Shaping Africa: Recent Episodes
Rose Thiga
Welcome to the Shaping Africa podcast. Each week, we highlight an inspiring person that is Shaping Africa so that you can learn how to use your own skills and uniqueness to make real impact on the continent.
On this episode, I am joined by Georgie Ndirangu. Georgie is a journalist and media personality turned public relations strategist. Georgie is an African Thought Leader in every respect and has been open about the struggles and triumphs in his career journey. On this episode, we talk to Georgie about:
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His background in actuarial sciences and the many happy coincidences that led him to a career in journalism
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His advice for young people early in their career
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His journey through a difficult season in his career and finding his next career move that was the right fit and gave him the freedom and purpose alignment he was yearning for
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His advice for making it through the tough seasons in your career
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His perspective on the future of the journalism / media industry in Africa
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His hope for the continent from the point of view of media and owning / crafting the African perspective
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The importance of pursuing balance between your life and career and how his personal pursuits including his social media presence and #GeorgieHosts all tie together
On this episode, I am joined by Dr. Nathan Wangusi. Dr. Nathan Wangusi earlier this year was running for political office (Member of Parliament) in Langata Constituency in Nairobi, Kenya. Following our conversation and completion of the Langata nomination process, Nathan has since started an exciting new role was as Water Sustainability Program Manager at Amazon Web Services where he leads global water sustainability initiatives focused on reducing and accounting for water use in data centers, corporate offices, fulfillment centers, and in the communities/watersheds where the firm operates. He previously held various consulting roles focused on delivery of engineering solutions including highway drainage design, complex hydraulic analysis and flood studies for water management districts and road agencies in Florida. He has an interest in using engineering and technology to solve water challenges particularly as it relates to risks to undeserved communities. He has consulted considerably with bilateral partners in the water sector such as the World Bank, USAID and Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation and governments of Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa and the United States.
He led the Ease of Doing Business Transformation work in Kenya between 2014-2018 that saw Kenya improve in rank from 137 to 61 and creation of online government services portals such as the business registration service on eCitizen, the Movable Property Collateral Registry, the Land Information Management System, the Integrated Court Management System, iTax with the Kenya Revenue Authority and the Kenya Single Window System for port clearance. In digital water he led a team that created the Water Platform that is used to monitor water supply and assets in rural Kenya. He previously worked with the South East Rural Community Program where he developed programs promoting access to affordable water and wastewater in rural North Carolina.
In this Episode, we talk about:
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His growing up years and how he ended up in the US including how he ended up being a water resource engineer
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His transition to the continent and his advice for networking
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His advice for staying engaged with the continent while abroad
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His professional life and how he got involved in civic and political life
To keep in touch with Nathan, follow him on LinkedIn as I am convinced that he will be up to great things in the future: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanwangusi/
On this episode, I am joined by Adeola Adediran who is equal parts smart, witty and driven. He grew up in Chicago and would find his way to Nigeria through a job with a multinational after graduate school. In addition to his transition we talk about:
His exposure to the downstream oil & gas industry and how that opened his eyes to the entrepreneurial opportunity in Nigeria The importance of mentors in the transition His forray into consulting (Petrol Afrique) How he ended up in the LPG industry His decision to come back to the continent and how that gives a real sense of contribution The role the diaspora can play in the African renaissance, and building the continent using their skills, connections and professionalism His advice for planning your return back to the continent The qualities and values he has had to embody as a returnee from the diaspora His hope for the African continent and words of advice for anyone wanting to make the transition
This episode is just as much humor as it is deep wisdom and thought leadership. I hope you enjoy the conversation and obtain some actionable advice if you or someone you know is planning to make the transition. Please do share the podcast with anyone considering a move to the continent. I am sure they will find the advice useful.
On this episode, I am joined by Dr. Bright Gameli Mawudor a Cyber Security Specialist and Leader with a remarkable life story. Below are the highlights of our conversation:
- His journey to South Korea to pursue his masters and doctorate degrees
- The struggles of being an international student in South Korea (integrating into social life, encountering racism and the stress of trying to make a living as an international student)
- The challenges he faced in getting professional placement and building a career
- The rigor of graduate school in S. Korea and how African universities could do better in instilling a research culture in academia
- His commitment to building cybersecurity talent on the African continent through Africa Hackon and how he gives back through mentorship
- Balancing family and the demands of being a mentor and thought leader
- His social media presence and how he hopes to provide inspiration to others
- His hope for the African continent particularly in research and thought leadership
So grateful to Bright for sharing his journey so openly. Be sure to follow him here on Instagram and on LinkedIn to stay plugged in on all Bright is up to as he continues to make an impact in Africa's cybersecurity and technology industry.
