Shows
Success Unleash'dFrom Law To Leadership: A Journey To Financial Mastery, Podcasting, And Entrepreneurial Success With Aoifinn DevittWelcome to another power-packed episode of Success Unleash’d with Shawne Merriman and Zack Ellison! Today, we dive deep into the secrets of entrepreneurial success with Aoifinn Devitt — a senior advisor at Moneta, a $40 billion investment giant, and the brilliant host of the 50 Faces podcast. From her roots in Dublin to breaking into the high-stakes world of finance in New York, Aoifinn’s story is one of fierce independence, bold pivots, and unstoppable ambition. She went from practicing law to mastering investment consulting, ultimately rising to the role of CIO. In this episode, Aoifinn reveals how she carved her own pa...2025-03-1833 min
The Fiftyfaces Podcast2024 Wrap Up - Part 2 with Jeanie Coomber, executive coach and podcast host - reflections coaching and creating the personal brandIn this second of our short series reflecting on the lessons and takeaways of the 2024 year in The Fiftyfaces Podcast, we chat with Jeanie Coomber, executive coach and podcast host who featured on our podcast this year in Episode 278 (https://www.fiftyfaceshub.com/278-jeanie-coomber-a-chief-igniter-encourages-us-to-become-warriors-at-work/). Jeanie is the founder of the Warriors at Work platform, and an executive coach and we take this time to reflect on intention and using the year that was to shape the year that is to come.Jeanie's style as a coach shines through brightly in this conversation, where she asks Aoifinn what...2025-01-1321 min
Warriors at WorkListening, Learning and Leading with Aoifinn DevittThis week, we welcome Aoifinn Devitt, Chief Global Market Strategist and founder and creator of The Fiftyfaces Podcast. Aoifinn is a force when it comes to markets, investing and storytelling and together we explore her personal and professional journey and the lightbulb moments that have guided her success. We take a deep dive into the magic of human connection as a business builder and what happens when we share vulnerabilities and reveal more of who we truly are. We also find the conversation returning to a recent theme we have shared on the Warrior platform, the importance of cultivating relationships...2024-07-2229 min
Successful InvestorsAoifinn Devitt (Moneta Group) “Finding Clarity“ Aoifinn Devitt compares her career journey to a “patchwork quilt”, each with a unique meaning and purpose. Her continual quest for knowledge is evidenced in her approach to investing, community-building, and continuing education. Aoifinn currently serves as CIO at Moneta Group. She also founded The Fiftyfaces Podcast in 2020, a series dedicated to sharing the untold stories of individuals in the investment world. As an avid learner, Aoifinn approaches life with a healthy dose of curiosity. Whether she is performing manager due diligence, interviewing a guest on her podcast, or exploring the role of psychological safety in dec...2023-07-0653 min
7 in 7 Show with Zack EllisonSolving Inequality And Driving Economic Efficiency With Aoifinn Devitt, Chief Investment Officer, Moneta Group (S1.E9)Aoifinn Devitt takes us on her journey from corporate lawyer to accomplished CIO, sharing her insights on ESG investing, portfolio management, and driving economic efficiency. In this episode, Zack Ellison and Aoifinn Devitt discuss:1. Differentiating ESG Investments2. Balancing Risk and Resilience3. Democratization of Alternatives4. The Appeal of Venture Debt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifinndevitt/Website: https://monetagroup.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/AoifinnDevitt To see short videos of all our best investing tips, che...2023-06-1341 min
Dakota Live! PodcastDakota Live! Podcast: The Art of Storytelling with Aoifinn Devitt, CIO of the Moneta GroupAoifinn Devitt, Chief Investment Officer at Moneta, and founder and creator of The Fiftyfaces Podcast tells us her story from corporate law to being named the first female Chief Investment Officer of the Moneta Group, a US-based RIA with over $30 bn in investments. Aoifinn is a true modern day renaissance woman, achieving success across multiple disciplines from education to investments to long-distance running, all while creating a central resource of innovative and creative content with her podcast platform. Watch and listen to this insightful and inspiring episode as Aoifinn shares the work she has done with institutional investors for o...2023-03-0841 min
Nourish Your WorthThank You For Being A Friend—With Aoifinn DevittAoifinn Devitt joins us today to talk about her career and podcast series, Fiftyfaces. Daniele and Kelli received the allyship award from the Investment News Women to Watch Awards last month, so there was no doubt we wanted our first guest to be a fellow ally. On her podcast, Aoifinn focuses on revealing the richness and diversity of the world of investment by focusing on its people and their stories. During the pandemic, she reached across the pond and interviewed Daniele on a series entitled, The Next Chapter. (More content from Aoiffin is available on fiftyfaceshub.com.) I...2022-12-2127 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - IntersectionsDr. Patrick Devitt: Modern Psychiatry - Reflections on the Road to HereDr. Patrick Devitt is my father and co-host of the first series of Inspiring People in the Law. He is a consultant psychiatrist in in Dublin, Ireland, and formerly spent time as Mental Health Inspector. His area of specialty is community psychiatry and Medico-legal psychiatry. He also has degrees in law and science. Our conversation starts with his upbringing in Dublin in the 1950s, why he initially pursued a degree in science and some of the twists and turns that led him to go back to pursue an undergraduate degree in medicine. We discuss his brief detour into...2022-10-1341 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - IntersectionsBonus: Inspiring People in Medicine and Science: Professor Brian Devitt - Orthopaedic Surgeon - Mobility, Quality of Life, Sport and the Importance of EQ in MedicineProfessor Brian Devitt is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Professor of Orthopaedics and Surgical Biomechanics at Dublin City University. He studied medicine at University College Dublin and has a particular focus on the knee. He is also my brother and given that he has spent that last 8 years in Melbourne, Australia and we have only seen eachother a handful of times in this period, I am excited to sit down with him and touch base on his medical career and outlook. We start with what motivated Brian to study medicine, which was a continuation of a family tradition, an...2022-09-2728 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the LawKate Colleary of Pembroke Privacy - Why Trust is the New Gold and a Quest to Make the Complex SimpleKate Colleary is the director at Pembroke Privacy, a data protection consulting practice, a firm she established in 2019. To assist organizations and their data protection officers achieve compliance with privacy laws. She is the country leader of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) as well as a practicing solicitor.Kate and I were classmates at Trinity College Dublin, and we start her journey there, reflecting on how losing both of her parents when they were in their 50s, and she was a young adult led to her resilience and pledge to