Talking Tech With Creatives

Stella Oni

Talking Tech with Creatives is a bi-weekly podcast that explores how creativity is shaping the future of every industry. Hosted by author, speaker and technology professional Stella Oni, each episode features conversations with authors, artists, designers, entrepreneurs, technologists, publishers and other industry leaders who are using creative thinking and technology to solve problems, build businesses and adapt to a rapidly changing world. The podcast uncovers the ideas that connect professions and industries. From artificial intelligence and innovation to storytelling, leadership and the future of work, each conversation reveals practical insights, unexpected connections and lessons that can be applied across industries. If you’re curious about how creative people think, innovate and thrive in a changing world, Talking Tech with Creatives is for you. Subscribe and tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube and many more.

  1. 3d ago

    Technology, Creativity and Authorship: Where Does the Human Sit?

    In this solo episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, Stella Oni steps back from her guest conversations to ask a question that increasingly sits at the heart of the creative industries: As technology becomes more capable, where does the human sit in the creative process? From music and entrepreneurship to publishing, podcasting and professional work, technology is making it possible to create, produce and distribute work faster than ever. But greater access also brings new questions about originality, discoverability, authenticity, ownership and creative rights. Stella looks at the writing world and recent controversies surrounding alleged generative-AI use in publishing. She asks: How should publishers establish whether a work is human-authored? How reliable are accusations of AI use? And could some writers and writing voices face greater suspicion than others? The episode also explores the work being done by organisations including the Society of Authors, ALCS, the Authors Guild and the Alliance of Independent Authors, and why Stella believes consent, licensing and compensation must remain central to the conversation about AI and creative work. She also reflects on her own boundaries as a novelist, technical writer, lecturer, speaker and podcaster — and why the difficult, imperfect process of creating fiction herself remains something she wants to protect. Plus, there are updates from Stella’s writing world, the Lara’s Detective Agency stories, the Toks Ade Mystery series and her University of Cambridge PACE crime-writing course. The question isn’t simply what technology can do. It is what we want technology to do — and who we choose to be alongside it.   Links & Resources Short Story: Case No. 1  Stella Oni — The Case of the Missing Body Just days before Christmas, Lara Ayodele is given forty-eight hours to locate the missing body of a powerful chief before his family arrives and a scandal erupts. It is a gripping story of power, silence, and buried secrets. https://books2read.com/u/3LPav7 https://amzn.eu/d/0ea2opSD https://a.co/d/03GDtVb5   Breaking the Case: Crime Writing — University of Cambridge PACE https://www.pace.cam.ac.uk/courses/breaking-case-art-and-craft-crime-fiction   Tim Ferriss Has AI Already Killed How-To Nonfiction? Sales Trends, My Personal Data, and What It Might Mean for the Future https://tim.blog/2026/06/12/has-ai-already-killed-nonfiction/?utm_source=chatgpt.com   The Creative Penn Podcast https://www.thecreativepenn.com/the-creative-penn-podcast-for-authors/   Society of Author https://humanauthored.co.uk/   Author Licensing Collection Agency (ALCS) https://www.alcs.co.uk/   Authors Guild https://authorsguild.org/   Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLI) https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/   Professor Jason Arday — Great and Unfortunate Things https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Great-and-Unfortunate-Things/Jason-Arday/9781398542747

  2. Jul 28

    She Turned Her Pain into Music: Kemy Music on Her Debut Single African Woman - ep 34

    In this episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, I speak with singer-songwriter Kemi Obafemi, known professionally as Kemy Music, about her debut single, African Woman. Kemi shares how her love of music began through listening before she started singing in church, leading a choir and writing songs. She also speaks openly about experiencing an abusive marriage and explains how music became her safe space, gave her purpose and helped her find the strength to move forward. That experience became an important part of the story behind African Woman. Kemi explains why she insisted on releasing the song as her first single,  though others in the music industry advised her to begin with something more commercial. For Kemi, African Woman represents the beauty, courage, resilience and strength of women, particularly African women who continue to pursue their dreams despite the obstacles placed before them. We also discuss the influence of Fela Kuti, the challenges facing female artists in the African music industry, the importance of remaining authentic and the realities of building a career as an independent musician. Kemi talks about her previous experience of being signed to a record label, what emerging artists should consider before signing a contract and why having money is not enough if a label does not have the right team or a clear plan for the artist. We explore the role of technology and artificial intelligence in music. Kemi explains how she uses AI tools to experiment with melodies, sounds, instruments and arrangements, while maintaining that technology should assist the artist rather than replace human creativity. We talk about community, music distribution, preserving the legacy of African musicians and Kemy’s advice to young creatives: understand your purpose, remain original and use technology to amplify who you already are. Listen to African Woman by Kemy Music on the major streaming platforms. Listen to African Woman: Songdis Follow Kemy Music: Instagram: @kemymusic Youtube: @kemymusicofficial Content note: This episode includes a non-graphic discussion of domestic abuse. Follow me: @stellaoni_official

  3. Apr 24

    From Music Producer to Tech Founder: Melody Nehemiah on Building Songdis for African Artists - ep 31

