Boardroom Banter

One of the most important 21st Century skills shaping the future of work is Emotional Intelligence. Workspace interactions have evolved over the past two years and according to Genos Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach Derek Bbanga, leading with E.I is instrumental in fostering psychological safety when building strong and committed teams. This awareness of others is just as important as that of self and how we perceive the changes around us. Derek reflects on how his progressive worldview has been shaped through his work life over this period, anchoring his message on the ease of adaptability witnessed in one of the world's most unique creatures, the zebra.

Conversations on race and identity are inescapable in our current time and contribute to the structuring of various pillars such as diversity and inclusion within communities and organizations. As we settle into the month of February and its celebration of Black History, the Founders recount their experiences navigating their identities as Africans in the different spaces they have stepped into over the years. They narrate instances where they've had to defend themselves from discrimination and give insights into the prevailing elements of white supremacy that face founders in the startup ecosystem on the African continent. They also analyze the shortfalls of mobile taxi services such as Bolt and Safe Boda in Kenya, which oftentimes focus on economic returns over the financial well-being of their drivers.

After a childhood experience of watching her father rush to the aid of car accident victims, Omaima envisioned a future where medics and first-time responders would be equipped with critical tools to aid in saving lives. Her mission was to fight blood shortage in Africa by introducing blood drives that would facilitate providing accurate medical data/diagnosis in emergency cases. In 2020, these efforts were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic and further hindered by social and political disparities in her homeland of Morocco. In the episode, Omaima walks us through her journey of self-criticism, understanding the importance of self-reliance, and taking ownership of our narrative on the African continent to create solutions to our own challenges.

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What would you do if you were drafted into the war? The Founders share their thoughts on the current geopolitical climate in the West and how security firms influence public perception. They also take a deep dive into crazy experiences that have shaped their mentorship journeys- from flying to Ghana to redesign education models, botched investments in bouncing castles for neighborhood parties, and traveling across the country to do photography for their mentors. Usher in your Friday with a raw & unscripted look at the boardroom.

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Packing his bags and moving from a successful career in Guinea to new and unchartered grounds in Kenya, Amadou is no stranger to risk-taking and has built his reputation as one of Africa's most daring innovators. In this episode, he walks us through his experience enduring his first year in a foreign country- backed only by his sheer will, crazy go-big-or-go-home attitude, and vision to leave a footprint in the lives of fellow high achievers on the continent. This conversation challenged us to rethink how we approach failure, reflect on our upbringing, and how we translate our cultural dynamics into our personal and professional lives. Amadou is a father, husband, friend, and mentor to many- with a tremendous passion to empower and inspire bold action within his family and the community around him.

Take a look at some of his amazing work:

Masomo Box(e-learning solution for schools in Kenya)- https://youtu.be/npsTmA7mAiA

In the first episode of its kind, the Founders are back at the helm of the conversation in their full, authentic selves- with Yuri at his DJ decks while host duo of Sean and Omina are up to their usual mischief behind the mic. The team dives into their not-so-ordinary Christmas and New Year's experiences in 2021, eyebrow-raising lessons about emotional intelligence from observing nightclub shenanigans; and the value of understanding how to build up your skills and competency (the ladder) and apply it in the best-suited environment for your own growth (the wall).

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We are kicking off the year with a huge wake up call to everyone who has been sitting on their potential from a truly inspirational Sarah Murungi,  hostess of the Goal'd In Africa podcast. We are in the season of redesigning how things are done. With her experience as a podcast hostess, TV hostess and Voice Over artist- Sarah has clear approaches of defining her value and communicating it within her line of work and beyond. This conversation takes a closer look at what exactly it means to align oneself to a mission and remain authentic to core principles and values, while communicating just how much you are worth.

Flip open your notebook as you tune into Sarah's masterclass conversation, and follow up on some more gems that she drops on her podcast, Goal'd In Africa.

Subscribe, share and stream the Goal'd In Africa episodes here: https://linktr.ee/Goaldinafrica

Today's conversation features Joshua Okoduwa - a passionate and well educated social innovator who is creating tremendous impact in Nigeria through his foundation called Restructure Africa that addresses the issues of poverty through increased access to education, public health, and humanitarian interventions in disadvantaged communities. Joshua guides us through a conversation where he sensitizes us to begin owning our narratives and using our passion, capacity, and networks to uplift less fortunate people in our society. Pull out your pen and paper as you listen in to this informative conversation fit for a Ted Talk. 

Joshua Okoduwa, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-okoduwa/

Restructure Africa Website: https://linktr.ee/restructureafrica

Numerous entrepreneurs seek out training, seminars, talks, workshops to launch or scale their ventures and are familiar with how rigorous a process it can be to make it into world-class programs. In our special month-versary episode, we have an immersive conversation with Jorge Mendez, the Director of Programs at the Watson Institute Semester Accelerator in Boulder, Colorado. All three Boardroom founders have gone through either an accelerator or incubator program during their gap year. This episode features their accounts of their experiences as Jorge breaks down how to successfully apply and gain admission to such programs, the mindset required to undertake them and how the Watson Institute is re-designing its frameworks to align with entrepreneurs' needs in the current global pandemic era.

Find out more about the Watson Institute here: https://watson.is/

What happens when you give three curious, open-minded and entrepreneurial young Africans a microphone? A platform to investigate the fascinating humans, principles and strategies behind the world’s cutting-edge industries, is born. Armed with a deep friendship, years of building (and sometimes breaking) businesses, an international network of guests, and catchy intro music… we set out to take you on a journey to discover what goes on in the heads and boardrooms of the doers and dreamers of tomorrow. 

In this episode, we give you a look into the biggest drivers of our mission here at Boardroom Banter and why it is important that we build a culture of collaboration within our circles RIGHT NOW.

Sean Karanja: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skinyanjui/

Yuri Coret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuri-coret-topconsultant/

Boniface Omina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boniface-omina/