enjoy life through travel and...2022-06-2128 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the LawMeriam Nazih Al-Rashid of Eversheds Sutherland - Rethinking International Arbitration for a World Worth Living InMeriam Nazih Al-Rashid is Global Co-Chair of International Arbitration and Co-head of the Latin American Arbitration practice at Eversheds Sutherland and is based in the New York City area. She is also an adjunct professor of law at Fordham University Law School, a peer review board member of the American Review of International Arbitration, a committee member at the Cyrus R Vance Center for International Justice, and the holder of numerous other arbitrator roles. Her areas of focus on international dispute resolution, international trade and commercial arbitration, as well as human rights and international law. She is also the P...2022-06-2140 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the LawI. Stephanie Boyce, President of the Law Society of England and Wales - Persevering Until Something HappensI. Stephanie Boyce is President of the Law Society of England and Wales. She is its 177th President, the sixth female and the first person of color to hold the role. She has had an extensive career in law, including periods of The Pensions Regulator in her own consulting firm, and as a former clerk at the disciplinary and regulatory committees at the Association of Chartered certified accountants. She also holds a number of board and Trustee roles, including commissioner of the National Preparedness commission. She's a member of the socio-economic Task Force, transforming women's leadership and the law...2022-06-2129 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the LawAonghus Kelly - Irish Rule of Law International - On the Law of Cumulative EffectAonghus Kelly is a lawyer who has a focus on the rule of law, international criminal law, human rights and the intersection of those areas with climate justice. He is presently Executive Director at Irish Rule of Law International, (IRLI) which is the legal NGO founded by and representing the bars and law societies from both jurisdictions from the island of Ireland which works overseas. He is also a member of the Legal Action Committee at the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), which uses innovative legal strategies to challenge global injustice. He previously spent time with the E...2022-06-2137 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the LawInspiring People in Law - 2022 - TrailerWe are delighted to bring you our 2022 Inspiring People in Law series in which we feature eight inspiring lawyers from around the globe. We examine what it is to be an effective lawyer, the importance of networks, of empathy, and sometimes the lack of importance of a standard path or trajectory. We listen to guests who have taken a path less travelled, sometimes overcoming bias, prejudice and disability to do so. We explore areas as diverse as digital justice, the intersection of environmental law and human rights, the advances in international arbitration and moving from a legal to a co...2022-06-1505 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastAdesuwa Okunbo Rhodes - Changing the face of investing and entrepreneurship in AfricaAdesuwa Okunbo Rhodes is the founder of Aruwa Capital Management, a growth equity impact fund investing in untapped opportunities across Nigeria and West Africa. Founded when she was only 29, Aruwa Capital Management aims to change the narrative for women as capital allocators and entrepreneurs by investing in businesses that make an impact on addressing the gender gap. She previously was Partner and Managing Director at Syntaxis Africa and prior to that JP Morgan, and also holds a number of director roles as well as volunteer roles in groups such as Gaia Africa, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity and R...2022-04-1826 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastGhanaian Voices - Adam Demuyakor of Wilshire Lane Capital - On Ghost Kitchens, Self Storage and other Prop Tech OpportunitiesAdam Demuyakor is the founder and managing partner at Wilshire Lane Capital, a venture capital and private equity firm that focuses on PropTech solutions based in Los Angeles California. Born in the US to a family originally from Ghana, Adam started out on Wall Street in investment banking and held a number of private equity and venture capital roles before found in Wilshire Lane. He also holds a number of Board roles and is a Board of Trustee of the education nonprofit 9 Dots.Our conversation starts with his family roots, and the expectations that accompanied his schooling an...2022-04-0631 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastAndara Kamara - interviewed by Justina Etteh - Why Victory Loves PreparationAndara Kamara works at the tax policy unit in Ghana’s Ministry of Finance. In this podcast, in which she is interviewed by Justina Etteh, she describes her path into the role, and how she first studied Development, expecting to use her skills in an international institution. The opportunity arose to work at the Ministry for Finance, and Andara describes how she overcame her uncertainty around presenting her work, phrasing her reports and generally adjusting to life in the Ministry. What follows is an open discussion about the challenges in work getting recognized, and how preparation wins eve...2022-03-2216 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the LawRichard Daly - Technology Enables A Vision for ChangeRichard Daly is an executive officer in the Irish Department of Defence. A lawschool classmate of mine, Richard graduated from Trinity College Dublin with an LLB in 1995. Richard has been completely blind from birth and we discuss his early education at St. Joseph's school for the blind and his subsequent pursuit of legal studies. We first look at how education was first accessed by him - through the use of braille, scanning equipment, and recording equipment. We then reflect on the massive advances in technology that have taken place even in the years since his graduation and how...2022-03-2117 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastJustina Etteh - Lifting as She ClimbsJustina Etteh is a transaction banking associate at a large global investment bank, based in London. She hails from Ghana and participated in a graduate training program sponsored by that bank that recruited her directly from Ghana. She spends a lot of her time mentoring young black students and colleagues in the world of finance and sharing her experiences in the workplace.Our conversation traces her journey into a role in banking, and her early introduction to financial literacy. She describes how she is committed to passing on what she has learned while she is still young...2022-03-1623 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastGhanaian Voices - Dawid Konotey-Ahulu - Removing the "Kinks in the Hosepipe of Life" for a New GenerationOur first Ghanaian voice in this series is a legend on the London-based investment management scene. Dawid Konotey-Ahulu is an entrepreneur in financial services, technology and elderly care and the co-founder of Redington, the London-based independent pensions and insurance advisory group with $500 bn in assets under advisement, as well as mallowstreet.com, a social media platform connecting the pensions and insurance industry. He has had a long career in