Chine and I reflected and wrote this letter to the Future Africa team as we transitioned off the team in May, this year. Now we share it with the public, with hopes that others learn the lessons from our reflections.
Ever since the news about us leaving Future Africa was made public to the team, many have personally reached out about why we’re leaving. We’re transitioning out of daily operations – from team members to shareholders 😄
It was designed from day one to be this way. Chine and I run Akanka, a design agency which evolved into a design and innovation studio with a vision to co-create Heaven on Earth. At the heart of executing this vision is designing ventures that positively impact the world. Our role is to identify problems at a super-early stage, co-create solutions with other innovators, and help build these ideas into ventures. We work on these ventures until they become teenagers and can stand on their own before we move to co-creating the next venture 🌱
Our presence brings the initial structure and culture of creativity and innovation needed in the early days. I’m full of gratitude whenever I remember the energy and culture of creativity, innovation, and selflessness that Chine and I nurtured within the team at the start of Future Africa. Future Africa is one of our babies which is currently becoming a teenager, so we’re turning our attention back to ourselves and to other internal ventures we’re co-creating 🏢
As we do so, I reflect on our journey co-creating Future Africa and I’d like to share some lessons we’ve learned along the way.
For folks who might not be aware, Future Africa like any venture has seen a series of evolutions. It started off as a media company with Binjo and Adenike creating content that focused on the future of Africa. As we engaged in our first and only corporate innovation project, E and I talked about going beyond talking about the future of Africa to building the future of Africa. Thus began the evolution towards the Future Africa we see today ☀️
It might come as a surprise considering the influx of capital in Africa, but a few years ago, most investors out there didn’t believe in us or in Africa…but we saw the future. When the institutional funds weren’t coming in, the Collective brought together co-investors on a mission to fund African startups. Mia who is with us today started off as a prolific member of the Collective! This platform we started spurred many other syndicates in Africa today. There was a time you’d say Future Africa and folks would ask if you were referring to the Future Awards 😭. Thanks in part to the work of Binjo’s superb marketing effort, this is no longer the case as we’ve built a brand that’s recognized in the ecosystem 💯
Here’s the first lesson – always lead with courage and focus on the mission. Just because others do not believe in your vision doesn’t mean you should be blind to it as well. A lot gets clearer in time, so remember to slow down and be intentional about your mission 🎯
The early days of Future Africa had us doing anything and everything to keep the lights on. In the early days, most of us went a year without a salary and were happy to show up every day. The first engagement that brought us some income was a corporate innovation engagement with a bank, which we at Akanka managed. E and I would be up at 2am revising our deck. You’d hear Mayowa juggling between work and his kids in the background of calls. 😅 Tola would come through on the legal end when we needed legal help.
We had teammates doing work that went beyond their job descriptions. We had folks like Dami who held down her operations role but still took it upon herself to learn product management and double as our excellent product manager for the V1 of our Collective platform. Chine would pull off design requests – from brand to product to deck – at the last minute and deliver without complaints or grumbling. It was all a labor of love that was only possible because we understood that we could build something special, but that our vision required putting in the work 💪🏾
That’s the second lesson. On the journey to building the future of Africa, you will all need to do hard things. You will need to make sacrifices. That’s an unavoidable part of life. The obstacle is the way, which means getting to the way is never easy. Do you know what helps make it easier? Remembering your purpose, why you’re in it, and enjoying the experience of being on the journey with others.
In the last 2 years, I’m grateful that I’ve gotten to watch those I managed grow in competence and confidence. I watched Adenike go from a student with no knowledge of venture capital to a powerhouse responsible for spearheading our Collective. I pulled Abbey from Street Capital to Future Africa and watched him grow into the superstar who built the V1 of our Collective platform. My vision of the future was that he could evolve into a CTO and that vision is a reality today. Nothing makes me more proud as a leader than watching those who were with us at the beginning grow into managers and leaders 🥰
Hence our final lesson for you all is that as you grow, ensure that you believe in the energy of your teammates and their potential to grow. No one comes perfect. That’s why you’ll always need to remember to slow down, start with gratitude and take responsibility for your growth and that of others. You’re at Future Africa to help each other prosper, so when you can, lead with courage and kindness ❤️
Our vision at Future Africa is a purposeful and prosperous future within everyone’s reach. This must begin from within Future Africa for others to see that future. Remember that this is only possible when you all approach the future from a place of faith and not fear. Remember that this is only possible when you see life from a place of abundance – not scarcity. Remember that this is only possible if you all practice being kind and accountable to yourselves and others ☀️
With Love,
Chinemelum & Chuba Ezekwesili
