Afropolitan

Quote - “Afropolitan means remembering who we were in the last
thousand years at scale”


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 Ibi Cookey, Co-Founder of Fitted; a fashion-tech
company revolutionising scalable custom fashion.


Ibi is an international business management graduate and a former
investment banker. He is passionate about simplifying the custom
fashion supply chain for all stakeholders.


Listen and enjoy as Ibi Cookey talks to us about entrepreneurship,
Fitted and transitioning from investment banking to tech.


Show Notes

1:10 Background and transition from investment banking to tech

3:33 Insights gained from private equity

4:46 Transition to Fitted

6:22 What does Fitted solve

8:18 Utilising data from Fitted to solve international measurement
challenges at scale

11:11 Fitted’s role in the supply chain ecosystem

13:47 Fundraising challenges and insights

18:11 First encounter with failure and experience learnt

19:56 Title of the book about your life

21:53 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/

Quote - “As a founder of a startup, we have to get to the end goal -
to liquidity and huge wealth gains for ourselves, employees and early
investors.”


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 Morgan DeBaun, Founder/CEO of Blavity Inc.; a
leading digital media company for Black culture and millennials with
over 100 million readers per month.


Morgan is a serial entrepreneur, executive, corporate advisor, and
angel investor. She is passionate about building companies and
communities.


Listen and enjoy as Morgan DeBaun talks to us about entrepreneurship
and Blavity’s incredible journey.


Morgan’s Website

https://bit.ly/3Tj1TaH


Morgan’s Reading List


Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the
Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki

https://amzn.to/2NIasgG


The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will
Follow You by John C. Maxwell

https://amzn.to/3VICqJb


The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation
to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries

https://amzn.to/3CQouV0



Show Notes

1:17 Investing in the stock market at 13 years old

2:27 Misconceptions of being a founder

4:16 Advice/strategies for founders in recruiting/retaining talent

7:16 Fundraising as a black woman founder

10:08 Managing boundaries

12:56 Impact of the pandemic professionally/personally

17:40 Remote work vs office work

21:25 Dealing with letting people go

26:56 First encounter with failure and experience learnt

30:42 Reading list

31:57 Title of the book about your life

33:29 Transition from Intuit to Blavity

35:16 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/

Quote - “Technology is bringing us back all together.”


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 Biola Alabi, Co-Founder of Atika Ventures; a
women-led venture fund providing early-stage capital to consumer
technology start-ups in West and East Africa.


Biola is a Non-Executive Director at Unilever Nig. Plc. and Monty
Mobile, an Angel Investor at Lagos Angel Network and the Executive
Producer at Biola Alabi Media and Entertainment. She is passionate
about investing in startups that will solve real problems at scale.


Listen and enjoy as Biola Alabi talks to us about investing in
startups and how the investment landscape has changed over the last
decade.


Biola’s Reading List


Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

https://amzn.to/3EXXWDE


Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in
Life) by Cathie Black

https://amzn.to/3Sclh7L


True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership by Bill George

https://amzn.to/2AkWI67


Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

https://amzn.to/3MH5tst


Show Notes

1:37 Lagos Angel Network

2:43 Changes/challenges in the investment landscape over the last 10 years

3:59 Advice to startups in the current regulatory environment

5:37 What do you look for in investing in startups

7:20 Advice/strategies for founders in recruiting/retaining talent

8:54 Managing expectations of Limited Partner (LPs)

11:22 First angel investment

12:50 First encounter with failure and experience learnt

15:44 Transparency as a founder

18:09 Background and upbringing

23:19 Reading list

27:26 Title of the book about your life

28:59 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/

Quote - “Think of all unfortunate experiences as learning experiences.”


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 Zeneca, Founder/CEO of ZenAcademy; who was a

professional poker player for 15 years and has transitioned to being a
well respected NFT influencer. He created ZenAcademy to build a
community and space to educate and help others understand the crypto
and NFT space.

Listen and enjoy as Zeneca talks to us about burnout in the tech
ecosystem and offers advice on trading crypto and NFTs.


Roy’s Reading List


Letters from a Stoic by Lucius Annaeus Seneca

https://amzn.to/3VkqdKA


Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

https://amzn.to/2XsyOQl


Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker

https://amzn.to/3CP6tHB


Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

https://amzn.to/3g2BIpF


Show Notes

1:18 Transition from a professional poker player for 15 years to Crypto

2:31 Burnout and self-care

5:55 Distinction between NFTs and crypto

9:01 NFT trading - highs and lows

11:47 How to evaluate projects

15:10 Meaning of Zeneca

17:08 Favorite philosophers

18:21 Reading list

20:09 Start of ZenAcademy

26:45 Future of online platforms in growing online communities

30:23 Encounter with failure and lessons learned

36:43 Navigating the crypto space and dealing with loss

41:34 Title of the book about your life

43:24 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/

Quote - “If you want something really badly, the whole universe
conspires to help you get it.”


