E29 - Tokunboh Ishmael, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Alitheia Capital

Why do less than 2% of investments go to female founders globally? And what are we missing because of it? In this episode, Tokunboh Ishmael, one of Africa’s leading voices in impact investing and gender lens finance, explores the realities of investing to improve lives across Africa. As co-founder of Alitheia Capital, managing over $250 million in assets, Tokunboh has spent nearly two decades investing in businesses that expand access to finance, clean energy, and economic opportunity. In this conversation, she shares examples of what success looks like: helping grow a small financial services company into a national player serving underserved entrepreneurs, supporting a farmer aggregation business connecting West African farmers to international markets, backing a woman-led manufacturing company that now powers surrounding communities while creating jobs and export opportunities. This discussion touches on why diversity leads to better business decisions and why impact investing done well makes sense from all perspectives: economic, social, and environmental. Please review the episode, share your feedback, and subscribe to the podcast! You can also Visit our website: womenchangingfinance.org Follow Tokunboh on LinkedIn Read Tokunboh's full bio To go further, here are some of the references mentioned during the episode: Alitheia Capital — https://alitheia.com/ Alitheia IDF - https://www.alitheiaidf.com/ 2X Global (2X Framework) — https://www.2xglobal.org/ The Earthshot Prize — https://earthshotprize.org/ The Atomic Human by Neil Lawrence — https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/455130/the-atomic-human-by-lawrence-neil-d/9781802062106 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin — https://gabriellezevin.com/tomorrowx3/ Ready Player One by Ernest Cline — https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/209887/ready-player-one-by-ernest-cline/ Women Changing Finance is part of the Impact Alpha Podcast Network.