WHERE’S THE FUNDING?

John Kavyavu is a Senior Small Business Loan officer and Director of Small Business Lending at Life Asset Inc. a non-profit organization that provides affordable financial services and education to micro and small entrepreneurs in the DC Metropolitan Area. At Life Asset John is responsible for providing outreach to African and Caribbean entrepreneurs who might benefit from Life Asset services, Lending Program Readiness training, and planning and executing a needs-based technical assistance program for the African and Caribbeans portfolio. John is also the CEO and Co-Founder of Pro-Microfinance International, a Maryland-based nonprofit organization that provides Technical Assistance and financial services to local entrepreneurs in DR Congo where he is from. John also serves as Executive Director of Mavuno a non-profit organization with the mission to eradicate extreme poverty in rural areas of Eastern DR Congo (where he is from) through entrepreneurship.

Key interview highlights:

- Microfinance is needed in America and other developed countries for underserved communities - Microfinance helps to reintegrate felons into economic life as entrepreneurs when they struggle to find formal employment

- The importance of proper business record keeping. COVID and the PPP process revealed to many small business owners the importance of proper record keeping to qualify for COVID relief support.

Guest contact info/social media: You can find John on LinkedIn if you would like to connect.

Thanks for joining us for another episode of the WTF podcast.

If you would like to be a guest or sponsor the podcast, please contact us at [email protected].

Where to find us: Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Help us grow: Please subscribe, stream or download, leave a rating or review and share your favorite episodes with family, friends, and colleagues.

Social Media: Follow the WTF podcast on Instagram. Follow me on LinkedIn Michelle J. McKenzie. Join us for the next episode.--- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

https://anchor.fm/app

Evelyn Lewis is the CEO of SBTS (Sierra Business Technology Systems) Group Inc., a global technology firm that helps governments understand and coordinate attention to economic organizational, technological innovation, and integrated enterprise. Evelyn talks about how his childhood curiosity with computers and technology led to the creation of the SBTS Group of companies to make an impact on people's lives, especially in Sierra Leone where he is from. He chronicles how he started and grew his business and how he got into youth training and creating job opportunities for youth, not just in Sierra Leone but also in other countries on the African continent. Some of his most important work was with using technology for contact tracing to help manage and defeat the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Sierra Leone between 2013 - 2016 that killed 11,323 people. The SBTS Group developed the Health Outbreak Manager (HOM) software which consists of an app and a comprehensive suite of tools that help collect and manage data for users for EVD responders and have been updated for use with COVID-19 responders. To connect with Evelyn, you can find him on LinkedIn.--- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

https://anchor.fm/app

Samuel Suraphel is an entrepreneur, global program manager and technology specialist. Since 2014, he has led Mansa Colabs, a company that supports the growth of early-stage companies and non-profit projects in both North America and Africa with A strong focus is also placed on entrepreneurship ecosystem building, particularly for African Diaspora businesses, and the promotion of the Creative Sector as a source for entrepreneurial and employment opportunities.--- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Seun Shokunbi is Brooklyn raised, Nigerian bred and seeks to connect her diaspora community with their native roots to spark a generational revolution in Africa. Her work with Karfi, a consulting and leadership development firm, and its charitable arm the Karfi Foundation, tackles the issue of untapped talent among youth and the most marginalized communities in Africa. She strongly believes that democratizing the entrepreneurial space is vital to Africas economic development. That means empowering any and all, regardless of wealth, status or geography, with the resources and tools needed to lead and succeed. --- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

**Pardon the audio issues!

CEO of Naasakle International Naa-Sakle Akuete has an MBA from Harvard, but the best business professor she has ever had is her mother, Eugenia, Founder of Mother Shea and Chairwoman of Naa-Sakle International. Episode 13 of the WTF podcast featured the inspiring and resilient Eugenia Akuete, Naa-Sakles mother who started with a family business with $30 dollars and a lot of determination and conviction to help improve the lives of women in Northern Ghanas shea belt. Naa-Sakle joined the family business in 2014 when she established Naa-Sakle International to help her mother who had just defeated breast cancer and was then struck by meningitis and was in a coma for a number of weeks.

