IN THE VALLEY

Welcome to Silverbacks Valley, a podcast changing the narrative around Africa through the bridging of the worlds of #venturecapital, #tech, #sports, #media and #lifestyle.Visit us at https://silverbacksvalley.comFind us on Youtube : https://bit.ly/3PIwbVgA question? Write to us at contact@silverbacksvalley.comDisclaimer : This episode is for informational and entertainment purposes only, no content of the conversation should be considered as investment advice. This episode is powered by Afroballers and the Global Sports Summit.In this episode, Ibrahim Sagna welcomes Osi Umenyiora, a 2 time Super Bowl Champion and former defensive end for the New York Giants, founder of The Uprise Academy and Commissioner of the Uprise Flag Football League in Nigeria.5 BIG IDEAS DISCUSSED WITH OSI UMENYIORA IN THE VALLEY1. "I started playing football as a teenager because I wanted to make friends. I got good at it and then I got lucky"Osi Umenyiora believes that part of his success can be attributed to luck : he found himself at the right place at the right time in several instances at the beginning of his career. When opportunities came knocking, he rose to the challenge : he did so when the New York Giants drafted in in the second round of the 2003 draft and throughout his career as an NFL Pro which led him to a two-time SuperBowl champion and a First Team All-Pro. Today he is doing by developing pathways to college football scholarships and to the NFL for young African athletes.2. "We're going to take kids from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and bring them to the NFL."Osi's vision to develop the game internationally is deeply rooted in his multicultural background. He was born in London, moved to Nigeria as a kid then later found himself in the United States in high school. As a Pro, he witnessed the international potential of the NFL when he played with the Giants in the London game in 2007. Seven years later as he retired, he joined the league and began bringing his insights on ways to develop the game in Africa. 3. "We're creating an opportunity for NFL Africa players to own teams in Africa."In our conversation, Osi observed how the African players in the NFL still lack the local notoriety that could help grow the game across the continent. The Uprise Flag Football league which was launched earlier this year seeks to remedy this. Each of the four teams from the league are owned by current NFL football players, including three players of African descent (Cleveland Browns' David Njoku, Detroit Lions' Romeo Okwara, Miami Dolphins' Emmanuel Ogbah). The Uprise is the NFL Flag's first league in Africa.   4. "Shout out to the NBA"Osi recognizes the impact and the influence that the NBA has had in Africa. He shares the inspiration that came with observing African sports leaders like Amadou Gallo Fall and Masai Ujiri and the work they have done to grow the game of basketball across the continent. He believes that there are tremendous synergies to be built between the NBA and the NFL activities at the grassroots level and beyond. 5. "I don't see a scenario where the NFL isn't number 2 in Africa"In his parting words, Osi presents his ambition for growing American football in Africa. He believes that the league's current momentum through its official events in Ghana, Kenya and soon South Africa will help develop its fanbase. He shares how he intends to forge his own blueprint to grow the amount of African players in team rosters and hopes to see an NFL regular season game played in Africa within the next decade. 

Ibrahim Sagna, a model turned shoemaker, shares his journey from being spotted in London to becoming the first African luxury brand owner in New York. Armando Cabral, a model turned designer, discusses his resilience in the industry and leveraging his presence to open doors. They also explore the growth of an African luxury brand in a Western market and the qualities required for success in the fashion industry.

