Extraordinary Conversations with askChenai

In Part 2 of this extraordinary conversation, Chenai and Vimbai dive deeper with  Monica Shupikai Simmons  — global investment banker, author, and proud “Africa girl” — to unpack the stories and lessons behind her book  What’s the Deal, Africa? This episode is about building, belonging, and believing in African founders: Why  What’s the Deal, Africa?  had to be written — and how Monica finished it...

In Part 1 of this powerful two-part episode, we sit down with Monica Shupikai Simmons — global investment banker, author, mother of two, and unapologetic outlier — to explore the fire, faith, and fight behind her extraordinary story. This is not a finance episode. It’s about life after the breakdown — finding faith, identity, and purpose when everything you thought defined you falls away. In this...

In Part 2 Chenai and Vimbai move from Cookie’s roots to her rise: the AfroTraveller in full flight, navigating the highs and lows of life at 30,000 feet. From Virgin Atlantic uniforms to Lagos night life, from in-flight meals to holiday romances - Cookie Tatenda Dube has seen the world, and she’s got the stories to prove it. This is not a glossy cabin-crew advert. It’s the reality behind the glamo...

In Part 1 of this extraordinary conversation, Chenai and Vimbai sit down with  The AfroTraveller  - cabin crew, digital creator, storyteller, and Zimbabwean mischief-maker to trace the roots of her journey. This is not a travel blog episode. It’s about identity, heritage, and the joy (and chaos) of moving through the world: Why shaving her head was about more than style - it was energy, renewal, a...

From Cambridge to space tech, from startup trenches to the investor’s chair — Rumbi Makanga has seen how ambition, money, and risk collide. In Part 2 of this extraordinary conversation, Chenai and Vimbai move from Rumbi’s roots to her rise: a career that spans consulting, deep tech, venture capital, and ecosystem building. This is not a glossy success story. It’s a candid look at the reality behin...

What do hiking in the sango, prophetic dreams, and sharp-tongued Zimbabwean banter have in common? Add in the scandal of the left hand, and a love of poetry, then you get a conversation that is as funny as it is profound. In Part 1 of this extraordinary conversation, Chenai and Vimbai sit down with Rumbi Makanga - investor, founder, strategist, and daughter of Zimbabwe - to trace the roots that sh...

What do you do when the bottom falls out - when the life you thought you had is suddenly gone? That’s the question at the heart of this episode of  Extraordinary Conversations with askChenai . Chenai and Vimbai sit down with Nadia Riepenhausen, a Swiss and Zimbabwean communications strategist, truth-teller, and fierce advocate for radical authenticity, to walk through the unflinching journey that...

If there’s one thing Zimbabwe will never run out of, it’s big personalities, especially our women: our mothers, our grandmothers, aunties. You just know the type - full of charisma in the best way. The kind of women who in another generation would be global stars, household names.  They are women who know who they are and don’t shrink for anyone. In this episode of  Extraordinary Conversations wit...

“What will your future self thank you for?” That’s the question at the heart of this episode of  Extraordinary Conversations with askChenai .  Chenai and Vimbai sit down with Yevedzo Chitiga , a Zimbabwean-born, US-based executive coach, lawyer, published children’s author, and generational curse-breaker, to talk about the real work of becoming who you were always meant to be. This is soul-stirrin...

Meet Chenai and Vimbai - two Zimbabwean women with a deep love for stories, sharp minds, and a good laugh. In this teaser episode of Extraordinary Conversations with askChenai , we take you behind the mic. Who are we? Why this podcast? And what does it mean to have a real, unfiltered, extraordinary conversation? Chenai shares why people often think she’s “a bit intense,” how a rose bush in her gar...