Third Culture Africans

In this episode, Zeze interviews Chi-chi Ekweozor, a social media marketer, software engineer, and the founder of Assenty. Chi-chi talks about the very beginnings of social media and how she founded her company. Also, Zeze and Chi-Chi dive deep into why it is so important to consider representation from many different angles.

Chi-chi Ekweozor understood the potential of social media well before others did. This allowed her to acquire a unique set of skills that led her to advise large companies and create her own business early on. As she identified challenges and problems in the process of building communities and promoting interactions, she decided to create solutions for this. Eventually, Chi-chi became a very successful business owner.

In this episode, Chi-chi and Zeze talk about the representation of Black women in tech and the many aspects that can influence this. Chi-chi remarks on the importance of pursuing your ideas and being brave enough to try and reach out, connecting with others, and seizing opportunities. Chi-chi had to traverse a fascinating path that led her to see how the internet and social media have changed the world. making the most of it at every turn.

Chi-chi Ekweozor is a Nigerian social media marketer, front-end developer, software engineer, and the founder of Assenty, a platform that allows event organizers to interact live with their audiences. She has been working in the tech industry for the past 15 years and she was a pioneer in the world of social media marketing and tech communities.

Highlights of the episode:

• Chi-Chi's career in engineering and her to focus on tech.
• How she had to adapt and develop the skills set to thrive.
• A career as an independent musician and podcaster before podcasts became popular.
• How Chi-chi became a social media expert before social media was a thing worldwide. 
• The realization that there was true potential in the interactions between attendees and conference organizers and the birth of Assenty. 
• The importance of creativity in the world of tech and how it allows for the creation of a self-sustainable business.
• Female and African representation in tech at different levels of the industry.
• The impact of generational wealth and experience on the success of entrepreneurs. 
• Knowing the timing and making the most of societal changes as keys to make a business or an idea grow. 

Mentioned Resources

• Third Culture Africans
• Malée
• Assenty

In this episode, Zeze interviews Lwazi Wali, a South African investor, entrepreneur, and the founder of H(er)Q. Lwazi talks about the current situation for new businesses and startups in Africa, the barriers faced by women, and the tools that can be used to break these barriers and create our space in the African business world.

Lwazi Wali knows more than most about the many barriers faced by entrepreneurial women in the African continent. As an investor involved in venture capital, she has seen the numbers that show that, while startups and investing are growing in Africa, women continue to face considerable barriers to get funding. They are creating the majority of new businesses, but they lack the funding to scale them and make them grow.

In this episode, Lwazi goes in-depth into the barriers that are holding Black African women back and how we can help make a significant and long-lasting change. She remarks on the importance of uniting as women and creating our own table where we can create opportunities to have access to the necessary funds. Lwazi also provides practical advice on how to present a new product or idea for funding, and how to change the paradigms and societal preconceptions that limit women to this day.

Lwazi Wali is a South African fundraiser, investor, an Obama Leader in Africa. Lwazi came back to Africa after studying and living in the US with the goal of helping in the development of venture capital infrastructure in the continent. She is the founder of H(er)Q, a community for women of color that are interested in building a community by and for entrepreneurial women.

Highlights of the episode:

• Lwazi Wali’s perspective on the current state of venture capitalism in the African continent.
• The approach to fintech in Africa.
• How the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to further develop the digital infrastructure.
• Lwazi’s decision to go into venture capitalism in Africa.
• Impacting society in a positive way.
• The gender differences seen worldwide.
• While women are starting businesses at a faster rate than men, they are not scaling them.
• The importance of rethinking and creating systems of capital that support women’s businesses by creating funds led by women.
• African entrepreneurs often look for investors from the West as local investors tend to be more risk-averse.
• The three things an entrepreneur needs to be able to provide when looking for funding.
• The first doors to knock on to be able to raise funding for a business include accelerators and incubators.
• The far-reaching impact of teaching girls about their potential and possibility to have key roles in the business world.

Mentioned Resources

• Third Culture Africans
• Malée
• Founders Factory
• Lwazi Wali

In this episode, Zeze interviews Vamba Sherif, a Liberian best-selling author, essayist, motivational speaker, and activist. Vamba shares his story of survival after the Liberian civil war and the Gulf War. Listen to the episode and learn how these experiences led him to become a thriving novelist and storyteller.

Vamba Sherif was living in Kuwait when the civil war started in Liberia, his home country. As he felt the pain of what was taking place back home, he found himself in the middle of the Gulf War, seeing horrors that he is unlikely to forget. This led him to become a refugee and an exile, and he remembers his time in a refugee camp between Jordan and Iraq as one of the worst ones of his life.