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 Ngozi Dozie, Co-Founder of Carbon; a Pan African
digital bank based in Nigeria and a leading digital finance platform.
Carbon’s mission is to empower all people with the financial access
they need to pursue a life of dignity and prosperity. The Carbon app
was launched in April 2016 and the business has grown rapidly.


A CFA charter holder, Ngozi holds an MBA from Wharton School and has
worked as a financial analyst at Deloitte & Touche and an investment
banker at JPMorgan in New York.

Listen and enjoy as Ngozi talks to us about the importance of
transparency and access to loans in the Nigerian digital finance
ecosystem and shares tips for new founders to navigate the regulatory
landscape.

Ngozi’s Reading List


The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

https://amzn.to/3BSXIMu


The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

https://amzn.to/3CA05UO


The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

https://amzn.to/3ycbiIf


Show Notes

1:27 Carbon’s vision and mission

6:34 Nigerian ecosystem - Type of loans and access to loans

5:36 Transparency and execution

8:54 Advice for founders navigating the regulatory landscape in the
tech ecosystem

11:50 Advice for founders fundraising

16:56 Impact of the pandemic on Carbon

22:15 Recruiting talent and retaining talent

25:08 First encounter with failure, dealing with it and lessons learnt

29:50 Reading list

35:01 Title of the book about your life

38:16 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/

Quote - “Great ideas happen when two old ideas meet for the first time.”


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 Fatima Dicko, Founder & CEO at Sugar; a community management platform for apartment building. Sugar has raised over $3.5M in VC funding from some of the leading investors in the property technology sector.


Fatima was on a product innovation team as a senior engineer at Procter & Gamble focused on bringing new ideas to market. She is passionate about building products people love and supporting youth to become future leaders in tech. Fatima was named as '18 Inspiring Women to Watch' by Inc and listed on the 2021 Forbes 'Next 1000' list.

Listen and enjoy as Fatima talks about the COVID 19 pandemic influence on her business and shares some of her fundraising challenges.

Fatima’s Reading List


The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

https://amzn.to/3BSXIMu


The Founder's Dilemmas by Noam Wasserman

https://amzn.to/3Siw01f


The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

https://amzn.to/3raLhVW


Show Notes

1:36 Impact of Covid-19 pandemic professionally and personally

6:34 Fundraising challenges as a founder

9:56 Background and upbringing shaping the entrepreneurial mindset

17:19 Initial team recruiting process and retaining talent

21:17 Reading list

22:06 Breakdown of Web3

27:54 Title of the book about Fatima’s life

29:12 First significant encounter with failure and lessons learnt

31:31 Importance of culture

34:40 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/

Quote- “Your environment directly impacts your health and your ability to succeed.”


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 Anthony Azekwoh, Nigerian-based digital artist and author; who has taken the NFT art scene by storm and whose art has been seen all around the world.


In 2020, his painting “The Red Man” was sold as an NFT online for $25,000 and he has since captured the imagination of the global art community.

He has also written five books and has worked with artists such as Adekunle Gold, Blaqbonez and many more international clients.

Listen and enjoy as Anthony talks about his journey into NFT's, offers advice to upcoming digital artists and shares the inspiration behind his “The Red Man” painting.


Anthony’s Artwork

https://www.anthonyazekwoh.com


Anthony’s Reading List


The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

https://amzn.to/3BSXIMu


Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

https://amzn.to/3qMrpZ5


Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho

https://amzn.to/3Btlxc2




Show Notes

1:10 Discussing Afrobeats: The Backstory documentary and lessons learnt

6:23 Anthony on his work being mature

8:51 Anthony on his journey into the digital space

11:35 Influences in storytelling and art

14:20 Art ecosystem and relationship with his parents

26:17 Transition to NFT and crypto art

34:13 Advice to digital artists in Africa trying to find their feet

36:19 The internet enabling Africans to challenge limitations

42:27 Inspiration behind “The Red Man” painting

45:34 The difference between art and writing

49:57 Anthony’s reading list

50:46 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/

Quote- “One of the things the CDC taught me back in the 90s was to collect data, understand the data, trend the data but also listen to the people.”

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 Lyona Carter, founder clinical data geek, a clinical data management startup.

