I have already done an introduction about myself so no need to bore you with repetition. 😉

I need to get my ducks in a row with the new life events occurring in my life over the past couple of weeks before I can give this channel my all once again. 🦆As I kept saying in the video: 'this is not the end!' I just feel like I am not managing my time efficiently for all the things that I am involved within my life.

Goals for the relaunch of this channel:

- 15-20min interview bites

- move this into an audio format as well and create a Spotify or Soundcloud podcast channel

- Conscientious Coffees to be launched #watchthisspace

- a refreshed, re-energised and productive Nicky 😎

Thank you to everyone who has watched, commented, supported and you have all shown the most love. 🌻

I can't wait to see you in the new year!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteawithnicky.substack.com

Ramona works at the intersection of investment, innovation, and emerging markets.

Ramona is the former Chief Operating Officer of the Innogy Innovation Hub, which invested in businesses working in the future of renewable energy.  She was formerly CEO of SPRING Accelerator in East Africa and South Asia and been a long-term early-stage investor in impact and technology start-ups as well as a several-time founder, most recently of an inclusive transport start-up.

She is currently supporting two investment funds with their thesis and impact, and working with DFID funded Partnerships for Forests in Brazil, Indonesia and Africa to remove barriers to bringing investment capital into critical forest ecosystem restoration and improved livelihoods.

We discuss what it's like being a COO and CEO of innovation companies and accelerator programmes, the workings of good leadership without the notion of gender-bias, and you see Ramona kill it at 30 seconds!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteawithnicky.substack.com

Nobukhosi Dlamini is a multi-award winning, female tech founder and social entrepreneur. She completed a degree in Computer Science at the University of Cape Town and has 15 years of professional experience in the corporate IT sector. She is the Founder of Bahati Tech (a data protection and cybersecurity company), and the GIFT Foundation (a non-profit that seeks to make technology skills and fintech careers accessible to teenagers and young women from poor backgrounds). 

Recent accolades include being named as the Eisenhower Fellow 2020, winner in the French governments' 1000 African Entrepreneurs, UK-Africa Female Founders award, selected as an InspiringFifty 2019 winner for women in tech whose work has a social impact, US State Departments' Tech Women 2019 for the top 108 Global Female Tech Leaders.

We talk about how Nobukhosi's 2020 began (hint: she met the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge), her thoughts on The Social Dilemma documentary and how she pivoted her business and foundation during this unprecendented period.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteawithnicky.substack.com

Marsha has accumulated a wide range of experiences in both legal and Corporate Affairs capacities and has now just recently started up a creative legal and PR Agency, @ffclpr - to provide easily accessible and affordable innovative solutions that are customized and curated specifically for Freelancers, Creatives and Small Business Owners who are otherwise put off by standard legal fees and the complexity involved in acquiring legal services. 

She is the creator and host of @fiftyfirstcoffees, a podcast launched mid-lockdown which is anchored on amazingly candid conversations with fellow young, curious, passionate and ambitious people! Focussing on their journeys, what incredible things they are building, their future aspirations, what influences them, amid laughter and lots of banter in between. She felt that now more than ever there was a need to have these conversations to keep each other motivated and to keep all of us dreaming of countless amazing possibilities! 

She is the Nairobi Lead Ambassador and Project Coordinator @futurefemales.  Future Females is a platform that exists to promote the increase and success of Female entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. Future Females in Partnership with the UK Kenya Tech Hub has just launched its Business School Accelerator Program in Kenya, a 3-month incubator program to support 30 early-stage female entrepreneurs building tech-based businesses in Kenya.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteawithnicky.substack.com

Cerina is the co-founder of Future Females. After writing her MBA thesis on the Lean Startup Principles, Cerina was motivated to work with entrepreneurs. With a background in Lean Operations, combined with the Lean Startup principles, Cerina believes that systems provide the structure to make employees feel safe, and allow companies to scale. She met Lauren, her co-founder, working as an associate in an accelerator - a lack of female founders and involvement, led to the birth of Future Females. Since then Cerina has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs, from idea phase to Round C funding and startups who have IPO-ed, in geographies crossing Africa, India, South-East Asia, Europe and the USA.

We speak about the 5 rooted beliefs that Cerina holds, but here are 2 as a teaser:

1. She believes that creativity is the backbone of everything. It is all about finding new ways of solving problems and approaching situations. Let's add some colour and have fun as well!

2. She believes that by helping people perform their best, a company can thrive by getting the most value from them. And find out what she would wish for if she was competing for Miss World! 

Her current favourite quote is: "Don't miss out on something that could be great just because it might be difficult". But I quoted for her infamous, and my personal favourite, saying of 'Don't sit in your s**t.' Watch the interview to find out what exactly she means by this.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cerina-bezuidenhout-7692b242/

Website: https://futurefemales.co/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteawithnicky.substack.com

Philippa Dods manages the Marketing operations for the African region of global media intelligence company, Meltwater. She is also the Marketing Strategy Advisor and shareholder of Future Females and has recently become the Director of the, recently launched, Future Females Foundation. She is a member of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum, which is a network of youth driving dialogue, action and change in their communities.

