Shows
Crown Castê: financial education for SMEs and business owners, with your host Nzube Ufodike.S01E26 Crown Castê: Rumbi MakangaWelcome to Crown Castê, your financial literacy podcast for small businesses. We publish inspiring, insightful conversations with investors and stewards of capital, about why they decided to make placements into a specific portfolio company of theirs. In today's episode, we are joined by Rumbi Makanga, with special guest host, Paasha Ahmed.
Rumbi is the co-founder of Origin Twenty, which is focused on building a community of the next generation of Africa-focused investors. She has spent much of the last decade scaling startups across the globe, democratising access to entrepreneurship and capital, and investing in and scaling exponential s...2023-11-0317 minCrown Castê: financial education for SMEs and business owners, with your host Nzube Ufodike.S01E24 Crown Castê: Piotr PsarzWelcome to Crown Castê, your financial literacy podcast for small businesses. We publish inspiring, insightful conversations with investors and stewards of capital, about why they decided to make placements into a specific portfolio company of theirs. In today's episode, we are joined by Piotr Psarz, with special guest host, Paasha Ahmed.
Piotr is the founder and CEO of Untapped Lending, which helps entrepreneurs raise capital without giving up control of their business. Uncapped provides no-security and no-equity investments from £10,000 to £5 million. They charge a flat fee of 6-12% on the capital provided and get repaid through a rev...2023-10-2013 minCrown Castê: financial education for SMEs and business owners, with your host Nzube Ufodike.S01E23 Crown Castê: Dariia VasylievaWelcome to Crown Castê, your financial literacy podcast for small businesses. We publish inspiring, insightful conversations with investors and stewards of capital, about why they decided to make placements into a specific portfolio company of theirs. In today's episode, we are joined by Dariia Vasylieva, with special guest host, Paasha Ahmed.
Dariia is a founding partner at FD Capital, an investment firm focused on blockchain companies with strong technical teams that can achieve mainstream adoption. Prior to that, she was an investment banker for more than 15 years. In 2021, she launched Founders to Founders, a global community of t...2023-10-1315 min
YouGet PodcastEp 125: Millions or Bust? Venture Capital Explained Feat. Paasha AhmedHappy New Year!
On this episode Melly is joined by Founder of Yendra Beauty and Included VC Fellow, Paasha Ahmed. For those that don't know, Venture capital (VC) is a type of private equity that is provided to early-stage, high-potential companies with the goal of helping them grow and develop. Paasha and Melly discuss the rise of founders with non-traditional backgrounds looking to fundraise $millions, the pros and cons of raising VC investment as a founder, breaking into the VC space as a professional and much more. It's either you get it or you don't so get comfortable and get r...2023-01-0247 min
The Climb ChroniclesAhana Banerjee | Clear: From an undergrad in Physics to building an integrated social commerce appLast week I had an amazing conversation with Ahana Banerjee, CEO and Co-Founder of Clear, an integrated social commerce app and rewards card for skincareWe spoke candidly about Clear's origins and Ahana's jump into entrepreneurship from a STEM background.Here's a list of all the topics we touched on:- Ahana's background in Physics and why she made the jump into entrepreneurship- Her experience being a part of Y Combinator's esteemed accelerator programme- Building a team and the importance of making the right hiring decisions2022-01-3153 minThe Climb ChroniclesJimi Daodu | Vault Hill: From working in the corporate world to building the world's first human-centric metaverseLast week I sat down with Jimi Daodu from Vault Hill for the latest episode of the show and we unpacked the buzz around virtual reality landscapes and the wider metaverse. We spoke at length Vault Hill's beginnings and his inspiration behind making the jump into all things VR.Here's a list of all the topics we touched on:- How Jimi got introduced to the metaverse and Vault Hill's product offerings- What is a VR landscape and how you can make a profitable investment - The challenges be...2021-11-2136 minThe Climb ChroniclesAreeb Siddiqui | Kestrl: From Getting an MBA at Cambridge to Building an Islamic Alternative to the Conventional Banking SystemIn this episode we are joined by our most recent guest, Areeb Siddiqui from Kestrl.Founded whilst Areeb was carrying out his MBA at Cambridge, Kestrl is truly one of the most unique finance managements apps for Muslims who want to budget, save and invest in line with their values.Tune in to hear all about:- How Areeb realised there was a market need and how he 'found' his customers- His experience pitching and winning 3rd place at the 2021 Santander X Entrepreneurship awards- His financial career...2021-10-2639 minThe Climb ChroniclesAreeb Siddiqui | Kestrl: From getting an MBA at Cambridge to building an Islamic alternative to the conventional banking systemIn this episode we are joined by our most recent guest, Areeb Siddiqui from Kestrl.