However, Vamba managed to not only survive but thrive once he made a home in Holland. Thanks to his affinity for languages, he was able to learn Dutch, study, and make a life for himself. Writing stories about pre-war Liberia became his coping mechanism, which helped him preserve his mental health and led him on a successful path as a writer. In this episode, Vamba shares his inspiring story, filled with family love, his admiration for women, and the will to keep growing, embracing and sharing African stories.

Vamba Sherif is a Liberian best-selling author, film critic, activist, motivational speaker, essayist, and occasional actor who found himself stuck between two countries during the Liberian civil war and the Gulf War. This led him on a journey of survival, traversing through different countries before finding a home in Holland. He shares his personal experiences through his novels and memoirs, and he also focuses on  showing the history of Liberia before the war.

Highlights of the episode:

• 04:54: Vamba Sherif shares what his life was like before the devastating Liberian civil war took place.
• 07:47: Vamba found himself stranded between two wars, the Liberian civil war back at home and the Gulf War in Kuwait, where he resided at the time. 
• 09:56: The return of Liberian slaves from the US to Liberia.
• 12:37: The chaos experienced in Kuwait during the Gulf War, and how Vamba was able to smuggle himself out of the country.
• 15:42: The strength demonstrated by Arab women fighting during the occupation of Kuwait.
• 20:10: The sense of hopelessness experienced at a refugee camp between Iraq and Jordan and the feeling that there was no longer a future.
• 26:02: Returning to the stories of Liberia before the war and showing the good things about the country served Vamba as a survival technique. 
• 32:55: Being a writer can be a privilege that allows them to ascend and embrace all the stories they tell. 
• 37:10: How his mother and grandmother influence the characteristics of the strong women that appear in Vamba’s stories. 
• 40:09: The huge impact being loved had on Vamba’s life and how he wanted to put that into words through an emotional journey that led to him writing his memoirs.  

Mentioned Resources

• Third Culture Africans
• Malée
• Vamba Sherif

In this episode, Zeze interviews Zukiswa Wanner, an award-winning South African author and humanitarian. She has published fiction novels, co-authored Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, and started her own publishing house to help bring African literature to the forefront in the African continent.

Zukiswa Wanner believes in changing how African literature is seen and embraced in Africa. She writes not for the European or American masses, but for her fellow Africans. Seeing how the African publishing houses often prioritize foreign markets over their own, she decided to start her own publishing company, as part of her drive to change the self-oppression that has been imposed on African literature.

Zukiswa also discusses the importance of bringing literature to children, providing them with the opportunity to learn and thrive in the world. She also remarks on how accomplished Black African women are often seen as aggressive when they pursue their careers and are good at what they do. Zukiswa highlights the importance of women not second-guessing themselves and becoming part of this narrative.

Zukiswa Wanner is a Zimbabwan and South African author, co-author of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, a humanitarian, and a recipient of the Commonwealth’s Writer Prize. She has also started her own publishing house, with the goal of distributing African books in the continent, including both adult and children books.

Highlights of the episode:

• 04:16: Zukiswa Wanner’s journey to becoming the co-author of Nelson’s Mandela autobiography in only 4 years.
• 10:58: Zukiswa’s love for literature never led her to think she could be a fiction writer. 
• 14:15: The debate about being seen as an African writer in Africa.
• 17:59: Writing for the African community and how resonating with Africans is especially valuable for Zukiswa. 
• 20:45: Zukiswa’s transition from author to publisher and editor.  
• 25:39: Building bridges across the African continent through different events and literary initiatives.
• 27:15: The reasons why Zukiswa asks the question “do I make you uncomfortable” in the context of being a black African woman.
• 30:16: Why African women often feel like they need to shrink. 
• 32:27: The need for platforms in which African women can talk without having to be a representative of the entire collective. 
• 34:13: Zukiswa’s passion for helping children have access to learning resources and developing their critical thinking skills.

Mentioned Resources

• Third Culture Africans
• Malée
• Zukiswa Wanner
• Nelson Mandela on the Run

Aminatta Forna was raised to be a fighter. As a triple minority, she knew from a young age that she would be great, but she would need to work very hard to get what she wanted. This led her to develop an inquisitive and astute mind that questions the things everyone takes for granted. As a writer, she has explored and shared her grief as well as the concept of identity and she talks about the importance of telling ourselves the right narrative.

Aminatta has lived a life of change, being born in Scotland and raised between Sierra Leone and other countries. She went back to Sierra Leone before the war ended and was able to bring change into a community with assertive and empowering interventions. She talks about the impact words can have on people, why she thinks appropriation can cause great damage to the literary and arts world, and why the elevation of victimhood does nothing for actual progress. 

