♻️ Sustainable entrepreneurship with Geraldine Mupandanyama | Destination Zimbabwe OoO

Hey, Welcome Back!

What if global companies have misguided beliefs about Africa?

Talented people in Zimbabwe are left in the shadows, and all-important VC funding for green startups dries up.

This stifles innovation that could lessen our environmental footprint and dims the brighter future we all strive for.

📉 It’s a loss for everyone.

Misunderstandings have long cast a shadow over Africa, leading to missed opportunities. Overlooking this vibrant hub of creativity means overlooking exceptional innovation and talent.   

Africa is the birthplace of mathematics, carbon steel and CAT scan machines.

It’s where the first heart transplant was done!

There is immeasurable talent and skill on the African continent.

Geraldine Mupandanyama from Harare, Zimbabwe understands this firsthand.

Geraldine is the Managing Partner at Darena Ventures. She helps pre-seed startups in Sub Saharan Africa get funding on the world market – providing programs, mentorship and pathways to access global partners and growth.

It’s not uncommon for her to run into these misguided beliefs.

❌ That VC doesn’t work in Africa

❌ That there is a talent gap (no qualified applicants!)

This travesty of understanding leads remote recruiters to skip over applicants from places like Zimbabwe.

African tech workers miss out on opportunities to succeed because of preconceived notions about the country being behind the times.

When the person on the other side doesn’t know the facts.

✔️ Business is different in Africa, VC’s need context for the local market

✔️ Africa is home to thriving tech hubs, innovation and impressive remote talent

So this week I’m in the vibrant suburbs of Harare in Zimbabwe, sitting down with a business visionary who believes that local entrepreneurs can end poverty in Africa.

💡 It’s helped me reframe the resounding impact of build local, hire global.

African entrepreneurs have the power to solve their own problems.

But what technology companies believe is true of Zimbabwe needs to change.

I’m here to chat to Geraldine about the transformative power of sustainable business, and the enormous potential of remote entrepreneurship in the country.

It’s an eye-opening interview that reaffirms my mission to tell more non-US stories.

In episode 60, join me for a deep dive with a trailblazing entrepreneur who's made it her mission to link African innovators with funding, sustainable development, and the chance to launch climate tech solutions that could change the world.

It’s a chat that demands the Western world listen up...or be left behind.

This is for every African remote worker and entrepreneur making a difference.

🤩 We see you.

📽️ This Week on Episode 60:

🤔 Hear about the misguided beliefs about African business and how they keep Big Tech from connecting with talent and innovation.

💵 Get sustainable economic solutions from a world-class entrepreneur who made a million dollars (USD) in her first year of business.

🌍 Discover how entrepreneurship could solve poverty in Africa by 2030, supporting the UN’s #1 sustainable development goal.

🚀 Challenge what you think you know and understand about Zimbabwe’s tech industry and prepare to rethink your ideas on talent from Africa.

🌱 Discover a future where Africa thrives independently, playing a key role in tackling the world's climate challenges for economic growth and prosperity.

Geraldine champions transformative remote collaborations that have the potential to reshape our world.

Your next big breakthrough could emerge from a partnership in Africa.

As they say in Shona: “Kudzidza hakuperi - never stop learning.”

🤔 Challenge what you know,

Andrew

Got Questions? Ask Andrew

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