Founded whilst Areeb was carrying out his MBA at Cambridge, Kestrl is truly one of the most unique finance managements apps for Muslims who want to budget, save and invest in line with their values.
Tune in to hear all about:
- How Areeb realised there was a market need and how he 'found' his customers
- His experience pitching and winning 3rd place at the 2021 Santander X Entrepreneurship awards
- His financial...2021-10-2639 minThe Climb ChroniclesYemi Awopetu | Herby Box: From Mixing Herbs in a Kitchen to Selling Out in SelfridgesLast week I sat down with Yemi Awopetu from Herby Box for the latest episode of The Climb Chronicles and I can honestly say it was one of the most insightful conversations I have had on the show!We spoke at length on his phenomenal success which started with Herby's products selling out, within a matter of hours, during his initial launch in Selfridges. Here's a list of all the topics we touched on:- Herbalism as a lifestyle and for energy levels vs. caffeine- Consumer product personalisation and its e...2021-08-1336 minThe Climb ChroniclesDhinil Patel | NW8 Beauty: From Finance to Leading a 40 year old FMCG Pharmacy and Distribution businessToday we are joined by our fantastic guest, Dhinil Patel the COO of Swiss Cell and Co-Founder of NW8 beautyFounded in 2014, SwissCell UK is a London based distribution company that introduces & represent premium brands into the luxury UK Retail MarketNW8 is a family owned, pharmacy and distribution business with over 40 years of history.Tune in to hear how Dhinil and his team established themselves in the highly competitive cosmetics industry, whilst maintaining a loyal customer base!2021-07-0751 minThe Climb ChroniclesMustafa Mohamed | Yoke Network: From University Lectures to Building the World's Largest TikTok Influencer NetworkAnnnddd we are back with Season 2 of The Climb Chronicles with a little bit of a twist! In this season we will be shining a bright spotlight onto some fantastic Muslim entrepreneurs to commemorate the beginning of the most spiritual month in the Islamic Calendar, RamadhanToday I am very excited to be sat down with Mustafa Mohamed, the Co-Founder of Yoke NetworkAmongst the topics that we cover in this episode:- The inspiration behind building Yoke, jumping on the TikTok trend before its popularity and how he met his Co-Founder, Jide...2021-04-1347 minThe Climb ChroniclesThomas Gray and Nikita Cretu | Lumino: From School Friends to Building Europe's First Cannabis Recruitment AgencyToday we are joined by our fantastic guests Thomas Gray and Nikita Cretu, Co-Founders of Lumino, a recruitment consultancy focused on exclusively aligning talent within the emerging European Cannabis Industry. With a background in founding and operating an NGO followed by working in financial services in the City, Thomas got involved in the cannabis industry in 2018 as a consultant for one of the early London based medical cannabis companies before founding Lumino (FKA Blume Jobs) in early 2019.Since inception, Lumino has supported clients across Medical, Business Ancillary and Plant Touching functions, in aligning specialised talent su...2021-03-1453 min
The Climb ChroniclesBuki Kekeré| From Recuitment & Sales to Incorporating Code into Hip HopIn today's episode we discuss how our Founder, Buki, pivoted her non-technical sales career into becoming a self- taught Software Engineer. We also touch on how she incorporated programming and music creation all under one coding platform and her experience breaking into the tech industry as a Black female creative.Amongst the topics that we cover in this episode:- How Buki did a complete 360 and pivoted her career path from one in sales and recruitment to being a full time Software Engineer- How she harnessed her creative skills...2021-02-2231 minThe Climb ChroniclesReza M | Neural Movement: From Physiotherapy to being featured on ESPN and Fox SportsFor episode 10 we are joined by our fantastic guest from across the pond, Reza M, Co-Founder of the cognitive fitness company, Neural Movement!After finishing his education in Physiotherapy, Reza went on to pursue his passion of incorporating neural technology with physical fitness by training children with autism and helping them increase their reaction times. Not long after, he met Co-Founder Ali and pairing together his business acumen with Reza's neuro-tech background, Neural Movement was created. Within a year of business, they have trained the likes of NFL's Trevor Williams, US Heavyweight Boxing champion Bryant Jennings and h...2021-02-1535 minThe Climb ChroniclesFatima Yusuf | The Bakeress: From Studying Biomed to Baking 50 cakes a dayFor episode 9 we are joined by the lovely Fatima Yusuf, the Founder of the nationally acclaimed bakery- The BakeressAfter finishing her degree in Biomedical Science, Fatima attended the National School of Baking where she was then trained by some of the country's leading British bakers, pastry chefs and culinary artists. After becoming a pastry chef, Fatima then worked for the renowned Hummingbird bakery in Portobello Road and South Kensington. She then went on to work for Konditor & Cook as a cake decorator. Amongst the topics that we cover in today's s...2021-02-0930 minThe Climb ChroniclesSamuel Okusaga | Worth of Mouth: From Apprentice to Ted Talks and Fishing