Aminatta Forna is a British-Sierra Leonean formidable writer, humanitarian, professor, and thinker who has won numerous awards, including the Windham Campbell Award from Yale University. She has published four novels and a memoir, which have been translated into twenty two different languages. 

Highlights of the episode:

• 01:53: Aminatta Forna discusses the relevance and currency of her BBC documentary The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu. 
• 04:57:How Aminatta forged her identity.
• 10:06: The common and constant rebranding of identities to fit in with the rest of the world.
• 14:00: The American narrative and how it illustrates the many perspectives that can exist regarding one event or fact. 
• 17:20: The everlasting nature of grief and how while it gets better it never disappears.
• 21:10: Aminatta’s experience as part of the diaspora.
• 25:50: How Sierra Leone has survived through the ages and how the forests have been a sacred place of protection.
• 30:32: Growing up as a triple minority and being brought up to be ready to fight for what she wanted. 
• 36:28: The drive that comes from having something different to say and the will to share it not with a minority but with the majority of people. 
• 42:13: American academia and what Aminatta’s experience as part of this world has been.
• 44:26: Writing and reading as a one-on-one experience that deeply touches people when they look for a certain kind of answer.
• 51:02: Elevating victimhood has become a common narrative that leads to the creation of tokens.

Mentioned Resources

• Third Culture Africans
• Malée
• The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu
• Aminatta Forna
• The Window Seat

Helon Habila believes in hard work, perseverance, and believing in himself and his capabilities. His motivation to be a great writer led him to defy the wishes of his parents and to challenge the negative beliefs of some of his fellow authors. He always believed his dream was possible, even if he didn’t realize how big that dream could be and the reach it would have. Helon was willing to make big sacrifices in pursuit of his writing career, including leaving Nigeria, a country that was suffering from the consequences of a totalitarian military regime.

Despite having won awards for his work, Helon maintains a humble attitude. He recognizes that he has had a lot of luck, which he could only leverage thanks to his preparation. Helon’s determination is a big part of what allowed him to become a published author by Penguin, one of the world’s top publishing houses. His advice to writers is to own their voice by understanding their culture and where they come from. Only then will they be able to see where they can innovate and how they can make their impact on the world.

Helon Habila is a Nigerian writer, poet, literary, and pioneer when it comes to African literature. He is an award-winning author, having earned prestigious recognitions such as the National Poetry Award and the Caine Prize. He has also been nominated for numerous other awards. Helon is currently a professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and he is in the process of writing his next novel, tentatively titled The Fortress.

Highlights of the episode:

• 02:17: Helon Habila’s journey to literature after trying to meet parental expectations by studying engineering. 
• 06:57: How Helon had to hide his decision to become a writer for fear of being misunderstood.
• 11:06: Helon’s start in the writing industry as a struggling romance story writer. 
• 14:14: The “I made it” moment that encouraged Helon to keep writing. 
• 16:40: The hardships faced by the publishing industry.  
• 21:25: Helon’s decision to enter his work into a contest posing as a publisher
• 23:50: The experience of being part of a community that believed in making cultural changes in Nigeria. 
• 25:05: The need to leave the country to be able to write due to the anti-culture atmosphere in Nigeria.
• 29:23: Visualizing success and believing in the quality of his work helped Helon get where he wanted to be. 
• 31:43: The need for a new model that allowed African writers to be published. 
• 36:34: What it means to own your voice.
• 40:14: The process of reinventing yourself and adapting after arriving in a new country and how this can impact creativity.

Mentioned Resources

• Third Culture Africans
• Malée
• Helon Habila

Chuma Nwokolo became an advocate for others from his early years. During his first years working as a lawyer, he created a legal aid group with the goal of providing information to the public in an accessible way. His interactions with others only grew from there, including his constant interactions with his readers, his efforts to bring people closer to culture and literature, as well as his campaigning against government corruption in Nigeria.

Chuma is a groundbreaking Nigerian writer, who believes great stories can change us, and he proposes that everyone is the owner of their narrative. He also believes in taking action to see the changes he wants in the world. This is why he founded BribeCode, a campaign that looks to empower individuals to fight government corruption in Nigeria. Chuma invites people to ask questions about governance and see beyond their daily needs. He encourages others to consider the needs of others and the needs of the country, as well as to take action to promote good governance.

Chuma Nwokolo is a writer, poet, lawyer, speaker, and an anti corruption advocate. He has been prolific in his work, with numerous books and short stories published since he was still in college. Chuma is a founder of the BribeCode, a campaign that looks to eliminate government corruption in Nigeria and promote good governance.

