The Beyond Capital Podcast

Welcome to the BCV Podcast! Beyond Capital Ventures Managing Partner Eva Yazhari and Partner Nicholas Java are here to bring you the stories of a venture capital firm focused on more than money. Through our weekly conversations, we strive to inspire you to think differently about what investments can achieve. Each episode will broaden your understanding of investment and inspire you to envision new possibilities for what capital can achieve.

In our inaugural episode, Eva and Nicholas set the stage for a season of intriguing, insightful discussions. It is our hope that you engage with these episodes and reach out with your own thoughts on how our money can mean more. 

Some key takeaways from our kickoff conversation:

• Each episode will be centered on one question and one data point that epitomize the current state of conscious investing (:42)
• An insiders’ glimpse into what Beyond Capital Ventures invests in — and, more importantly, why (1:28)
• Why investments that produce both impact and returns is like having your cake and eating it too (4:15)
• Eva shares the deep dive into the genesis of Beyond Capital Ventures (6:43)
• How Beyond Capital Fund served as the foundation for the venture capital strategy that became Beyond Capital Ventures (9:28)
• Hear about the data point of the day — a revealing metric about the percentage of venture capital money that is directed towards companies with women in leadership positions — and what we can all do to help level the playing field (16:02)

Where has the time gone? It’s already the finale of Season 4 of the Beyond Capital Podcast! For our sendoff to a brilliant season, our Co-Hosts Eva Yazhari and Ed Stevens are interviewing each other about everything from their current personal and professional projects to their thoughts on the 12 episodes that came before today’s closer.

Key takeaways and fun facts from our Season 4 finale:

• Ed shares some exciting developments for his company, Scoot, a next-gen virtual meetings and webinars platform, as well as other interesting business initiatives he’s involved in including companies solving for plastic waste and the climate crisis (1:47)
• Eva settles the debate on whether its better to be an investor or a founder/entrepreneur (hint: it’s both) (4:46)
• How Beyond Capital Ventures is leaning into its conscious leadership business model, finding even more ways to support portfolio company founders (5:32)
• Eva introduces the inspiration behind and need for BCV’s new debt fund (6:56)
• Details on Beyond Capital’s outreach to global stock exchanges to create a more cohesive exchange in Africa (9:44)
• It’s Eva and Ed’s turn in the lightning round! (10:55)
• Ed’s coffee obsession is on full display (11:44)
• Eva and Ed discuss the virtues of stoicism and how it can be a helpful tool for staying grounded and centered, especially in times of great opportunity (13:13)
• The purpose and promise of Equitable Venture (17:03)
• And, finally, the advice they would each give their 20-year-old selves (22:23)

Peace and invest aren’t two words you necessarily hear together very often, but Scott Weber is here to change that. The President and CEO of Peaceinvest, a Geneva-based global investment firm committed to transforming finance into a force for positive change, Scott started his career at the United Nations in humanitarian and political affairs. 

His current role places him at the epicenter of global peacebuilding through strategic investments, an ambitious and solutions-based approach to creating more inclusive societies and economies.  

Hear more about Scott’s intriguing work with Peaceinvest as well as his hot takes on everything from the availability of plant-based proteins to the ups and downs of early adulting.

• What is peacebuilding and how is it inherently different from peace negotiation or peacekeeping (2:38)
• How do we build inclusive economies that bind societies closer together? (4:17)
• A look into the on-the-ground work that Peaceinvest is leading (6:15)
• How Peaceinvest is breaking the notion that you have to accept lower returns in order to have impact (10:04)
• Scott reveals the most viable form of plant-based protein to address global food insecurity (13:09)
• The lessons Scott has learned about resilience by working in some of the most dangerous parts of the world (16:16)
• Scott shares insights into his leadership style and why he thinks it’s essential to promote and mentor young employees (18:59)
• Why the global debt crisis is one big financial trend Scott is watching (27:23)

From starting his career as an intellectual property lawyer working in China and witnessing technologies such as lithium batteries, solar panels, and electric vehicles take off, to seeing an opportunity to implement them in emerging markets, Josh Whale has found himself at the pulse of e-mobility.

