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.5 BIG IDEAS DISCUSSED WITH MICHAELLA RUGWIZANGOGA IN THE VALLEY. 1."As a chemical engineering student, I had a fascination for nation branding." Michaella studied in Germany, a country that had to experiment in nation branding after the Second World War. She explains how inspired she was by the German model and thought about nation branding as a concept. To her, her current role is another sign that the dots always end up connecting at some point - as Steve Jobs once said. 2."It has to start from the foundation, for us it's the vision of our President H.E. Paul Kagame" Michaella dives into what has made Rwanda's strategy successful. She explains how having a common vision, upheld by a leader is instrumental for the execution of a nation branding strategy. The President of Rwanda has been recognized for his bold initiatives to promote Rwanda : Building the Kigali Arena in six months, and see the returns through basketball tournaments, concerts, and global meetings (including FIFA World Congress) the soon to be completed 45,000 seats football Stadium (Amahoro Stadium) and Rwanda hosting the World Cycling Championship in 2025. 3."Sports have a unifier effect" Michaella explains why sports has become an instrumental element of Rwanda's strategy to stimulate tourism. The BAL Finals are one of the few periodic rendez-vous that have made Kigali the place to be. Rwanda has been hosting the BAL Finals for three years in a row and has just signed a new five year agreement. Visit Rwanda sports partnerships have been instrumental for the tourism recovery post-covid, just in 2022, the country attracted more than 1 million visitors generating beyond 240 Millions dollars in revenues . 4."Revenues from the gorillas trekkings are reinvested in the community."Rwanda's tourism has largely been driven by gorilla trekking activities. Our very own company, the Silverbacks, was inspired by my face to face encounter with arguably one of earth's most edifying creatures, one endowed with as much calm as sheer dominance. Michaella reveals that the popularity of these treks have allowed the country to nurture the gorilla community to the point that their natural habitat will now have to be expanded. Earlier this year, the country held its 19th "Kwita Izina" baby gorilla naming ceremony attended by several celebrities including Idris Elba, Joakim Noah and Winston Duke and Danai Gurira of the Black Panther cast. As a testament to Rwanda's effort to develop sustainable tourism, UNESCO has now recognised the Nyungwe Park as a World Heritage Site. 5."It is happening in Rwanda but we are doing it for Africa." From 1st to 3rd November 2023, Rwanda will host the World Travel & Tourism Council's Global Summit. This will be the first time that this Summit is hosted in Africa and a great testament to the tourism achievements of the country. Michaella speaks on how Rwanda's efforts are contributing to putting Africa on the spotlight. She believes that each African country has a unique offering and that every country can develop its unique position to attract tourists.  Rwanda is visa-free for all citizens from the African Union, Commonwealth and Francophonie area; other countries get visas on arrival. Whatever you do, make sure to … #VisitRwanda!

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 Global Sports Summit. During the summit, our host, Ibrahim Sagna, welcomed on stage ; Amadou Gallo Fall, President of the Basketball Africa LeaguePaxton Baker, Minority Owner of the Washington NationalOsi Umenyiora, former NY Giants, founder of the Uprise Academy5 BIG IDEAS DISCUSSED WITH AMADOU GALLO FALL, OSI UMENYIORA & PAXTON BAKER1. "We are following the path of the NBA" Osi Umenyiora explained in our previous episode that he saw the works of Amadou Gallo Fall and the NBA Africa as the blueprint for what the NFL Africa aims to accomplish. Both speak on the importance of collaboration within the sports industry in Africa and how exchanging best practices across disciplines can yield positive results and impact for young people. 2."There is a clear appetite for African-American investors to look at sports as an asset class in Africa."  Paxton Baker has seen the Basketball Africa League (BAL) grow from an idea to a full-fledged competition. He explains how the NBA's expertise has led the BAL to become such a high-level experience everyone involved in such a short amount of time. After the announcement that he had joined the Cape Town Tigers' investors group, he received solicitation from several high-profile figures of the entertainment industry (in this episode, he announces that Verdine White is joining him as an investor in the Cape Town Tigers). Amadou Gallo Fall also speaks to the attention the BAL has received from investors in the US notably at the All-Star Game. 3. "The number one resource Africa has is its human capital" Amadou Gallo Falls talks about replicating the student-athlete model that first emerged in the US in order to establish pathways of opportunities for young African athletes. His organization, SEED, has created opportunities for young people : the latest NBA finals saw two SEED alumni from Senegal, Remy Ndiaye and Dethie Fall, compete as members of the coaching staff of the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets respectively. Osi Umenyiora explains how the SEED model has inspired his own Uprise initiative which has already led twelve young men to find their way to the NFL or football scholarships. 4."It's important for us to export our products and push it in front of the diaspora eyeballs" Osi Umenyiora notes that it has now become "cool" to be African. Amadou discusses the importance of bringing the BAL products outside of Africa : this summer the BAL participated in Globl Jam in Canada and Quai54 in France. To him, the lifestyle element of a sports brand is a key component that allows the product to reach an audience beyond sports fans. Paxton Baker talks about his tourism experiences in Rwanda which he enjoyed on the sidelines of the basketball competition - he talks about the importance of having such experiences and being able to share them on social media to encourage more African-Americans to travel to Africa.5."When a tree falls in Africa, people in the United States now hear about it." The media industry's innovation has made it possible for sports competition to be broadcasted around the world. Amadou mentions that the BAL counts media partners such as ESPN, Canal+, BeinSports, Tencent). Paxton Baker recognizes that the media plays a key role in allowing African talent to be detected early, he believes that Joel Embiid winning the 2023 NBA MVP will lead to more interest for African talent.

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.