Philippa was nominated for Inspiring50 in 2018 and 2019 - recognising South Africa’s most inspiring women - and nominated for Young Achiever of the Year and Influencer of the Year at the Top Empowerment Awards 2019, and Top Young Achiever under 40 at the Standard Bank Top Women's Awards 2019. She is also an honouree of Seven Percent Tribe. 

Outside of work, Philippa completed the Ironman 70.3 and the New York City Marathon - using both races to raise funds for local social justice nonprofit organisations. Read more about her training and fundraising journey here: https://medium.com/@dodsphilippa/the-thing-about-ambition-9361ea21c787

An advocate for women empowerment, Philippa is passionate about using business and technology for social change. She is continuously working to achieve gender parity, particularly through initiatives that put an end to gender-based violence.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteawithnicky.substack.com

Lauren Dallas is the Co-Founder of Future Females, a movement that exists to increase the number of and support the success of female entrepreneurs.  Launching in August 2017 in Cape Town, Future Females is now in 35 cities globally, with 40,000 members, and also runs a three month online Business School that has supported over 470 entrepreneurs with tech-based business ideas, to turn them into profitable businesses, bringing expertise from global partners including the UK in South Africa Tech Hub and Techstars.  Most recently they have launched the Future Future Females Founders Club, and one of South Africa's first female-focused co-working space in collaboration with Inner City Ideas Cartel.

A social media & marketing expert, Lauren also founded The Growth Academy, an e-learning platform that supports entrepreneurs to succeed online, that grew to 7 figures in its first year.  The Growth Academy was named one of Fast Company's most innovative businesses.

Lauren spills the tea on why she started The Growth Acadamey and Future Females, tips on how companies can help foster and nurture talent, and what the future holds for Future Females. She also shares about having a life coach and how that's helped add value to her life! Lauren is true to her words she says that her superpower is being 'an activator'.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteawithnicky.substack.com

Farzana Baduel is the CEO & Co-Founder of Curzon PR.  She has been appointed as the Resident Public Relations expert and Ambassador for the Oxford Foundry, the University of Oxford’s entrepreneurship centre.  As a passionate advocate of strategic communications, she champions the power of PR as a dynamic force for building bridges and unifying the world’s voices into a global narrative. She set up Curzon PR in 2009, having previously served as Vice-Chair of Business Relations for the UK Conservative Party.

Farzana is a PR expert working across government, corporate, consumer and arts & culture. She is both Chartered at the Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and holds a Fellowship at the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). She regularly lectures around the world and is a media commentator on PR, diversity and women leadership. She has won awards including Entrepreneur of the year at WPO, Businesswoman of the Year at the Muslim Awards, Entrepreneur of the Year at the Asian Women of Achievement Awards and the Media Professional of the Year at the AMA Awards.

We talk about Frarzana's journey from being an Economics and Mathematics university student to opening her own accountancy firm and how she found herself falling in love with PR; so much so that she opened up her own agency. Farzana opens up and shares how important it is to work smart and with kindness, while also stressing the importance of self-care.

TWITTER https://twitter.com/farzanabaduel  

LINKED IN https://www.linkedin.com/in/farzana/  

INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/farzanabaduel/  

WEBSITE https://www.farzanabaduel.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteawithnicky.substack.com

Lee den Hond is living proof that when the purpose is bigger than the challenge, nothing is impossible. She is an inspirational speaker, adventurer, athlete, entrepreneur, 2015 South African Businesswoman of the Year award-winner, and undeniable optimist.  In addition to being the third South African woman to summit Mount Everest in 2013, Lee has also completed the Marathon des Sables in Morocco in 2017, a race known as the toughest footrace in the world. 6 Full Ironman endurance events and a 500km adventure endurance race in South Africa. Her inspiring talk, Be Inspired, has gained critical acclaim, highlighting the ability to overcome challenges in the pursuit of goals.

In November 2018, Lee published her book titled “What happens when you say Yes!”

Lee opens up and shares about her journey from failed pursuits to the Big Apple, how she started her own marketing and events enterprise that led her obtaining the 2015 South African Businesswoman of the Year, and also spills the tea on how she sets her mindset to focus on why she should do it, instead of focusing on all reasons why not to it.

What is your next big hairy audacious goal or challenge?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteawithnicky.substack.com

Lesego Tlhabi is well known for her media persona: Coconut Kelz which is a growing satire/comedy figure. Lesego and Coconut Kelz released their debut novel; a satirical book- Coconut Kelz’ Guide To Surviving This Shithole in September 2019, which has since gone on to become a bestseller. She has regular features on various TV spots across the country. She also wrote, starred in, and was the executive producer for the Coconut Kelz Election Special on BET. She has added MC to her roster and has hosted The Media 24 Awards and Hollard 40/40, and The Coconut Show - a stand-up comedy special featuring Donovan Goliath and Tats Nkonzo.

We discuss her journey to the creation of Coconut Kelz, her advice on becoming a good ally for minority groups, a pep talk on how GOOD it is to 'fail upwards', and we kill it at charades (just sayin').  

Let us know what you're looking forward to 'failing' at?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteawithnicky.substack.com