Page 77 - Future Leaders 2018-2019

What have been your main in China. I spent time in Beijing and okay – in fact I would encourage it –
achievements during the Shenzhen, and I can defi nitely say to have global ambitions and be
past year? it was a life-changing experience. extremely competitive. You do not
I’ve helped to grow Campus Capital I have also worked with startup need to make yourself small, to make Last Year’s Top 10
from two cities to six, which was quite PetaGene, who are backed by others feel okay about themselves.
exciting! After spending a year there, I Entrepreneur fi rst. I was their fi rst Do not feel guilty for wanting to be
felt my time had come to an end, and intern and I led their product strategy the best, it’s a good thing.
I wanted to globalise my thinking a bit and market research
more, so I joined Microtraction as an How did featuring in
investment analyst. Microtraction is a How have you grown Future Leaders magazine
VC fund based in Lagos, Nigeria, that as a person? impact your life?
invests in African-based startups. It is The dots have fi nally started connecting. It gave me access to a top-tier peer
backed by the likes of Michael Soibels It has become a lot clearer what my network. I actually recruited my head
(CEO of Y combinator) and other long term goals are, and so it has made of technical for CAREforseven from
globally-recognised investors. Two of it easier for me when making decisions here! I think being on this list has
our startups recently got accepted about my career, as I feel as though I defi nitely helped my confi dence grow,
into Y combinator which is huge for us! fi nally have my own ‘north star’. as well as helping me establish a brand.
I joined as employee #4, so there is a I have also learnt to be less That said, the biggest take-away was
lot of responsibility that comes with apologetic about my ambitions the peer network. Being able to have
my role, but also a lot of room for me and accomplishments, especially access to ‘future leaders’ will prove to
to grow! As well as scouting for top tier as a black woman. It is more than be extremely valuable down the line.
African based startups to invest in, I am Networking across is a lot more valuable
leading some exciting projects for the than networking upwards.
fund which will be announced later on in
the year. What message would you
In addition, a deal I sourced and led for give to a young person
Accelerated digital ventures, was fi nally thinking about attending
completed. It was a £5 million scale up “I have also university, in terms of how
round into a wireless charging startup learnt to be less to approach it and what you
called Chargifi , which has received can get out of it?
backing from HP, Intel and Lastminute apologetic about Grades are nice, but not the end of
Capital (backed by Greylock VC). my ambitions and the world, and they are certainly not
This has probably been one of the accomplishments, enough alone. Focus on developing
biggest highlights of the year for me, yourself outside of university. Join and
as it was the fi rst deal I have especially as a black lead societies, maybe even start one!
successfully led of this size, and I am woman” University will not help you fi gure out
proud to see it has received backing what you want to do (unfortunately);
from other tier 1 investors. you have to be active in
Regarding CAREforseven, I am proud your thinking. Pursue things
Regarding CAREforseven, I am proud
to say we have successfully out of interest, but also
trained 70 students! be intentional. I would say
We ran two pilots in spend 80% of your time
Lagos, and partnered being intentional with
with Makoko foundation activities you pursue, but
(the most well-known 20% of your time should be
slum in Nigeria) and were pursuing random things
offi cially sponsored by Azuri out of pure interest.
Technologies. We taught It is important you fi nd
15- to 17-year-old kids how that balance, so as to
to build solar chargers and not limit your options
how to make a business so early on, plus you
around that. It was a very can’t connect the dots
proud moment for me, as I looking forward. Spend
have had to manage a team your time (including
of 13 working professionals your summers) doing as
remotely, so it was defi nitely much professional work
one of the biggest challenges
one of the biggest challenges experience as possible;
I have faced yet, but well this is what will make you
worth the struggle! We are stand out. Don’t fall into
currently expanding, so that is
currently expanding, so that is the trap of doing retail in
exciting too. the summer, but getting
Regarding internships, a 1st class, it is just not
last summer I was selected enough any more. Even
as an ‘outstanding student’ if the work experience is
to complete a one-month unpaid, view it is a long-
internship with Huawei term investment.

10 ANNIVERSARY EDITION FUTURE LEADERS 75
TH