Africa is always on my mind, and I take great pride in my Nigerian heritage. The legacy left by my maternal grandmother, a community leader, the Iyalode (Queen of Ladies), or more formally, the Chief of the Lagos State Market Advisory Council, is particularly meaningful to me. Last quarter, I had the opportunity to pay homage to this legacy and put more sweat equity into my career in emerging markets.
1. At the Ross African Business Club Conference, I moderated a panel titled “Building the Foundations: Infrastructure, Policy, and Community Development” with amazing panelists: Ted London, Farai Gundan, M.B.A. M.P.A (Harvard), Nadia Sesay of Bedrock, and Mandla Nkomo. We had an engaging discussion emphasizing the role of governments and being patient for slow but steady progress.
2. Thanks to funding from University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the University of Michigan - Erb Institute, I was able to swing a last minute trip to Boston to attend McKinsey Africa’s Africa Leaders on the Move event. While there, I was able to meet McKinsey & Company’s Global Food Initiatives lead, Amandla Ooko-Ombaka. This was extremely special to me as I’ve been following her work for a few years now, including her team’s research on transitioning to sustainable land-use management. It was a privilege to exchange ideas with her and other peers focused on impactful work across the continent.
3. Lastly, with support from the William Davidson Institute, I went to Kenya for the first time on behalf of the UM International Investment Fund. There, I conducted due diligence with startups, met with our accelerator partner, Baobab Network, and learned from other startups, VCs, and accelerators in the area including Kayana Create, GrowthAfrica, Clutch Foundry, Atlantica Ventures VC Fund, Decla Capital Advisors, and Somo. Of course, I also found time to feed the giraffes. I’m incredibly grateful for the connections I made on this trip. VC has been an invaluable crash course in business, and it was inspiring to hear the innovative ideas from founders working to create impact in their communities. As I step into my role as VP of Education at IIF, I’m excited to engage with these partnerships in the coming year. I look forward to highlighting the emerging market as a prime investment opportunity and demystifying the global south.
I’m committed to investing both capital and talent. With that in mind, I’m seeking opportunities to work with Africa-based organizations to help them achieve their strategic goals. I’m particularly interested in assisting startups with capacity building, preparing for investment readiness, and tackling general strategy projects. If you know anyone at organizations like One Acre Fund, ICLEI Africa, Future Africa, or the African Development Bank Group, please feel free to connect us.
To the passionate founders I’ve met on this journey: don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s continue to work together to drive meaningful change!