    In this episode, I speak with Melody Nehemiah, CEO and founder of Songdis, a platform helping African artists and labels get their music onto global streaming services and collect royalties. Melody shares how he sold CDs as a child, produced beats, and managed artists before identifying a major gap in the music ecosystem. He experienced how hard it was for African artists to distribute music, withdraw royalties, and navigate payment systems not designed for them. That frustration drove him to start Songdis. We discuss what it means to build a tech platform from lived experience, how African founders bootstrap ideas into reality, and why infrastructure, community, and trust help creatives grow. Melody describes the differences between record labels and distribution platforms, outlines how Songdis supports artists at different levels, and explains why Africa should build more of its own technology systems rather than rely on the rest of the world. Whether your interest lies in music, technology, African innovation, creative independence, or the future of digital infrastructure on the continent, this conversation offers unique insights. Highlights Melody’s journey from music producer to founder The real problems African artists face with royalties Why Songdis was created Record labels versus distribution platforms Payments, ownership and control Building African tech for African creatives AI, infrastructure and the future of music on the continent Songdis was recognised by the NBA (National Basketball Association) through its accelerator programme, highlighting its innovation in music rights and payments.   Connect with Melody on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melodysongzz/   Connect with me: https://stellaoni.com/   Social media - stellaoni_official

  4. 12/12/2025

    Black Writing, Bold Futures: Dr Kadija Sesay on Activism, Archives, and Technology - Ep 29

    Dr Kadija George Sesay has spent decades championing Black writers, preserving overlooked stories, and building Pan-African literary networks that stretch across continents. In this rich conversation, I sit down with her to explore what it really means to decolonise the bookshelf and ensure that our stories are not only published, but preserved for future generations. Kadija speaks about founding Sable LitMag, curating festivals such as the International Black Speculative Writing Festival, and her extensive work with radical independent presses. She explains how Pan-Africanism operates in practice, why independent publishing and ownership are crucial, and how collective memory and community gatherings help us keep our histories alive. We also discuss how technology, online platforms, and now AI can support preservation and access without losing the heart of the work. Kadija shares her excitement about her upcoming Fulbright journey to the United States, her ongoing research into Black publishers and Pan-Africanism, and what she hopes future readers and scholars will discover about the Black writing emerging today. If you care about literature, archives, cultural memory, or how our stories survive in a rapidly changing world, this episode offers a powerful and generous masterclass.   If you enjoyed the episode, consider sharing it with someone who loves books, archives, or Black history.   Connect with Kadija LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kadija-sesay-00323b4/ Interview on Africa in Words: https://africainwords.com/2022/03/23/qa-scholar-activist-kadija-sesay-on-afripoetree/ Review of the International Black Speculative Writing Festival (Vector Magazine): https://vector-bsfa.com/2024/02/27/review-of-the-international-black-speculative-writing-festival-2024/   Connect with me About me: https://stellaonithewriter.com/about/ Podcast website: https://talkingtechwithcreatives.com/episodes Substack: https://stellaoni.substack.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTechWithCreatives LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stella-oni-065788140/ Thank you for reading and listening. I hope this episode leaves you thinking about your own role in preserving stories, and the ways you can share what you know with the people coming after you.  ISSN 2978-8307

  5. 11/19/2025

    From Lion King to Iwaju: Hamid Ibrahim of Kugali Media on Building African Worlds That Travel - ep 28

    In this episode, I speak with Hamid Ibrahim, creator and production designer of Iwaju, the groundbreaking Afro-futuristic series produced in collaboration between Kugali Media and Disney. We dive into his journey from portrait artist, to Hollywood VFX work on films such as The Lion King, Dumbo and Doctor Dolittle, to building one of the most important African creative IP houses of our time. Hamid shares the origins of Iwaju, how a BBC interview unexpectedly led Disney to their door, and what it took to build a futuristic Lagos that resonated globally. We talk about African IP, ownership, investment, the realities of raising funds as an African founder, and why authentic stories still matter in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. If you care about African storytelling, animation, technology, creativity or the future of global IP, this conversation offers valuable insight. Highlights: • How Kugali Media caught the attention of Disney • The making of Iwaju and its cultural impact • African IP as a global asset • The business realities behind storytelling • AI and what it can and cannot replace • Why meaning and authenticity still matter • Building creative businesses without a roadmap   Guest Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamidibrahimportfolio Instagram (Kugali): https://www.instagram.com/kugalimedia LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/hamid-ibrahim-564892a7 Twitter: https://x.com/hamid_portfolio   My Links: About Stella: https://stellaonithewriter.com/about Podcast Website: https://talkingtechwithcreatives.com/episodes YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTechWithCreatives Substack: https://stellaoni.substack.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stella-oni-065788140      ISSN 2978-8307

About

Talking Tech with Creatives is a bi-weekly podcast that explores how creativity is shaping the future of every industry. Hosted by author, speaker and technology professional Stella Oni, each episode features conversations with authors, artists, designers, entrepreneurs, technologists, publishers and other industry leaders who are using creative thinking and technology to solve problems, build businesses and adapt to a rapidly changing world. The podcast uncovers the ideas that connect professions and industries. From artificial intelligence and innovation to storytelling, leadership and the future of work, each conversation reveals practical insights, unexpected connections and lessons that can be applied across industries. If you’re curious about how creative people think, innovate and thrive in a changing world, Talking Tech with Creatives is for you. Subscribe and tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube and many more.