financial services and is a high-profile advocate for diversity within the financial services community and one of the leaders behind the recent initiative #100blackinterns.H...2022-03-0931 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastGhanaian Voices 2022 - TrailerIn celebration of Ghana’s 2022 Independence Day, celebrated on March 6, 2022, we are delighted to bring you a bonus series featuring a collection of inspiring Ghanaian voices at home and away. We hear from Dawid Konotey Ahulu, who grew up in Ghana and pursued a successful career in finance in the UK – he has now committed to placing 10000 black interns into careers in finance through the 10000 Black Interns program, Justina Etteh who grew up and studied in Ghana and has brought her philosophy to lift as she climbs to London finance circles, Andara Kamara a guest interviewed by Justina, who desc...2022-03-0604 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring Women in Tech and BeyondBonus Episode: Charna Ambers of CB Design NY - Building Brands, Leveraging Contacts, Navigating ChangeCharna Ambers is founder of CB Design NY, which specializes in corporate brand and marketing design for clients across a range of industries, including in particular healthcare, lifestyle, and real estate. Our conversation starts with her upbringing in upstate New York, her first roles and how she came to the decision to launch her own firm. We talk about her vision for branding and design, and how she builds her network. We delve in particular into her LInkedIN strategy, and how she was an early adopter on the platform and has ultimately garnered more than 30,000 followers.2022-02-1524 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring Women in Tech and Beyond21. Hilla Bakshi - A Champion for Women in Tech Takes the StageHilla Bakshi is the founder of Hameetupistiot and works as a marketing and business development co-ordinator at Women on Stage. Women on Stage is a global platform which showcases, books, and trains women professional speakers for any tech event, conference, meetup, or webinar.In our interview, we discuss how Hilla came to champion women in hi-tech. Hilla describes how her growing awareness that she was usually the only female in the room inspired her to ask why. We talk about what she learnt when she asked that question and how it inspired her to l...2022-02-0723 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring Women in Tech and Beyond20. Efrat Fenigson of Mindspace: Finding Clarity and Conviction through StorytellingEfrat Fenigson was featured as one of StartIsrael’s 2021’s most promising marketing leaders in Israel who is focused on social impact. Efrat is currently the CMO at Mindspace and is the co-founder of the G-CMO forum. She is also, among many other things, a feminist, activist, and Videocast host.In our interview we discuss how Efrat started out as a programmer in Australia and chucked it all in to take a risk and start her own business there. She talks us through her journey from running that business to becoming CMO at Mindspace. Efrat disc...2022-02-0229 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring Women in Tech and Beyond19. Avigail Bar-Timor Rosen of Payoneer - Scaling the Heights of Hi-TechAvigail Bar-Timor Rosen is currently a Business Operation Associate at Payoneer. Prior to this she was a community manager at "Women in Hitech”, which has more than 14 thousand members. Avigal continues to promote and work for the representation of women in the Israeli tech industry. In this podcast we talk about how hard it can be to know what you want to do in life. Avigail describes how her journey to discovering her career path was not a straightforward or easy one, and how she took many different turns in her quest to find a job tha...2022-01-2230 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastShalom Lloyd of Naturally Tribal and eMQT - From The Kingdom of Essan to Harrods: A Journey of ImpactShalom Lloyd had a career of over 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry and then went on to found two businesses. She is the founder of Naturally Tribal skincare, a beauty line based on traditional remedies including shea butter, which she developed initially to cure her son’s eczema. She is also the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of eMQT, described as “the Bridge between the Pharmaceutical Industry and Africa” which facilitates clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies in Africa. She has been a keynote speaker on the topic of innovation and was a fellow of the Start-Up Leadership Program in London...2022-01-0629 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastAndrew Osayemi - Creator of Meet the Adebanjos (Netflix) and Diversity Specialist: Earning Your Yes; Finding Your VoiceAt the time of recording, Andrew Osayemi was a specialist diversity recruiter at Rare Recruitment and the creator of the Netflix TV show Meet the Adebanjos. He started his career as a city trader and then took the plunge into starting a TV production company, MTA productions – although, as he claims he did not “know anything about TV”. He is the author of the book “How my Disastrous Teenage Love Life Will Get You Your Dream Job”. Our fascinating discussion starts with his upbringing in South London, how he found himself a job in the City and the cultur...2021-12-2933 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastUche Orji of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority: The Journey Home; Answering the CallUche Orji is CEO of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, based in Abuja, Nigeria. A native of Nigeria, he has had over 20 years experience in various financial roles including semiconductor analyst in Europe and the US, before returning to Nigeria just over 8 years ago. He also holds a number of Board roles.Our conversation starts with Uche's early career in investment banking and particularly semiconductor research. We hear about his swift rise to prominence in this area, and his global vantage point in this dynamic industry. We then move to what motivated his move home to Nigeria...2021-12-2340 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastArthur Olunwa - Persistence, Purpose, ProgressArthur Olunwa is an investment professional based in Chicago, whom I got to know when he worked as a senior fixed income allocator at a large corporate pension plan there. Prior to this he spent time in fixed income risk management as well as a portfolio manager in a multi-asset team. He sits on the advisory committee of the CFA Society of Chicago and is the Chairperson of the Chicago Investment Group as well as a Partner and Mentor of Youth Guidance. Our conversation traces Arthur's career journey from Nigeria, through the United Kingdom and on to...2021-12-1523 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastBridget Uku - Global Roots; Local InvestmentsBridget Uku is Group Manager Treasury & Investments at a UK local authority, where she has spent over 14 years, and she previously worked as Investments and Insurance Finance Manager at the Greater London Authority. She is frequent participant on the local government conference circuit, which is where we met. We talk about Bridget's upbringing in Nigeria, and her time at boarding school in the UK with her sisters and the cultural shift that that involved. We then move to how she overcame her aversion to