While her mother was in recovery, Naa-Sakle took reign of the business as it was, which focus mainly on the production of bulk shea with a business to a business approach started two finished product lines, Mothers Shea, a mass-market line available in over 900 Target stores and Eugenia Shea available in more up-scale clean beauty stores such as Detox Market, Credo Beauty, Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie. Naa-Sakle brought a new vision to the business and embarked on fundraising to support that vision. One of the most important things that Naa-Sakle learned when she joined the family business was that entrepreneurship cannot be taught in school. You learn it on the job! There was a lot she had to learn that her Harvard MBA did not prepare her for. Social Impact Funders: Rudolf Steiner Foundation (RSF Social Finance) MCE Social Capital (MCE Socap) The Palladium Group (Impact Investing) Vested World (Vested World Venture Capital Fund) IMP Key

Take-Aways:

Funding isnt everything sometimes businesses need investors who can help open doors and provide thought-leadership and business development growth.

You have to get comfortable asking for help when you are trying to grow a business. Your networks can help to introduce you to opportunities in their networks.

Networking is about relationship building and not just coming in cold for an ask without relationship building.

Tertiary relationships or the power of weak ties can be very valuable. More opportunities might come from your tertiary network than from your primary network, i.e. people who you network know who can introduce you to other people who can help you.

Subscribe, like, rate, review, and share your favorite episodes to grow the WTF listener community.

If you like the content of the WTF podcast, let us know and reach out to share your thoughts or pitch guests and show ideas at [email protected] This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

https://anchor.fm/app

Eugenia Akuete is the true definition of a survivor. Queue Destinys Child Im a survivor, Im gonna make it, Im a survivor, I keep on surviving She is also an avid advocate for women who is staunchly committed to fighting against gender bias and unjust inheritance laws, education, and all of the other barriers in Ghana and other parts of Africa that prevent women from the pursuit of their full potential. Eugenia is the founder of Mothers Shea and Chairwoman of Naasakle International. She has been a force in the shea butter industry since 2000 when she founded the initial business Naasakle Ltd to help her aged and ailing mother and empower herself after a divorce that left her with very little in assets and $30 which she called her war chest. She used this money to buy a calabash of shea butter in the market to package and resell togenerate income.Mothers Shea products are found in Target stores in Anthropology and Urban Outfitters, Costco and Macys online, and clean beauty stores like Credo Beauty and Detox Market. Despite many challenges over the years, Eugenia did not give up because her purpose is far bigger than her. She is trying to create change in an entire value chain which is considered liquid gold for poor rural women in Ghana and other African countries across the continent where shea trees are found. Sources of financing mentioned in the podcast:- $30 self-financing- Investing initial profits back into the business- $100,000 USADF grant- Ecobank small business loanYou can follow EuGenia Shea and Mothers Shea on Instagram and Facebook. Mothers Shea products can be found at Target in over 900 stores and Target online. EuGenia Shea products can be found at their website and in retailers such as Credo Beauty, Macys, Anthropology ad Urban Outfitters, and Costco online.--- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This episode features Nichelle McCall-Brown, a startup strategist and venture-backed Tech Entrepreneur who makes up the .02% of black women founders in tech to raise venture capital. Entrepreneurship: I started my career in the non-profit sector and I never knew that I would become an entrepreneur let alone in tech. After graduating from school, I found myself unemployed and decided that I would never leave my financial future in the hands of anyone else. Nichelles original business was a consulting practice and it took her a year before she got her first contract. She decided to shift and connect with a mentor who had experience starting, scaling and selling several software companies who taught her how to start a company that was worth investing in and could actually make money. Nichelle then started Bold Guidance, a software company to help students navigate the college application process on their mobile devices. That mentorship enabled her to understand her right paying customer and how to create a solution that is addressing the customers main challenges. Seeking Funding: Nichelle scoured both coasts of the country looking for funding by attending conferences and events that had pitching competitions such as Essence Festival and South by Southwest (SXSW) to connect to investors. These events were also great for networking with other entrepreneurs for brain share around how to seek out investment and sharing. She found her initial funding in Ohio from the accelerator program and funding for early-stage tech entrepreneurs managed by a non-profit in Ohio with funds from Ohio State.

Key Take-Aways:

How to connect with Nichelle: Website: http://nichellemccall.com/ Email: [email protected] Social media: LinkedIn: Nichelle McCall-Browne Instagram: @Nichelle_McCall Twitter: @Nichelle_McCall

Come back to check out new episodes released every two weeks on Wednesdays.

If you like this content go to Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and hit the subscribe button and stream or download your favorite episodes.

Dont forget to leave a rating and review to get the podcast more listeners and spread its impact.--- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

Shirley Billot is the founder of the organic beauty brand Kadalys. Shirley is a global expert in banana science who founded Kadalys in 2012. Kadalys specializes in upcycling and eco-extraction of the banana plant to develop 100% natural bio-active ingredients generated by bananas from Martinique and Guadeloupe in the French Caribbean using an eco-responsible approach. Kadalys is the first natural cosmetic brand made with banana tree antioxidants.

The banana plant holds a special place in the traditional medicine of the French Caribbean islands where it is used for its soothing, healing, and revitalizing cosmetics properties. The Kadalys brand won 8 beauty awards in 2 years. Shirly makes sure that she looks out for her entrepreneur community in the French overseas department to work together during the COVID crisis and produce hand sanitizers for distribution to the French overseas departments. Shirley talks about where she found funding for the research component of her business (she holds several patents for her banana research, go girl!) and support to grow the business.

The banana producers in the Kadalys supply chain are also shareholders in the business. Not only is Shirley breaking ground in her banana science research and eco-conscious production, but she is also exhibiting a business model that takes care of its supply chain and views them as business partners in what she calls benevolent capitalism. Shirley faced some challenges finding funding after the early-stage funding for banana science research.

According to her, the French Caribbean Island of Martinique is seen as a tourist destination and not an entrepreneurship hub. Therefore, there are few funds interested in funding entrepreneurs on the Island. She was however fortunate to receive investment from Josh Game with Junction Injunction dedicated to supporting African women entrepreneurs. Additional funding came from a LOreal entrepreneurship program Her products are coming to US stores soon so keep your eyes out for more news from Kadalys and make sure you pick up some products when they drop in US stores.

You can purchase Kadalys products now online at https://www.kadalys.com/en/ and a shop on Amazon is coming soon. Social media: follow Kadalys on Instagram and Facebook. Shirley can be found on LinkedIn where there is also a Kadalys company page.

Rate, review, subscribe and come back for more. We would also love to hear from you.

Drop us an email at [email protected] and tell us what you like about the show and what topics you want us to explore as it relates to funding for black entrepreneurs and particularly black women entrepreneurs.--- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

https://anchor.fm/app

In this solo episode we talk about so much that was on our minds covering a range of topics namely: What should global funding, finance and support look like to address COVID shocks? Will remittances be enough?The McKinsey Report Worldwide, estimate that government deficits could reach $30 trillion by 2023.What can the world learn from a global pandemic? Is there a golden goose amid all these black swans?Racial injustice in the US and its impact globally? Personal experiences of being black in America?What can/should Africans on the continent do to amplify the strugglesImpact investing, bias and the need for local angel and VC investor networks?The Buy Black/African movement and how individuals can support SME entrepreneurs around the world but thinking thoughtfully about where they spend their dollars?--- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Mabinty's career took her from public affairs to international development engagements at the World Bank and GIIN looking at how best to leverage private sector financing to address societal challenges. These experiences led her to Nairobi, motivated by a need to shift gears to create development approaches and solutions that use finance more effectively. Wakiuru worked in the NGO sector but yearned for work with a core emphasis on sustainability and impact. After developing expertise in finance during a stint at the Nest Collective - Wakiurus expertise in finance prompted analysis work on the creative sector which led to her joining HEVA - the continents first investment fund focused on creative enterprises in 2014. Wakiuru and Mabinty, fueled by the same passion to invest in young women in the continent, started LIVE Africa in 2019 to address the gap and opportunity they saw in the sector. Legacy Impact Venture Enterprise Africa (LIVE Africa) is an impact investing company providing Impact Measurement and Management (IMM) services and working to drive capital to African, women-led businesses and gender-balanced teams. The company through expertise in health, education, the arts/creative economy, agribusiness, and technology shapes our practice and investment strategy and offers a combination of skills, including data analysis, research, training on IMM, and impact assessments. In the episode, Wakuiru talked about investor reticence around a financial commitment to creative sectors and talked about the critical need for a less traditional investment ethos around investment and more emphasis on technical assistance and capacity building, highlighting the snowball effect of these inventions in growing and scaling the creative art sector. Wakiuru also highlighted the correlation of womens participation at all business levels with company development and growth.Part 2 of this interview will be released on June 24 so come back to hear the rest of what Mabinty and Wakiuru have to say. Don't forget to listen, subscribe, rate, and review. Contact us at [email protected] and let us know what you think of the show, propose questions or suggestions for topics to cover on future episodes.--- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app