Saka's Is That So

In this episode, Saka talks to Dr Mohammed Nuru about the crossovers between finance, tech and entrepreneurship with medicine.Dr Mohammed is currently an MD candidate at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, conducting research in the fields of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience.He shares his knowledge within the field of medicine and how tech and finance is integrated within medicine.If you think you or someone you know would like to chat with Saka in an exclusive interview, please get in touch!

In this episode, Saka talks to Farhan Ialji about his experience with LTV capital and the building of startup companies.Farhan is the Founder of LTV Capital who work with founders, venture capital investors, institutional and private investors globally to find the right partnerships, investments and support to build a thriving venture ecosystem that benefits all.Previously, he was Director in the Venture Partnerships team at Anthemis, exploring venture tech and fund investments. He is also an entrepreneur in residence at King's College London and a part-time lecturer at London Business School on managing in digital organisations.If you think you or someone you know would like to chat with Saka in an exclusive interview, please get in touch!

In this episode, Saka talks to Nihil Mehta about how 4 friends started a VC firm from scratch and about how to scale relationships and networks. They also discussed thematic vs opportunistic investing.Nihal is a Co-Founder at Eniac Ventures and was an Angel Investor at Uber. Early in his career, he honed his ability to spot top entrepreneurial talent by investing in Admob (acquired by Google), Swiftkey (acquired by Microsoft), Tapad (acquired by Telenor), Tala, and Uber, to name a few. Nihal and his wife are now angel investors and LPs in almost 100 underrepresented founders and fund managers.Nihal is a co-founder of the non-profit “Project Ahimsa,” providing scholarships to disadvantaged youth in India, where his parents immigrated from in the early 1970s. Nihal also recently co-founded initiatives like Help Main Street to help restaurants survive the pandemic, and The 100k Pledge, a social justice tracker of economic empowerment to Black communitiesIf you think you or someone you know would like to chat with Saka in an exclusive interview, please get in touch!

In this episode, Saka speaks to Ross Haleliuk all about how he leveraged content creation to become an investorRoss is an experienced operator and product leader at LimaCharlie shaping the future of cybersecurity. He is also the author of the substack, Venture Insecurity where he writes regular blogs talking all things cybersecurity.If you think you or someone you know would like to chat with Saka in an exclusive interview, please get in touch!

In this episode, Saka speaks to Carlos Pereira about his expertise in the crypto centric side of VC.Carlos is a Partner at BITKRAFT Ventures based in New York. He generally focuses on crypto-centric opportunities globally, as well as expanding the funds' coverage in LatAm and India. Prior to joining the team, he worked at Eldridge, investing in private markets with a focus on growth equity and venture capital, especially in media and interactive entertainment. Originally from Brazil, Carlos is a graduate of the Political Philosophy program at University of Virginia. He is passionate about Jiu Jitsu and games.If you think you or someone you know would like to chat with Saka in an exclusive interview, please get in touch!

In this episode, Saka talks to Sarah Millar about diversity and inclusion in the VC space. Sarah is COO of Diversity VC and is director of VPP Operations at OhmConnect. Through her work at Diversity VC, she works with entrepreneurs, investors and universities in order to create an industry that is free from bias.At Wharton, she held internships with two impact investors in Mexico City (IGNIA and Adobe Capital.) She also served as a consultant for multiple impact organizations, including local and global impact funds and nonprofits.If you think you or someone you know would like to chat with Saka in an exclusive interview, please get in touch!Saka's Is That So? is a podcast that focuses on challenging conventional norms across a range of industries including entrepreneurship, finance, tech, society and culture, to help us question things we assume as true.

In this episode, Saka talks to Ali Jamal about his origin story starting in VC and the build up to the success of him VC firm, First Check Ventures. He also talks about angel investing, which Ali does on the sidelines.Ali has more than 10 years experience in various Product and Growth roles at companies like Zynga, RockYou, Agoda, Rappi, and most recently at PayClip (one of LatAm's fastest growing FinTech companies). He is an angel investor who has completed more than 200 deals!He generally works for early-stage venture-backed portfolio companies of all sizes mainly focused in the Social Gaming, Consumer Internet and Enterprise Software spaces.If you think you or someone you know would like to chat with Saka in an exclusive interview, please get in touch!

In this episode, Saka talks to Christian Facey about how his successful business venture, Audiomob, started and is running through the use of VC funding and investment. Christian is currently the CEO and co-founder of AudioMob, the world's first non-interrupting gaming advertising solution that allows game developers to monetize their audience via audio advertising. AudioMob, is a VC backed company and recently closed $14m in funding at a $110M valuation, with Investors such as LightSpeed Ventures, Makers Fund, Google, Supernode Global and Atomico's / Sequoia's angel fund. As Founder and CEO, he is focused on creating a brand safe, flexible in-game audio ad platform that is proven to significantly elevate engagement for advertisers and revenue for publishers. In his spare time, he is a hip-hop and jazz producer having taken recent influences from Logic and Jamiroquai, and he has long enjoyed game development. If you think you or someone you know would like to chat with Saka in an exclusive interview, please get in touch!