maths to embrace a role that involved quite a lot of numbers...2021-12-0824 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastYele Aluko - A Journey in Medicine; An Examination of DiversityYele Aluko is Chief Medical Officer at EY, a role he has held for close to 4 years.He is Co-Chair, Health Equity Advisory, at the international Well Building Institute, an Advisory Board Member at the Children’s National Hospital and a Board Member at the Wake Forest University School of Business.He has worked as a Cardiologist in hospital settings for over 30 years. Yele was born in Nigeria and we start with when he first realized his calling to be a doctor.We trace his journey to th...2021-12-0137 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastToyin Oluwole - Opportunity Knocks on the Journey HomeToyin Oluwole's last role was as a Senior Strategy Manager with Royal London. She previously worked in a range of financial and marketing roles at Standard Life and Moody Monday. She recently left Scotland and returned to her home country of Nigeria, and it was a moving Linked In post that she wrote that led me to her. Our conversation starts with Toyin's upbringing in Nigeria and what led her to university and the first part of her career in the UK. She describes how she settled there and eventually made Scotland her home. We talk about gra...2021-11-2430 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastRaymond Onovwigun of Romco Group - How Recycling Metal is Key to Achieving Each of the E, the S and the GRaymond Onovwigun is founder and CEO at Romco Group, which trades and processes non-ferrous metal. Founded in 2015, it now employs over 180 people in Nigeria, over 50 in Ghana, and another 15 in the UK and is on track to have revenues of £40m by the end of this year. Ray has a fascinating journey that has taken him from South London, to founding a successful plumbing business while still at university to his current quest to help to close the sustainability gap in Africa. Our conversation starts with his Nigerian heritage, how he learned the meaning of hard work t...2021-11-1728 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastObi Ozor of Kobo360 - Disruption, Innovation and Building Resilience as a FounderObi Ozor is Founder of Kobo360, a privately owned, pan-African technology company disrupting the African third-party logistics industry. Kobo360 was named one of the Top 100 SMEs in Africa in 2018 by Business Day and Disruptor of the Year at the Africa CEO Forum on 2019. The company uses big data and agile technology to reduce friction and scale efficiency in the African logistics ecosystem. He previously held positions at Uber, JP Morgan and Bezmo Global, an international, socially-minded investment firm focused on the African continent. In this discussion we trace Obi's journey from investment banking to Uber, and ultimately wh...2021-11-1026 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastEric Idiahi of Verod Capital - Honesty, Humility and Hard Work as a Recipe for SuccessEric Idiahi is co-founder and a partner of Verod Capital, a private equity firm based in Lagos, which he founded in 2008. He is Chairman of the Board of Tangerine Africa as well as Eleva Group and holds a number of Non Executive Director positions. He was previously a Managing Parter of FountainHead Media Group as well as a Financial Derivatives Company. Our conversation traces Eric's move to the US where he completed his high school and university education and what drove his decision to move back to Nigeria. This was an exciting time, and we look at s...2021-11-0320 min
Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices PodcastTrailer - Fiftyfaces Focus - Nigerian Voices at Home and AwaySince we launched the Fiftyfaces Podcast in August 2020 some of our most popular episodes were those featuring guests from the Nigerian diaspora and in this first Fiftyfaces Focus Nigerian Voices podcast series we have assembled a set of ten interviews of different professionals each with fascinating stories of accomplishments and career paths. Also, watch this space with a follow-up 4 part Ghanaian voices series to continue our West African focus immediately after this one. In this trailer hear from each of our 10 guests about our recurring themes of immigration, adjustment, integration, re-integration upon the return home an...2021-10-2809 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - IntersectionsEoin Murray of Federated Hermes - Sustainable Investing and Mountain and Water RescueEoin Murray is Head of Investment at the international business of Federated Hermes. He has had a long career in investment management, spending time as a hedge fund manager and a quantitative equity specialist. He recently obtained a certificate in energy innovation and emerging technologies and is a passionate advocate for sustainable investing, greater awareness of climate change and in driving change in the investment industry towards these goals. He also has a diploma in specialist rescue which includes Swift Water Rescue, Powered Boat Rescue, Water Incident Management, & Rope Rescue via Outreach Rescue. It is these unusual intersections that we d...2021-10-2716 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - IntersectionsMinh Tsai of Hodo Foods - a culinary journey from Vietnam to the USIn this episode of the Intersections Podcast, hosted by Gaëlle Beltran-Grémaud, an INSEAD classmate now based in Philadelphia, we listen to the story of Minh Tsai the co-founder and CEO of Hodo Foods. Minh shares how he arrived from Vietnam to the US as a child, speaking no English; and that with luck, the support of one woman and hard work, he went on to study at Columbia University. After a stint in investment banking and management consulting, he took the risk to follow his passion for food and started Hodo to bring the tofu he grew up...2021-10-2025 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - The Last Frontier: Diverse Founders and VCsYvonne Bajela - Innovating through ImpactYvonne Bajela is an investor in early stage companies at Impact X Capital, which invests in start-ups across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. She has worked across the globe in investment banking, corporate venture capital and in academia, and is a frequent speaker on the topics of entrepreneurship and female empowerment. She was listed as a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30.Our conversation covers Yvonne's early interest in markets and finance, her career journey, and how she identifies talent across the venture capital arena. We discuss what both her upbringing and her role in venture capital...2021-09-0318 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - The Last Frontier: Diverse Founders and VCsJames Norman - A Collective Response to Piloting ChangeJames Norman is CEO at Pilotly, a market research platform for creative content, based in the Bay Area. He is a Partner at Transparent Collective, a group of founders dedicated to increasing exposure and access to Silicon Valley for African-American and Latino/Hispanic men and women. He is a serial entrepreneur, who built his first company at the age of 16. Our conversation traces James's exceptionally early entry into running his own business, which started with baseball cards and video games, then looks at the mindset that it takes to be an entrepreneur. We speak about his work...2021-08-2733 