CYLS 201: Africa X Fintech - Identity, Finance and the Path to Personal Growth with Yoeal Haile

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Africa X Series, Kevin talks with Yoeal Haile, CEO and Co-Founder of Sava, on the ways that his education and career opportunities have helped him discover the life he wants to live. Yoeal shares the story of how a seventh grade stock market club led to his passion for fintech, how he used an engineering degree and some tenacity to break into Wall Street, the investment he made in himself and his goals that got him into grad school, and the pivotal moments that led to him sorting out his identity as a first-generation African American immigrant and moving back to Africa. Kevin and Yoeal discuss Kevin’s “Ambition Mentality” and the opportunities that can make change fun, the principle of kaizen, and possibilities for the future of fintech in Africa.

Kevin Y. Brown

Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.

Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…

Yoeal Haile

Yoeal is the CEO and Co-Founder of Sava, a fintech business helping businesses manage their finances and access affordable credit. He was previously the CEO and Founder of Aspira, the largest Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) fintech in East Africa, the Founder of Winelife, and also worked as the Chief Strategy Officer of the African Leadership Group where he helped the founding team establish universities in Rwanda and Mauritius. Yoeal also spent time as an EquityDerivatives Associate for Merrill Lynch in Hong Kong and New York. He has a MBA with a dual major in Finance and Management from The Wharton School of Business and a BS in Industrial Engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Insights From the Episode

How investing in yourself and committing to your goals with tenacity can open up opportunities

Tips for starting a successful business and bringing in a strong customer base

How to take care of yourself as a leader and avoid burnout

The impact of having and becoming a mentor to give back to your community

Tips for those wanting to get involved in the African fintech space

The power of intuition and trusting in yourself

Overcoming work challenges and the ‘near death experiences’ in a company by focusing on the long-term game

How making changes to your diet, sleep schedule, and cutting out alcohol could affect your personal and professional life

Using challenges as an opportunity for personal feedback and looking within yourself

Quotes from the Show

“For those who went over prior, generations and generations ago, it’s very interesting when you have those who’ve just come and it’s like, ‘oh we’re so different.’ In reality, at least to me, a lot of our cultures and traditions are similar, they just look different because of the amount of time away from the homeland. I think about what happens to that first generation Eritrean in five generations. How much of the culture is still intact versus it becoming Americanized or African-Americanized? This is about bringing us together and bringing abundance to our communities. Because at the end of the day, whether it’s now or it’s in five generations, we’re all going to still be fighting the same fight. I think that there’s strength in numbers.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #201

“I knew I wanted to go to Wall Street, but at the same time I didn’t want to study finance. I think there’s a separation between following your passion and what you do for a living. For me I was like let me do something that gives me optionality and challenges me, and I thought engi