In this episode, Saka talks to Darius Dale about currency trends in the world right now, along with his expert advice on institutional-grade macro risk management frameworks and processes. Darius is the Founder & CEO of 42 Macro, an investment research firm that aims to disrupt the financial services industry. Prior to founding 42 Macro, Darius was a Managing Director and Partner at Hedgeye Risk Management, an independent investment research firm based in Stamford, CT. Darius spent his entire childhood in and out of homeless shelters with a first-hand view of drug addiction. His humble beginnings have led him to develop a passion for social service that continues to this day as a founding member of Hedgeye Cares, as a junior board member of Domus Kids, and as co-chair of Yale Football's 4 for 40 mentorship program. If you think you or someone you know would like to chat with Saka in an exclusive interview, please get in touch!

In this episode, Saka talks to Rachel Ten Bink about her views as a General Partner on current venture capital trends and the ways in which she feels about venture capital whilst offering expert advice and knowledge on her niche of early stage investing and high-growth startups. Rachel is a General Partner and co-Founder of @redbikecapital, a Latinx and woman-led Venture Capital fund based in New York that invests in early stage, high-growth startups that drive the economy and improve people's lives. Rachel is a Founder, Investor, Board Member, and Growth Marketing expert. Prior to founding Red Bike Capital, she was Co-Founder and CMO of Scentbird, a Y-Combinator backed ecommerce startup that raised $29MM in venture funding. If you think you or someone you know would like to chat with Saka in an exclusive interview, please get in touch!

In this episode, Saka talks to award winning LGBTQ+ entrepreneur and strategist Christian Tooley about his take on innovation & systems thinking, business building, and venture capital within his role in driving growth for the Bain Innovation Exchange (BIE) in EMEA. Christian is an experienced startup advisor, investor, venture scout, & founder of i³ investing for queer entrepreneurs. As an activist, he is passionate about LGBTQ+ rights and intersectionality. Across EMEA, he is evolving the BIE's ecosystem of corporates, innovators, founders, and VCs, in the startup and venture capital world. If you think you or someone you know would like to chat with Saka in an exclusive interview, please get in touch!

In this episode, Saka speaks to Sasha Pilch about her expertise in FinTech and her roles in working as a principle for FinCaptial. Sasha is a principal at FinCaptial Investing, a firm focused on fintech early stage investing. At FinCapital, she will be involved in helping the firm source promising early-stage FinTech Founders and closely collaborating with those entrepreneurs after investment in adding meaningful operating value full lifecycle. She is also the co-founder of NYC FinTech Women, a community that connects, promotes, and empowers women within the FinTech industry. Listen now on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ydf3dRiEwh645JYUFoivH?si=3f780fb6b79c4762 (Saka's Is That So)

In this episode, Saka chats to Ken Watson about all things business tech and engineering. Ken is the current CEO of Stockperks, a platform that offers perks, free products, discounts and exclusive experiences to retail shareholders. He is a business technology expert with a career spanning over 25 years across Australia, UK and the US. He is a seasoned CTO running engineering for Ipreo, Lionbridge and WeWork. Listen now on Spotify, Youtube and Apple Music: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ydf3dRiEwh645JYUFoivH?si=3f780fb6b79c4762 (*Saka's Is That So)

In this episode, Saka speaks with Lolita about her mission to bring community into investing and her drive to explore venture capital in a different way. Lolita is an early-stage investor that backs community-driven startups in the US & Latin America at Ganas Ventures. She is on a mission to change the narrative about who's an investor, who she invests in, and the types of founders that build unicorns.

In this episode, Saka talks to Peace about her success in content creation and reaching audiences with her content. Peace is a Nigerian Youtuber and a T-Shaped Digital Marketing Manager and has successfully worked for agencies and startups. She has built a reputation for herself through her work with several local and international brands, her training programs, and more famously, her YouTube show Founders Connect. Peace's is passionate about human capacity development with a focus on equipping young people with the knowledge and skills required for them to leverage employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.

In this episode, Saka talks with Iynna Halilou about her experiences with early stage investing and offers her advice and expertise on ways to project successful startup pitch decks. Iynna is currently an MBA candidate at The Wharton School majoring in finance. She has extensive experience in venture capital and tech, having worked at NYC's first and largest early-stage accelerator and seed VC, as well as working at an edtech startup providing STEM education to underrepresented minority students as a way to bridge the racial and socioeconomic gap in tech. Her support towards helping global startups enter the US market is definitely admirable and worth recognition in the VC world. Originating from Cameroon and Madagascar, Iynna's passion lies within early stage investing and bridging the socioeconomic gap in Africa.