On this episode, I am joined by Mr Phiny (entrepreneur and real estate investor). In addition to his journey to the US and back, we talk about the importance of family and being present as a factor that played into his decision to move back. Being close to family ended up being the core thing that drove Phiny's decision to move back including the many challenges he has overcome in business since his return.
Peter Ngunyi is the CEO EarlyBird Venture Lab where he leads the EarlyBird group of companies that support a growing portfolio of fast-growing tech startups: EarlyBird Venture Lab provides growth, acquisition and funding strategy for early-stage tech startups. EarlyBird Capital is the first institutional check to fast-growing Pan-African tech startups that meet our team and traction indicators.
Peter is a speaker at international events, published writer on growing companies in emerging markets, supporting several accelerators in Africa to help entrepreneurs design the best companies in today's environment. Formerly President of BRCK (2018 TIME magazine top 50 most genius companies).
Peter grew up as a farmer's kid and ended up in the US for his higher education. Upon completing his studies, he discovered the venture capital and tech startup scene in Austin, Texas and never looked back. He is currently working on building the tech startups on the continent with a particular focus on African founders. Peter is also a Harambean and Founder of the Global South Think Tank.
In this episode, we talk about:
How Peter ended up going to the US and the change in tide in perspectives on leaving the continent for young Kenyans today
How he discovered the venture capital and startup world in Austin, Texas
How he decided to come back to the continent while still keeping a global outloook through his travel (follow him on instagram @in.and.outofafrica)
His hope and belief for the Venture Capital and Tech Startup scene on the continent - how can Africa build for the world?
Peter is a visionary and inspiring big picture thinker and was an absolute pleasure to have on the podcast. I hope you enjoy listening to the conversation as much as we did creating it.
You may also follow Peter on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterngunyi/
On this episode, I am joined by Tebby Maritim. We talk about: How Tebby grew up, her journey to the UK and back to Kenya, her gentle parenting style and how gentle parenting could revolutionize the next African generation. Tebby, is a content creator and lover of life! She was born and raised in Kenya; went to Braeburn for primary then Braeside and Aga Khan Academy later for high school and IB. Tebby then carried on her education at the University of Sheffield. Tebby started intentionally creating content in 2020 as she was expecting her daughter, Sage. It is work that comes very naturally to me and that I enjoy! Outside of work, Tebby is a homebody - resisting all opportunities to socialise and choosing to spend quality time with her family instead. She is truly enamoured of Ian and Sage and is never tired of spending time with them.
On this episode, I am joined by Brian Waweru (linkedin.com/in/brian-waweru-aa75b629). Brian is a finance professional currently working in Johannesburg, South Africa. In this episode, we talk about:
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How Brian ended up in the US
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How he landed a top finance job with the world's most prestigious private equity firm
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How he went about his job search when he was ready to transition back to the Continent
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How being back has enabled him to give back, including a full circle opportunity to serve on the board of advisors of the Africa Leadership Academy
Brian has a real passion for giving back and is wise beyond his years and you will enjoy the story behind his professional journey and how he has gotten to where he is today . If you enjoyed my conversation with Brian, please do follow Brian on LinkedIn to stay in touch.
In today’s episode, I will be sharing part 3 of the Return Blueprint which is all about planning your return on a more tactical level. In this episode, we talk about:
- Some tips for moving personal effects
- The importance of having bank accounts in your destination country before moving
I hope you find value in the tips that I share and if you enjoy this episode, please do subscribe and rate the podcast so that people looking for advice in planning a transition can find the return blueprint. See you next week!
Welcome to episode 13 of the Shaping Africa podcast. In today’s episode, we talk about:
- The power of Networking in making a successful transition
- Assessing your skills and capabilities and how they fit in to the African context
I hope you enjoyed the tips! Please do subscribe and rate the podcast so that people looking for advice in planning a transition can find the return blueprint. Also, please do follow me on instagram @rosethiga. See you next week!
