THIS IS THE FUTURE

In this episode of "This is the Future," I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Funmi Makinde Marcus, the youngest of seven sisters of which three are pilots. I asked every question you can think of with regards to flying a plane. Listen.

Welcome to another episode of This is the Future. In this week's episode, we had the distinct honor of sitting down with Jacqueline Anim, a seasoned expert in the field of Materials Engineering and Senior Principal Materials Engineer at Johnson & Johnson. Jacqueline's journey into materials engineering is as remarkable as her expertise. She initially pursued her passion for chemical engineering in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, before embarking on a transformative career abroad. Her first stint in the industry was with General Motors, where she spent an impressive 14 years 9 months honing her skills and making significant contributions. She left General Motors for Johnson & Johnson! With a career spanning over 28 years, Jacqueline Anim has become a world-renowned authority in materials engineering, with extensive experience in both the automotive and medical industries. Her wealth of knowledge and contributions to the field are nothing short of exemplary. In this episode, we unravel the complexities of materials engineering, making it accessible even to those with little to no prior knowledge. Jacqueline provides invaluable insights into the key principles, challenges, and innovations in the field. Whether you're a novice eager to learn or someone looking to deepen your understanding, this podcast is the ultimate crash course in materials engineering that you won't find anywhere else on the internet. Join us in this exciting journey into the future of materials engineering on This is the Future!

On this week's episode of This is the Future, I had an inspiring conversation with Joy Essien, fondly known as "Aunty Joy." She's a dedicated Teen Life Coach, Mental Health Advocate, and expert in Emotional Intelligence. With over 8 years of experience working with adolescents, Joy founded 'The Teenage White Hat Initiative,' partnering with schools and parents to equip teenagers with essential skills for navigating challenges and excelling in various areas of life. In this episode, we explore Aunty Joy's journey, her mission to empower teenagers, and her work with 'Ecclesia Queens,' a ministry nurturing purpose-driven young women. Aunty Joy's insights on building strong parent-teen relationships and fostering emotional intelligence in youth are invaluable. Learn about her educational background in Mass Communication and her extensive training in Emotional Intelligence, Child Psychology, and Coaching. Aunty Joy, along with her husband, also runs 'Young Ecclesia Nation,' impacting thousands of teenagers. Tune in as we discuss raising empowered teenagers and discover actionable strategies for parents, guardians, and anyone passionate about adolescent growth.

Introduction Welcome to this week's podcast episode, where we engage in a fascinating conversation with Henry Ukoha, a venture partner at Expert Dojo. Our discussion delves into the realm of startup investing and the unique challenges and opportunities within the African startup ecosystem. Henry's Journey to Startup Investing: Learn how Henry's unconventional path led him to the world of startup investing, as he shares insights from his academic background in Biochemistry to his journey as a Venture Scout, and eventually reaching the position of Venture Partner at Expert Dojo. Insights into African Startup Ecosystem: Explore the intricacies of investing in African startups as Henry Ukoha offers valuable insights into the distinct characteristics of the African startup landscape. Discover how cultural and economic factors influence the way startups are nurtured and funded in this vibrant ecosystem.

On this week's episode of This is the Future, I had the honour of speaking with Chinyere Izu Ohajinwa, writer, editor and founder of Words on us. We spoke about following the path of one's parents but finding one's own unique spin. We spoke about writing and learning to write, building a digital agency in Nigeria, internships and lots more. Let's get into it already. #InterviewingAfricans

Welcome to This is the Future, where we bring you captivating discussions with inspiring Africans. In this week's episode, we had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Alexander Anim-Mensah, an esteemed engineer, inventor, and renowned expert in the field of membrane science and technology. Currently serving as an Engineering Manager at ITW, a company with an impressive track record of over 18,000 granted and pending patents, Dr. Alexander's insights are truly valuable. Dr. Alexander himself holds a substantial number of patents and has been recognized with ITW's Distinguished Patents and Innovation Fellow award—an honor bestowed upon individuals whose inventions generate at least 20 million dollars in revenue for the company. During this fascinating episode, we dive deep into the mechanics of patents and explore the limitless possibilities of membrane science and technology. The conversation with Dr. Alexander Anim-Mensah is both enlightening and inspiring, offering a unique perspective on innovation and its impact on the world. Listen!

