Afropolitan Afropolitan / Jamit

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...

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://www.afropolitan.io/

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/

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/

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/

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/