WHERE’S THE FUNDING?

By WTF (Where Is The Funding?!) PodcastBusiness Entrepreneurship

WHERE’S THE FUNDING? episodes

April 18, 2021From Vegan Restaurant Owner to Nigeria's First Plant-Based Food Tech Company with Hakeem Jimo S2 Ep.6
Hakeem Jimo is a Vegan entrepreneur who co-founded VeggieVictory together with Bola Adeyanju - Nigeria's pioneer plant-based restaurant turned food company. VeggieVictory started in 2013 as a restaurant, before introducing VegChunks, the first commercially produced meat substitute in Nigeria, which emanated from the urge to provide for vegan needs, and now available in QSR in Nigeria and many other stores nationwide. VegChunks is a food option for people prone to non-communicable diseases, those looking for more affordable protein sources, and of course lifestyle changes.
In 2013 it started as Nigeria's first plant-based restaurant and is now the country's first mover plant-based food tech company. Hakeem has a Nigerian-German background and was a communication professional before VeggieVictory.
Key interview highlights:
Entrepreneurship is a process that may not yield exponential results until after two years or more. The early stage is a period to network, invest energy, organic funds, and time to build the business and create traction.
Organic funding (self-investment or investment from family or friends and then funds from business cash flow) at the start-up stage is important before pursuing external funding from investors.
Investors often expect a founder to be 100% dedicated to their venture when seeking external funding. Investors want to feel confident that the founder is fully vested and dedicated to the success of the venture.
Fundraising is a journey that requires getting trained to become investment-ready. Look for training or accelerators/incubators to get the skills needed to pursue angel, venture capital, or private equity funding.
Grants are an alternative but be mindful because you cannot build a business on grants alone.
Angel investors are easier to work with compared to development institutions, and venture capitalists. Angels offer small ticket sizes that give the right-size funding needed by some SMEs to evolve.
Angel investment can convince other investors to invest in your business faster than if you have only been funded by grants.
Social Media: @veggievictory.com @vegchuncks.africa @Africavegannigeria
Thanks for joining us for another episode of the WTF (Africa Edition) podcast.
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51 min
April 18, 2021Fund Manager Turned Entrepreneur Scaled a Beauty Business + Is Raising an Art Fund for Artists with Freda Isingoma S2 Ep.5
Freda Isingoma is the founder of Eye Candy Brow and Lash Bar and the founder and CEO of KIISA, LLC. Freda is an entrepreneur and ex-investment banking professional who has worked in multinational and leading investment institutions in London, New York, and Cape Town. She has experience in establishing successful business initiatives as well as managing investment funds. This includes her role as a venture capitalist for an award-winning team at Close Brothers Group (UK) and an African Investment consultant at Nile Capital Management based in New York.
Key interview highlights:
There are more voices for SMEs in developed countries like the UK and the USA. There is an absence of mid-cap firms in the African capital market compared to more developed markets in the US and the UK. In most of Africa, there are either large-cap traditional family-owned businesses that have been around for generations or small-cap businesses often characterized by tiny companies and early-stage start-ups with very few mid-cap firms.
In addition to access to funding, technical assistance in developing executive teams and roots to market support is necessary to scale up micro-firms into mid-cap firms.
When starting a new entrepreneurship venture:
entrepreneurship does not require 100% certainty before venturing in;
become a scholar of your business and make sure that you believe in your idea;
make sure that you have enough runway (cash to pay your living expenses) for several months because your business might not be profitable right away and it might even take up to 5 yrs to reach break-even of profitability even if it is cash generative;
finding funding is not as swift as imagined, therefore build relationships and a network for support
prioritize your clients and suppliers to serve as brand ambassadors for your businesses--referral is vital for consistent growth of SMEs;
a capable executive team/leadership structure is necessary to build the business and drive the mission
Art is a valuable asset if more people understand the role that art can play in wealth-building as a viable alternative asset to cash and other forms of investments.
Guest contact info/social media: LinkedIn : @ Freda Isingoma Instagram : @Freda Isingoma
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
54 min
April 18, 2021 Private Equity Firm Is Going Against the Grain to Invest in African Countries Most Investors Avoid with Franklin Akunli Amoo S2 Ep.4
Franklin Olakunle Amoo is a co-founder and the Managing Partner of Baylis Emerging Markets. As an active investor in a number of operating companies across Africa, Franklin serves on the boards of several African companies. Prior to co-founding Baylis, Franklin helped lead the Strategic Credit Group the $1.8 trillion Mizuho Financial Group, where he helped establish the High Yield sales and trading, secondary loan trading, structured finance, and asset finance businesses. Franklin worked at Deutsche Bank, Bank of America, and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. A Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, Franklin holds a BA in Economics from Columbia University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Key interview highlights:
Raising funds takes time whether you are raising investment funds or you are an entrepreneur looking for investment. Make sure you have a long runway; having enough funds to survive and mobilize the business for the first few years cannot be overemphasized! Fundraising by fund investors can be as equally strenuous. It takes a lot of time and effort to raise funds whether you are raising funds as an investor or as a founder. Emerging Market Funds like Baylis are looking for alignment around values and understanding the companies that they include in their portfolios Africa's primary source of capital is still the Development Financial Institutions. The appetite for investing in Africa is low and unevenly targeted to a few countries, mostly the Anglophone countries with a dearth of investment opportunities for Francophone countries. Only about 10% of private-equity deals from African funds raised ever earn any carry or hit the hurdle rate of around 8% above the hurdle rate one of the reasons being poor alignment between investment funds and recipients of investment funds Guest contact info/social media: Connect with Franklin on LinkedIn
