How to Make It in Africa

Navalayo is co-founder and CEO of Enda Athletic, Inc. She's a graduate of the London School of Economics, and has worked internationally including the U.S., UK, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya where she utilizes her diverse skills as an accountant, a lawyer, risk manager, and in international development. She's from a town near Eldoret, Kenya, that has produced generations of the world's greatest distance runners. Prior to creating Enda, Navalayo started a sports academy in Bungoma, Western Kenya, to provide sports protegees from disadvantaged backgrounds access to much needed professional training without compromising their education. In order to maximize social impact in Kenya through sports, Navalayo teamed up with her co-founder to create Enda Athletic Inc, a made in Kenya running shoe brand that creates jobs, invests in local communities, and spurs economic development through exports. About the host: Fadel Jaoui, an economist, started this podcast to celebrate African entrepreneurial success stories, to hear the originals and changemakers behind them, and to draw lessons to inspire many more stories across the continent. This virtuous cycle is fundamental to pool talent and investments, and ultimately create startup “unicorns” that would benefit Africa’s prosperity. Fadel is a strong advocate of entrepreneurial ecosystem building and private sector development as true engines of sustainable economic growth. And he is a firm believer in leveraging innovation and technology to leapfrog development constraints and scale up social and economic impact. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Oxford University, as well as degrees from Columbia University and the London School of Economics. He started his career in investment banking in London, and has held various positions in International Financial Institutions (views are his own).

Martin is the co-founder and CEO of Mdundo. He moved to Kenya in 2012 as Entrepreneur in Residence for 88mph, an African investment fund with a focus on early-stage tech startups in Kenya. Over the past 5 years, Mdundo has grown to one of Africa’s leading music services with more than 7,000,000 monthly active users, primarily from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria. The company works with 90,000 musicians across Africa and has a licensing deal with Warner Music Group, Believe Digital and Tunecore. In September 2020, the company was listed at the stock exchange, Nasdaq First North Growth Markets in Copenhagen. The aim is to provide music lovers easy and affordable access to music. About the host: Fadel Jaoui, an economist, started this podcast to celebrate African entrepreneurial success stories, to hear the originals and changemakers behind them, and to draw lessons to inspire many more stories across the continent. This virtuous cycle is fundamental to pool talent and investments, and ultimately create startup “unicorns” that would benefit Africa’s prosperity. Fadel is a strong advocate of entrepreneurial ecosystem building and private sector development as true engines of sustainable economic growth. And he is a firm believer in leveraging innovation and technology to leapfrog development constraints and scale up social and economic impact. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Oxford University, as well as degrees from Columbia University and the London School of Economics. He started his career in investment banking in London, and has held various positions in International Financial Institutions (views are his own).

Our guest is Nisha Kanabar. Nisha Kanabar is a curator and storyteller, and the founder of Industrie Africa. A Tanzanian of Indian origin, Kanabar graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York, and went on to forge a career in luxury fashion and publishing. With over a decade of experience at renowned industry names, she held formative positions at American Vogue, Vogue India and Style.com in the Middle East. Her experience across international markets fuel the desire to channel her work into her home continent's contemporary and luxury designer market with a special focus on diversity. She currently resides in Dar es Salaam Tanzania, whilst her work regularly takes her across the continent and around the world. About the host: Fadel Jaoui, an economist, started this podcast to celebrate African entrepreneurial success stories, to hear the originals and changemakers behind them, and to draw lessons to inspire many more stories across the continent. This virtuous cycle is fundamental to pool talent and investments, and ultimately create startup “unicorns” that would benefit Africa’s prosperity. Fadel is a strong advocate of entrepreneurial ecosystem building and private sector development as true engines of sustainable economic growth. And he is a firm believer in leveraging innovation and technology to leapfrog development constraints and scale up social and economic impact. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Oxford University, as well as degrees from Columbia University and the London School of Economics. He started his career in investment banking in London, and has held various positions in International Financial Institutions (views are his own).