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 episode:
Growing up in Harare and thriving in male-dominated spaces
Why being “different” became her superpower
Real talk on marriage, motherhood, and the myth of having it all
What divorce, cancer, and courage taught her about surrender and starting over
And yes — why a Zimbabwean woman with a cat might just be the ultimate rebel
Raw, thoughtful, and full of quiet strength — this is Monica before What’s the Deal, Africa?!, before the headlines, before the healing.
To learn more about Monica, follow her on LinkedIn ( / Monica Shupikai Simmons ) , and visit her website ( / https://monicashupikai.com/ )
To learn more about askChenai - visit our website (https://www.askchenai.com/) , or follow us on Linkedin ( / askchenai ) , TikTok ( / askchenai_vas ) or Instagram ( / askchenai )
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 glamour:
How Cookie became cabin crew (after swearing she never would)
Living with endometriosis
Her thoughts on on destinations - from Lagos to America to China
The absolute best and worst food she’s eaten on her travels
And ofcourse, how she's tackling the Zombies (... with fire, she's using fire)
Unfiltered, hilarious, and full of wanderlust, this is a behind-the-scenes look at what it really means to live a life built around travel.
To learn more about Cookie, follow her on Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube and Twitter
To learn more about askChenai - visit our website, or follow us on Linkedin, TikTok or Instagram
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, and power
Becoming The AfroTraveller almost by accident
How couchsurfing in Tanzania changed the way she saw people and places
The strange tale of cannibalism that somehow makes sense when Vimbai tells it
What holiday romances can reveal about passports and privilege, and the bittersweet reality of travel romances that rarely last past immigration
Funny, sharp, and deeply rooted in culture, this is the story behind the persona — the mischief before the miles.
To learn more about Cookie, follow her on Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube and Twitter
To learn more about askChenai - visit our website, or follow us on Linkedin, TikTok or Instagram
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 behind the LinkedIn headlines:
The truth about space tech - what’s real, what’s hype, and why it matters for the African continent
Why some VCs seem to get starry-eyed over obviously sketchy founders
The number-one thing entrepreneurs raising capital underestimate (spoiler: it's your cap table construction)
What investors really look for when they write checks
And yes — Rumbi’s surprisingly strategic zombie apocalypse plan
Funny, sharp, and full of practical wisdom, this is a masterclass in risk, resilience, and the courage it takes to build the future.
To learn more about Rumbi, follow her on LinkedIn here
To read more about askChenai and our remote support solutions, visit our website or find us on Linkedin, Instagram and TikTok.
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 shaped her.
This is not a CV episode. It’s about the identity, faith, and cultural resilience that carry us through:
And what it feels like for Chenai to suddenly discover that using your left hand is shady business
To learn more about Rumbi, follow her on LinkedIn here
To read more about askChenai and our remote support solutions, visit our website or find us on Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
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 shaped her voice, her work, and her survival.
This conversation doesn’t just skim the surface. It talks about rebuilding when the foundations have been ripped away, more than once, diving straight into the parts most people hide:
Growing up mixed race in Zimbabwe, in a German household, and navigating a childhood split between cultures
Being abruptly cut off at university, and having to survive without a safety net
Moving to London at 20 with just $200 in her pocket, and figuring out how to keep going anyway
Losing a job and rebuilding when your professional identity feels shattered
Learning to trust your own voice again and having the courage to post your thoughts online
And yes… her unexpectedly strategic (and slightly questionable) zombie apocalypse plan
This is not a neat “bounce back” story. It’s an unfiltered look at the grit it takes to start over. Whether you’re clawing your way through your own survival chapter or pausing to look back on how far you’ve climbed, Nadia’s story is a reminder: the hardest chapters can become the most beautiful, if you dare to write the next page.
To learn more about Nadia, follow her on LinkedIn here
To read more about askChenai and our remote support solutions, visit our website , or follow us on Linkedin, Tiktok, or Instagram
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 with askChenai, Chenai and Vimbai dive headfirst into the life of a woman who has lived, and owned, every chapter on her terms.
Entrepreneur, marriage counsellor, mother of three and all-round force of nature Margaret Chidzonga doesn’t just tell her story—she serves it with fire. We go deep on:
Boarding school in Malawi, and moving alone to the Birmingham in her twenties
Building a marriage and family across Zimbabwe, UK, Switzerland, and beyond — while holding on to her own identity
Becoming a mother after 5 years of marriage
Buying a spa and turning it into a thriving wellness brand
The cultural shocks (and comic realities) of living in Switzerland without domestic help
Why self-love and self-reliance are the foundation for any woman’s happiness
This isn’t a polite fireside chat, it’s a masterclass in living boldly. Auntie Maggie’s story is a reminder that when you lead with courage, the world eventually moves to your rhythm.
Learn more about askChenai on our website, or visit us on Linkedin, Tiktok or Instagram
“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-stirring episode goes deep on:
Reinvention and reclaiming your truth
Why asking better questions can change your life
Leaving behind people-pleasing, burnout, and perfectionism
The power of Zimbabwean identity, and why she carries it into every room
Coaching leaders with honesty, soul, and zero fluff
Creativity, motherhood and writing children’s books that center African joy
And yes - what she’d do in a full-blown zombie apocalypse (spoiler: she’d go down fighting)
This isn’t just a career story — it’s a life story.
A love letter to identity, legacy, and the power of stepping into your truth.
Whether you're in a season of change or craving one, this episode is a mirror. A reminder to check in with yourself and ask: Am I doing the work? Or just talking about it?
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 garden became a symbol of rebirth, and how she still holds a grudge against her Grade 2 teacher. Vimbai opens up about her global journey - from Papua New Guinea to Harare - and why being a mom is at the heart of everything she does.
We talk legacy, forgotten Zimbabwean history, Meek Mill, zombie apocalypses (yes, really), and the power of just asking someone “What’s your deal?” and truly listening.
It’s funny, it’s honest, it’s a little chaotic, and it’s the beginning of something magical.
🎧 Subscribe, share, and buckle up. The conversations we’re about to have? They’re anything but ordinary.