Lyona assists biotech/pharmaceutical companies review their clinical data. One of her biggest influences is Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta’s cells have been used in over 11,000 patents including polio vaccination and covid treatments. Nicknamed HeLa cells, they have been used to study the effect of toxins, viruses on the growth of cancer cells without experimenting on humans.

Lyona is passionate about creating a framework of compensation for those who wish to benefit from the use of their DNA or vitals. She believes clinical participants or their families should get compensated should they want compensation.

Listen and enjoy as Lyona talks about her journey into clinical data management, some of her influences and barriers she faces being a woman in the biotech industry.


The Legacy Of Henrietta Lacks
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henriettalacks/


Lyona’s reading list

Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson
https://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-Mazing/dp/0091816971/ref=sr_1_1?

On The Pulse Of Morning by Maya Angelou
https://www.amazon.com/Pulse-Morning-Inaugural-Poem/dp/0679748385

Show Notes
1:54 Journey into clinical data management
3:25 Henrietta Lacks contribution to present day clinical trial research
5:33 Compensation framework for clinical trial patients and their families
7:16 Journey into blockchain technology and web3
8:42 Influences growing up
13:47 Mental and professional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
16:27 Benefits of NFT
18:29 Childhood lessons that taught the hardest lessons
20:22 Barriers faced being a woman in the biotech industry.
23:07 Encounter with failure and lessons learned
25:13 Lyona’s reading list
27:00 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/

Michael Ugwu

Quote- “I know a lot of people don't have the luxury of knowing their roots, but I know my roots and that was super important to me.”

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 Michael Ugwu, MD of Freeme Digital, an online digital music distribution network in Africa.

Michael is a crypto enthusiast who holds a degree in Economics. In 2019, he liquidated most of his real estate investments and other assets and threw it all into bitcoin. A risk that has paid off over the years.

Micheal was instrumental in helping sony music launch in the west African market. He led several projects from licensing catalogs to MTN, Jidenna tour to Nigeria, signing deals of major artists in Nigeria to Sony.

Listen and enjoy as Micheal talks about his journey running a distribution company in Nigeria and how NFT can revolutionize the music industry.

Michael reading list

Think And Grow Rich By Napoleon Hill
https://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Napoleon-Hill/dp/0785833528

De Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous
https://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Standaard-Decentrale-Alternatief-Bankieren/dp/9916951357

Snow Crash by Neal Stepheson
https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Crash-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0553380958/ref=sr_1_1?

Show Notes
2:09 Micheal’s journey into crypto.

7:40 Journey to freeme digital.

14:30 Challenges of being a founder in the African ecosystem.

16:27 Impact of the covid-19 pandemic on business and operational challenges experienced.

19:24 Michael’s first encounter with failure as an entrepreneur.

23:50 Lessons learnt at Iroking.

28:37 Approach navigating challenges with signed artists.

32:07 How NFT can revolutionize the music industry.

41:36 Michael’s reading list

45:17 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/

“This world is small, the more you pitch, the more you'll get to those with a pool of money.”

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 Elizabeth Yin,co-founder and general partner at hustle fund, a venture firm that invests in early-stage startups.

Elizabeth Yin and her co-founders created the venture capital firm hustle fund to help level the playing field at the pre-seed funding stage.

After reviewing about 20,000 pitch decks while working as a partner at 500 startups, Elizabeth came up with the idea of an early stage fund to help founding teams that struggle to attract investors attention.

A two time founder, Elizabeth has always had a drive for business, technology and investing.

Listen and enjoy as Elizabeth talks to us about her journey to becoming a VC and advises startups entering the bear market.

Elizabeth’s reading list

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898

Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross
https://www.amazon.com/Predictable-Revenue-Business-Practices-Salesforce-com/dp/0984380213

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Phil-Knight/dp/1508211809


Show Notes
1:33 Journey to becoming a partner at hustle fund.
4:04 Misconceptions about being a VC
5:57 Most successful exit.

7:29 Different fundraising process
10:26 Advice to founders on recruiting and retaining talent longterm
14:11 Advice to aspiring venture capitalists
16:47 Elizabeth’s fundraising experience
20:57 Thoughts on sky high valuations for startups
22:09 Advice to startups coming into the bear market and what the market potentially holds
23:57 Vc that has had a major impact on Elizabeth's growth
25:44 Most significant encounter with failure and lessons learned
30:09 Elizabeths’s introduction into crypto and web3
32:19 The hustle verse/ crypto shift initiative
34:13 Downside to web3
35:42 Elizabeths’s reading list
37:49 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/
Afropolitan Community - https://linktr.ee/afropolitangroup