Highlights of the episode:

• 03:19: Chuma Nwokolo’s experience as an internally displaced person in Nigeria after the civil war.
• 07:01: The guilt seen in survivors from war and the fortitude needed to continue and create new lives for themselves. 
• 13:11: Chuma Nwokolo’s experience as a recently-graduated lawyer and how this led him to create a legal aid program.
• 16:24: Chuma’s role in encouraging the public to contribute literary pieces and poems at the Ashmolean Museum.
• 22:10: The need to thrive on conflict to be able to write in the thriller genre.
• 23:48: Corruption in the public sector in Nigeria as one of the biggest impediments to what the country can be. 
• 32:15: Everyone can dictate their narrative, which is something people don’t always realize.
• 36:22: Blogging can be a type of oral tradition in which there isn’t always a commitment to the long form.
• 40:47: The search for readers and platforms distracts writers from creating excellent work. 
• 43:49: Chumu’s decision to become a publisher and the impact this has had on his writing.
• 50:05: Campaigning for good government is in the best interest for everyone, even if not everyone realizes how it affects them. 
• 57:17: Asking the good questions about governance and transforming each citizen into an anti corruption worker through the Bribecode.

Mentioned Resources

• Third Culture Africans
• Malée
• Chuma Nwokolo
• BribeCode

Jacqueline-Bethel Mougoué is a feminist historian, assitant professor of African Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin, an author, and a speaker. She has focused most of her research on African feminisms and how gender norms and constructions influence the entire identity of a person. She also sits at the editorial board of the Journal of Women’s History and Feminist Africa. 

“Being a Black woman is being Black twice”. That is a phrase that sums up the reality of being a Black woman in this current world. Jacqueline-Bethel Mougoué has dedicated her work as an African Cultural Studies professor and researcher to understand the gender norms that shape the identities of African people as well as the different feminisms that have emerged in the continent.

Yes, feminisms, in plural. There are differences not only between how gender equality is seen in Africa and the US, but also inside the African continent. Through her research, Jacqueline-Bethel has found that there have been different ways in which African women have fought for gender equality. These range from loud and visible protests, to more subtle yet impactful actions at the highest political levels.

She also talks about finding her identity as a Cameroon-born girl who grew up in the United States. Embracing both sides of her required her to be authentic, and taking a look into the history of women around the world helped her accept herself and be proud of who she is. Even when she goes down the less-traveled path.

Highlights of the episode:

• 03:24: Jacqueline-Bethel Mougoué talks about cultural norms and values and how they influence what it means to be African in this current world.
• 05:08: The subtle way in which African women have expressed their political authority. 
• 09:11: The generational differences in African identity stemmed from changes in the experience of being Black in the US.
• 17:45: How being a resident instead of a citizen in the United States limited and shaped Jacqueline’s experiences. 
• 19:23: The impact of African events on Jacqueline’s love for African fabrics, patterns, and her interest in design.
• 23:33: Black women as a double minority and the obstacles faced by Black women within the Black community itself.
• 27:15: Gender norms shape the different types of feminisms. 
• 31:39: The differences in how African women express their political opinions according to their age as well as the roles they have in a country. 
• 35:10: The gap between researching feminism and gender values and the reality experienced in everyday life.
• 38:44: How the examples of other women and understanding the role of women in history have shaped Jacqueline’s concepts of self-acceptance and independence.
• 42:39: The drive to learn about African women’s history and the road that brought Jacqueline to this path.

Mentioned Resources

• Third Culture Africans
• Malée
• Jacqueline-Bethel Mougoué

In this episode, Zeze interviews Armando Cabral, one of the most famous male supermodels in the world. Listen as they go over the importance of knowing yourself, his journey from model to entrepreneur, and the struggles and successes that brought him to where he is today.

Armando Cabral is one of the most famous male supermodels. He is originally from Guinea-Bissau and he was raised in Portugal, making New York his home later on. Armando ranked among the 20 most influential male models on Earth and he’s in the top 100 most influential people in the world. He decided to become an entrepreneur and now runs an extremely successful fashion company.

Being one of the first in an industry is not an easy achievement. Armando Cabral managed to position himself as one of the best black models in the world during a time in which no one was looking for black male models at all. This wasn’t an easy process. Armando had to make use of all of his tenacity and determination to get that first foot in the door, which came with spectacular success and opened the industry to more black African male models.

Knowing himself, what he was capable of, and believing in himself are the things that allowed Armando to keep pushing and face countless “no” before he got a “yes”. Where most people would have given up, he insisted and did everything he needed to do to improve his chances. Along the road, he has been able to build a successful business as a fashion designer and entrepreneur, and is now known as a style trendsetter.

