The Founders Atlas with Mayuri Reddy

What if the fastest way to succeed was to stop fearing failure? In this episode, host Mayuri Reddy speaks with Maryam A. Hassani — Head of Trends & Innovation at the Abu Dhabi Childhood Authority, co-founder of Hydro Wind Energy, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree. They explore how Abu Dhabi’s growing innovation scene is redefining what it means to build and learn in public. Maryam shares lessons...

Accra, Ghana has a population of 5.5 million — and over 2 million small and medium-sized businesses . These SMEs employ most of the workforce and generate nearly 70% of the country’s GDP , but the majority can’t access credit or reliable tools to scale. In this episode, host Mayuri Reddy speaks with Marie-Reine Seshie , founder & CEO of Kola Market , about how her platform is changing that. Ma...

Trift Africa’s Yemisi Isidi explains how community-based, collateral-free microfinance helps Nigeria’s nano and micro businesses grow—without predatory rates. We cover Trift’s criteria (real cash flow over collateral, 3+ months in business), why compliance and digital skills training amplify funding impact, Yemisi's north star of job creation and practical tips for investors exploring Nigeria’...

In this episode of The Founders Atlas , host Mayuri Reddy interviews Vivek Reddy , the founder of VIGA Entertainment , a Bangalore-based deep tech company revolutionizing how stories are told and produced. They explore: How Vivek’s U.S. film industry experience shaped VIGA’s mission What it takes to build bootstrapped AI-powered products in India How Bangalore became a hub for creative software Wh...

How do you build a career platform that connects job seekers in Palestine to top remote roles around the world? Meet Jafar Shunnar , CTO and Co-founder of TAP Careers - recently named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies for Social Good. In this powerful episode of The Founders Atlas , host Mayuri Reddy travels to Nablus in the West Bank to explore how TAP is changing lives by helping h...

In this episode of The Founders Atlas , host Mayuri Reddy travels to Budapest to speak with Roswitha Verwer , award-winning founder and CEO of YON E Global —a pioneering MedFemTech startup that's reshaping how women understand and track their vaginal and reproductive health. Roswitha shares how her early experiences in women’s shelters shaped her mission to empower women through innovation, data,...

Brazilian fintech Oinc is helping millions rethink money. Co-founder Fernanda Guilhermino shares how she's making financial wellness more accessible. In this episode of The Founders Atlas , we travel to Rio de Janeiro to meet Fernanda Guilhermino, co-founder of the Brazilian fintech app Oinc. With fewer than 4% of Brazilians investing and sky-high credit card interest rates, Fernanda shares how he...

In this episode of The Founders Atlas , Mayuri sits down with Nesma Amin, the Cairo-based founder of Aziza , a period tracking app built in Egyptian Arabic with one mission: making women’s health information accessible, inclusive, and culturally relevant. Together, they unpack: Why Aziza speaks to Egyptian women in a way global apps don’t. The cultural myths Nesma is gently - but powerfully - unle...

In this solo episode, host Mayuri Reddy shares hard-won insights on one of the most tempting — and risky — moves a founder can make: international expansion. Drawing from nearly a decade of experience advising startups across four continents, Mayuri unpacks three truths every founder should reflect on before going global. Why are you expanding — and is it strategic or performative? Are you mistaki...

In this episode of The Founders Atlas , we’re heading to Swakopmund, Nambia —to explore what it means to build community-first entrepreneurship ecosystems across continents. Our guest, Cerina Bezuidenhout , is the co-founder of Future Females , a global platform empowering women entrepreneurs with education, mentorship, and access to funding. Launched in Cape Town and now active across the globe,...

In this episode of The Founders Atlas , we're heading to Lagos, Nigeria, home to over 17 million people and a rising startup scene that’s been dubbed the “Silicon Valley of Africa.” Our guest, Seyi Alabi , is the co-founder of Crop2Cash , an agri-tech company on a mission to transform the lives of smallholder farmers across Nigeria. With over 500,000 farmers already supported, Crop2Cash is buildin...

In the first guest episode of The Founders Atlas , we travel to Kampala, Uganda to meet two extraordinary changemakers: Joan R. Nalubega , founder of Uganics, and Etienne Salborn , founder of the Social Innovation Academy (SINA). Joan’s journey began as a child in an orphanage where malaria nearly took her life. Today, her social enterprise has helped reduce malaria cases by up to 88% in the house...

Episode 1: Why I Started The Founders Atlas and The Power of Building a Global Context to Building a Business In this debut episode of The Founders Atlas , host Mayuri Reddy shares the personal story and pivotal moments that sparked the creation of this podcast. From watching her mother build a business out of necessity to confronting her own blind spots about who gets visibility as a founder, May...

The Founders Atlas is your guide to the world’s most exciting business ecosystems — told through the eyes of visionary founders. In each episode, host Mayuri Reddy speaks with entrepreneurs building bold, impactful businesses in fast-growing cities that don’t often get the spotlight — places like Lagos, Bangalore, Cairo, and Rio de Janeiro. From social impact to AI, these founders share how their...