Some don’t-miss moments from the episode:

• How watching An Inconvenient Truth at an impressionable age helped shape Josh’s career trajectory (2:30)
• Why he targeted Africa as the perfect place to launch his electric transport energy company (4:10)
• What made Josh take the leap to become the founder of an innovative, pioneering startup (6:35)
• How partnerships with industries such as oil and finance are key to Ampersand’s success (7:53)
• Josh describes the demographic for Ampersand’s e-motos, Africa’s vast network of taxi and delivery drivers (9:37)
• Josh walks a prospective customer through the process of buying, using, and maintaining an Ampersand e-bike (15:46)
• His thoughts on implementing artificial intelligence into Ampersand’s business model (19:46)
• Josh shares what it’s like for a native New Zealander to live and work in Africa (32:20)

Alix Lebec is a founding member of WaterEquity, where she helped build a global asset manager focused on water, women, and sanitation in emerging markets. She also previously worked at the World Bank, Clinton Global Initiative, and Water.org, where she mobilized $260 million in capital. In 2020, Alix launched LEBEC to support philanthropists, investors, and entrepreneurs and drive a paradigm shift in global finance. Alix is also a Limited Partner at Polymath Ventures, co-founder of the World Climate Tech Summit, and serves on the Board of iDE Global — as well as a dedicated dancer. Whew!

Key takeaways from this action-packed episode:

• How an economic development trip to visit communities in Cambodia in an air-conditioned van at the age of 26 had an eye-opening effect on Alix and her career trajectory (4:21)
• Why starting her advisory firm during the height of the pandemic proved auspicious (9:32)
• Why Alix thinks entrepreneurship is the best teacher (12:06)
• Alix declares the days of Zoom calls and panel discussions are not enough if we want to enact true meaningful change (17:12)
• Why the rise of corporations investing from their balance sheets is a movement worth watching (18:54)
• How catching a choreographer’s dance routine on Instagram marked a major life moment for Alix (22:10)
• Alix shares how her daily commitment to dance grounds her and prepares her for whatever comes her way  (23:47)
• The art of being a late bloomer (29:59)

Parker Brook is a veteran of Big Food, helping bring an array of household-name brands to countless consumers around the world. While working for one of the world’s largest food conglomerates, he hoped to have the opportunity to create change from within; however, it became apparent that profit would always being the driving force behind every decision. 

He knew there was a better way. That’s when Parker branched off on his own, launching Lovebird Foods as an alternative to ultra-processed breakfast foods. Tune in as Eva and Ed talk with Parker about his journey to build a better cereal.

Some key takeaways from the episode:

• How Parker’s background in Big Food led to him questioning what food actually is (2:13)
• What it actually takes to launch a food company from the ground up (5:32)
• Why clean ingredients matter to Parker (hint: they’re better for the planet as well as for our bodies) (10:13)
• What the term ultra-processed means in food production (13:34)
• Parker’s thoughts on making healthy food more accessible for families around the world (17:33)
• Why eating healthy can actually cost you fewer dollars as well as fewer calories (19:52)
• Why Parker has committed to donating 20% of Lovebird’s profits to fight childhood cancer — and how that pledge holds him accountable (21:02)
• Inquiring minds want to know: Parker reveals the top industry secret involved in making cereal shapes (37:26)

Welcome to the BCV podcast brought to you by Beyond Capital Ventures in our Purpose driven World leadership and the way we invest are more crucial than ever. Stakeholders are demanding the integration of values into every aspect of business, and leaders are driving the way forward. We are here to bring you the stories of a venture capital firm focused on more than money and to inspire you to think differently about what investments can achieve.

What began as a six-month sabbatical backpacking around the African continent became a major career shift for Lexi Novitske. In 2012, Lexi left her job at a hedge fund in New York and landed in Nigeria, never to look back. 