Welcome to Silverbacks Valley, a podcast changing the narrative around Africa through the bridging of the worlds of #venturecapital, #tech, #sports, #media and #lifestyle.Visit us at https://silverbacksvalley.comFind us on Youtube : https://bit.ly/3PIwbVgA question? Write to us at contact@silverbacksvalley.comDisclaimer : This episode is for informational and entertainment purposes only, no content of the conversation should be considered as investment advice. This episode is powered by the African Venture Capital Association (AVCA).In this episode, Ibrahim Sagna welcomes three champions of African fashion to discuss the potential of the business of fashion in Africa :- Lulu Shabell is the Founder and Chief Creativity Champion of LuluBell Group- Meron Demisse is the Founder and CEO of Culture & Conversations on Africa- Safi Seck is the Founder and Director of the Senegalese fashion label Sarayaa5 BIG IDEAS DISCUSSED IN THE VALLEY WITH LULU SHABELL, MERON DEMISSE & SAFI SECK1.) "Fashion has not until now been looked as relevant for economic development"Lulu Shabell discusses the untapped potential that fashion and the creative industries at large can represent for Africa's youth. She makes a compelling call for policies, structures, and governance to be put in place to teach young creatives about value chains and how they operate.2.) "We cannot value brands from countries we've not been exposed to"Meron Demisse speaks to the intersection between tourism and fashion. She explains how Culture & Conversations in Africa was started as a platform to bridge the knowledge gap that we as Africans have about one another. She strongly believes that Intra-African tourism is a powerful tool to leverage to increase the value and recognition of African fashion brands.3.) "I am an economist who became a fashion designer"Safi Seck explains how her journey led her from being an economist to starting her own fashion label. She shares why her understanding of macroeconomics trends actually influenced how she structured her business.4.) "Tech can help us find balance between growing our African fashion industry and sustainability goals"Lulu highlights the risks and opportunities as our cultural and natural heritage are helping produce major fashion businesses. She advocates for tech to not be separated from decisions made around the structuring of Africa's fashion industry : to her, innovation will be pivotal in developing an industry that is sustainable.5.) "We want Africa's creative capital to be recognized." Meron reflects on the definition of African identities. She notes that being African has often been defined from an external perspective : today she calls for Africans to be more in tune with their identities for themselves and recognize the rich cultural heritage that comes alongside such identity.

Welcome to Silverbacks Valley, a podcast changing the narrative around Africa through the bridging of the worlds of #venturecapital, #tech, #sports, #media and #lifestyle.Visit us at https://silverbacksvalley.comFind us on Youtube : https://bit.ly/3PIwbVgA question? Write to us at contact@silverbacksvalley.comDisclaimer : This episode is for informational and entertainment purposes only, no content of the conversation should be considered as investment advice. This episode is powered by the African Venture Capital Association (AVCA).5 BIG IDEAS DISCUSSED IN THE VALLEY WITH LEADING INVESTORS IN THE AFRICAN CREATIVE ECONOMY: VICTOR WILLIAMS, LAUREEN KOUASSI-OLSSON & LETHABO SITHOLE 1. "Africa is one of the richest regions in the world in terms of craftsmanship" Laureen Kouassi-Olsson explains that she founded the investment company Birimian Ventures to support the value creation emanating from the talent and "know-how" within Africa's fashion and luxury industries. She spells out her reasoning behind what financial instruments can be put in place to generate economic returns from local craftsmanship.2. "Sport has historically on the African continent been under indexed from an economic contribution perspective" Victor Williams dives into NBA Africa's ambition to build a strong commercial proposition for sports across the continent. This proposition is an all-encompassing canva that looks into fan and community-level engagement as well as economic value creation through a bespoke professional basketball league (Basketball Arica League).3. "There's a need for market access and ease of trading on the continent"Lethabo Sithole makes a strong call for the necessity to streamline the regulations to facilitate the move of goods and products across different countries and regions. She also highlights the value of intellectual property for creatives and how stronger intellectual property regulations would allow creatives to increase the cost of their products.4. "We are still lacking a certain level of infrastructure for our live / entertainment industries to thrive." Victor Williams calls on governments and the private sector's collaboration for the development of more arenas for live events and sports competitions to take place. The development of more arenas would allow for more countries to become host to these events and rip economic returns through sponsorship or through tourism.5. "Luxury brands need a lot of capital to remain sustainable to upscale which is in direct opposition with the private equity model."Laureen speaks to the level of capital that has to be leveraged for brands such as Dior, Chanel and Louis Vuitton to have remained relevant throughout the fashion ages. She notes that this level of investment into one structure is in direct opposition with the private equity model of distributing capital across several assets to mitigate risk. To her, the classical private equity model needs to be adapted to the luxury, fashion and creative industries.

Claude Grunitzky, founder of Trace Magazine and TRUE Africa, discusses flipping the script for founders that are female and/or people of color, investing in women and people of color in venture capital, the impact of the fintech company SUSU, entrepreneurial mindset in Francophone and Anglophone markets in Africa, and the influence of the book 'Thinking Fast and Slow'.

