What happens when you read the Bitcoin whitepaper to find loopholes and make quick money? For Brenton Naicker, Principal at CV VC Africa, those 8 pages completely changed his life trajectory.
In this episode of The Grinders Table, Brenton shares his journey from aspiring Wall Street banker to one of Africa's most influential blockchain advocates. We dive deep into his philosophy on exceptionalism, his thoughts on work-life balance for truly exceptional people, and his contrarian view that the future will be brand-based rather than firm-based.
Key Topics Covered:
Notable Quotes:"If you persistently work harder at something than everybody else over a long arc of time, it's almost impossible to fail."
"The worst advice given to entrepreneurs: Just build it and they will come."
Whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, or just curious about the future of technology in Africa, this conversation will challenge how you think about success, sacrifice, and what it takes to be truly exceptional.
In this episode, we sit down with Wale Akanbi, one of the co-founders of Aella. Aella became the first African lending fintech admitted to Y Combinator in 2017 and has since served over 2 million users across Nigeria and the Philippines.
Wale's journey, from teaching himself programming in Nigerian cyber cafes to building AI-powered financial inclusion tools, is a masterclass in persistence, vision, and purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
He's currently building solutions at the intersection of AI and blockchain to solve cross-border trust challenges.
What we cover:
What do you do when you discover a $281 billion problem that global pharmaceutical companies can't solve? If you're Ayodeji Alaran, you leave your corporate job and build the solution from your house in Lagos.
In this episode, Ayodeji shares the remarkable journey from pharmacy school to founding PBR Life Sciences, now building one of Africa's largest healthcare datasets. This isn't just another startup story - it's a masterclass in strategic thinking, long-term vision, and the power of being an outlier.
What You'll Learn:
Ayodeji's philosophy that "every problem has a solution" isn't just optimism - it's the foundation for building solutions that could reshape how the world thinks about African healthcare.
Connect with Ayodeji on LinkedIn and follow PBR Life Sciences for updates on their expansion across Africa.
Bernard Laurendeau built Ethiopia's first licensed payment system operator, advised the Prime Minister's office on job creation, and now operates from Tokyo helping Japanese billions find their way into African markets. But he has a contrarian message: Africa needs to stop chasing sexy tech and focus on boring infrastructure first.
In this conversation, we explore:
Bernard shares candid insights about building in hostile environments, the importance of patient capital, and why African leaders need to become more comfortable with power. His unique perspective as someone who's navigated Ethiopian, French, American, and Japanese business cultures offers invaluable lessons for anyone interested in emerging markets.
Dr. Houda Ghozzi, founder of Open Startup (OST), shares her journey from professor to pan-African ecosystem builder. Following Tunisia's revolution, she transformed uncertainty into opportunity, now helping young entrepreneurs across 19 African countries develop through "hope, skills, and exposure."
Houda discusses entrepreneurship as a common language that transcends borders, the evolution of OST into the "Y-Combinator of deep tech," and why Africa's innovation story requires patience rather than just focusing on exits.
Her insights on cross-border collaboration, AI opportunities, and policy frameworks reveal a compelling vision for Africa's entrepreneurial future—one in which young people build solutions to local problems with global relevance.
After a decade as Nigeria's leading financial literacy advocate, Tunji Andrews realized education alone wasn't enough. Inspired by an elderly lottery agent from his childhood who fell into poverty, he founded Awabah to bring pension solutions to Nigeria's informal sector workers.
In this candid conversation, Tunji reveals how his company is using local language and cultural understanding to make retirement planning accessible to everyone from street vendors to market wholesalers. He shares surprising insights about customer behaviour, his contrary bet on focusing on pensions rather than payments or loans, and the personal cost of founder resilience.
Listen for valuable lessons on market segmentation, regulatory relationships, and why sometimes you need to "survive first, then scale."
Yassine Laghzioui, CEO of UM6P Ventures and Director of Entrepreneurship at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, joins The Grinders Table to discuss building Africa's innovation ecosystem through deep tech investment.
When Yassine chose to return to Morocco while his peers stayed abroad, he embarked on a journey to transform how innovation happens in Africa. In this conversation, he shares why Africa doesn't need "savers" but rather builders and executors, how constraints drive innovation more effectively than abundance, and why he believes Africa will become a global leader in deep tech within the next decade.