In this episode, Saka talks to Vincent Sheu about how law effects startups and offers his best advice on the ways to attract investors to startups. Vincent is a former law and computer science student at Stanford University and is super interested in the intersection between law and policy with entrepreneurship and venture capital startups. He is also a world champion Rubik's Cube Player known for organising World Cube Association competitions!

In this episode, Saka talks to Jada Sezer about her journey through finding her own empowerment and becoming an ambassador for female empowerment across social media platforms. Jada is an advocate for UN Women UK and an angel investor for female founded startup businesses. She began her career as a model and shifted her focus towards tech and finding ways to help others. She has been committed to inspiring positive change physically and digitally to all kinds of people and continues to shine her influence through her platforms.  "I don't want to be a model, I want to be a role model."

In this episode, Saka speaks to PJ Loury about his work in the tech world, giving useful tips on entrepreneurship & finance. PJ Loury is currently studying for an MBA at Stanford University and has worked for Uber, Life360 and charitable venture, Helping Hands in software product leading. He has a passion for building mission-driven products that people love and value. 

In this episode, Saka invites McKeever Conwell II to speak about his experience starting his own venture capital fund ‘Rarebreed Ventures', giving advice to startups, founders and investors whilst reflecting on his own journey. McKeever Conwell II is a Baltimore-based investor who left tech development agency TEDCO to start his own venture capital fund, Rarebreed Ventures. It is designed to be the first investor backing large companies like TEDCO. He has a wealth of knowledge of the early stages as he has been both an investor and a founder.  McKeever knows what it's like to be an entrepreneur trying to seek funding, so has lots of useful experience he has shared. His key piece of advice is to remember that the relationship between founders and investors is a partnership.  Saka's Is That So? is a podcast that focuses on challenging conventional norms across a range of industries including entrepreneurship, finance, tech, society and culture, to help us question things we assume as true.

In this episode, Saka speaks to Andy Davis about his work supporting black founders and discusses the importance of storytelling when raising funds.  Andy Davis, is an angel investor at Atomico and ex-Director of Backstage Capital London. He also leads the 10x10 group - a group of black founders and has recently launched the 10x10 Fund with an open invitation to commit a minimum of £1,000 to be invested in Black founders. Andy is spearheading efforts to make European investing more diverse and inclusive by raising awareness of underrepresentation, and providing financial, strategic, and networking support to Black founders.

In this episode, Saka discuss the success of Everledger and the future of blockchain and new technologies with Senior VP, Scott Austin. Scott leads Everledger's business in the Americas, working closely with the team to make technology breakthroughs that solve the challenges facing their clients. Scott was previously Director of the Asia Pacific Smart Card Association for Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. He has over 20 years experience in the development and evolution of Identification Technologies (Smartcard/RFID/NFC), Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technologies, supported through his Certificate in Future Commerce, Financial Technology from MIT.

In this episode, Saka chats with Paris Petgrave all about her upbringing and what makes her the founder and business woman she is today as well as how she made the transition from corporate life to being an entrepreneur. Paris is the CEO of We Love Work, A People analytics platform that provides the fastest and simplest way to audit and improve your company culture. Paris is also the founder and investor in Rare Seed Capital, an Angel fund that invests in early stage tech startups solving the world's biggest problems. Previous to this Paris spent 8 years as a headhunter running her own firm working with large corporate clients such as Walmart, Barclays and Harrods, during her spare time she made a number of investments in property and small business. In 2013 Paris launched her first startup Accelerator in partnership with the UK's largest provider of startup finance Start Up Loans company. During this period Paris mentored over 250 startups and invested up to £25K of startup finance to the best founding teams. Paris is a passionate entrepreneur and advocate for women in tech and entrepreneurship. In 2017 she was listed as the top 100 EMpower leaders in the Financial Times.

Gosbert Chagula is the founder of Startup Discovery school, an accelerator in London. He's spent his career supporting and building mission-driven businesses in Europe & Africa. Previously Gosbert was Ecosystem Manager at Exeter Velocities, a 6-month Accelerator focused on making Exeter a world-class sustainable city. We supported and invested in radical entrepreneurs who wanted to build high-growth businesses which have the potential to solve the challenges Exeter faces concerning energy and congestion. The previous two years Gosbert spent working at The Africa Technology Business Network (AFTBN), a global network focused on driving innovation-led growth and impact in Africa. Whilst at there he worked on launching #HerFutureAfrica, an innovation accelerator focused on helping Ghanaian women launch sustainable businesses in the city of Accra.