This episode is powered by the African Venture Capital Association (AVCA).Today in the valley with Ibrahim Sagna are two accomplished women from Europe with a focused track record in the fintech and global financial services industry. As pure "outliers" for capital allocators, selma Ribica and Agnes Kisuule run the only fintech focused venture capital platform exclusively targeting Africa : First Circle Capital. Their fund was recently selected among only 20 funds globally to join a prestigious group of emerging fund managers, Bridge Funding Global. For First Circle, the biggest investment potential out there resides in the African continent and it requires a highly differentiated approach.Disclaimer : Silverbacks Valley's host and the guests of this program may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions5 BIG IDEAS DISCUSSED IN THE VALLEY WITH SELMA & AGNES"From Europe to Africa"Agnes and Selma dive in first on their origin stories. Find out how these two women respectively from Bosnia and from Austria first began working in Africa's tech and innovation space. They discuss their journey from entrepreneurship to investment as well as working for landmark companies such as M-PESA."The importance of serving the low-purchasing power masses"Agnes and Selma explain the rationale behind the sectorial focus of their fund First Circle Capital. At M-PESA, Selma was able to test out the potential of building financial services for the masses. To Agnes, fintech is where the biggest market opportunity exists based on Africa's demographics, the needs of such the population and the potentiality of the type of services that can be developed to address such needs."Channeling the knowledge and experience will make our portfolio companies win"Agnes and Selma describe their investment approach beyond cash and explain why they are so intentional about providing their portfolio companies access to the network of experts. The First Circle Capital's approach is virtuous : they bring to the table investors with significant experience in the fintech space that can advise the founders throughout their growth journey."We are bullish about B2B fintech models"Agnes and Selma dive into their portfolio construction. They recognise payments as strategic assets but remain aware of how difficult it is to drive these businesses to profitability. They prefer that credit-led models are preferable for the African market. As far as the future is concerned, they are interested in identifying models that reinvent financial services models for the African context. They are particularly interested in the development of solutions for B2B needs as well as insurtech."You have to be ABC… always be convincing"As parting thoughts, Agnes and Selma reflect on their journeys as women in the fintech space. They share their perspective on what is required to make it as a woman in tech in Africa, the set of skills -and superpowers- that are needed to succeed.

This episode is powered by Afroballers.Today in the valley with Ibrahim Sagna is an African American business man whose been mentored by the likes of the late Harry Belafonte, as well as the Black Godfather, Clarence Avant. He began his career organising events bringing together black cultures from across the globe, producing shows and events with the likes of Stevie Wonder, the Fugees and Herbie Hancock. He then joined BET as the President of Event Productions, overseeing the production of multiple festivals and award shows. After the sale of BET to Viacom, he followed the path of Bob Johnson and venture in the world of sports ownsership. He is now part of the ownership groups of several sports franchises including the MLB Washington Nationals, the World Team Tennis League's Washington Kastles, National Women's Soccer League's Washington Spirits and the Cape Town Tigers of the BAL.Disclaimer : Silverbacks Valley's host and the guests of this program may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.5 BIG IDEAS DISCUSSED IN THE VALLEY WITH PAXTON BAKER"I really found out what stock options were"Paxton recounts his first steps into entrepreneurship and how he first turned down a deal by Bob Johnson, founder of BET. He explains how the transaction between BET and his own business PKB Entertainment was finalised and how the acquisition of BETBy Viacom later exposed him to the value of business ownership."The core of any successful transactions is relationships"Paxton discusses the great mentors in his life including the late Harry Belafonte, Clarence Avant and other key pillars of black entrepreneurship and entertainment. He shares some of the key lessons he has learned from them, including the role that good relationships play in the foundation of any business and transactions. To illustrate, he spells out how good relationships have been at the inception of every sports business transactions he has been a part of including the Washington Nationals, the Washington Castles, the Washington Spirits and more recently the Cape Town Tigers of the Basketball Africa League."A winning organisation is not just what's on the floor "As he elaborates on his championship winning streak, Paxton reveals a bit more about the process of observing a sports organisation building a winning culture. He emphasises that what is on the court or on the pitch is necessarily a direct reflection of the front office and ownership group. He explains the key ingredients he looks for when deciding to buy in a team, such as the team's opportunity for growth, the team's location and the culture behind the scenes. He also draws an important parallel between sports ownership and memorabilia : it is a business of passion before anything else.. 4. "Seeing the world has opened a lot of opportunities"Prior to his sports ownership days, Paxton led the execution of several international music festivals and awards shows connecting the black diaspora around the world, from the Caribbean to Africa. He shares how valuable his worldly experience has been and invites the younger segment of the audience to dare to see the world and embrace the opportunities that can come along with traveling."By giving to charity, you convince yourself that you've got enough to share"Paxton shares how important voluntarism and giving back has been in his life and for his business. He explains the mindset that comes with the idea of giving some of what one owns and how it is a powerful mindset to develop at the youngest stages of one's career.