We explore Yassine's philosophy that "entrepreneurship is not a job, it's a mindset," his approach to identifying promising deep tech founders in environments with limited data, and why he's particularly excited about Africa's potential in agricultural technology and green tech.
This episode offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone interested in the future of innovation in emerging markets.
In this reshared episode, Uwem speaks with Massimiliano 'Massi' Spalazzi, former CEO of Jumia Nigeria and early employee who helped scale the company to become Africa's first tech IPO on the NYSE.
Key highlights:
Whether you're building an e-commerce business, scaling across African markets, or interested in the evolution of tech in Africa, Massi's insights remain essential listening for entrepreneurs and business leaders.
In this episode of The Grinders Table, we speak with Jelle Schuitemaker, co-founder of Goal 3, whose innovative patient monitoring system has reduced child mortality by 42% in African hospitals.
Jelle shares his journey from first encountering global inequality in the Philippines to building technology that's transforming healthcare in low-resource settings.
We explore the philosophical foundations of his work, the tension between impact and profit, and how his faith-driven purpose guides his mission to provide fair and accessible healthcare for everyone.
A must-listen for anyone interested in purpose-driven entrepreneurship, global health innovation, or the intersection of faith and business.
In this enlightening conversation, Ghita Zniber, co-founder of Kalys Ventures, shares her unique journey from rugby player to venture capitalist. Discover her "first follower" philosophy reshaping African startup investment and how a childhood conversation with her father about values became the foundation for her business approach.
Ghita reveals why she embraces being a generalist in a specialist's world, how Kalys Ventures supports African startups, and their strategic focus on the Moroccan diaspora. She offers invaluable advice on building founder-investor relationships, maintaining partnerships, and avoiding common capitalization pitfalls.
Whether you're a founder seeking investment, an aspiring investor, or simply curious about the evolving African tech ecosystem, Ghita's fresh perspective offers insights that challenge conventional venture capital wisdom.
Time Stamps:00:00 - Introduction03:42 - Rugby lessons that shaped her business approach07:14 - The childhood values conversation that changed everything13:15 - Discovering her true calling as a "first follower"24:23 - Investment philosophy at Kalys Ventures33:35 - Maintaining strong partnerships35:59 - The vision for African investment47:06 - Rapid fire advice for founders48:36 - Power, money, fame or pleasure?
From train driver's son in Austria to building Africa's pioneering Direct Air Capture company, Martin Freimüller shares his journey of building Octavia Carbon in Kenya.
In this episode, we explore why Kenya is the world's best place for DAC, the reality of building deep tech with local talent, and the true tests of entrepreneurial conviction.
Martin shares candid insights about startup crises, his contrarian views on African climate tech, and why building hardware companies matters for Africa's future. A must-listen for anyone interested in climate tech, African entrepreneurship, or building ambitious companies in emerging markets.
What happens when a Lebanese-born, Paris-educated investment banker returns to Dakar and discovers her true calling in venture capital? In this deeply personal episode, Sabrine Chahrour, Investor at Partech Africa, takes us through her remarkable journey from Googling "what is venture capital" to becoming a key player in Africa's tech ecosystem.
But this isn't just another VC story. As a mother of two young children, Sabrine offers rare insights into navigating the demanding world of venture capital while embracing parenthood. She challenges conventional wisdom, revealing how motherhood enhanced her investment approach through improved empathy, patience, and strategic thinking.
Whether you're a founder seeking to understand VC dynamics, a professional navigating work-life integration, or an investor curious about Francophone Africa's potential, this episode offers fresh perspectives on building impactful organizations in unexpected places.
Key conversations include:
In this episode of The Grinders Table, we take a journey into the transformative world of healthcare in Africa with our guest, Tobias, CEO of Viebeg. Tobias, originally from Vienna, Austria, has spent over seven years in East Africa, where he has witnessed firsthand the critical challenges faced by healthcare providers, particularly the lack of reliable medical supplies.
Tobias shares his journey, which began with a master’s thesis in Rwanda, where he became acutely aware of the inefficiencies in the healthcare supply chain. He recounts visiting numerous health facilities and discovering that many healthcare providers relied on gut feelings rather than data-driven decisions for procurement. This realization sparked the idea for Viebeg Medical, a company that now serves over 1,000 healthcare providers across five countries, utilizing artificial intelligence to optimize procurement processes and ensure that essential medical supplies are available where they are needed most.