How do you get the resources you need to achieve your dreams? A conversation with Dr Joanna Abeyie The story of DR Joanna Abeyie who became an MBE even though she faced hurdles and wasn't exactly given head start in life is a great example of how to overcome and be relentless when pursuing your goals.  Joanna has spent the last 14 years, increasing the employment of diverse talent through inclusive hiring practices and creating inclusive working cultures. Launching her first charity Elevation Networks Charitable Trust at 18 alongside six colleagues in 2006, following this 2008 Joanna went on to start her own Social Enterprise Shine Media in 2008, saw she placed over 3000 people from diverse backgrounds into work within the creative industries. Joanna's latest enterprise is founding Blue Moon, a flagship inclusive Executive Search Business and Diversity and Inclusion Consultancy Practice. Before BM, Joanna founded Hyden, part of FTSE 250 Global Recruiter SThree, an executive search and consultancy business. Alongside Executive Search success, Joanna has an impressive track record in attracting, recruiting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent and leading businesses through culture transformation, unique recruitment processes, and challenging bias from the top-down and bottom-up. This work, coupled with her personal story, led to her TEDx Talk on Social Mobility in Oman in 2018. She has been instrumental in establishing the Creative Diversity All-Party Parliamentary Group with Baroness Deborah Bull, of which she is a joint secretary. Joanna also sits on the UKRI Arts & Humanities Research Council and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Expert Advisory Panel Boundless Creativity Joint Research Project, is an active member of the DCMS and Cultural Renewal Taskforce, Culture Committee chaired by Tracy Brabin MP and an Everyday Ally for UN Women. The University of Reading in 2019 awarded Joanna a Distinguished Graduate Award, and she then received an Honorary Doctorate in Business from the University of West England in the same year. Joanna's responsibilities do not end there; she is a Non-Executive Director for Investors in People, an Advisory Board member RISE a group for women in Broadcast, Ambassador Mental Health in Recruitment, Expert Advisory Board Member for New Scotland Yard Counter-Terrorism Advisory Board and a Trustee for The Lord Mayor's Appeal. Joanna is also a Trustee and Director of Haberdasher Askes Trust Federation Board and School Governor of Hatcham College and Mulberry Academy Shoreditch. Joanna was also awarded her Freedom of the City in 2018 and became the first black female to become a Liverywoman for the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers. Joanna was also awarded an MBE in the 2020 New Year's Honours list for her services to diversity and inclusion in the creative and media industries.

In this episode, we spoke about the misconceptions around black businesses and how they can invest together to create an economic unit.  Having successfully run corporate finance events for almost a decade, Black Business Network founder, Shari Leigh is launching their first diversity, finance conference, and exhibition this autumn, Black Investor 360.

Are Hispanics part of the Diversity and Inclusion discussion? A conversation with Eric Lopez Eric has over 10 years of experience helping organizations further their missions and meet their research goals. In fact, He's so passionate about it he even does it during his free time as a board member for non-profit organizations, and as the Founder and CEO of Globe Serve Consulting where he helps other non-profits find fundraising solutions that leverage data and their organizational strengths for grant applications and appeals. His background also includes a unique combination of analytical strengths (especially policy and data analysis), writing and editing expertise, cross-cultural leadership, and a passion for social justice. Among his talents are native fluency in English and Spanish and he also picked up some Hungarian as a Fulbright grantee in Budapest.

What does it take to launch a successful event for black businesses? A conversation with Raphael Sofoluke, creator of the black business show, Europe's largest event for black businesses. In this episode, we challenge the conventions around hosting an event including, what prep goes into making an event successful? How do we organise people to meet for business instead of leisure? The UK Black Business Show has been created to inspire and connect black business owners and professionals working in various industries. Through business exhibitions, deep-dive workshops, interactive panels, and seminars, delivered by industry pioneers, this event will enable personal, professional, and corporate development. 

How do you build a brand and what exactly makes a good one? A conversation with Jason Beckly. On this episode, we challenge the conventions around building a brand including, what does a brand mean beyond a cool logo? What makes people so devout to brands? and how are brands changing with the black lives matter movement Jason Beckly is the former Chief Branding Officer of Clarks,  former marketing lead at Ralph Lauren, and brand director at Alexander McQueen. 

How is artificial intelligence being used to solve problems? A conversation with Bobby Tang, CEO at Screenable. On this episode we challenged the conventions around AI including, is AI really as amazing as people make it seem? What is the downside of AI? And how can startups leverage AI Screenable is the video interview platform designed to streamline applicant screenings and make the recruitment journey more efficient and effective. Bobby's international experience spans across Silicon Valley, Europe, Australia, India, and China. He spent the majority of his career working on $T consumer electronics and e-commerce products at global tech leaders, with a recent focus on driving computer vision and NLP products at AI startups. His latest passions surrounds using AI to enrich lives by enhancing how we interact with products and most importantly, with each other. Outside of his "normal" job, Bobby is an actor featured in commercials such as Dove for Men and Chelsea Football Club, and previously sang on-stage with Taylor Swift.

