PODCAST · business
Founders Connect
by Founders Connect
Founders Connect is on a mission to document the stories, journeys and ideologies of leading and emerging African entrepreneurs and operators. The podcast aims to create meaningful insights that can be shared and beneficial to other founders, entrepreneurs, knowledge seekers, consumers and the world in general - targeting a wide variety of audiences.
Episodes
-
What Nobody Tells You About Building a Fintech in Nigeria | Babatunde Akin-Moses of Sycamore NG
What does it actually take to build a fintech company in Nigeria for five years with almost no visibility, no big splash, and no shortcut — and still come out standing?Babatunde Akin-Moses had a plan. Work for ten years, save money, then start a business. He did not want to be Bill Gates, he knew...
-
He Turned an MIT Class Project Into One of Africa's Most Ambitious Bets on Transportation | Adetayo Bamiduro of MAX.ng
What does it actually take to build one of Africa's most ambitious infrastructure companies from scratch and keep building through a regulatory shutdown, a global pandemic, and a currency collapse that wiped out over 70% of your revenue overnight? Adetayo Bamiduro, co-founder and CEO of Max, the...
-
This Is How a Multipotentialite Builds an Empire Without Losing Her Mind, Her Health, or Integrity | Adaora Mbelu on Founders Connect
She once walked into Badagry, found Babas with trucks parked on the side of the road, convinced twelve of them to show up at a location in Surulere for an inspection — and won a contract she had no equipment to fulfil. She was twenty-three. That is the first business she ever ran when she moved...
-
Paystack, Piggyvest, Moniepoint — The Investor Behind Africa's Biggest Exits Tells All | Kola Aina
What does it actually take to back Africa's most consequential companies — and what does it cost you personally to get there? Kola Aina is the founder and managing partner of Ventures Platform, the fund behind Paystack, Piggyvest, Moniepoint, Lemfi, Omni Retail, Raenest, Verto, and over 90 other...
-
How to Invest Through Inflation, Clear Debt and Still Build Wealth : A Financial Masterclass
What does it actually cost to build wealth in Nigeria right now — when purchasing power is shrinking, the Naira is under pressure, and the standard financial advice was written for a completely different economy? In this episode of Founders Connect, Tosin Oladokun, founder of Money Africa and one...
-
Grief, Growth and $4.4M: What Five Years of Showing Up Really Looks Like for a Nigerian Founder
Kelvin saves his name in people's phones as "Kelvin Bumpa." Not as a stunt. Not as a branding exercise. It is just what happens when you spend five years pouring yourself so completely into something that the line between you and the thing you are building stops making sense.In this episode of...
-
Paul Onwuanibe on Building a $150M Empire: The Secret Most African Founders Will Never Know!
Send money with Sendwave from the US, UK and Canada to Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. Fast and easy. Use the code FoundersConnect when you make your first transfer from the US, UK, or Canada to Nigeria or Kenya — and you'll get $10 or £10 on that transfer when you send a minimum of $10 or £10:...
-
How Olumide Akintola Built Three Completely Different Business Models for Three African Markets
What does it actually take to go from walking Ibadan markets in sandals - because your shoe size didn't exist in Nigeria — to scaling a brand to 800,000 customers while spending less than 30% of your marketing budget? That's not a metaphor. That's Olumide Akinsola's actual origin story, and it...
-
This Investor Who Has Seen 500M+ in Deals Explains Why Startups Shouldn't Take VC | Nichole Yembra
Nichole Yembra is a force of nature in the African tech ecosystem. As a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and an Obama Foundation Leader, she has overseen over $500 million in capital raises and fostered the growth of giants like Flutterwave and Max. In this deep-dive interview on Found Connect, Nichole...
-
She left Oil & Gas at 40 With No Business Experience to build a Billion-Naira Empire
What does it actually take to build a business that lasts 25 years in Nigeria — through recessions, exchange rate crashes, COVID, counterfeit competitors, and a rapidly changing economy? Mrs. Temilola Adepetun has the answer, and it is not what most people expect.This episode of Founders Connect…
more -
Samuel Okwuada on building Healthtech in Nigeria and the Challenges that come with it
Samuel Okwuada sold his first software company for hundreds of thousands of dollars at 17 while studying pharmacy in the UK. Today, he runs Remedial Health, a YCombinator-backed Nigerian Healthtech startup that has raised over 50 million dollars, employs 450 people, operates 100 vehicles across...