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - The Last Frontier: Diverse Founders and VCsShruti Van Dyke Gandhi - Navigating an Array of Opportunities in VCShruti Van Dyke Gandhi is General Partner and Founding Engineer at Array Ventures which invests in enterprise deep tech early-stage companies. Shruti is also a professor in the computer science department at Columbia University. She spent her early career as a developer on mainframe security, collaboration tools, and data analytics. Post engineering, she invested in early-stage companies at True Ventures and Samsung's venture fund. She is also the recipient of Chicago Booth 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award at Chicago.Our conversation traces Shruti's experience in computer science and high growth industries and how this motivated her desire to launch...2021-08-2022 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - The Last Frontier: Diverse Founders and VCsMark Mwangi - Backing up the Truck and Seizing the OpportunityMark Mwangi is the founder of Amitruck, a Kenya-based company which connects transporters (whether a motor-bike, pick ups, van or even a large articulated truck) directly to clients, and aims to ensure convenient pricing and cut out a large part of the costs of goods. He is also co-founder of Dalwyn, a natural gas exchange, based in London. He was previously a senior investment manager at Pictet Asset Management in London, and prior to that worked in Equity Research at Bluecrest. One fun fact shared on another podcast is that he is also a licensed pilot. Our d...2021-08-1322 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - The Last Frontier: Diverse Founders and VCsAustin Clements - Blending vision and execution to seed the next generationAustin Clements is a partner at Slauson & Co., a Los Angeles based venture capital firm that provides pre-seed and seed funding to a range of founders. He's a Kauffman fellow and has a strong interest in economic empowerment. He was previously Chair of Pledge LA, and alliance between LA's venture capital community, the Annenberg Foundation, and the Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti. He also holds a number of board roles. We start by talking about his upbringing in LA, his time at Morehouse College and how his taste of business there left him determined to find a...2021-08-0633 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - The Last Frontier: Diverse Founders and VCsMcKeever (Mac) Conwell, II - Why what is Rare is WonderfulMcKeever (Mac) Conwell, II, is Managing Partner at RareBreed Ventures, a venture capital firm based in the Baltimore area. He has held various roles including as a software engineer, an entrepreneur in residence at the NewME Accelerator, a Fund Manager at Maryland Technology Development Corporation where he was a member of the Seed Investment Team and various advisory and consulting roles in the tech space. RareBreed Ventures is a pre-seed fund that aims to invest in exceptional founders outside the large tech ecosystems earlier than everyone else. Our conversation starts with Mac's upbringing and his early interest i...2021-07-2931 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - The Last Frontier: Diverse Founders and VCsShalom Lloyd: From The Kingdom of Essan to Harrods: A Journey of ImpactShalom Lloyd had a career of over 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry and then went on to found two businesses. She is the founder of Naturally Tribal skincare, a beauty line based on traditional remedies including shea butter, which she developed initially to cure her son’s eczema. She is also the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of eMQT, described as “the Bridge between the Pharmaceutical Industry and Africa” which facilitates clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies in Africa. She has been a keynote speaker on the topic of innovation and was a fellow of the Start-Up Leadership Program in London...2021-07-2328 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - The Last Frontier: Diverse Founders and VCsEzechi Britton - Opportunity UntappedEzechi Britton is a Founding Member, Principal and CTO in residence at Impact X Capital, which invests in start-ups across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He previously was the co-founder of Neyber, a financial wellbeing provider where he was also Chief Technology Officer. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Code Untapped, a digital skills accelerator, which runs ideathons, innovation labs, coding workshops and other events to give underrepresented and diverse technologists the opportunity to showcase what they can do.Our conversation traces Ezechi's own entrepreneurial journey and the opportunities that made it possible. We reflect th...2021-07-1637 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - The Last Frontier: Diverse Founders and VCsFiftyfaces Focus - Diverse Founders and Venture Capital Investors - Series 1The life of a founder of a business is riddled with hard work, hope, disappointment, failure and hearing the word "no". When that founder comes from a less well represented group, the process of building a business and capital raising can be even more challenging. Sometimes this is due to "distance travelled" to get to the starting line - less well represented founders may have less access to "friends and family" capital, to have less of a network and less social capital and may not have the "freedom to fail" which may affect their risk appetite. It was...2021-07-0804 min
Fiftyfaces Focus 2021 Pride SpecialJudge Victoria Kolakowski - Authenticity On and Off the BenchThe Honorable Judge Victoria Kolakowski, is a judge of the Superior Court of Alameda County, in the Bay Area of California and in November 2010 she was the first Transgender person to be elected a Trial Judge. Judge Kolakowski is a committed advocate for transgender people and makes herself available throughout the United States and internationally for conferences, seminars and interviews acting as a role-model and providing support. Her conversation with a new host, Patrick Devitt, goes back to her childhood, to her earliest days of wishing she were a girl, through adolescence, college and law school. She talks about...2021-06-3043 min
Fiftyfaces Focus 2022 Pride SpecialJudge Victoria Kolakowski - Authenticity On and Off the BenchThe Honorable Judge Victoria Kolakowski, is a judge of the Superior Court of Alameda County, in the Bay Area of California and in November 2010 she was the first Transgender person to be elected a Trial Judge. Judge Kolakowski is a committed advocate for transgender people and makes herself available throughout the United States and internationally for conferences, seminars and interviews acting as a role-model and providing support. Her conversation with a new host, Patrick Devitt, goes back to her childhood, to her earliest days of wishing she were a girl, through adolescence, college and law school. She talks about...2021-06-3043 min
Fiftyfaces Focus 2021 Pride Special9. Perry Zizzi - Adventures in Corporate LawPerry Zizzi is a Managing Partner at Dentons based in Bucharest, Romania, and he has worked in corporate law since the mid 1990s, when we met as office mates in a midtown Manhattan law firm Debevoise & Plimpton. He is the President, Founder and Board Member of the Romanian Diversity Chamber of Commerce.