 How has technology helped us with our finances ? A conversation with Alexander Wallin, CEO at Sprinkle, a fintech company. On this episode we challenged the conventions around investing, how to blockchain and crowdsourcing are making investing easier. The Sprinkle Group is on a mission to simplify capital markets by providing integrated financial solutions for global investors, regardless of experience or location. By harnessing the power of crowdsourcing and blockchain technology, Sprinkle Group aims to become the new standard within capital markets.

On this episode we deconstructed the norms around identity. How do you begin to understand what your identity consists of, does your identity change over time and at different phases of life? How does identity affect your life and how you view yourself?In Lathi’s words: Identity is the construct that has plagued every individual I have had the pleasure and the honour of working with. Individuals face complicated and intricate problems during their lives, which often leaves them confused and bewildered, but all hope is not lost. Through my work I help individuals to face the fear that is sometimes too painful to verbalise and I help them move forward to lead a truly empowered life.How to skilfully handle fear and trauma are parts of the work I do with individuals and organisations around identity. We can feel imprisoned by a fixed image of ourselves, but have no way of finding relief as all we hear from people around us is how lucky we are.By acknowledging what has been, and giving a sacred space to bring to the surface the pieces of oneself that may have been left, neglected and suppressed, we are able to recognise the impact an experience may have had - both positive and negative - and move forward with the profound knowledge that a single moment does not define us. I love working with people who have difficult roles, who are multiple layered and have experienced interesting circumstances that not many can understand, let alone comprehend. I relish the big challenges as they are able to bring clients the greatest rewards and peace of mind.I help businesses to understand the Human Resources that they have at their disposal and I help to facilitate cohesion, increase revenue, reduce attrition and increase employee and team productivity. I have a three phase process to help organisations manage their human capital, to be more aware of who they are, what they have to offer and how to interact in positive and impactful ways.https://www.linkedin.com/in/lathi-dub%C3%A9-33193538/

On this episode we discuss the misconceptions around building a platform, how to build wealth, and what its like being an entrepreneur.David is building a digital wealth and investment platform to open up access to wealth creation opportunities for black and ethnic communities.David has a background in Product Management, where he specialised in customer-centered design to develop digital financial propositions. He have a keen interest for product strategy, design and development.David is also the Director of Programs at Foundervine a social enterprise on a mission to change the global face of entrepreneurship. Foundervine has helped over 2,000 diverse future founders imagine, start and sustain entrepreneurial ventures. Foundervine connects high-potential early stage ventures to mission-driven companies, both public and private, to utilise their talent in scaling early-stage ventures.https://wealth-8.com/

How exactly do you make money from ecommerce? Do you have to be the one who sources, ships and manages products online? Does age stop you from being successful online?Alex Philip is one of a new breed of young entrepreneurs determined not to let their age hold them back.The 14-year-old Londoner is currently turning over $30,000 a month and making $5,000 in profits, by sourcing products on Alibaba and selling them through Shopify, using drop shipping to simplify the process, and is on track to make $250,000 ($60,000 profit) this year alone.https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisoncoleman/2018/05/06/the-teenage-entrepreneur-learning-to-go-big-and-heading-for-a-250000-turnover/?sh=273be34b25c1

What's the importance of building a community? A conversation with Sharla Jay Duncan. On this episode Saka spoke to Sharla, the founder of the intrapreneurs club on the importance of building a community. Is it as simple as creating a facebook group? What makes members want to be part of a community? How do you keep members coming back?Sharla is on a mission to build high performing and diverse tech teams. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharla-jaye-duncan-ba324936/

In this episode Saka and Fope explore the misconceptions in private equity including if their business model is fundamentally flawed,how the tensions between founders and equity investors actually plays out and a host of other interesting topics. Fope Adelowo is a Senior Vice President at Helios investmentMs Adelowo has 13 years of relevant professional experience. Prior to joining Helios in April 2014, she was a Fellow in the Principal Investment Group at Cardinal Stone Partners in Lagos and served in several roles in the Emerging Markets Structured Products team and Fixed Income team at Goldman Sachs in New York. Ms Adelowo serves on the Board of Directors of TPAY Mobile FZ-LLC. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and MEng from Imperial College London. She is a Nigerian national.Follow Fope: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fope-adelowo-889a1745/ABOUT THE HOST: Saka is a global citizen with African origins. As part of Saka's work, he regularly mentors startups and underrepresented founders. Saka is also a public speaker, writer, and host of the podcast "Saka's is that so?" Saka graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Master's in Engineering & Business as the youngest valedictorian in the engineering graduate school's history at 21 years and 190 days old. His career spans 3 continents in multiple functions from Marketing, Sales, Strategy, and Finance. Saka is passionate about Technology, Culture, and Conversation with a focus on innovation, representation and conversation.*****Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sakasisthatso/YouTube: Sakaisthatso https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEGAZ9hNdez14zT77WUrXXA?Website: https://www.sakasisthatso.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sakasisthatso LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saka-saddiq-nuru-6184b037Twitter: https://twitter.com/saka_nuruTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sakasisthatso*****