-
How to Benjamin Dada Built A Media Company While Climbing Corporate Ladders
What is it like to build one of Africa's leading tech media platforms while also moving up in the corporate fintech world? Benjamin Dada, founder of Condia (formerly benjamindada.com), joins us to share his story of balancing two careers, facing identity challenges, and making tough choices…
more -
How June Angelides Went From Yaba to Backing $100M+ Startups Across Africa & Europe
June Angelides MBE is a globally recognized venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and one of the most influential voices in tech, inclusive leadership, and investing in Africa and Europe. In this Founders Connect episode, June Angelides sits down with Peace Itimi to share her journey from growing up…
more -
How Tayo Oviosu is Building The fintech Giant of Africa
Building a business for 16 years in the African tech ecosystem requires more than just a good idea—it requires "crazy" resilience and the ability to pivot when the market shifts. In this episode, Tayo Oviosu, founder and CEO of Paga, shares the raw, unfiltered story of building one of Nigeria's...
-
Destiny Ogedengbe on breaking the cycle: How a poor kid from Benin made it to Harvard Law
Is it possible to move from the streets of Benin City to the most prestigious law firms on Wall Street? In this episode of Founders Connect, Peace Itimi sits down with Destiny Ogedegbe, popularly known as "Mr. Possible." This isn't just a career interview; it is a masterclass in the psychology of...
-
They Built Nigeria’s Biggest Brands — But You Hardly Hear Their Names | UNSUNG Documentary
In Nigeria’s thriving tech ecosystem, we often celebrate founders and engineers - the builders, the innovators, the faces on the covers. But behind every viral campaign, every trusted brand, and every startup that broke through the noise, there’s a different kind of builder: the marketer.Unsung…
more -
How Bamboo Is Helping Africans Build Wealth Through Investment | The Evolution of Bamboo
Wealth is not just about how much you earn. True wealth is about what you own. For decades, ownership in Africa has been blocked by policies, gatekeepers, and limited access to global markets. That’s the gap Bamboo set out to close. Founded in 2019 by Richmond Bassey and Yanmo Omorogbe, Bamboo is...
-
The Startup Helping African SMEs Access Business Loans | Salad Africa’s Story with Chikodi Ukaiwe
In this episode of Founders Connect, Peace Itimi sits with Chikodi Ukaiwe, the Founder and CEO of Salad Africa, to uncover his incredible journey through banking, tech, entrepreneurship, and eventually building one of Africa’s most impactful fintech startups. Salad Africa is transforming how…
more -
The Best Founders Are Salespeople – How to Sell Anything | Seye Bandele at The Builders Summit 2025
In this powerful and engaging talk from The Builders Summit 2025, Seye Bandele breaks down one of the most underrated yet absolutely essential skills every founder must master: sales. Titled “The Best Founders Are Salespeople – How to Sell Anything,” this session isn’t just a presentation, it’s a...
-
Building a Business That Survives 10+ Years in Africa | The Untold Story of Kopo Kopo with Dennis Ondeng
How do you build a startup that survives over a decade in Africa's tough tech terrain? In this interview, Dennis Ondeng, the CEO of Kopo Kopo, shares his remarkable journey of building and sustaining a fintech company for over 14 years in Kenya and across Africa. This episode is more than a…
more -
He Shut Down a Winning Business to Build WorkPay | Paul Kimani on Building & Scaling Across Africa
What would you do if the most profitable part of your business was the hardest part to scale?In this exclusive Founders Connect episode, we sat down with Paul Kimani, the CEO and co-founder of Workpay, to dive into his unconventional entrepreneurial journey, the bold decisions that shaped…
more -
Building Africa's Biggest Crypto Wallet - The Untold Story
In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Tobi Asu-Johnson, the founder of Zap Africa, to discuss his vision for building Africa's biggest crypto wallet. With the rise of crypto adoption in Africa, Tobi shares his insights on the opportunities and challenges of creating a blockchain solution...
-
Climbing the Tech Ladder in Nigeria: Tunde Ajibawo's Advice for Software Engineers | How I S3 Ep1
In this inspiring and deeply insightful conversation, we take you on a journey through the eyes of someone who’s been building in the Nigerian tech space for over a decade.Tunde Ajibawo is the current Head of Engineering at SystemSpecs Deelaa. With over a decade of experience in building software...
-
How Antler is helping Early Stage Starups Scale Faster
In this video, we dive into Antler, a global early-stage investor that's backing the world's most ambitious founders and building the fastest-growing portfolio of venture-backed startups across the globe. This video is specifically for founders looking to scale or anyone just curious about how…
more -
How to build a loyal audience from scratch | Creator Jam with Peace Itimi & Caleb Maru Episode 1
This episode is a must-watch for content creators, aspiring creators, and entrepreneurs looking to grow their audience and build a sustainable content business. In this episode of Creators Jam, Peace Itimi and Caleb Maru dive into the process of building a loyal audience—sharing their…
more -
The untold story about 54 gene | A chat with Dr Abasi Ene-Obong
In this exclusive interview, Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong shares his journey from his love for science to founding 54gene, a company that set out to revolutionize Africa’s genomics industry. He opens up about the company’s mission, key milestones, impact during COVID-19, and the shocking truth behind the...
