Rossie E. Turman III, partner and chair of Lowenstein's international finance practice and co-chair of the firm's Africa practice, speaks with Akua Okunseinde, co-founder of the natural skincare brand Karité, about her journey as a founder, the brand's deep roots in Ghana and Africa, and some of the sustainable initiatives that are core to its mission. Akua describes how her family-owned business enterprise came about, how her background in marketing at large corporations informed her perspective as a founder, and the cross-border challenges of sourcing, packaging, and meeting regulatory requirements across continents.

Speakers:

Rossie E. Turman III, Partner and Chair, International Finance; Co-chair, Africa Practice
Akua Okunseinde, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Karité Shea Butter

Hosts Raquel Smith and Tolulope “Tolu” Adetayo speak with Africa-focused technology venture capital investor Eloho Omame about her career; Africa’s investment potential due to its impressive scale of market and pace of growth; and what she looks for when she invests, such as the ambition and strategy of the founding team, the accessibility of the market in question, and the structure of the deal. Eloho also discusses how she co-founded FirstCheck Africa, a female-led, female-focused angel fund, and the data she’s seen that indicates female-led companies perform better.

Speakers:

Raquel Smith, Counsel, Africa Practice, Debt Finance, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital
Tolulope "Tolu" Adetayo, Law Clerk, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital
Eloho Omame, Partner at TLcom Capital LLP

In the final episode in of this three-part series, the hosts discuss good corporate housekeeping for startups in Africa, particularly the concepts of optics and risk. How well a company keeps its books and records sends a signal to investors; it is important to maintain orderly documentation of corporate governance documents such as board minutes, as well as IP assignments, and founders’ agreements, in order to be best prepared for the due diligence process.

Speakers:

Rossie E. Turman III, Partner and Chair, International Finance; Co-chair, Africa Practice
Deangeor Chin, Counsel, Africa Practice, Debt Finance, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital
Raquel Smith, Counsel, Africa Practice, Debt Finance, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital
Tolulope "Tolu" Adetayo, Law Clerk, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital