Quote: “Start up is a Marathon. You want to make sure that the value you're creating, you're not just building for investors because you sold too much too early.”

The Afropolitan Podcast highlights Afropolitans who embrace the unknown and walk with purpose. Through this podcast, we aim to empower Africans in the Diaspora to maximize their potential and contribute to the development of a vibrant and progressive black community.

In this episode, we feature Eke Eleanya Urum, the CEO and founder of Rise Vest - an investment platform that offers dollar-denominated investment opportunities. Eke's passion for finance and investment has been evident throughout his career. After publishing a blog post in 2014 advising people to invest in dollar-denominated assets, he co-founded BuyCoins with Timi Ajiboye. However, Eke eventually left BuyCoins to focus on building core investment products, which led to the creation of Rise Vest.

Dealing with regulatory challenges from the government provided Eke with valuable insights on how to engage with regulators effectively. He also learned the importance of creating value that extends beyond the interests of investors. Join us as Eke shares his journey and insights on building a successful startup in the investment industry.

Eke’s reading list:

1. The Bible - https://amzn.to/3zjX34D
2. The Alchemist by Paul Coelho - https://amzn.to/3KmR8lv
3. Zero To One by Peter Thiel - https://amzn.to/3M6q37x

Show Notes:

3:57 - Eke discusses how Rise Vest has been performing in 2021, which he describes as the year of ascent for the company
5:46 - The idea behind Rise Vest and how it came to fruition is explored
7:09 - Eke recounts his previous venture, BuyCoins, which he started with Timi Ajiboye
8:02 - Eke talks about parting ways with BuyCoins and Timi Ajiboye to focus on creating core investment products, which led to the start of Rise Vest
8:17 - The beginning stages of Rise Vest are discussed
10:18 - Eke offers his advice on recruiting tech talent, even if you are a non-tech founder
11:06 - The importance of partnerships is explored as Eke shares how he met his co-founder, Bosun Olanrewaju
11:49 - Eke talks about the process of building the first products for Rise Vest
12:35 - The importance of building a strong team at Rise Vest is discussed
13:22 - How equity works at Rise Vest is explained
14:24 - Eke shares his insights on the fundraising process for Rise Vest
17:54 - The challenges of dealing with regulators, specifically the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), are explored 23:25 - Eke discusses the founders who inspire him
26:24 - Eke shares his thoughts on running a company in Nigeria versus going abroad
29:20 - The potential of cryptocurrency in Africa and why it should be embraced is discussed
34:13 - Eke shares his perspective on failure and the various lessons that can be learned from it

The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Connect with Afropolitan:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan

Website - https://www.afropolitan.io