-
Building, Innovating, and Thriving in Africa’s Tech Ecosystem: Insights from Iyin Aboyeji #TheBuilders Summit 2024
In this Ask Me Anything (AMA) session, Iyin Aboyeji takes on some of the most pressing questions from attendees at the Builders Summit in Lagos. He dives into topics like navigating government policies, balancing a 9-5 job while building a startup, key considerations when choosing a co-founder…
more -
Why Effective Storytelling Matters #FoundersConnectLiveInLondon
In this #FoundersConnect Live in London segment with Olugbeminiyi Idowu, Founder and Managing Director of Talking Drum Communications, talks to us about the importance of effective storytelling for your brand. Olugbeminiyi is a technology PR and comms specialist, with vast experience in leading…
more -
How To Position Your Startup To Attract Investors with Lexi Novitske & Bunmi Akinyemiju
In this power-packed panel session, Bunmi Akinyemiju of Greenhouse Capital Africa and Lexi Novitske of Norrsken22, share insights on everything founders need to know about securing funding, pitching with confidence, and avoiding costly mistakes. They shared key factors investors look for before...
-
How I Built Tech Safari In 18 months with Caleb Maru
In this episode, we sit down with Caleb Maru, the visionary founder of Tech Safari, to uncover how he transformed his media startup into a thriving company generating $49,000 in monthly revenue in just 18months. Caleb shares some of the strategies that fueled Tech Safari's rapid growth. Don’t…
more -
How I Went From A Local to A Global Role in 4 years by Oiza Saidq
In this episode, Oiza Sadiq shares her inspiring corporate career journey, detailing how she progressed from a local role to a regional position and ultimately a global role at Google, all within just four years. Oiza walks us through the exact steps she took, the strategies that helped her stand...
-
Jessica Hope: The Queen of African Tech PR and The Story Behind Wimbart
In this latest Founders Connect episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Jessica Hope, the "Queen of African Tech." In this engaging conversation, Jessica shares her personal and professional experiences, from her upbringing in the UK to her entrepreneurial journey with Wimbart. Discover…
more -
Investing in Africa: A Fireside chat with Nimmy Mathews and Yvonne Bajela
In this episode, Nimmy Mathews (Head of EMEA Sales, Startups at AWS) and Yvonne Bajela (Partner at LocalGlobe and Latitude) discuss investing in African startups and supporting black female founders and underrepresented founders. They share insights on funding challenges and their vision for...
-
How Tech1M is Connecting Top Tech Talent Globally - Tommie Edwards' Story
In this Founders Connect episode, we sit down with Tommie Edwards, the CEO and Co-founder of Tech1M, a cutting-edge tech company dedicated to bridging the gap between businesses and top-tier tech talent. Tommie shares her inspiring journey, from her early days in Nigeria to dropping out of the...
-
How Norrsken22's $205M Fund is Empowering African Growth-Stage Startups #FoundersConnect
In this Founders Connect episode, we sit down with the team behind Norrsken Foundation and Norrsken 22: Niklas Adalberth, Hans Otterling, and Lexi Novitske. Niklas opens up about his upbringing and shares why he decided to leave Klarna, offering a unique perspective on the balance between money…
more -
How Chowdeck is Changing the Food Delivery Game: A Chat with the Chowdeck Team #FoundersConnect
id you know Chowdeck, the green and yellow app everyone's using these days, started with a frustrating late-night craving? Chowdeck is an on-demand food delivery service and marketplace where people can purchase their favourite meals from a wide range of restaurants. Whether local or continental,...
-
How to be a great operator: A Keynote Address by Adia Sowho at #TheBuildersSummit
In this video, Adia Sowho, Chief Marketing Officer at MTN Nigeria, delivers a keynote address titled, "So You Want to Be a Great Operator?" live at The Builders Summit by Founders Connect. With a career spanning roles at Etisalat, MTN Nigeria, Thrive Agric and more, Adia brings a wealth of...
-
Sim Shagaya Shares Entrepreneurial Lessons From Building Konga, uLesson
In this episode, Sim Shagaya, one of Nigeria’s leading entrepreneurs, takes us through his remarkable journey in building some of Africa’s most recognized businesses across multiple industries. From his decision to leave the U.S. and move back to Nigeria, to founding groundbreaking ventures like...
-
How Adeola Ayoola is Digitizing Healthcare for Africans with Famasi Africa
Adeola Ayoola is on a mission to transform healthcare in Africa. Through Famasi Africa, she’s making healthcare more accessible, affordable, and efficient for Africans everywhere. In this episode, she share how Famasi Africa is simplifying how people access essential health services, from...