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
1 hr 5 min
April 18, 2021Business Advisor Shares Advice African Entrepreneurs Can Apply Immediately to Improve their Business Process and Results with Violet Nyondo S2 Ep.3
Violet Nyando is an Agricultural Innovation Expert with over 15 years of experience in Agribusiness Advisory Services and Agricultural Rural Innovations Studies with a particular interest in Youth Entrepreneurship, Governance, and Leadership of Agri-Enterprises. Her experience in Kenya and Eastern Africa and engagement with International Development Practitioners across the World have earned her a deeper understanding of the African Agricultural and Community Landscape.
Key interview highlights:
Many African business ideas fail not because they are not good but because they did not get sufficient support. Many African SMEs fail before the 3rd year because of insufficient interrogation of the business idea and the foundation that they were built on wasnt strong enough to last
Youth-led African businesses need better institutional support and business development services, in addition, to access to finance, technical assistance, skill-building, and good governance/management training
Access to finance is still a major challenge to growing good ideas into profitable businesses. In Kenya there are some Youth Entrepreneurship Funding Models that include:
Group lending
Government program-based funding (declared funds) that target youth
Cost-share funding models promoted by development partners (bundled with technical assistance) where partial funding is provided and bundled with technical assistance and mentoring
The entrepreneurship process needs to be demystified in terms of the timelines for business growth and profitability and the hard work that goes into creating a successful business.
The importance of prioritizing customers by creating a great customer experience. Customers are not only a form of funding but also the best advertising. Happy customers are the best advertisers and repeat customers are good for cash flow.
Connect with Violet on LinkedIn: Violet Nyando
Thanks for joining us for another episode of the WTF podcast.
We would love to hear your feedback on the show and how we could improve so please complete this short survey
Guest/sponsorship request: 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
1 hr 6 min
April 17, 2021 Where's The Funding?! (Trailer)
1 min
March 10, 2021 This Award-Winning Coach and Tech Founder Is on a Mission to Fund and Develop Wearable Tech Founders with LaKisha Greenwade S2. Ep. 2
LaKisha Greenwade is an award-winning Forbes Leadership Coach, Tech Founder of Wearable Tech Ventures, and Harvard University Guest Lecturer. Affectionately known as Coach L, LaKisha also teaches ambitious entrepreneurs, experienced professionals, senior and mid-level managers how to push past their self-imposed limits, unleash their innovative spirit, and design the life of their dreams. Order Rejection to Reward a book of transparent and winning strategies for founders & LEADERS facing resistance in any area of their lives now! Wearable Tech is an interchangeable device and sensor that can transmit data and provide an understanding of things and are referred to as IoT, which can be in form of watches, gloves, and bands, to track health and are used in mini corporations to ensure vehicles and employee's safety. The technological devices developed by wearable tech have been a tremendous factor in the navigation of the Covid-19 pandemic, they can measure temperature as well as distance among people.
Other wearable tech products include devices used by diabetic, kidney failure patients, and also hearing aids. Wearable Tech Ventures (WTV), is the official global ecosystem for Wearable Technology with the goal to develop and promote technological wearables and support 100staff by 2030. Basically, WTV is the main connector for expiring founders, current founders, investors, and corporations that can benefit to help the main industry. WTV features ICONPAN, an inclusive workshop, an avenue for tech and non-tech founders who come together to proffer solutions to everyday problems. Founders must have their stories together, be passionate about their businesses, recognize that they are their first investor, and build a successful track record, pitching, understanding essential principles such as executive summary, pitch tech as well as elevator pitch development before seeking external funds.
Unfortunately, people of color, especially females, are less privileged in raising substantial funds, unlike their counterparts. Therefore, Wearable Tech is reinventing the wheel by understanding the weak start of black female founders by creating a unique new generation team of Angels. Trained, certified, and licensed to score founder's ideas and allocate worthy funds between $500-$10,000. The WTV Angel Investment concept is a platform that allows 100 potential angel investors to help the ecosystem via the under-represented founders and gain knowledge as well, with a commitment of $1000 to WTV. It is important for investors to understand the risk associated with the route of funding they choose. To women in tech; You Are Enough. Be mentally prepared to face rejection with good fate, stay committed; Amidst all, allow yourself to recover and recoup when things get crammed up.
Connect with LaKisha Greenwade on all platforms @lakishagreenwade
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--- This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.
https://anchor.fm/app
36 min
March 10, 2021 This Award-Winning Coach and Tech Founder Is on a Mission to Fund and Develop Wearable Tech Founders with LaKisha Greenwade S2. Ep. 2