Armando also opens up about the challenges he faced when he transitioned from modeling to entrepreneurship. He expands on how difficult it is to juggle both his professional obligations and setting aside the time to enjoy his family life. Plus, Armando talks about his drive to contribute something to the world by bringing African fashion to the forefront and helping others who want to be a part of this world.

Highlights of the episode:

• 04:22: Armando Cabral opens up about being a citizen of the world and the journey that brought him to where he is today. 
• 08:39: The difficult process of becoming a model and the power of being determined and not taking “no” for an answer.
• 15:22: The importance of believing in yourself and pushing towards the goal you want.
• 19:30: The change in the concepts associated to male modeling and making a career from that.
• 23:50: The importance of not defining himself according to what he did for a living, his success, or any titles Armando has received.
• 30:05: Armando’s drive to do more and contribute to society beyond his modeling job. 
• 35:30: The necessity of doing a lot more as an African person in order to prove our worth and the struggles that come with it. 
• 37:31: The difficulties Armando faced when he was transitioning from being a model to becoming an entrepreneur.
• 38:58: The challenges of balancing family life and entrepreneurship.
• 43:47: Armando’s role as a mentor and his involvement in passing on the message and the knowledge he has earned during his career.

Mentioned Resources

• Third Culture Africans
• Malée
• @armando_cabral
• Armando Cabral Website

Ifeyinwa Frederick is a writer and entrepreneur and she and her brother Emeka are the founders of Chuku’s, a Nigerian restaurant in London. They were motivated by the lack of Nigerian cuisine in the area where they grew up between East London and Essex and the desire to share their culture with others. Ifeyinwa has been listed as one of Forbes’ Top 100 Female Founders in Europe and one of the 15 Most Exciting Food and Drink Entrepreneurs in the UK.

Not knowing how to do something often stops people from living their dreams and bringing their ideas to reality. For Ifeyinwa Frederick it meant a new learning opportunity and a motivation to understand how to do new things. This approach was what helped her and her brother Emeka to start a Nigerian restaurant despite having zero hospitality experience. Playing to their strengths and allowing their creativity to thrive was instrumental to their success.

The overall goal of Chuku’s is to share Nigerian culture and bring people together over Nigerian dishes. They placed a different twist on it by making sure the dishes were easily shared in the shape of Nigerian tapas, allowing people to try things from different areas of Nigeria and get a true introduction to its cuisine. Ifeyinwa opens up about the process of doing this and the strategies she and her brother used to build a community before they had a permanent physical address for Chuku’s and staying in business during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

However, hard work comes with huge challenges and for Ifeyinwa this led to burnout syndrome, which had a huge impact on her life and her way to do things. She realized she was prioritizing success over her mental and physical health. Ifeyinwa understood that the way she was doing things was unsustainable and this has led her to be very vocal about burnout and bringing awareness on this subject. She is also a big advocate for therapy and finding a way to prioritize the truly important things, including your well-being.

Highlights of the episode:

• 01:59: Ifeyinwa Frederick explains why it is important for her to be introduced as Ifeyinwa instead of her nickname Iffy and the cultural implications her Nigerian first name and English last name have for her.
• 07:05: The lack of Nigerian food options in Essex as part of the inspiration for creating Chuku’s, a restaurant that specializes in these dishes and that has become a way to share Nigerian culture with others.
• 10:56: Making Chuku’s a place where sharing is easier and a wider range of flavors can be tasted by people who don’t know the cuisine. 
• 21:56: Unlearning that academic successes are a whole identity and that a person is more than their achievements and the work they do.
• 25:05: University teaches more than the context of the course. One of the things Ifeyinwa learned was how to do things she had no idea how to do. It also allowed her to become used to being uncomfortable and innovating from that position. 
• 30:53: The advantage of having built a community independent of a physical restaurant and the strategies used to make sure Chuku’s could continue thriving and sharing Nigerian culture with others during the lockdowns. 
• 41:50: Burnout has become normalized and the value of an individual is often measured by how much they work and what they achieve. Ifeyinwa has faced burnout and realized that success at the cost of herself is not the way to go and she has become a big advocate for therapy and work-life balance.
• 44:12: When it comes to burnout, the rush to get all the things, do everything, and be successful can become a priority at the cost of the person. This often leads to a point in which success is not enjoyable anymore and burnout takes over.

Mentioned Resources

• Third Culture Africans
• Malée
• Chuku’s
• @ifey_frederick
• @chukusldn
• Meditations