On this episode, Saka and Orr challenge the conventional norms on creating startups for good. Can startups successfully do good and make money? How do you convince people to join your social mission? What are the steps involved in trying to create an accelerator or hub for people to create social conscious enterprises?Orr is the founder of unrest an accelerator in London. in his own words, Orr describes his work as "We are building an Accelerator program that develops budding entrepreneurs who want to launch for-good businesses and supporting them to ensure they make a global impact.We work with x24 of them each year and take them from concept to an operational business that’s ready to raise serious cash within 4 months. Think businesses that change our fast fashion industry (Patagonia), support a sustainable planet (Allbirds), reduce food waste (2good2go/Olio), support mental health (Calm/headspace), and change our Energy markets (Bulb) among other sectors.How do we do it? Bring together the best coaches, mentors, and business leaders. People who have been there, done it, and can support the entrepreneur work out channels, MVP, first 1000 customers, pitching, etc. Sadly not enough investors or incubators look at the wellbeing of the entrepreneurs but we believe that our role is to mentally fortify the entrepreneur and so we work on cultivating resilience, coping strategies, and how you build a winning company culture based on moral values.Finally, we give them a clear route to funding (raising £150K+) through specific funds that are desperately searching for scalable businesses focusing on purpose and profit."

On this episode Saka speaks to Babajide Macaulay Mitlon the founder of Illumania, a platform to help graduate students get scholarships. We challenge assumptions such as; does the academic environment foster entrepreneurship and innovation? Are there advantages to being a student entrepreneur? Is most innovation born out of academic research?Babajide is a purpose-driven environmental scientist and a self-motivated young man with over 8 years of teaching and research experience. His penchant for research and excellence is what stimulates him in the academic world. He has led projects in environmental mitigation research areas such as groundwater arsenic contamination studies, bioremediation of crude oil spills, and medical waste management.He is also a youth leader and entrepreneur. He mentors hundreds of Nigerian proteges on capacity development, particularly by providing professional guidance for international postgraduate scholarships. To ensure that these talented individuals get the professional support they need, he founded iLLUMANIA in 2018, an online academic, business and environmental consulting outfit (www.illumania.org).Currently, he lectures in the Environmental Biology and Public Health unit of the Department of Biology at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, Nigeria

On this Episode Saka speaks to Drew Welton on the conventional norms in recruiting. Does your CV format really matter? Do robots determine which CV/Resume gets through? Are recruiters only interested in filling the role with any candidate? Does your interview start before you even meet the 1st manager?Drew Welton is the founder of Bamboo crowd Bamboo Crowd is a culture-inspired recruitment consultancy with offices in London and New York. We’re fearlessly independent and a boutique by design.-They do this by hiring world-class talent … the Thinkers, Makers and Leaders that operate at the intersection of innovation, design and technology.They build teams who as collectives, conceptualise, design and create game-changing products, services, experiences, brands, cultures and ventures.0207 012 1069info@bamboocrowd.co.uk https://www.bamboocrowd.com/

On this episode we discuss questions such as, are kids too young to understand entrepreneurship? Are some kids given a head start over others? How do we encourage kids to take risks beyond formal education? Are Entrepreneurs made or are they born?Julian Hall is the Founder and CEO of ULTRA Education who's vision is that all children and young people regardless of background or social standing have access to essential entrepreneurial education. The mission is to be the leading brand and #1 provider of entrepreneur education in the world.https://ultra.education/*****ABOUT THE HOST: Saka is a global citizen with African origins. As part of Saka's work, he regularly mentors startups and underrepresented founders. Saka is also a public speaker, writer, and host of the podcast "Saka's is that so?" Saka graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Master's in Engineering & Business as the youngest valedictorian in the engineering graduate school's history at 21 years and 190 days old. His career spans 3 continents in multiple functions from Marketing, Sales, Strategy, and Finance. Saka is passionate about Technology, Culture, and Conversation with a focus on innovation, representation and conversation.*****Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sakasisthatso/YouTube: Sakaisthatso https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEGAZ9hNdez14zT77WUrXXA?Website: https://www.sakasisthatso.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sakasisthatso LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saka-s-is-that-soTwitter: https://twitter.com/SakaThatTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sakasisthatso*****Producer : James BishopEditor: Kasra FirouzyarRecorded at OneFinePlay www.onefineplay.com

