Spoken Word with Emi Mahmoud

Africa's narrative on the world stage today is being shaped as ground-breaking musicians, artists, journalists, blockbuster movies, tv shows and writers take center stage. This panel will discuss pertinent trends from across stakeholders in this culture - shaping ecosystem. As Africa accelerates into the future, this panel will present an insightful set of perspectives on the power of narrative and creativity to re-imagine and visualize the direction of progress. Our goal is to highlight how African music is showcased to the world, the challenges that exist and the forces that are at work to positively enhance the upward trajectory.

According to the World Bank “Financial inclusion means that individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs, delivered in a responsible and sustainable way”. Current estimates show about ~55% of Africa’s population is unbanked and ~40% are living in poverty. Fortunately, novel financial technologies and innovative banking systems have begun to revolutionize this dynamic in recent times. This panel will explore three main themes: 1) What does financial inclusion mean in Africa, who exactly has been excluded historically and why is it important to bring them in? 2) What is the responsibility of industry participants to drive financial inclusion and help lift the continent out of poverty? 3) What does the future of Financial Inclusion in Africa look like?

$8 billion dollars later, what have we learned in the past decade about the enduring lessons of investing in and building successful early stage companies in Africa? Africa has seen a complete market cycle of boom and bust in the VC ecosystem, its first few exits and IPO, and a flurry of founders and media coverage. This panel features insights from serial founders, early stage VCs and leading accelerators. Expect to hear riveting insights on key questions including - What early stage investors have gotten right and wrong in choosing winners? How founders are getting wiser on choosing investors and achieving PMF? How the ecosystem will evolve as it unlocks new types of capital like venture debt and new models like studios?