Opinion

Raj Kumar (founding President & Editor-in-Chief at Devex, the media platform for the global development community [📸Author] In a global aid sector often defined by sprawling operations and bloated overhead, Raj Kumar spotlights a radical outlier: the Novo Nordisk Foundation. With just 25 employees managing $1.3 billion in annual giving, this Danish powerhouse is redefining what effective philanthropy looks like. Powered by profits from the blockbuster drug Ozempic, the foundation is quietly transforming global health and development—not by doing more, but by doing less. In this compelling piece, Kumar explores the elegant efficiency of a model built on trust, partnerships,…

Chioma Nnanna – Founder & CEO at MendPro [📸Author] In a world where speed, creativity, and productivity are non-negotiable, investing in the right tools isn’t a luxury — it’s a strategy. Founder & CEO at MendPro, Chioma Nnanna, shares powerful reasons she swears by her ChatGPT Plus subscription and why more of us need to rethink our reluctance to pay for digital tools: I pay ₦9,900/month for ChatGPT — and I think you should too.Here are two undeniable reasons why:1. You need to get in the habit of paying for software. Seriously.My fellow Nigerians, come closer.I know it’s not cultural…

Timothy Armoo is an entrepreneur who build sellable companies. And he shares how to do it [📸 Author] The next breakout brand won’t come from Silicon Valley, says Timothy Armoo. It won’t raise a seed round.It won’t have a growth hacker.It probably won’t even have a website that loads fast. It might just be a fish and chip shop in a quiet corner of Worcestershire—powered not by tech, but by TikToks, vinegar, and a part-time worker named Destiny. No ads. No AI. No strategy decks. Just personality, presence, and the kind of behind-the-counter charm you can’t fake. Armoo shares how…

Michelle Amoakoh: Afropean economic voice. At Zidicircle, an angel investor syndicate, she supported deal flow activities, including screening and due diligence [📸 Author] Most people haven’t heard of it. But they should. Diaspora angel investing isn’t a trend—yet. But it sits quietly at the intersection of global remittance flows, grassroots entrepreneurship, and long-term wealth creation for African economies. At its core, it’s about taking something we already do—send money home—and turning it into something with deeper, longer-lasting impact. In this piece by Michelle Amoakoh, she breaks down what diaspora angel investing really means, why it matters now, and how it…

Kofi Abunu is the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Food Concepts Plc – the parent company of Chicken Republic, PieXpress, and The Chop Box [📸 Author] Why your food business only grows as fast as your weakest link, says Kofi Abunu. In the food business, most people focus on the menu, the margins, or the market. But the real make-or-break factor often hides in plain sight: your partnerships. In this sharp and experience-backed reflection, Kofi A. pulls from his leadership journey at Chicken Republic to spotlight a truth many overlook — that vendors, suppliers, and service partners can…

Ayeesha Bala-Wunti – Founding partner & CEO of PennPromise Ventures. Impact driven Investor | Venture Capitalist | Sustainability Advocate [📸 Author] No one builds alone – why the right Co-Founder might be your greatest asset, says Ayeesha Bala-Wunti. We love the myth of the lone genius—the founder who defies all odds, builds from scratch, and wins. But in the real world of startups, that narrative is more fiction than fact. Behind most great ventures is not just vision, but partnership. In this piece, Ayeesha Bala-Wunti unpacks the emotional and practical weight of going it alone, and why the startup journey…

Product Management & Marketing, Precious Aigbe [📸 Author] In this heartfelt and inspiring reflection, Precious Aigbe shares his journey from an unexpected layoff to launching Lancity — a new learning platform designed to help immigrants pass the CELPIP exam with confidence. Drawing on his experience in digital marketing, education, and community-building, Precious turns a season of uncertainty into a powerful mission to serve others. His story is a reminder that sometimes, the greatest opportunities are already in our hands — waiting to be built into something extraordinary. I was laid off from a job I truly loved.Not because I underperformed.Not…

Seed Investor and Venture Partner, Patricia Sink 📸 [Author] Startups are supposed to be messy — but some messes are just plain inexcusable. In this brutally honest (and darkly funny) piece, Patricia Sink (Seed Investor, Venture Partner) calls out the kinds of startup behaviours that make even the most seasoned founder want to scream into the void. If you’ve ever nodded along to a pitch about “no competitors” or watched a team spend more time perfecting a logo than talking to users, this piece is for you. But, fair warning: it’s sharp, it’s direct, and if it stings a little……

📸Author Julian Weisser (CEO & Co-Founder, ODF) argues that the prevailing narrative in the investment world often undervalues solo founders, despite the demonstrable evidence to the contrary. Weisser’s piece signals a shift in this perspective, marking a clear move to champion and empower the often-underestimated potential of those building alone. 🎥 Julian Weisser Solo founders are underestimated.Despite solo-founded companies like Midjourney, Vercel and ODF startups like Loyal, Pave, and Settle proving the model works, many investors continue to push founders to find co-founders before taking them seriously.We’re changing that narrative — starting today.We’re launching two initiatives to help encourage and…

Maya Horgan Famodu – Founder, Ingressive Capital [📸Kunmi Owopetu] Nigerian-American entrepreneur and venture capital investor, Maya Horgan Famodu is a prominent figure in the African venture capital and technology space, renowned for her transformative impact on Africa’s tech ecosystem. As the founder and managing director of Ingressive Capital, a $10 million venture capital fund that provides market entry, technology research, and market operations services, she focuses on early-stage startups across Sub-Saharan Africa’s key tech markets. Notably, Maya is the youngest person to launch a VC fund in Africa and the first sole female to establish a tech-focused fund in Nigeria.…