On this week's episode of the podcast, I had the privilege of listening to the story of Precious Ifeanyi. She is a teen coach and author of Everything Teens. Precious narrated how she was sexually molested at the ages of 5, 7 and 12. How she couldn't confide to anyone at the time including her parents. She spoke about her struggles and anger at everything and everyone as well as her road to healing and redemption. This episode is not only for teenagers but also for parents. How do you protect your kids from predators? Listen!

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Femi Longe, the Cofounder of CCHub and founder of Pathfound. In this interview, he told me how his journey started as a member of AISEC in OAU and how this journey took him all the way to the Netherlands as Director for Africa Growth Network for AISEC. He told me the story of how he returned to Nigeria and later founded CCHub with Bosun Tijani and Tunji Eleso. We spoke about how joining a youth led organization can help young people discover themselves; we touched on how to partner with big organizations as a small organization; we also talked about how career counseling is important and should be a part of the curriculum of secondary education. This is no doubt a value-packed conversation. Listen!

Welcome to this week's episode of the podcast. Today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ikenna Odinaka, the founder of After School Africa and Cofounder of Lib.ng. After School Africa is a remarkable media company that offers a platform for individuals to secure funding for their education and businesses. During our conversation, Ikenna shared the inspiring story of how he started After School Africa back in 2010, armed only with a phone. He discussed how he successfully grew his revenue through the utilization of Google Adsense, as well as his journey towards diversifying his income streams. One particularly fascinating aspect of our conversation was Ikenna's insights on how students can access undergraduate scholarships. He generously provided tips and advice for those seeking financial assistance for their studies. What's even more captivating is the story he shared about how he assisted someone in obtaining a staggering $90,000 for their educational pursuits. If you're in need of funding for your studies, Ikenna has the expertise to support you too. To delve deeper into this intriguing discussion, I encourage you to listen to the full episode. You won't want to miss out on the valuable insights Ikenna Odinaka has to offer.

In this week's podcast episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Utibe Etim, the brilliant mind behind Tudor Design and Utibeetim.com. Utibe's blog has become a go-to resource for aspiring young entrepreneurs seeking guidance on writing effective business plans or in need of one for their own ventures. During our conversation, Utibe shared his early journey into blogging and the story of how he built a job site that generated $1500 in monthly revenue, only to unfortunately lose it. This experience taught him a valuable lesson - relying solely on a platform like Google, and its associated program Adsense, was not enough to build a thriving business. Tune in and listen closely to Utibe Etim's insightful story!

On this week's episode, I published a spoken word piece titled, "The Glory of Africa". I've got no commentary on it! Listen and judge for yourself.

In this week's episode, join us as we delve into an inspiring conversation with Dr. Adereni Abiodun, the esteemed founder and CEO of Helpmum Africa. Discover how Helpmum, a social enterprise driven by innovation, policymaking, research, and technology, is revolutionizing maternal and infant healthcare in Africa. Dr. Abiodun's remarkable journey has earned him numerous accolades and substantial grants, including the prestigious Google Impact Challenge, which has infused up to $250,000 into his organization. As a passionate advocate for sustainable social enterprise, Dr. Abiodun's team has also developed Mum Health, an innovative platform that contributes to revenue generation. Learn from Dr. Abiodun's experience as he shares how he successfully balanced his medical responsibilities at the university with his entrepreneurial pursuits, even attending Lagos Business School concurrently. Gain valuable insights and be inspired by his remarkable story of resilience and determination. Listen now to discover the future of maternal and infant healthcare in Africa!

On this week's podcast episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Yemi Johnson, a seasoned entrepreneur and former COO of Hotels.ng. In our conversation, Yemi shared valuable insights on his journey in the tech industry, starting from user acquisition and retention to digital marketing, growth, and operations. Yemi also discussed the various projects he's taken on since leaving Hotels.ng. Together with his wife, he co-founded Natural Girl Wigs, which grew into a multimillion-dollar business. He also ventured into insurance and crypto, leveraging his unique understanding of building successful consumer businesses online. As an expert in growth hacking and digital marketing, Yemi's knowledge and experience are unparalleled. Tune in to our discussion to gain valuable insights on building and scaling businesses online. Don't miss out!