Our trip down memory lane starts with Perry's childhood in upstate NY where his early fascination with history led him to cycle around the town making a map of the streets. He also collected stamps as well as a coterie of mentors including teachers and local historians...2021-06-2723 min
Fiftyfaces Focus 2021 Pride Special8. Oli Shakir-Khalil: A Classics Scholar shapes the Modern World of Asset ManagementOli Shakir-Khalil is an investment director in EM Debt at Fidelity International, based in London. We met at an industry conference where he discussed his role as a mental health ambassador within his firm and the industry and his efforts to amplify the importance of mental health awareness. He is passionate about the need to reinforce listening within organizations and the debunk the myth that this area should be taboo. His initiatives both within his own firm and within the industry are innovative and powerful to spread inclusion and promote dialogue about this issue.
Our conversation starts with Oli's...2021-06-2426 min
Fiftyfaces Focus 2021 Pride Special7. Genie Cesar-Fabian - Law, Literature and Pride, not PrejudiceGenie Cesar-Fabian is a Partner, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Palladium Equity Partners, based in the NYC area. She previously worked as in-house counsel, a law professor and an attorney in private practice. She lives with her wife and two children in the NYC area.
Our discussion starts with a look-back to Genie's childhood in Long Island, her love of sports and music, and her experience of coming out in the Village of NYC in the 1990s. She tells a deeply personal story of some of the struggle that was involved.
Her study of law seemed to...2021-06-2233 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the Law7. Dennis Archer - Leadership, Service and a Powerful LegacyDennis Archer has had a legendary career, as a lawyer, then as a judge on the Michigan Supreme Court and as mayor of Detroit from 1994 – 2001, and he was the first black head of the ABA. He is currently Chairman Emeritus at Dickinson Wright, a Detroit law firm, in addition to multiple Committee and Board Roles. With such an extensive resume it was hard to know where to start this podcast, and impossible to cover his whole trajectory. So we focused on three areas - his upbringing, his time as mayor and his insights into diversity in the profession. We...2021-06-1733 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring Women in Tech and Beyond18. Rachel Zalta - Behind the Scenes of Behavioral AnalysisRachel Zalta is Global Lead at the Creative Shop @ Taboola in Tel Aviv. She originally studied psychology, and has a strong interest in online trends and persuasion and is an expert on online behavior. She was born in New York City and moved to Israel when she was 6 years old. Rachel was one of the first guests that I approached for our Inspiring Israeli Women in Tech Series and is a perfect person to finish our third series. I was quickly fascinated by her blend of psychology and technology and how she was a fount of insights into...2021-06-1518 min
Fiftyfaces Focus 2021 Pride Special6. Matthew Choyce - Providing a Solid FoundationMatthew Choyce is a Virtual Event and Video Production Specialist at I-connections. He has worked in event production since high school. He is the President and Founder of the Foundation for Gay Youth in Technology, a nonprofit which encourages, empowers and provides resources to LGBTQ+ youth and young adults across the technology industries.
Our conversation dives into to the rapidly evolving world of event production - and takes in the dramatic changes that the space has seen since the Covid disruptions. We look at whether a blend of real and virtual events will be the way of the future.
...2021-06-1519 min
Fiftyfaces Focus 2021 Pride Special5. Nicci Take - A Different "Take" on Sales Strategy and Gender BalancesNicci Take is interim head of growth at Mercer. She is an expert in sales, and is the chairwoman/founder of M62 Vincis, which helps organizations win by working out the last 15 mins of the sales cycle. She is a Presenter, Entrepreneur and stand up Comedienne and a prominent transgender advocate, inspirational speaker and coach. who is a #BritishLGBTAwards Top 10 Inspirational Leader as well as one of the FT 100 Leading LGBT+ Executives 2017.
Nicci's experience as a sales expert was developed over decades of global experience, often as an entrepreneur. She resists efforts to reduce sales to a process and...2021-06-1447 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the Law6. Carolyn Saunders - The Art of Playing Many PartsAll the world’s a stage,And all the men and women merely players;They have their exits and their entrances,And one man in his time plays many parts.~William ShakespeareCarolyn Saunders is a Partner and Head of Pensions at Pinsent Masons, one of the largest specialist pensions law teams in the UK. She focuses not just on traditional areas of pensions law, but on issues at the cutting edge of current discourse, particularly around areas such as sustainable investing, climate risk governance and trustee fiduciary duties in this respect. She is an...2021-06-1121 min
Fiftyfaces Focus 2021 Pride Special4. David Mooney - Retaining the Element of Surprise - in Markets and in Life.David Mooney is a former asset manager and commodities specialist, having spent close to 30 years in the financial services industry. He has managed derivatives and commodities desks at investment banks and hedge funds, and ran a fund of commodities funds for close to 10 years, which is when we met.
