Boardroom Banter

It’s Friday! That means the founders are back in the studio, unpacking a week full of lessons and life hacks. In this episode, we explore the world of mentorship through our experiences in high school, college and post-college. We deconstruct how we go about identifying people we would like to have as mentors as well as how we apply the same in our peer relationships. From living with our mentors,...

Investing in startups is a multi-billion-dollar industry globally, but few know the processes and people behind the scenes. In today’s episode, we speak with Mark Kleyner- the co-founder & program director at DreamVC. Their mission is to equip the next generation of African startup investors, more formally known as Venture Capitalists, with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive. We discuss...

They say tough times don’t last, but tough people do- so in today's episode, we unpacked why doing hard things is often… HARD. But most importantly, we talk about the tools and tricks we have used in our various experiences to navigate and mitigate the challenges of entrepreneurship and life. From building robust support systems to our attitude towards failure- the Founders offload a host of mecha...

In a rapidly modernized world, the pressure on educators to keep up with workforce demands and the increasingly liberal access to learning materials grows daily. In this episode, we sit down with Professor Tawana Kupe, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Pretoria, to discuss how a blended approach to education can bridge the digital divide and better prepare students for the 21st-century work...

As witnesses to the rapid pace of development and change in the 21st century, we often feel the pressure to be innovators. What does that even mean? In this episode, we unpack the lessons we have learned from our recent guests and their journeys as innovators and inventors- and understand what it truly means to bring forth new products and solutions and have them succeed in this day and age. We al...

Over the past 20 years, Robb McDaniels has built his career and reputation as one of the most influential voices in the international music industry. From spending his early twenties experiencing the dance culture and community in New York and London, to discovering and building his passion for music technology- Robb has developed an intimate relationship with his work both in front of audiences a...

Africa’s race to build the next wave of billion-dollar companies has seen incredible minds like Sam Gichuru’s at the forefront of putting our tech scene on the global map. In this episode we speak to Sam to unpack his journey as the CEO of Kidato, a Y-Combinator incubated EdTech startup and Africa’s first fully online school. Armed with a “less is more” attitude, a humbling start and a passion for...

Seasons come and go, and as we get older and wiser, our ability to adapt gets better... Hopefully! In today’s episode, we dig into the ways that we can best set ourselves up strategically for long-term success by making the most of our transitions between key life stages. As young professionals, we identified ways to build stronger foundations for the coming decades while reflecting on the difficu...

The nature of work and current industry trends are evolving at a fast rate. At the helm of these changes are emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and tools that channel this kind of tech into various use cases in our day-to-day lives. From our classrooms and art exhibits to our resumes and essay questions- no one can ignore the potential that these A.I tools have to enhance our wo...

Impact can often seem like a pursuit better left out of the conversation when we talk about business. But our guest this week, Nishchal Banskota, leads us down his journey of building a robust and socially impactful business community in his homeland of Nepal. Nish is the founder of the Nepal Tea Collective where he combines age-old traditional tea farming, with modern branding and distribution to...

In the midst of a “Me vs You” world, the team stumbles across an incredible Kevin Hart interview on the Jay Shetty Podcast that blew their minds. In this episode, we unpack the reason why Kevin Hart, one of the greatest media and entertainment moguls, attributes his success to the art of collaboration. We then unpack our own professional and personal experiences working alongside our competitors a...

The year has just kicked off and the W’s and L's ("Wins & Losses") have started flowing in for the Founders on the podcast. The balance of which can often seem precarious! In today's episode, the Founders speak about the unexpected outcomes of some of their January goals and how they are actively failing forward and pivoting this early into the year. They unpack their perspectives on approachi...

Ever wondered what goes on in the minds of creators of some of the world’s most advanced pieces of technology? In this week's episode, we sit down with Dr. Lorraine Bassett- the Industry Segment Leader of the Partner Solutions Factory at Amazon Web Services (AWS). With more than 40 years of experience in Information Technology, Dr. Lorraine has built and optimized some of the largest data centers...

We’re kicking off the new year with a bang! The Founders are back in the boardroom this 2023, recapping the past year and setting a precedent for the directions their compass is pointing this new year. In today's episode, we talk about the lessons we are carrying forward into the new year, our different styles of goal setting and vision boarding as well as some of the things we are letting go of a...

In a world where the tech we build looks more and more like us, our biases and flaws as humans are often subtly amplified within the platforms we build. Timnit Gebru joins us in the boardroom from the forefront of the fight against technology bias as the founder and executive director of the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR). Timnit unpacks her fascinating journey as a...

Africa’s narrative has been historically viewed from various unfavorable lenses, informed by stereotypical views and opinions across the continent. In today’s episode, we are joined by Moky Makura, the Executive Director of Africa No Filter- an organization whose mission is to connect and build the field of narrative change-makers on the continent. Moky believes that the only way to change people’...

In a world where prominent, happy and successful men are taking their lives every other week, families and onlookers often say they didn’t see the signs. It was as if the man they knew was living behind a mask the whole time. In today's episode, the Founders sit and peel back the different masks men wear in the workspace, with family and most shockingly among their closest friends. They break down...

Before Jackie Bernhelm was the director of Area 120, Google’s internal ideas incubator, she spent her early career years working across Silicon Valley- creating value in multiple industries and spaces in search of her purpose and footing in the world. From product management to venture capital, to founding her own startup- Jackie has learned immensely and shares her approaches to establishing a su...

As we kick off the month of December, not all the Founders have had a great first week. Amidst academic deadlines, tight work commitments and the occasional sleepless nights chasing the proverbial word count- Omina and Yuri recount their stockpiled week and their expectations for the upcoming Christmas break.  Sean gives us a run-through of some of the lessons he's learned this week on the to...

What does building a life we can be proud of mean to you? We sat down in the boardroom with Kabir Bavikatte, a leadership and organizational coach, to unpack how our concept of fulfillment in life and work has shifted in recent years.  Kabir thoughtfully leads us through the tools young people and professionals all over the world have today to help us find deeper meaning in our work and be tr...

It’s that time of year when you pause every other app on your phone and head over to Spotify to check out the crazy but surprisingly accurate statistics that describe you and your audio consumption.  Don’t worry, we’re surprised just as much as you guys are. Today the Founders gather in the boardroom to unwrap the incredible gifts that are our listeners and dive into some of the standout news...

What do you get when you intersect music and technology? You get a revolution of culture, and the ability to connect and develop communities beyond borders! Today’s guest has over 15 years of experience cultivating ecosystems in each of these two industries- working at the intersection of culture and innovation. Jessica Colaço is a bass guitarist and tech entrepreneur. She co-founded iHub Kenya in...

The last few bits of the year can be chaotic as we seek to wrap up work, school and so many of our goals for the year!  As such the need to cultivate the skill of finding calm in the midst of storms is needed more than ever.  On this Founders Friday conversation, Yuri, Sean and Boniface sit down to discuss Anti-fragility; a concept where strength and progress are created as a result of c...

As the world swarms to invest in the wave of innovations and entrepreneurs rising out of Africa, few have the insights, processes and success that Marsha Wulff has accumulated over time. Marsha has spent a large part of her career life scaling an investor ecosystem for Africa's tech startups through LoftyIn Capital Management. With her “founder first” attitude and appreciation for the nuance that...

One of the most important questions we seek to answer in our lives are those tied to our identity. In today’s episode, the Founders take a trip to the past to connect some of the dots that have informed the people they are today. They zoom in on Yuri’s personal story balancing his Dutch and Nubian descent, the challenges he and his community have faced over generations and the significant role tha...