Welcome to episode 12 of the Shaping Africa podcast. For those of you that have been listening to the podcast this season, you know we are focusing on telling the stories of Africans who have made the “Great Return” from the diaspora. As we’ve been creating content, I’ve been thinking hard about providing a return blueprint of sorts and so I thought I’d do a few of these advice type episodes to help anyone who might be considering a transition back to the continent.
I’ve dubbed these episodes “The Return Blueprint” and today I’ll be sharing three things:
- The number one biggest lie in making a transition to Africa from the diaspora
- My strategy for getting to your unshakable and unwavering why for moving back
- The top two virtues you need a healthy dose of to make a successful transition - yes, there are others, but these two will hold you in good stead...
To give me feedback on the Return Blueprint episode and the podcast in general, please send me an email at rose@shapingafrica.com. I've also published some polls which you can feel free to participate in.
On this episode, I am joined by Coach Roseanne Kamau, the founder of Treasure Fitness, and a Certified Nutrition Coach with a background in Psychology. Coach Roseanne helps busy women (and some men) lose fat so that they can become healthy for themselves and their families.
In our conversatoin, we talk about:
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Her return journey to Kenya from the US
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The challenges along the way of setting up Treasure Fitness in Kenya
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The impetus behind building Treasure Fitness as a digital first health coaching business
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The three main pillars she teaches her students about their health and nutrition (this was pure gold!)
To stay in touch with Roseanne, follow her on instagram (@coachroseanne) and join one of her courses here: https://treasurefitness.com/ - you will love her approach to adopting and maintaining a sustainable healthy lifestyle!
Mugambi is an actor, writer, director and storyteller. His acting career began in Nairobi's theatre scene in the early 2000's, appearing in local and foreign plays and musicals.
His career would later grow during a brief stint in America in the late 2000's, where he worked in Philadelphia's theatre and indie film scene.
On returning to Kenya, he landed principal roles in celebrated Kenyan films 'Nairobi Half Life' (2012) and 'Stories Of Our Lives (2014).
He then went on to co-write the award-winning feature films 'Kati Kati' (2016) as well as 'Supa Modo' (2018). His feature directorial debut 'Lusala' (2019) premiered at the NBO Film Festival in 2019, and at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2020. He also works in the Kenyan theatre scene, his proudest work being 'Too Early For Birds: Mboya', a biographical storytelling project on Kenya's most renowned trade unionist and statesman, and he is part of an improv comedy collective called 'Because You Said So'.
If you enjoy my conversation with Mugambi, please keep in touch with him on Instagram (@itsmugambi) and follow his journey as he continues his amazing work as one of Africa's foremost storytellers.
Show notes:
A walk down memory land - Makmende Amerudi / Ha-He by Just a Band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mG1vIeETHc
On this episode, I am joined by Mugure Njendu, a Registered Architect ,Urban Planner and Founder. We talk about how her time in the US shaped her as a person, her return journey and the impact she has had since being back on the continent. Mugure is a great example of how to use your skills to make the change you want to see in the world. If you enjoy my conversation with Mugure, you can keep in touch with her by following her here on Instagram (@mugurenjenduofficial), Twitter (@MugureNjendu) and on LinkedIn. Links to the resources mentioned on the show are included below:
https://www.littleeinsteinsea.com/ - STEM program
https://www.gaplkenya.com/ - Mugure's Architecture Practice
This week, I am joined by Ham Namakajjo who is the Director of the Uganda Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Initiative (UEEI). In this episode, Ham and I talk about how he made the transition back to Uganda from the US, his entrepreneurial pursuits after his stint in management consulting and the importance of embracing ambiguity in entrepreneurship and in "The Great Return" journey. If you would like to keep in touch with Ham, please follow him on LinkedIn and on Instagram @axumoid.
Below are the other resources mentioned in the show:
https://live.fezah.com/
https://www.andeglobal.org/ueei/
Njeri Wagacha is a dual qualified, bilingual Corporate Partner at CDH Kenya. She runs the podcast @Njeritalks Law and is a foodie, choosing to share her recipes on her Instagram handle @foodieinnairobi.
It was such an honor to speak to my friend Njeri Wagacha - our conversation ranged from lessons learned in her childhood all the way to how persistence and resilience have led to success her legal career so far. If you enjoyed my conversation with Njeri, please listen to her podcast Njeri Talks Law where she discusses various matters on Law, Entrepreneurship and more.
On this episode, I speak to Teddy Onserio on his perspective around career planning, investing and entreprenuership. Teddy is currently an Africa Investment Advisor to the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). Teddy is also the founder of Haba Capital an investment company that is harnessing the collective power of small investments to propel businesses in Africa.