Throughout our conversation, we explore the unique challenges of being an entrepreneur in Africa, including the cultural differences and infrastructural hurdles that Tobias has navigated. He emphasizes the importance of hiring local talent who understand the market and the value of building a community-oriented workplace culture.
We also discuss the role of technology and data in healthcare, with Tobias explaining how Viebeg leverages data to make informed decisions about medical supply needs. He discusses the challenges of data quality in Africa and the potential of AI to revolutionize healthcare delivery, while also acknowledging the need for accurate data collection in remote areas.
Join us for this enlightening conversation that not only sheds light on the healthcare landscape in Africa but also offers valuable lessons for entrepreneurs everywhere about the balance between impact and profitability, the significance of community, and the transformative power of technology.
Amber Penny, co-founder of Faro, a sustainable fashion brand, joined the podcast to share her journey and insights. She discussed her background in high-performance sports, the challenges of managing a startup, and the importance of building a strong team culture.
Amber highlighted the value of vulnerability in leadership and the impact of creating a supportive work environment. She emphasized the significance of balance, pleasure, and financial motivation in her career, prioritizing these over power and fame.
Overall, the conversation provided valuable insights into building a successful business while maintaining a focus on people and culture.
In this episode, I interview Lara Dendy Young, the co-founder of Conservio. Lara shares her background as a South African with a passion for nature conservation and wildlife. She discusses her experience in water polo and how it has shaped her work ethic and teamwork skills. Lara talks about the journey of founding Conservio with her business partner, Justin, during the challenging times of COVID-19.
Throughout the conversation, Lara emphasizes the importance of impact and relevance in her work. She defines success as building a relevant platform for nature-based travel and making a meaningful impact in conservation. Lara also reflects on the balance between work and personal life, highlighting the significance of routines and maintaining a healthy mindset.
Overall, Lara's journey and insights showcase her dedication to conservation and building a successful business while maintaining a balanced and fulfilling life.
In our latest podcast episode, we had an enriching conversation with Seni Sulyman. We explore Seni's journey from a hands-on operator who helps scale one of Africa's unicorns (Andela) to a visionary founder. He shares invaluable insights on problem-solving, crafting processes, and strategic execution - the backbone of any prosperous company. Seni emphasizes the power of empathy and adaptability in leadership. His stories serve as a masterclass in engaging and inspiring teams, highlighting the importance of resonant communication and turning challenges into opportunities. He also provides a rare look into the personal life of a public figure, discussing the balance between visibility and privacy and his deliberate choice to prioritize personal values and meaningful work over the attraction of fame. This episode is more than just a conversation. It's a catalyst for self-reflection on the motivations behind our quest for success, fulfilment, and impact.
This episode is a repost from Season 1 of our podcast. Clive Butkow shared his extensive journey from his early entrepreneurial ventures to his impressive tenure at Accenture, and his eventual founding of Kaylon Venture Partners after a brief retirement.
This episode was not just a deep dive into the mechanics of venture capital but also a masterclass in leadership and entrepreneurial mindset. Clive's passion and expertise were truly inspiring, making this a must-listen for anyone interested in venture capital, entrepreneurship, or business leadership.
In today's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kola Aina, a Nigerian entrepreneur turned Venture Capitalist, who shared his journey from starting a technology business to becoming a key player in the African investment landscape.
Kola began his career in corporate finance before venturing into entrepreneurship with his company, Emerging Platforms, which focused on enterprise software for governments and corporations. He later transitioned into angel investing and now leads the Pan-African Early-Stage Fund Ventures Platform.
We touched on the challenges Kola faced while raising funds for his first tech business and how these experiences shaped his approach to investing.
We also discussed the evolution of the African tech ecosystem, noting the significant growth in venture capital and the need for more local participation and liquidity in local markets.
It was an insightful conversation with Kola Aina, filled with valuable lessons on entrepreneurship, investment, and the art of maintaining balance in life.
Join Caroline van der Merwe, co-founder of Jem HR, in a candid conversation with Uwem on the Grinders Table Podcast. Caroline shares insights on her journey as an entrepreneur, the importance of values in leadership, and the power of having difficult conversations.
Discover how Caroline navigates the challenges of startup life, the significance of building a strong support system, and self-discovery.