-
How to Execute Excellently ft Bayo "Lion" Adedeji #FoundersConnect Live in London
Bayo 'Lion' Adedeji is the current Group CEO of Wakanow, Africa's one-stop shop for cheap flights, hotel reservations and airport pickups. Before Wakanow, Bayo was a Senior Finance Manager at Amazon, in charge of fulfilment supporting product teams in 16 countries. During his segment at...
-
Tosin Eniolorunda, CEO of Moniepoint Africa, on #FoundersConnect Live in London
Tosin Eniolorunda is a leading innovator in the African Fintech space. He is the founder and CEO of Moniepoint Inc, a global, all-in-one, digital financial services provider with operations in Nigeria and an ongoing expansion into other emerging markets. Since 2019, Moniepoint Inc. has powered…
more -
Why you need to Network for Growth ft Damilare Ogunleye, CEO of Foodlama #FoundersConnect Live in London
“My own rule to networking is to give. You gain when you’re a giver” In this episode of Founders Connect, Damilare Ogunleye, founder of Foodlama, shared his insights during his Keynote session in London about the importance of networking for growth especially as an entrepreneur. Tune in!
-
Consistency and Clarity in Entrepreneurship ft Femi Iromini, CEO of Moni Africa #FoundersConnect
In this Founders Connect episode, our host, Peace Itimi, sits down with the incredible Femi Iromini, the brain behind the YC-backed Moni Africa. Get ready for a candid conversation that goes beyond the boardroom! What's on the agenda? - Femi's backstory - Overcoming lending challenges in Africa -...
-
#FoundersConnect: Interview with Obi Emetarom of Zone Network
Obi Emetarom is a serial tech entrepreneur who has focused his entire career on the Fintech space in Africa. For his first venture in 2004 he co-founded Parkway Projects to provide fintech solutions for commercial Banks in Nigeria. After exiting, he cofounded Appzone in 2008 and since then has...
-
Interview with Tosin Eniolorunda, CEO and Co-Founder of Moniepoint Group
Tosin Eniolorunda is the co-founder and CEO of Moniepoint (previously TeamApt), a global, all-in-one, digital financial services provider with operations in Nigeria and an ongoing expansion into other emerging markets. Since 2019, Moniepoint Group’s technology has powered over a million…
more -
Interview with Eloho Omame, Cofounder of First Check, Former MD Endeavor Nigeria.
Eloho Omame is the co-founder of First Check, a Venture Capital firm giving women-led companies their first seed investments. Before First Check, she was the MD and CEO of Endeavor, a company dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs to scale. In this Founders Connect interview, Eloho shares her…
more -
Interview with Joe Kinvi, Founding Partner at HoaQ Club
Born in Togo, and raised in Ireland, Joe Kinvi, the founding partner of HoaQ club, has lived a bold and audacious life. In this episode of Founders Connect, he walks us through the many changes and decisions he made that have pushed him to success. From learning english to working at E&Y…
more -
Interview with Fola Olatunji-David of Sporting Lagos (Ex- Amazon Web Services, Google)
For over a decade, Fola Olatunji David has been immersed in the Tech and Business world. He has worked in so many different industries, from IT and consulting to e-commerce and education. He has also contributed immensely to the business scene in Africa through his work in VC. In this episode…
more -
Interview with Damilare Ogunleye, Co-Founder and CEO of Foodlama
Damilare is a top technology and digital marketing professional who lives in the UK. He is the founder of Foodlama, a browser Extension that helps you easily find food that matches your preferences when shopping for groceries online. Before Foodlama, he co-founded Hazina, a company that delivered...
-
Interview with Yomi Adedeji, Co-founder of Softcom and Eyowo
Softcom is a thinking company that gives companies the tools to help them grow by giving them access to better banking, helping them sell and receive payments seamlessly, learn and grow. In this Tell-All interview, Yomi Adedeji, Softcom’s CEO and Co-founder, shares his story. Growing up in a...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Founders Connect is on a mission to document the stories, journeys and ideologies of leading and emerging African entrepreneurs and operators. The podcast aims to create meaningful insights that can be shared and beneficial to other founders, entrepreneurs, knowledge seekers, consumers and the world in general - targeting a wide variety of audiences.
HOSTED BY
Founders Connect
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Founders Connect have?
Founders Connect currently has 76 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Founders Connect about?
Founders Connect is on a mission to document the stories, journeys and ideologies of leading and emerging African entrepreneurs and operators. The podcast aims to create meaningful insights that can be shared and beneficial to other founders, entrepreneurs, knowledge seekers, consumers and the...
How often does Founders Connect release new episodes?
Founders Connect has 76 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Founders Connect?
You can listen to Founders Connect on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Founders Connect?
Founders Connect is created and hosted by Founders Connect.
URL copied to clipboard!