David is a bit of a legend in the area of commodities investment, and I have always known him to have a skeptical eye and an aversion to hubris. Never afraid to call a spade a spade, in this podcast David gives a refreshing overview of the industry he made...2021-06-0928 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring Women in Tech and Beyond17. Adi Eckhouse Barzilai - Chess and OptimismAdi Eckhouse Barzilai is co-founder and CEO at DeeDa:Do, based in NYC, and was the founder of RealFace, a company focused on bringing back human perception to digital processes. In this conversation we discuss her journey from sitting with an inspired idea to finally taking the plunge and leaving the security of her well paid job to set up RealFace. She emphasizes how vital it is to work with partners who share the same core values as you and the importance of surrounding yourself with talented people who you can learn from. Adi talks about RealFace getting...2021-06-0931 min
Fiftyfaces Focus 2021 Pride Special3. Georgy Egorov - From Banking to Biotech - A Journey of DiscoveryGeorgy Egorov is Chief Financial Officer of Vaccitech, a firm that develops vaccines and T cell immunotherapies to treat and prevent cancer and infectious diseases. It was one of the firms behind the recently launched Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. He has held a series of executive roles in fintech and biotech firms, and prior to that worked in finance both at the EBRD and investment banking. He was born in Russia and studied in the Netherlands and University of Cambridge in the UK.
Our conversation starts with Georgy's upbringing in Russia and the somewhat wild backdrop of the 1990s...2021-06-0829 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the Law5. Kip Hale: Accountability and Progress - a Career in International LawKip Hale is an attorney specializing in atrocity crimes accountability, specifically investigating such crimes in conflict zones. He has spent time as Senior Counsel at the American Bar Association Center for Human Rights, and as an attorney at the UN tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Cambodia. We start with his upbringing in Colorado, and how, for him, entering the law followed a family tradition. Where he broke with tradition was his embrace of international law, and we talk about some of the highs and lows of a profession with long lead times, issues that are bigger than...2021-06-0325 min
Fiftyfaces Focus 2021 Pride Special2. Jenny Whiteman: A Vision for VisibilityJenny Whiteman is a Director of Legal Services at the international business of Federated Hermes, based in London, a role she has held for over 12 years. She previously worked as a solicitor at Eversheds. She lives with her wife and two children in London.
As a former colleague of Jenny's I was thrilled to talk to her about her career journey and how she moved through the ranks in private practice initially and subsequently in an in-house role. We talk about what attracted her into law, and what she enjoys about in-house practice.
We move then to talk about...2021-06-0230 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring Women in Tech and Beyond16. Maya Tutian Matosevich - Why Business Must Go On - Now More Than EverMaya Tutian Matosevich is Global Marketing Director at Dassault Systemes, a French company and is based in Israel. She has had a long career in marketing within the software sector, where she has developed business plans and sales strategies on a regional and a global basis.Our discussion covers her successful career - how she established herself as a leader in global marketing and developed a global team and client base. An excellent example of her ability to pivot and respond to the changing needs of her clients is the "business must go on" campaign that was initiated...2021-06-0221 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring Women in Tech and Beyond15. Dafna Rolls - An exploration of Mindset and how it shifts with experienceIn our podcast, Dafna describes how she grew in a family of entrepreneurs and discusses her time in the Israeli army where at the age of 18 she became a lieutenant overseeing a group of 20 men. This experience shaped Dafna and made her understand what she was capable of. So much so that when Dafna moved to America in her twenties, she realised that she needed to set up her own company, as no one in the US quite understood her skillset and potential. Hence, D|Rolls was born. A great believer in coaching, Dafna used it to help...2021-06-0123 min
Fiftyfaces Focus 2021 Pride Special1. Ozzie Gromada Meza: Finding Talent; Inspiring ChangeOzzie Gromada Meza is Director of Membership and Talent Intelligence at the Latino Corporate Directors Association and has spent 11 + years in the executive recruiting space. He is an advocate for LGBT and Latino causes, and is currently based in Reno Nevada and holds a number of committee and volunteer roles.
Our conversation starts with the role of the Latino Corporate Directors Association and the fact that Latin-x individuals remain seriously underrepresented at Board level. We speak about the progress that is needed in this area, and the small degrees of change that are already happening at state level, particularly...2021-06-0135 min
Fiftyfaces Focus 2021 Pride Special2021 Fiftyfaces Focus Pride Special - TrailerMany of our stories in the Fiftyfaces Podcast discuss diversity, but some only touched on LGBT diversity and it was clear from my discussions that even though tremendous progress has been made in the area of LGBT inclusion, role models in this area were highly appreciated, and ongoing allyship was needed.
In this series I have assembled a group of nine diverse professionals, each with fascinating stories of accomplishments and career paths. They discuss how LGBT inclusion has shifted throughout their career, assess their industries according to it today and express their hopes for the future.
