope for the continent from the point of view of media and owning / crafting the African perspective

- The importance of pursuing balance between your life and career and how his personal pursuits including his social media presence and #GeorgieHosts all tie together

On this episode, I am joined by Dr. Nathan Wangusi. Dr. Nathan Wangusi earlier this year was running for political office (Member of Parliament) in Langata Constituency in Nairobi, Kenya. Following our conversation and completion of the Langata nomination process, Nathan has since started an exciting new role was as Water Sustainability Program Manager at Amazon Web Services where he leads global water sustainability initiatives focused on reducing and accounting for water use in data centers, corporate offices, fulfillment centers, and in the communities/watersheds where the firm operates. He previously held various consulting roles focused on delivery of engineering solutions including highway drainage design, complex hydraulic analysis and flood studies for water management districts and road agencies in Florida. He has an interest in using engineering and technology to solve water challenges particularly as it relates to risks to undeserved communities. He has consulted considerably with bilateral partners in the water sector such as the World Bank, USAID and Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation and governments of Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa and the United States.

He led the Ease of Doing Business Transformation work in Kenya between 2014-2018 that saw Kenya improve in rank from 137 to 61 and creation of online government services portals such as the business registration service on eCitizen, the Movable Property Collateral Registry, the Land Information Management System, the Integrated Court Management System, iTax with the Kenya Revenue Authority and the Kenya Single Window System for port clearance. In digital water he led a team that created the Water Platform that is used to monitor water supply and assets in rural Kenya. He previously worked with the South East Rural Community Program where he developed programs promoting access to affordable water and wastewater in rural North Carolina.

In this Episode, we talk about:

- His growing up years and how he ended up in the US including how he ended up being a water resource engineer

- His transition to the continent and his advice for networking 

- His advice for staying engaged with the continent while abroad

- His professional life and how he got involved in civic and political life 

To keep in touch with Nathan, follow him on LinkedIn as I am convinced that he will be up to great things in the future: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanwangusi/

On this episode, I am joined by Adeola Adediran who is equal parts smart, witty and driven. He grew up in Chicago and would find his way to Nigeria through a job with a multinational after graduate school. In addition to his transition we talk about: 

His exposure to the downstream oil & gas industry and how that opened his eyes to the entrepreneurial opportunity in Nigeria
The importance of mentors in the transition
His forray into consulting (Petrol Afrique)
How he ended up in the LPG industry
His decision to come back to the continent and how that gives a real sense of contribution
The role the diaspora can play in the African renaissance, and building the continent using their skills, connections and professionalism
His advice for planning your return back to the continent
The qualities and values he has had to embody as a returnee from the diaspora
His hope for the African continent and words of advice for anyone wanting to make the transition

This episode is just as much humor as it is deep wisdom and thought leadership. I hope you enjoy the conversation and obtain some actionable advice if you or someone you know is planning to make the transition. Please do share the podcast with anyone considering a move to the continent. I am sure they will find the advice useful.

On this episode, I am joined by Dr. Bright Gameli Mawudor a Cyber Security Specialist and Leader with a remarkable life story. Below are the highlights of our conversation: 


His journey to South Korea to pursue his masters and doctorate degrees
The struggles of being an international student in South Korea (integrating into social life, encountering racism and the stress of trying to make a living as an international student)
The challenges he faced in getting professional placement and building a career
The rigor of graduate school in S. Korea and how African universities could do better in instilling a research culture in academia
His commitment to building cybersecurity talent on the African continent through Africa Hackon and how he gives back through mentorship
Balancing family and the demands of being a mentor and thought leader
His social media presence and how he hopes to provide inspiration to others
His hope for the African continent particularly in research and thought leadership

So grateful to Bright for sharing his journey so openly. Be sure to follow him here on Instagram and on LinkedIn to stay plugged in on all Bright is up to as he continues to make an impact in Africa's cybersecurity and technology industry.

On this episode, I am joined by Mr Phiny (entrepreneur and real estate investor). In addition to his journey to the US and back, we talk about the importance of family and being present as a factor that played into his decision to move back. Being close to family ended up being the core thing that drove Phiny's decision to move back including the many challenges he has overcome in business since his return. 

Peter Ngunyi is the CEO EarlyBird Venture Lab where he leads the EarlyBird group of companies that support a growing portfolio of fast-growing tech startups: EarlyBird Venture Lab provides growth, acquisition and funding strategy for early-stage tech startups. EarlyBird Capital is the first institutional check to fast-growing Pan-African tech startups that meet our team and traction indicators.

Peter is a speaker at international events, published writer on growing companies in emerging markets, supporting several accelerators in Africa to help entrepreneurs design the best companies in today's environment. Formerly President of BRCK (2018 TIME magazine top 50 most genius companies). 

Peter grew up as a farmer's kid and ended up in the US for his higher education. Upon completing his studies, he discovered the venture capital and tech startup scene in Austin, Texas and never looked back. He is currently working on building the tech startups on the continent with a particular focus on African founders. Peter is also a Harambean and Founder of the Global South Think Tank.

In this episode, we talk about:

How Peter ended up going to the US and the change in tide in perspectives on leaving the continent for young Kenyans today

How he discovered the venture capital and startup world in Austin, Texas

How he decided to come back to the continent while still keeping a global outloook through his travel (follow him on instagram @in.and.outofafrica)

His hope and belief for the Venture Capital and Tech Startup scene on the continent - how can Africa build for the world?

Peter is a visionary and inspiring big picture thinker and was an absolute pleasure to have on the podcast. I hope you enjoy listening to the conversation as much as we did creating it. 

You may also follow Peter on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterngunyi/