Welcome to Silverbacks Valley, a podcast bridging the worlds of #venturecapital, #tech, #sports, #media and #lifestyle in Africa.

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For our first #WomeninVC special, the Valley welcomes two women trailblazing their way into Africa's venture capital ecosystem. Fope Adelowo is a Principal at Helios Investments Partners, the largest Africa-focused private equity fund. Lexi Novitske is a General Partner at Norrsken22 an early growth fund focused on bridging the funding gap for startups at the Series A and Series B level. Together, Fope and Lexi discuss the ramifications of making it as women in Africa's venture capital space.

5 BIG IDEAS DISCUSSED IN THE VALLEY WITH FOPE & LEXI

1.) "I invested my own money into what I believed in"

Lexi Novitske recounts how she first arrived in Nigeria and the potential of the startup ecosystem she discovered. She describes the risks she took at the start of her journey and how it led her to collaborate with unicorn founders and fellow VCs to launch Norrsken22 - a venture capital fund that addresses the Series A, Series B funding gap in Africa.

2.) "I witnessed the creation of things that did not exist"

Fope Adelowo looks back on her career and how her interest in tech remained prevalent. As a trained engineer turned investment banker, she entered the world of private equity with a willingness to support founders to build their ideas to transform Africa.

3.) "There remains a barrier for women to come into the top of finance"

Showcasing more confidence that one actually has within her, developing a comfort with risk and a sense of the value of one's own insights, having an ecosystem of supporters and mentors, calling out certain behaviours.. Fope and Lexi explain what they believe has helped them in their careers and call on other women in finance to look out for the younger generation.

4.) "I enjoy breaking barriers"

What drives women to the top of the venture capital ecosystem in Africa ? Fope and Lexi recount what has fueled their ambition as individuals as well as members of an exciting ecosystem working towards solving Africa's pressing development challenges with innovation.

5.) "In finance, there needs to be room for people to be their true selves"

Talking to their younger selves, Fope and Lexi share intimate advice on what they would have done differently in their personal lives and careers. They look at how the industry has evolved and why the next generation can contribute to shaping new trends for women to break into venture capital more so than before.

Fope and Lexi recommend:

Invest Like the Best - By Patrick O'Shaughnessy Colossus

Freakonomics - By Stephen J. Dubner

All-In Podcast - By Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks & David Friedberg

Where should we begin podcast - By Esther Perel

Tho Bishop on the Big Corporation Monopoly on Medicine, Taxas Bans Abortion - A Neighbor's Choice