In 2014, Lexi launched Singularity Investments, a private capital-backed venture investment firm, and invested in market champions across fintech and enterprise platforms including Paystack, Flutterwave, mPharma, SmileID and Migo. Today, Lexi is the General Partner of Norrsken22, an African tech growth fund backed by an international network of tech founders partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs in scaling disruptive businesses.

We talked with Lexi about her career trajectory, the evolving African investment landscape, what’s next for investors and entrepreneurs in emerging markets, and so much more.

• How Lexi first came to Africa — and why she ended up staying (2:20)
• How she chose the African companies she invested in — which just happened to become some of the most well-known fintech and enterprise platforms on the continent  (4:16)
• The stabilizing monetary policy shift in Nigeria and the impact its having on foreign investment (6:40)
• The total number of languages spoken in Nigeria (hint: it’s more than 500!) and how that dynamic diversity is driving everything from politics to job creation (14:25)
• Where Lexi and her firm are focused as tech hubs are created across the continent (15:08)
• Why she’s excited about the future of digital identity technology (20:11)
• The book (that’s not a book) on Lexi’s nightstand right now (25:01)
• The explosion of fraud that’s happening as a result of AI — and the opportunity it presents for enterprising entrepreneurs in emerging markets (26:10)

Steve Biko has led an interesting life. From his childhood in Kenya to moving to the U.S. when he was 16, studying aviation, becoming a licensed pilot, and moving back to Africa to help launch M-PESA, a pioneering collaboration of telecommunication and banking sectors in East Africa, Steve has always been ahead of the curve. 

Today, Steve is the Co-Founder and CEO of Zanifu, a financial platform for MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) that struggle to access financing due to limited collateral, their size, and the absence of formal credit history. During our conversation, Steve offers insights into how Zanifu is uniquely solving for filling this critical financial gap. Tune in and get inspired!

• How Steve’s career began in aviation before moving back to his native Kenya and stumbling into entrepreneurship via M-PESA, a pioneering mobile money tech startup (3:07)
• How the African government played a major role in the launch of M-PESA, which changed how many Africans accessed banking and technology (6:51)
• How Steve’s company Zanifu is solving the traditional lack of access to credit for small businesses and allowing them to grow sustainably (12:11)
• The unique parameters Zanifu has in place to lower the risk of offering loans to MSMEs that traditional banks overlook (14:32)
• Why reading tech news makes him anxious and what he does instead to stay focused (28:16)
• His no-nonsense advice to anyone looking to start their own business (28:56)
• Steve’s leadership style and why trust is essential to a team’s success (29:48)
• The lasting mark he hopes Zanifu leaves on the world (30:25)

Maxine Trowbridge expertly and elegantly links the world of contemporary art, fashion, and high-quality editorial content to concoct a compelling brand identity in Eve & Max, a conscious women's luxury ready-to-wear label designed with the ethos that style should be ethical, sustainable, artful, and beautiful.

British born and Dallas based, Max dropped by the studio to discuss the sometimes circuitous routes careers take, marrying philanthropy with profit, and so many more deeply rooted topics. Tune in for such grab-a-notebook takeaways as:   

• How taking a long hard look at what you’re good at and what you actually enjoy can lead you to a fulfilling career (4:47)
• What it means to lead a conscious fashion brand — including the evolving definition of slow fashion and being more mindful about creating a truly curated closet (5:23)
• How Eve & Max is championing the work of contemporary artists in intentional fashion collabs (7:04)
• Why small changes are the key to long-lasting shifts in building a more conscious and sustainable way of life (15:15)
• The undeniable pleasure of a high-end hoodie (hint: it helps that it’s constructed of silk) (18:19)
• The challenges and triumphs of sourcing sustainable fabrics (19:40)
• Identifying your leadership style and making it work for you and your team as an entrepreneur (21:42)
• Why trends are not her thing (26:17)
• The advice she’d give her younger self (27:12)