On this episode Saka speaks with Topsy Taiwo a specialist in real estate. Topics discussed include; Is it always worth it to buy your home? is buying always better than renting? What factors should you consider when buying a home? Is buying and leasing property the way to grow your income?Topsy Taiwo has been in real estate for almost half a decade. He is the founder of property purchaser and a presenter on the talk show topchat.He graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2012 and currently lives in the United Kingdom.https://twitter.com/topsytaiwo?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthorhttps://linktr.ee/topsytaiwohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/topsytaiwo/?originalSubdomain=ukABOUT THE HOST: Saka is a global citizen with African origins. As part of Saka's work, he regularly mentors startups and underrepresented founders. Saka is also a public speaker, writer, and host of the podcast "Saka's is that so?" Saka graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Master's in Engineering & Business as the youngest valedictorian in the engineering graduate school's history at 21 years and 190 days old. His career spans 3 continents in multiple functions from Marketing, Sales, Strategy, and Finance. Saka is passionate about Technology, Culture, and Conversation with a focus on innovation, representation and conversation.*****Website: https://www.sakasisthatso.com/Instagram: sakasisthatsoYouTube: Sakaisthatso https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEGAZ9hNdez14zT77WUrXXA?view_as=subscriberFacebook: fb.me/sakasisthatso Twitter: https://twitter.com/SakaThatProducer : James BishopEditor: Kasra FirouzyarPart of OneFinePlay www.onefineplay.com

On this episode, Saka speaks with James Bargeron about mindset, negotiation, and career.Other questions discussed include: Chasing money is necessary but what's the cost? Are you moving towards an early grave or regret in old age?As herd animals, we yearn for groups and acceptance but is that always a good thing?How do you recognize when you are addicted to the rush or dopamine of making money?How do you know your own value when negotiating?Bio:Three decades of experience in the global energy business both in the UK and the USA, working with some of the most successful oil trading companies, oil companies, and shipping companies.Areas James focuses on:Mindset and the psychology behind failure and successEnhancing personal and team performanceLeadership development and effective communicationhttps://www.jamesbargeron.comABOUT THE HOST: Saka is a global citizen with African origins. As part of Saka's work, he regularly mentors startups and underrepresented founders. Saka is also a public speaker, writer, and host of the podcast "Saka's is that so?" Saka graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Master's in Engineering & Business as the youngest valedictorian in the engineering graduate school's history at 21 years and 190 days old. His career spans 3 continents in multiple functions from Marketing, Sales, Strategy, and Finance. Saka is passionate about Technology, Culture, and Conversation with a focus on innovation, representation and conversation.*****Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sakasisthatso/YouTube: Sakaisthatso https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEGAZ9hNdez14zT77WUrXXA?Website: https://www.sakasisthatso.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sakasisthatso LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saka-s-is-that-soTwitter: https://twitter.com/SakaThatTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sakasisthatso

On this episode Saka speaks to Andy Ayim, the founder of Andy’s VC School. We explore questions such as: Do all startups need millions in funding to get started?How involved do investors and venture capitalists get?What role do emotions play in investing?Should you raise red flags with your investors?Andy Ayim is the founder of The Angel Investing School and also consults organisations on how to build Product teams that work with agility to create products customers love using his Product Playbooks. He was the Managing Director of Backstage Capital, and has worked in a range of product roles in companies such as Investec Bank and WorldFirst, acquired by Ant Financial for $700m.*****ABOUT THE HOST: Saka is a global citizen with African origins. As part of Saka's work, he regularly mentors startups and underrepresented founders. Saka is also a public speaker, writer, and host of the podcast "Saka's is that so?" Saka graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Master's in Engineering & Business as the youngest valedictorian in the engineering graduate school's history at 21 years and 190 days old. His career spans 3 continents in multiple functions from Marketing, Sales, Strategy, and Finance. Saka is passionate about Technology, Culture, and Conversation with a focus on innovation, representation and conversation.*****Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sakasisthatso/YouTube: Sakaisthatso https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEGAZ9hNdez14zT77WUrXXA?Website: https://www.sakasisthatso.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sakasisthatso LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saka-s-is-that-soTwitter: https://twitter.com/SakaThatTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sakasisthatso*****Producer : James BishopEditor: Kasra FirouzyarRecorded at OneFinePlay www.onefineplay.com

