Chidiebere Ibe is a medical student and Forbes-Featured medical illustrator whose illustration of a black fetus in utero went viral in December 2021.  Many commentators said that this was the first time that they had seen a depiction of a dark-skinned fetus or pregnant woman and provoked a discussion about the lack of representation of such images in textbooks and journals. Chidiebere has a bachelors degree in chemistry from the University of Uyo in Nigeria, and is the Chief Medical Illustrator at the Journal of Global Neurosurgery.  He holds numerous roles on various committees relating to medical education.

Our conversation starts with Chidiebere's upbringing in Nigeria and some of the difficulties he encountered in getting even basic services - such as internet access.  He describes how he used to travel one hour each way to his church to get access to an internet connection. He then discusses his first attempt at medical illustrations and how he was essentially self-taught in this domain. 

We move then to talk about "that" iconic image of a black fetus in utero that caused such a profound reaction across medical circles, medical schools and the media at large.  We talked about how empowering representation of diversity can be and how important it is to demonstrate belonging, a right to be counted and to be recognized and how it can enable better access to healthcare and better equity. 

We finish with Chidiebere's personal reflections as he embarks upon another quest to attend medical school.  About the importance for him of understanding where he has come from, where he is now and where he is going. 

See these links for more information on Chidiebere's work: www.chidiebereibe.com www.championingchange.africa 

This podcast is being released both as a bonus in advance of inclusion in our Fiftyfaces Focus Medicine and Science Series of 2022 as well as in our ongoing Nigerian Voices Series. 

Adesuwa 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 Rising Tide Africa. 

In this fascinating discussion we discuss Adesuwa's early years in finance and what prompted her to start her own fund.  We analyze what it means to invest with a "gender lens" and learn how it is not just about creating more seats at the table, but creating more tables.

Adesuwa is a visionary and empowering role model on the African financial scene and the vision for gender equity established by Aruwa Capital sets the standard for women-led equity everywhere. 

There is more information on Aruwa Capital Management here: https://www.aruwacapital.com

Adam 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 and career choices. We hear how he came to be interested in real estate and how he gained experience in both the private and public side of the business, and ultimately the vision with which he launched his own firm.  This is an opportunity for our discussion to dive into PropTech and discuss what the technology that is transforming real estate looks like, and how these theses are playing out.  Among some of the concepts discussed are Ghost Kitchens and the new look Self Storage outfits, and we discuss some of the business models that are exciting him most at this juncture.

As an early stage venture capital firm, Wilshire Lane Capital, is highly focused on the entrepreneurs and their vision that they support, and many of them are diverse founders themselves.  In fact in an industry in which female and black and brown founders are poorly represented, Wilshire Lane is breaking the mould - 36% of their companies are led by women outright, 29% of their companies have a black founder on them, and 79% of their companies have an underrepresented minority or a female in the C suite.

Wilshire Lane Capital recently entered into a strategic partnership with Nile Capital which sponsored our original diverse founders and VCs series, and we speak about how these ideas came together.

We speak about 9 Dots (see: https://www.9dots.org) , a nonprofit, based in Los Angeles, that focuses on providing subsidized computer science courses for the poorest students in the city.  Adam shares why this is one of the most fulfilling of all of his roles.  Finally, we discuss some highs and lows of his career so far, what Adam looks for in a founder and what it means to pass the "Shower Test".

This podcast series is brought to you with the kind support of:

Romco Metals, producers of truly green aluminium, copper, and other non-ferrous metals from the African continent, dedicated to decarbonising supply chains across the globe by recycling our way to a sustainable future. Romco: Invest, Reduce, & Grow.