Blessing Abeng is the Director of Communications and Co-founder of Ingressive for Good, a non-profit created to increase the earning power of African youth in need, by empowering them with tech skills, resources, community and the power of work. She was formerly the CMO and Co-founder, a tech product that provides creators and businesses with more sales and success by empowering them with tools and templates that help them showcase their work and reach more customers. It was acquired by Flutterwave in 2021. Ultimately, Blessing is a brand expert who has helped so many national and global organizations with their brand and communication strategies. In this episode, we spoke about her childhood, career and life in general. Do listen and share!

My last episode, "TIWA LADE: BRITISH NIGERIAN ACTOR, WRITER AND VOICE OVER ARTISTE" was published on July 24th, 2022. My absence from the podcast wasn't intentional. On the contrary, life did what life usually do from time to time. But I'm back! How are you doing? What are you up to? Our goal on the podcast hasn't change. I am still committed to speaking with inspiring Africans within and outside the continent.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Tiwa Lade, a British Nigerian actor, writer and voice over artiste. We spoke about her background and that of her parents, her dream as a kid, how she left the UK to study at the America Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, her relationship with her Nigerian grandfather which inspired her second book, her work with the BBC etcetera. This is one interview that was so fluid I wished it never ended. Let's get into it already.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Mayowa Adegbile, founder and CEO of Ashake Foundation. Ashake Foundation is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2013 to meet the needs of children and widows in marginalize communities. Click the play button now and listen.

On this week's episode, I spoke with Harry Enaholo. We spoke about childhood, career, how he worked for a company (starting as an undergraduate) for over 7 years before starting Treford, an edtech company. Listen.

In this week's episode, I spoke with Can you help update the show notes (tiny edits) In this week's episode, I spoke with Nubi Kay', Startup Programs Lead at Paystack. We spoke about his childhood, his education, his stint as an entrepreneur, his relocation to Ireland, how he joined Stripe and later Paystack, how he founded HoaQ Ventures and lot's more. This is value packed but don't take my words for it, listen!

Liberia is unique in many respect. Listen to find out.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with the founder of Ecobarter, Rita Idehai. We spoke about the business of recycling in Nigeria. Listen.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with an Angolan about his country. We spoke about the Angolan struggle for independence, civil war, language, food, education, marriage custom etc. Listen and share.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Victoria Ibiwoye who is the founder of One African Child. One African Child is an organization set to redefine learning and create opportunities for the most undeserved children and youth in Nigeria. Amongst other things, we spoke about her early struggle in school, how she crossed from Economics to Law in the university, how and why she founded One African Child, her engagement with the UN etc. Listen.

On this week's episode of the Let's Tour Africa Series, I took a trip to South Africa. Show Note 0:00 - Intro 2:43 - Japan 4:45 - Names 8:13 - Apartheid 11:50 - Presence of Indians in South Africa 13:18 - Tribes in South Africa 16:00 - Capitals and popular cities in South Africa 20:39 - Administrative division of South Africa 22:03 - Mode of transportation 22:53 - Date of independence 23:52 - Education system 24:59 - South African food 25:24 - Marriage custom 29:12 - Tourist attraction in South Africa 30:34 - National anthem 33:30 - National symbol 34:53 - "I love Africa" in native dialect

This episode is the 48th episode of season 2. I am going on a break to give me ability to record interviews. I will be back.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Tomi Oladipo who spent over a decade at the BBC and who is currently a news anchor at DW News. We talked about how he relocated from the UK to Nigeria and then to Kenya as a young boy, how he joined the BBC as an intern and how he was retained, what it takes to cover security issues in Africa and around the world etc. Trust me when I say this is packed. Listen.

My schedule is CRAZY!

I spoke with Raffy, the host of Queen Raffy Space. We talked about radio, podcasting, marrying someone in the Force and lot's more.

