Ire Aderinokun is an investor, entrepreneur, and software engineer with a decade of experience building and backing technology ventures in frontier markets.
As an invited Google Expert in Web Technologies specialising in the core user interface technologies of HTML, CSS, and Javascript, Ire has authored widely-read technical content and spoken at dozens of conferences around the world. She co-founded Helicarrier, a Y Combinator-backed blockchain company for Africa that built some of the continent’s earliest crypto-fintech products, and is passionate about how technology can support global financial inclusion.
Ire Aderinokun on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iaderinokun/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ire.ade/
X: https://x.com/ireaderinokun
We cover:
- Building Her First Website at 13
- The Pressure of Running a Startup
- Becoming Nigeria's First Female Google Developer Expert
- The Critical Role Feminist Coalition Played During ENDSARS
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Coming Up
(01:30) - Three Professional Buckets
(03:03) - Evolving Interests
(04:31) - Earliest Childhood Memories
(05:31) - Building Her First Website at 13
(08:14) - Education and Career Decisions
(12:09) - Influences and Values from Family
(15:24) - First Job and Internships
(17:54) - Transitioning into Tech Roles
(19:39) - Joining Big Cabal as Head of Technology
(22:49) - The Role of Writing in Career Development
(25:31) - Bit of Code
(27:07) - Self-Taught Developer Experience
(29:47) - Navigating Self-Learning in Tech
(32:31) - Becoming the First Nigerian Female Google Developer Expert
(35:13) - The Imposter Syndrome Feeling
(38:05) - Benefits of Being a GDE
(40:13) - Any more Nigerian Female GDEs?
(41:12) - The Journey into Entrepreneurship
(42:35) - Founding Helicarrier (Bitkoin Africa) & The Love for Crypto
(45:07) - Role Designation at Bitkoin Africa
(46:51) - Experiences at Y Combinator
(48:39) - Transitioning from Engineer to Founder
(51:13) - The Responsibility & Pressure of Running a Startup
(52:53) - Challenges of Founding a Company
(56:30) - Is Building Helicarrier Your Proudest Achievement?
(57:39) - The Feminist Coalition and the Role it Played During ENDSARS
(01:01:06) - The Iconic ENDSARS Logo
(01:02:03) - What Makes an Outstanding Speaker
(01:04:24) - The Journey Back to School
(01:10:13) - Lessons from the MBA Experience
(01:11:49) - The Value of an MBA for Founders
(01:13:05) - Exploring Future Ventures
(01:15:17) - Supporting Future Founders
(01:18:18) - Advice for Female Founders
(01:19:27) - If You Only Knew Questions
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About Roots & Wings PodcastRoots & Wings is an intimate interview-style YouTube podcast that explores the personal journeys and transformative experiences of remarkable individuals across diverse fields.
The podcast, hosted by Dayo Koleowo, delves beyond achievements to uncover the foundations that ground people (their roots) and the elements that propel them in life (their wings).
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