with the CEO of TescoFor Episode 8 we are sat down with Samuel Okusaga, the Founder of Worth of Mouth- a media platform which creates and shares positive content around under-represented young people within the UK and helps businesses better connect, engage & market to diverse Gen-Z Consumers. Amongst the topics that we talk about: -How Samuel moulded his personal experiences to help create a positive hub through Worth of Mouth, providing young people the opportunities to start building their dream career paths -How apprenticeships, combined with a degree, can provide you with relevant industry experience 2021-01-2950 minThe Climb ChroniclesVicki Saunders | SheEO: From Running Multiple Ventures to Tackling The World's To-Do ListFor Episode 7 of The Climb Chronicles we are very fortunate to be joined by Vicki Saunders, the Founder of SheEO, which is a global community of radically generous women building a $1B perpetual fund to support women working on the World’s To-Do List. I first heard about SheEO via an online event hosted by Imperial Enterprise Labs and was blown away by the impact being generated from a female-led enterprise. Amongst the topics that we talk about: -How SheEO is tackling the world's To-Do list and how you can be a part of the next cohort...2021-01-1720 minThe Climb ChroniclesOyinkro Kagbala | K-OS Visuals: From Intern to Creative DirectorToday we're joined by Oyinkro Kagbala from K-OS Visuals as he walks us through how he pivoted his career trajectory from sport science, into the world of content creation.Amongst the topics that Oyinkro and I will be touching on:-How quickly your career trajectory can change depending on the opportunities you seek whilst at university-Both our (coincidental) experiences interning at one of the world's most successful Social Media Agencies, Social Chain-What content creation means to him and how he got started -How to successfully find the right type of customers for your busin...2020-12-2347 minThe Climb ChroniclesAfzal Hussein | The Simpley App: From Council Estate to Goldman Sachs and EntrepreneurshipWe have an extra special episode today! We're joined by Afzal Hussein (also know as The CV Doctor) as he walks us through how he pivoted his career in finance with Goldman Sachs, into building a personal brand and launching Simpley: a peer to peer consulting app for young professionals.Amongst the topics that Afzal and I will be touching on: -His experience breaking into one of the most prestigious banks in the world...Goldman Sachs, and how he's helping others do the same -Imposter's Syndrome and how you can overcome it -How he...2020-12-0926 minThe Climb ChroniclesÖzil, Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams | From Celebrity to Entrepreneurship and Why You Should Wait To FundraiseFor episode 4 we have a slightly different format from our usual show... Instead of a one-to-one interview with some of London's best and brightest (which we have plenty lined up!), i’m going to be shedding light on some big headlines in the entrepreneurial and VC space.Amongst the topics that we are going to be covering today, I will be discussing:- Arsenal midfielder, Mesut Özil’s recent shift into the finance sector as he joins San Francisco-based venture capital fund Class 5 Global as a strategic adviser- Pharell Williams long await...2020-11-1714 minThe Climb ChroniclesJarrell and Troy Johnson | Juici Jerk: From Backyard BBQs to Boxpark and NikeFor Episode 3 we have a full house! We're sat down with the Juici Jerk Founders, Jarrell and Troy Johnson, as well as the Managers of Operations- Shola Johnson and Tiffany Fleck.Combining their British & West-Indian heritage with their love for food- they are spreading a new age taste of the Caribbean by offering a fresh take on the cuisine.Juici Jerk was found in 2017 as a small family business providing good, local food all from a household kitchen in Tooting, South West London.Tune in to hear all about Jarrell and Troy speak...2020-09-2725 minThe Climb ChroniclesMustafaen Kamal | The Dil Internship Project: From Oxford University to Building a Multinational Social EnterpriseAfter a bit of a (corona-induced) hiatus, we're back with another episode of The Climb Chronicles!Today I’m sat with Mustafaen Kamal, the Founder of the Dil Internship Project, which is a social enterprise that provides opportunities for students based in the UK, US and Canada to intern with Pakistani companies in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Dubai. Tune in to hear all about Dil's origin stories, future expansion plans and how Mustafaen's academic background at The University of Oxford and LSE helped him build his project. We're also joined by one of Dil's interns, Asher Mohamm...2020-09-2127 minThe Climb ChroniclesLaura Khamis | Tyro Agency: From Freelancer to Agency FounderWelcome to the very first episode of The Climb Chronicles!When you're trying to build a business, there are about a million and one things that could go wrong ...Whether it's investing too much time in the wrong Co- Founder, or struggling to secure the next level of investment. It's easy to feel like these problems are unique to us, but the reality is that there are common solutions out there, and the best way to find those is to look at people who have already tread the path before you.2020-07-1723 min