LaKisha Greenwade is an award-winning Forbes Leadership Coach, Tech Founder of Wearable Tech Ventures, and Harvard University Guest Lecturer. Affectionately known as “Coach L,” LaKisha also teaches ambitious entrepreneurs, experienced professionals, senior and mid-level managers how to push past their self-imposed limits, unleash their innovative spirit, and design the life of their dreams. Order Rejection to Reward a book of transparent and winning strategies for founders & LEADERS facing resistance in any area of their lives now! Wearable Tech is an interchangeable device and sensor that can transmit data and provide an understanding of things and are referred to as IoT, which can be in form of watches, gloves, and bands, to track health and are used in mini corporations to ensure vehicles and employee's safety. The technological devices developed by wearable tech have been a tremendous factor in the navigation of the Covid-19 pandemic, they can measure temperature as well as distance among people. Other wearable tech products include devices used by diabetic, kidney failure patients, and also hearing aids. Wearable Tech Ventures (WTV), is the official global ecosystem for Wearable Technology with the goal to develop and promote technological wearables and support 100staff by 2030. Basically, WTV is the main connector for expiring founders, current founders, investors, and corporations that can benefit to help the main industry. WTV features ICONPAN, an inclusive workshop, an avenue for tech and non-tech founders who come together to proffer solutions to everyday problems. Founders must have their stories together, be passionate about their businesses, recognize that they are their first investor, and build a successful track record, pitching, understanding essential principles such as executive summary, pitch tech as well as elevator pitch development before seeking external funds. Unfortunately, people of color, especially females, are less privileged in raising substantial funds, unlike their counterparts. Therefore, Wearable Tech is reinventing the wheel by understanding the weak start of black female founders by creating a unique new generation team of Angels. Trained, certified, and licensed to score founder's ideas and allocate worthy funds between $500-$10,000. The WTV Angel Investment concept is a platform that allows 100 potential angel investors to help the ecosystem via the under-represented founders and gain knowledge as well, with a commitment of $1000 to WTV. It is important for investors to understand the risk associated with the route of funding they choose. To women in tech; You Are Enough. Be mentally prepared to face rejection with good fate, stay committed; Amidst all, allow yourself to recover and recoup when things get crammed up. Connect with LaKisha Greenwade on all platforms @lakishagreenwade 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--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
36 min
January 13, 2021BAYI Capital Is on a Mission to Bring Made In Africa Products to the Global Market with Temidayo Adebayo S2 Ep.1
Temidayo Adebayo is the Founder and Managing Partner of BAYI Capital with experience in identifying and nurturing high-impact investment opportunities in small-to-medium enterprises (SME). The Bayi Foundation arm of the business focuses on developing and supporting the small business community with the right support to breakeven and found their group with limited dilution.
Key interview highlights:
Where is the Made in Africa Product? How many black-owned and managed companies are earning at a minimum of $100 M in revenues? For African entrepreneurs, it is important to focus on creating Made in Africa products.
There are too few products in the global market that are made in Africa. Black entrepreneurs (no matter where they are located) should focus on building businesses that can become blue-chip'' companies that sustain and thrive well beyond their founders' lifespan. The Bayi Foundation supports entrepreneurs in the US and Africa in product development and business services.
The first person who buys into your product or business idea is YOU! Small business entrepreneurs MUST invest in themselves and their businesses as the first investor if they are serious about growing their business and attracting external investors. Many African entrepreneurs have an inability or unwillingness to pay for business development services that they need to grow their business, which is a major barrier to business development on the continent.
Entrepreneurship is another name for a leader, leadership and entrepreneurship are intertwined. Follow the BAYI Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.
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.
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
56 min
January 01, 2021 Season 2: Intro - Thank You! and What’s Next for Season 2
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. If you would like to be a guest or sponsor the podcast, please contact us at [email protected].
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
9 min
December 23, 2020Costs to Consider When Self-Publishing and Starting a Publishing Company with Morgan Limo S1 Ep.19
Morgan Limo Morgan Limo is the founder and principal consultant at Molo Global Consulting, LLC. Here, she guides the preparation and review of quality written products, including published literary works. She is a mother, author, and career international development professional, leading efforts to address complex development challenges with the United States Foreign Service.
Key interview highlights:
Molo Global is in the business of telling lesser told interesting, more nuanced, and diverse stories Bootstrapped initial capital investment to start Molo Global Publishing is an expensive business and the start-up costs are more significant.
There is significant risk in publishing Understand all of your business costs when starting a business if you are bootstrapping your initial start-up costs Marketing and promotion are major costs that many entrepreneurs underestimate and do not factor into their costs.
Check out Morgans new children's book Trip of Your Dreams out now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Consult the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies for funding for authors.
Guest contact info/social media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-limo/
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. 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
1 hr

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The WHERE’S THE FUNDING? podcast demystifies entrepreneurship and the fog around funding for Black and other underserved entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs share their entrepreneurship journeys, fundraising…

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WHERE’S THE FUNDING?

WHERE’S THE FUNDING? episodes

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