On this episode Saka speaks to Geoff White an investigative journalist for the BBC and reporter about the myths surrounding our data and cybersecurity. What are the ethical boundaries of the dark web? As a society should we permit governments to request our data from companies?Geoff White: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffwhitetech/Geoff Twitter: https://twitter.com/geoffwhite247Pre-Order Geoff's book 'Crime Dot Com: From Viruses to Vote Rigging, How Hacking Went Global' here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crime-Dot-Com-Viruses-Rigging/dp/1789142857*****ABOUT THE HOST: Saka is a global citizen with African origins. As part of Saka's work, he regularly mentors startups and underrepresented founders. Saka is also a public speaker, writer, and host of the podcast "Saka's is that so?" Saka graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Master's in Engineering & Business as the youngest valedictorian in the engineering graduate school's history at 21 years and 190 days old. His career spans 3 continents in multiple functions from Marketing, Sales, Strategy, and Finance. Saka is passionate about Technology, Culture, and Conversation with a focus on innovation, representation and conversation.*****Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sakasisthatso/YouTube: Sakaisthatso https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEGAZ9hNdez14zT77WUrXXA?Website: https://www.sakasisthatso.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sakasisthatso LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saka-s-is-that-soTwitter: https://twitter.com/SakaThatTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sakasisthatso*****Producer : James BishopEditor: Kasra FirouzyarRecorded at OneFinePlay www.onefineplay.com

Ever wonder if nonprofits actually make a profit? On this episode Saka explores the myths around the business model of nonprofits, if business skills are needed at nonprofits, if they are effective and if emotional resilience is required. Saka is accompanied by Fabian, a ex McKinsey manager and prominent figure in the non Profit sector in charge of billions of dollars as part of a non-profit foundation. *****ABOUT THE HOST: Saka is a global citizen with African origins. As part of Saka's work, he regularly mentors startups and underrepresented founders. Saka is also a public speaker, writer, and host of the podcast "Saka's is that so?" Saka graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Master's in Engineering & Business as the youngest valedictorian in the engineering graduate school's history at 21 years and 190 days old. His career spans 3 continents in multiple functions from Marketing, Sales, Strategy, and Finance. Saka is passionate about Technology, Culture, and Conversation with a focus on innovation, representation and conversation.*****Website: https://www.sakasisthatso.com/Instagram: sakasisthatsoYouTube: Sakaisthatso https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEGAZ9hNdez14zT77WUrXXA?view_as=subscriberFacebook: fb.me/sakasisthatso Twitter: https://twitter.com/SakaThatProducer : James BishopEditor: Kasra FirouzyarPart of OneFinePlay www.onefineplay.com

Ever wonder how to build wealth? On this episode Saka explores the myths around income vs wealth, financial literacy, gender differences. Our special guest is Patricia Lamour MBE and founder of Aspire education group, a company dedicated to educating for wealth. *****ABOUT THE HOST: Saka is a global citizen with African origins. As part of Saka's work, he regularly mentors startups and underrepresented founders. Saka is also a public speaker, writer, and host of the podcast "Saka's is that so?" Saka graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Master's in Engineering & Business as the youngest valedictorian in the engineering graduate school's history at 21 years and 190 days old. His career spans 3 continents in multiple functions from Marketing, Sales, Strategy, and Finance. Saka is passionate about Technology, Culture, and Conversation with a focus on innovation, representation and conversation.*****Website: https://www.sakasisthatso.com/Instagram: sakasisthatsoYouTube: Sakaisthatso https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEGAZ9hNdez14zT77WUrXXA?view_as=subscriberFacebook: fb.me/sakasisthatso Twitter: https://twitter.com/SakaThatProducer : James BishopEditor: Kasra FirouzyarPart of OneFinePlay www.onefineplay.com

Ever wonder if being an entrepreneur is all glitz and glam? In this episode Saka explores the myths around building a team, age as a factor for success, free time and a host of other related topics accompanied by Ethel Tambudzai, a tech founder in London. *****ABOUT THE HOST: Saka is a global citizen with African origins. As part of Saka's work, he regularly mentors startups and underrepresented founders. Saka is also a public speaker, writer, and host of the podcast "Saka's is that so?" Saka graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Master's in Engineering & Business as the youngest valedictorian in the engineering graduate school's history at 21 years and 190 days old. His career spans 3 continents in multiple functions from Marketing, Sales, Strategy, and Finance. Saka is passionate about Technology, Culture, and Conversation with a focus on innovation, representation and conversation.*****Website: https://www.sakasisthatso.com/Instagram: sakasisthatsoYouTube: Sakaisthatso https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEGAZ9hNdez14zT77WUrXXA?view_as=subscriberFacebook: fb.me/sakasisthatso Twitter: https://twitter.com/SakaThatProducer : James BishopEditor: Kasra FirouzyarPart of OneFinePlay www.onefineplay.com