Silverbacks Valley welcomes Sandrine Nzeukou, founder of Tessa Sports. This episode is powered by Afroballers.Got a question ?Contact us at contact@silverbacksvalley.com.In this episode, your host Ibrahim Sagna welcomes a founder who dominated on the basketball courts for the university of Nevada Las Vegas and her home country Cameroon before switching her jersey for a suit and paving her way in the corporate world. She served as Executive Director for Invest Africa, an organisation working towards the stimulation of investment towards African economic growth. Now, she is forging her own path as the founder of Tessa an Africa-first, sports business platform directed at enabling Africans to maintain ownership over an increasingly attractive sports industry. Today, the valley welcomes Sandrine Nzeukou.Disclaimer : Silverbacks Valley's host and the guests of this program may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.5 BIG IDEAS DISCUSSED IN THE VALLEY WITH SANDRINE NZEUKOU1.) "Sports has made me a better person"Sandrine shares the origins of her passion for sports: her father was the captain of the national basketball team of Cameroon and he ensured that her and her siblings tried out different sports from a young age. She explains why sports makes you more grounded and how you can become more aligned with the best version of yourself through sports.2.) "We should learn from the West's mistakes in not including women in business"Sandrine speaks openly about the challenges that one is expected to face as a woman working in the sports industry: She commands the efforts made by organizations such as NBA Africa, the Basketball Africa League and Giants of Africa to educate young boys and men about the relevance of gender equity. She calls on African organizations, private and public, to consider the benefits of inclusivity at all levels.3.) "Tessa was born out of my realization that my Cameroon national teammates had less opportunity than me"Sandrine details the process in the creation of her company Tessa: her experience as a professional basketball player for the Cameroon national team exposed her to the stark differences in opportunities that African-based players had to face. She envisioned Tessa as a platform that could service the growing sports African industry with a clear mission to keep its ownership African.4.) "We want to promote the type of access that sports ownership can grant to a person"Sandrine discusses the bridge that can be created between sports ownership and African development. She considers sports' economic opportunities not only can the industry generate revenues and create jobs, it can offer access that can be used as a lever to advance key economic projects for African countries.5.) "A lot of what I've learned as a pro athlete is helping me in business today"Sandrine explains why transitioning from the basketball courts to the boardroom has been seamless : there are many elements of sports (the practice, the physical presence, the challenges and hurdles) that you build an appetite for and that same appetite can come in handy in the business world. Athletes are naturally groomed to become entrepreneurs.

Silverbacks Valley welcomes the Godfather of African Basketball, Amadou Gallo Fall. This episode is powered by Afroballers.In this episode, your host Ibrahim Sagna dives into the journey of the man whose name has become eponymous of African basketball : from how he first became accustomed to the game to how he joined the NBA and led one of the world's most recognizable sports brands to identify the potential of Africa's sports industry.5 IDEAS DISCUSSED WITH AMADOU GALLO FALL IN THE VALLEY1.) "I first wanted to be a doctor before I realised the impact that I could have in sports" Amadou Gallo Fall is known around the continent as the godfather of African basketball, the man who essentially brought the NBA to our continent. But did you know that when he first got a scholarship to play basketball and study in the US, he planned on practicing medicine ? Amadou Gallo Fall shares with us the parallel he was able to draw between the organisation Doctors without Borders and the sports industry - which led him to pick the latter.2.) "The key to pioneering is self-confidence, even when the path isn't necessarily clear"When he first launched the NBA Africa office in 2010, Amadou Gallo Fall admits he wasn't sure what to expect. A decade later, he has become the President of the Basketball Africa League, a joint venture between NBA and FIBA, the first international spin-off league of the NBA. He shares some advice on how to venture into the unknown and why self-confidence is relevant.3.) "I want to be a chef someday"Amadou Gallo Fall first began working on the Sports for Education and Economic Development project in 1998 while still a student in college. Over 20 years later, the organization has enabled kids from the African continent to gain sports scholarships to study abroad : some became investment bankers, others such as Gorgui Dieng became NBA players. He explains the values that SEED is aiming to share with its students and how they encourage students (and parents) to follow their passion.4.) "To avoid that our sports infrastructures become white elephants you need content"In the second part of the episode, Amadou Gallo Fall explains the vision of the Basketball Africa League : to create one of the best sports leagues in the world tailored for African audiences. This grand ambition requires work and investments, he concedes, but it can yield significant returns especially in job creation. He emphasises on the fact that while creating sports arenas is key, there needs to be a similar level of attention to enabling young people to forge their career path in the sports industry.5.) "If African culture can transcend border, we need the local environment to enable it to flourish" Amadou Gallo Fall speaks to how the sports and creative industries can work together to enable more trends to come out of African countries. He foresees the Basketball Africa League as a catalyst in the development of world-class arenas that can then become the stage for African and international acts to perform in and to boost the tourism industry for these countries.

Welcome to Silverbacks Valley, a podcast bridging the worlds of #venturecapital, #tech, #sports, #media and #lifestyle in Africa.A question ? Write to us contact@silverbacksvalley.comFor our second #WomeninVC special, the Valley welcomes a founder who became an investor at one of the world's top VC funds : As COO and Managing Partner of 500Global, Courtney Powell uplifts people and economies across over 80 countries in the world through entrepreneurship. 500Global's 2.9 billion assets under management include over a 100 African companies.Disclaimer : Silverbacks Valley's host and the guests of this program may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.1.) "I went from doing nanny college jobs to finding my first internship at a startup on Craigslist"Courtney Powell recounts her journey in entrepreneurship. She started out as a marketing intern for a startup company focused on developing promotional campaigns solutions. She then launched her own startup in marketing before turning to real estate. One of her startups was part of a 500Global cohort, she since has joined 500Global as COO and Managing Partner.2.) "We want to contribute to shaping the global VC ecosystem"Courtney recognizes the bias and lack of inclusivity which still exist within venture capital and how founders in emerging markets sometimes do not receive the most favorable conditions. She explains how 500Global is equipped to address these challenges through multi-stage venture capital, founders and VC trainings as well as government-focused policy programs.3.) "Cash is definitely reality"As a founder turned investor, Courtney speaks to how the perspectives of each side may differ when it comes to looking at an opportunity to invest. She refers to the alpha that VCs must look for and the type of educated bets that VCs must take in order to get to these super returns.4.) "You have to be interested in things beyond business or finance to be a well-rounded person"Courtney shares a comprehensive list of recommendations of shows, books and podcasts she listens to and does not shy away from sharing things that are beyond the realm of business. She also speaks on her experience as a young mother and what that role in her life has taught her in her career.5.)"Founders should start early and fall in love with customers, not products."In her parting words, Courtney recommends to founders to start early, fail fast and learn the hard lessons as soon as they can. She also advises founders to learn to master the process of iteration and to focus on the customers' experience and feedback as they should and must remain a company's first stream of revenue.Courtney recommends :Podcasts & ShowsCapital Allocators by Ted SeidesOprah's SuperSoulSundayBooksHow To Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin HamidHow to Get Rich (without being lucky) by Naval RavikantThe Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell FriedmanThe Founders: Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and the Company that Made the Modern Internet by Jimmy Sonni