The guests in...2021-05-2704 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the Law4. Dr. Margaret Casely-Hayford, CBE - A Renaissance Career for a Changing WorldDr Margaret Casely-Hayford, CBE is Chancellor of Coventry University, a role she has held for close to 4 years. She has had an extensive career in law, having been a partner at Dentons for close to 20 years, and has held roles as NED of the NHS, as a Special Trustee at Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens’ Charity, Chair at Shakespeares’ Globe, and as a Board Member of Co-op, to name just a few. Our conversation starts with her upbringing and her journey into the law. It was not necessarily a smooth path through planning law, but through some setbacks and...2021-05-2037 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - The Last Frontier: Diverse Founders and VCsBonus: Shalom Lloyd - From The Kingdom of Essan to Harrods: A Journey of ImpactShalom Lloyd had a career of over 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry and then went on to found two businesses. She is the founder of Naturally Tribal skincare, a beauty line based on traditional remedies including shea butter, which she developed initially to cure her son’s eczema. She is also the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of eMQT, described as “the Bridge between the Pharmaceutical Industry and Africa” which facilitates clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies in Africa. She has been a keynote speaker on the topic of innovation and was a fellow of the Start-Up Leadership Program in London...2021-05-1828 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the Law3. Perry Zizzi - International Adventures in Corporate LawPerry Zizzi is a Managing Partner at Dentons based in Bucharest, Romania, and he has worked in corporate law since the mid 1990s, when we met as office mates in a midtown Manhattan law firm Debevoise & Plimpton. He is the President, Founder and Board Member of the Romanian Diversity Chamber of Commerce. Our trip down memory lane starts with Perry's childhood in upstate NY where his early fascination with history led him to cycle around the town making a map of the streets. He also collected stamps as well as a coterie of mentors including teachers and local...2021-05-1323 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Intersections2. Robert Finkel - Why Private Equity and Forbidden Roots make for an Intoxicating BrewRobert Finkel has had an over 30 year career in investing and provided capital and support to over 40 companies through equity and investment funds under the firm Prism. He wrote the book The Masters of Private Equity and Venture Capital featuring 10 of the US’s most notable venture capital and private equity investor. When I met Robert he was experimenting late into the night with his botanic craft brew at home, and in 2014 he launched a botanic craft brew under the name Forbidden Root in Chicago, and opened restaurant/brewery operations in Chicago and Columbus OH. Now assuming the ti...2021-05-1227 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring Women in Tech and Beyond14. Naomi Krieger Carmy: Solving Societal Challenges through Innovation and ImpactNaomi Krieger Carmy is a Senior VP at Social Finance Israel, an Israeli not-for-profit organization that issues Social Impact Bonds. She has had a global career that has spanned roles in investment banking, economic development and policy, and has recently had a particular focus on furthering innovation through the UK Israel Tech Hub a public/private venture to promote business and tech collaboration between the UK and Israel. Her most recent role prior to the current one was as VP and Head of the Societal Challenges division at the Israel Innovation Authority, where she was was responsible for policy, programs...2021-05-1125 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring Women in Tech and Beyond13. Shanna Fuld - Thinking Differently About Grit and HustleShanna Fuld is the founder and CEO at the Israel Daily News Podcast. She has worked as a freelance reporter, and creates her own content including the Israel Daily News Podcast, The Israel Weekly Newswrap, Women in Israel and The Corona Business Report. Our conversation traces how a chance meeting with Wolf Blitzer in Tel Aviv kindled the flame that was already alight in her for broadcast media. We follow her journey in education and then in the business and some of the long hours and high expectations that it entailed. Shanna is open-eyed about the personal cost...2021-05-1031 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the Law2. Judge Victoria Kolakowski - Authenticity on the BenchThe Honorable Judge Victoria Kolakowski, is a judge of the Superior Court of Alameda County, in the Bay Area of California and in November 2010 she was the first Transgender person to be elected a Trial Judge.Judge Kolakowski is a committed advocate for transgender people and makes herself available throughout the United States and internationally for conferences, seminars and interviews acting as a role-model and providing support.Her conversation with Patrick Devitt goes back to her childhood, to her earliest days of wishing she were a girl, through adolescence, college and law school. She talks about...2021-05-0743 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring Women in Tech and BeyondSeries 3 - TrailerWe are delighted to be back for Series 3 of our Inspiring Israeli Women in Tech and Beyond series, which is co-hosted by Aoifinn Devitt and Maeve McQuillan.We meet with six more inspiring guests, who introduced us to topics as diverse as social impact bonds, looking at technology through the lens of a psychologist, how your mindset as a founder must include optimism, but can also change as you mature, and the kind of freedom that that bestows. We speak with a successful founder who is now developing a group to teach chess to girls globally, with a...2021-05-0502 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the Law1. Walter H. White, Jr. - From the Knee of MLK to the Paths of World LeadersWalter White is an international business and finance lawyer, most recently with the London office of McGuireWoods, now retired and working on a number of projects. He is a committed human rights advocate and active participant in the American Bar Association’s Section on Civil Rights & Social Justice (https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/) in recognition of which he received an award for distinguished service for “providing leadership to the legal profession in protecting and advancing human rights, civil liberties and social justice." He was chair of the ABA Center for Human Rights (https://www.americanbar.org/groups/human_rights/).2021-04-2947 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the LawFiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring People in the Law - Series 1 - TrailerWhile the original Fiftyfaces podcast series focused on investors, as a former lawyer myself, I wanted to do the same for members of the legal profession, which suffers from some of the same perceived lack of diversity and representation. In this series, co-hosted by Patrick Devitt, we have assembled a group of seven diverse lawyers, each with fascinating stories of accomplishments and career paths. They convey their passion for the law, the different paths they took through it as well as some observations on diversity in the profession and how it can continue to improve. The guests in...2021-04-2803 min
Fiftyfaces Focus - Inspiring Women in Tech and Beyond12. Rachel Fabian-Edelman - Starting Strong and the Benefits of Positive ReinforcementRachel Fabian-Edelman is a community manager at Citi Accelerator & Venture Investments, which is responsible for investment in a range of start-ups. She started her career in MobilEye, a mobility company and one of Israel’s most successful start-ups, that is now a part of Intel. She has a passion for connecting and amplifying the voices of women in the profession, and has started a local women’s network, and is also committed to animal rights. Our conversation traces Rachel's career path through a successful start-up, how she grew through stretch assignments and with the help of management who spot...2021-04-2821 min