I really enjoyed my discussion with my friend Tomi Popoola, the host of Ms. P Speaks Podcast (mspspeakspod.com) We spoke about how she had a child as a teenager, fell in love a few months later as a student only to break up again. We spoke about her relocation to the United States, building a career and bringing up a son all by herself. Listen.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Azeez, founder of Writershelpng.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Anthony Onuugba, the founder of Writers Space Africa. Writers Space Africa is a non-profit that trains, expose and help African writers get published. It has presence in 21 countries (as at the time of publishing).

On this week's episode, I spoke with Dr. Wale, the SSA on finance to the executive governor of Osun State, Nigeria. He told me about his rough childhood and his journey into the corridors of politics. Listen.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with someone from Sierra Leone. The goal is to speak to someone from every African country about their countries. Listen!

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Sid, the host of Podcastic. We spoke about how he grew up in Algeria, schooled in Lebanon, his travels and return to Algeria to become a content creator. Listen.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with someone from Rwanda about the country. Listen!

Oluwatosin Adedoyin is a Customer Experience Designer, founder of Olatayo Educates and Tutorpro. She is also studying for an MBA in the Lagos Business School. In this interview she spoke on how she transitioned from someone who studies Comparative Religious Studies in the university to building a career in tech. Listen!

The next episode would be published on the second Saturday in January 2022.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Olumide Idowu (A.K.A Mr. Climate), Climate Activist and Co-founder of the International Climate Change Development Initiative. Amongst other things, we spoke about how he found his passion for climate issue, the power of networking in getting funds for projects, collaboration with other change makers as well as government officials etc. Listen and share.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I took a virtual trip to the 'House of Stones', Zimbabwe. Many people know about apartheid in South Africa but are oblivious of the same scenario in close by Zimbabwe. In this episode, I learnt about the history of Zimbabwe as well as its custom. Listen!

This is an opportunity to say thank you to guests, people who refer me to the guests and you the listener. There would be no This is the Future without all of you. Thank you!

Do you know that a citizen of Seychelles has access to 149 countries visa free or visa on arrival? Do you know that Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa? Do you know that you can drive all around a town is Seychelles in five minutes?  Do you know that Seychelles is tribeless? Tell me, what are the citizens of Seychelles called? I set a goal to speak with someone from every African country about their countries. This week, let me take you on a virtual trip to Seychelles.

On this week's episode, I spoke about my fear of the new breed of Africans we are cultivating.

On this week's episode of Let's Tour Africa series where I speak with Africans about their countries, I spoke with Keffy from Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a unique and diverse country. A few of the many interesting facts about the country is that it is considered to be one of two African countries that was not colonized, it celebrates New Year in September and Christmas in January; Ethiopians eat raw meat. These are but a few! Listen! Remember, the goal is to speak with someone from every African country about their countries.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Mimi Machakaire, a Zimbabwean writer, journalist and media specialist. She is the author of Princess Gangster, a book she published at age 17. She is currently 26 and she is an Editorial Production Manager for Stadan Media Company. Listen and share! You can send me a tip via https://useshukran.com/cr/thisisthefuture

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Poloko from Lesotho, a country that is bordered on all sides by South Africa. This is one of my most interactive interviews (yet) in this series. Listen!

On this week episode, I would be taking you on a tour to the East Africa country of Uganda. Be ready for a lesson in history!

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Teniola Tayo, a consultant at the Institute of Security Studies. She took me on a journey from baby-sitting as a young teenager to earn money to winning the Chevening scholarship to study at the London School of Economics. She told me how she got an internship with Ovation Magazine, KPMG and the Aerocontractors Company of Nigeria as an undergraduate.  Do listen and share.

Let's visit Burkina Faso, the land of motorcycles but more fitting, 'The Country of Upright People'.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Edem Essang, the Managing Director of Rock House Media, creator of Lunch Hour Show which is the longest running game show in Nigeria. He took me on a journey from how he got his entrance into radio to how he built the number one game show. Listen!

On this week's episode, I spoke with Chikere Flore, a Gabonese who married a Nigerian and has been living in Nigeria for the past seventeen years. Listen.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I spoke with Yasmina Kazitani a cofounder at SKLS Consulting, London. She took me on a journey from living a simple life with her grandparents in Algeria to becoming a marketing strategy expert.