Below are links to the resources mentioned:
https://www.kensap.org/
https://www.dfc.gov/
https://www.habacapital.com/
On this episode, I am joined by Diana Mongare. Diana is a Senior Investment Associate at LGT Venture Philanthropy, the philanthropic fund of the princely family of Lichtenstein: https://www.lgtvp.com.
Diana's primary focus at LGT is in conservation, where she invests in organizations in Africa providing nature-based solutions to combat climate change. Diana also co-leads Haba Capital, an angel-investor group of young African professionals, and dedicates her time to supporting local entrepreneurs through startup funding and business consulting services.
Haba Capital: https://www.habacapital.com/
JP Kayobotsi is the Co-founder and CEO of Brioche, a chain of bakery and coffee shops started as a small self-funded endeavor in 2013. Prior to founding Brioche, JP worked as an adviser to the Rwandan President. He also worked as an investment officer at the African Development Bank and as a management consultant at Deloitte. To keep in touch with JP and Brioche, you can follow @briochekenya and @briocherwanda on Instagram.
Wangari Muchiri is a Renewable Energy Engineer and Sustainability expert. She currently works as the Innovation Lead at Hivos Foundation and Coordinator of the Africa Wind Power Association. Over the last 8 years, Wangari has gained international experience consulting in renewable energy, green buildings, climate change and sustainability throughout East Africa and Oceania.
Wangari also sits on the board of the Kenya Green Building Society.
Wangari holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Renewable Energy) from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia and a Masters of Engineering (Energy Planning and Policy) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
In 2021, Wangari was named among Africa’s Power and Energy Elite. Wangari has also been selected as an Obama Foundation Leader for Africa.
Wangari is passionate about ensuring a more sustainable world and hopes to play a vital role in seeing the SDG’s achieved by 2030.
If you would like to keep in touch with Wangari, please follow her on Instagram @wangaritango
Today’s guest is David Muriithi. He’s a creative entrepreneur, legendary event and talent manager, music promoter, property developer and DJ. He’s also CEO of the Creative Enterprise Centre whose main focus is implementing strategies that enhance professionalism within the creative industry in Africa.
David, a retired Ernst & Young auditor, has manifested his creative expression through his alter ego, the very popular DJ D-Lite over the past 3 decades and has opened for various Grammy-Award winning acts such as Run DMC, Kool& The Gang, Simply Red, Brand New Heavies, James Taylor Quartet, Blackstreet, SWV, James Ingram, FreddieJackson, Hugh Masekela and featured in various major local events such as The Safaricom International Jazz Festivals, Blankets & Wine, Koroga Festival amongst others.
An expert on creative entrepreneurship including Intellectual Property, David is often consulted widely across the globe on matters connected with trade and industry in creativity and creative products.
If you would like to stay in touch with David, please connect with him on his website https://about.me/davidmuriithi and on instagram: @davidmuriithi
Today's guest is Patricia Okelo. Patricia is an entrepreneur with over 19 years experience in running two successful small businesses, Willart Productions and Conferencing In A Box.
She is also the co- founder of Kayana Create, the premier space for female entrepreneurs, where women (and some men) come together to nurture small female run business – 0-3 years through various educational and networking events, such as the very successful ‘Candid Conversations: Circles for Women in Business’ and ‘The Kenya Cottage Industry Expo 2019'.
She is passionate about Women in Business and co- authored ‘A Candid Handbook for Women Doing Business’ that has been received with good reviews. She deeply believes in the “Spirit of Abundance” as the change the world needs.
In this episode Rose and Patricia discuss what it takes to attain entrepreneurial success and the practical steps anyone can take to establish a business in Africa when transitioning back from the diaspora.
If you are keen to start a business as part of your return journey, make sure to connect with Patricia through any of the following links.
Patricia’s Profile:
linkedin.com/in/patricia-okelo-2a45127
Websites
willart.com (Company Website)
conferencinginabox.co.ke (Company Website)
candidbusinesswomen.co.ke (Network)
We also highly recommend her book: A Candid Handbook for Women Doing Business in Kenya which can be purchased through this link and is available on Amazon (US and UK): https://kayana.org/home/books-resources/
Thank you for listening!
Considering a move back to Africa from the diaspora? Here are the stories of people who have successfully managed the transition that you can learn from.