Did you know that Kenya is home to Africa’s second-highest mountain, Mount Kenya? Standing at 5199m tall, it takes 4 to 5 days to climb. Did you also know that the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize is from Kenya? In this episode we introduce you to our girl and boss babe from Kenya Muthoni Waigwa. She’s the Co-founder of Nifty Works Plus Ltd, a trailblazing graphic design and audio-visual production company that creates innovative and cutting-edge digital content from the African perspective. She’s also a producer, writer, creative director, digital media enthusiast, and podcast host of "Moments with Nderru," a series that showcases captivating & engaging stories.  Muthoni is passionate about African storytelling, a visionary leader in her own rights, a truly dynamic and inspirational speaker. This episode was a treat filled with so many mic drops and inspirational moments. We dive deeper into Muthoni’s childhood and upbringing growing up in Kenya, some of her fondest moments and most trying experiences. Her vulnerability, openness, and transparency in sharing her story with us was quite remarkable. Muthoni's strength, passion, and resilience proves how real women with real experiences do not allow the curve balls life throws at them to deter them from their dreams and vision.   With her unparalleled creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, we got the chance to discuss further her company Nifty Work Plus Ltd, what inspired her to build her own initiative, the ups and down of running a long-term business on the continent and owning your niche. We also highlighted her long-term vision for Nifty Work, their impact thus far and key barriers within the African content creation ecosystem. We tackle systematic oppression, women empowerment, gender equity, inner healing, and finding peace through life's most dire circumstances. Muthoni is truly a beacon of hope, a resilient warrior, and the epitome of African Girl Magic! 

We are giving you a one-way ticket to “Africa Giant”, yes, the home of Burna Boy! We are talking about The Federal Republic of Nigeria! A country known for its vibrant music, diversity, and culture. Nigeria is Africa’s largest country with 200 million people with over 500 languages spoken. Meet the dynamic Naija Boss Babe Onyinye Okonji. Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Sycamore. An online peer to peer lending platform where lenders, investors, and borrowers can access financial solutions with great returns. Sycamore offers investment products that provide competitive returns to savvy lenders and personalized loan products to individuals and SMEs to operate and extend capital.  As a fintech expert, Onyinye is part of the budding number of female entrepreneurs on the continent who are taking the lead and trailblazing a revolution in Africa’s fintech industry. We tap into how she’s been able to break into the “boys club” as a female fintech founder. The challenges that come along with such a demanding and critical role, gender biases that stifles women’s ability to access finance, gain exposure, and grow their businesses. With her leadership, she has built a dynamic team and c-suite executives who as a collective have been able to push Sycamore to the forefront of fintech on the continent.  Onyinye is a passionate gender equality and women’s rights advocate, a rising philanthropist, with commitments to supporting sustainable women led ventures to expand their growth and economic  empowerment. She’s also an empath,  leading with compassion and empathy, defying the myths that empaths can be nice but still lead with fierceness. We applaud a boss babe who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo and hold her own in a predominantly male industry.

In this bonus episode, “a series of ands” signature effort in highlighting and investing in the next generation of African women leaders & Bawses. Leading with our feminist principles to attain transformative leadership.  We would like to introduce to our global listeners, Fancy Aromorach who originally hails from the “Pearl of Africa” the beautiful country of  Uganda. Uganda is home to a startling array of natural wonders including Africa’s tallest mountain range, the source of the Nile, the world’s longest river and Africa’s largest lake. Fancy is a feminist law student in Uganda who is passionate about promoting participation as a fundamental principle of the Rule of Law, particularly for women and girls in Africa. She’s also a budding entrepreneur who owns her own shea butter small business in Uganda.  In this bonus episode, we shine light on Fancy and all her achievements at her young age, and her journey to becoming one of the next generations of African young women leaders to watch. We explore Her passion for gender equality, girls empowerment, human rights and her feminist approach to challenging oppressive patriarchal systems in her country. At ASA and Unwomanly Media, we believe in putting women’s leadership at the forefront of our agenda. And we are more committed to introducing our audience to tenacious and diverse up and coming young leaders like fancy. 

You know we had to make a return right? Welcome to the Gold Coast of Africa- Ghana! Did you know Ghana was the first country in sub-saharan Africa to gain independence during post colonialism? Did you know Ghana is Africa’s second largest and the world’s 7th largest producer of gold?  In this episode, we got a chance to connect with the one and only head honcho in charge and boss babe Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo. Cynthia is the Group Head for Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Holland, a multinational group in Ghana.  Cynthia is a marketing expert, branding guru, public, media, and government relations and corporate communications strategist. Under her leadership and management, her clients and companies have won several international awards and recognition, making them leaders across their industries. We further discussed how she stumbled in the world of communications and marketing, how she’s been able to rise to the top of her game and make a name for herself and how she’s shattering the glass ceiling so effortlessly and gracefully. Cynthia is who we call a “silent killa”. She leads with humility and allows her accomplishments to speak for themselves. We also kept it real like we always do at “a series of ands”, on what have been some of her biggest challenges, valley moments, and obstacles that she’s faced but also overcome both personally and professionally. We dive deeper into some of her pivotal moments that inspired and set her on her path to success and international acclaim. This badass boss has an astounding resume and impressive accolades under her belt. She’s truly an inspiring Queen and a force to be reckoned with. 

We are headed to  Naija so all onboard! Did you know that Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy, the continent's biggest oil exporter, and the richest man in Africa is from and resides in Nigeria?  Meet Amanda Etuk, a naija boss and founder/CEO at Messenger, a logistics platform that finances and aggregates end-to-end logistics and supply chain operations. In a male dominated field across the continent, Amanda is creating ingenious solutions and building teams to solve her country’s logistical challenges and problems.  In this episode, we connect with Amanda to find out how she catapulted herself in the field of  supply chain management and logistics. How she seized the opportunity to innovate, and how she followed her passion and dove first into a male dominated industry with foresight, precise execution, and firm leadership. We also explored the surge a company experienced during the COVID Pandemic and how that helped expand her business, partnerships, and services.  Even with this backdrop, the logistics industry remains one of the most male-dominated sectors in the world, and women are still severely underrepresented. This is more pronounced in Africa. And in the spirit of keeping things 100 like we always do. We unpacked the challenges and roadblocks that exist with women in this industry. But despite these challenges, through our conversation, Amanda stays optimistic and recognizes that here’s no frontiers beyond her reach and no roadblocks too complex for Messenger and her team to tackle.  We applaud a boss babe who is a visionary and never afraid to tackle the unknown and bring solutions to the table.

Did you know that Rwanda is known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills” because of its mountains and hills everywhere and towns and cities located at substantial elevations? Did you also know that Rwanda is birdwatcher’s paradise? Of the 23 bird species in the world, Rwanda is home to seven of them (including many rare species). In this episode, we sit down with another Rwandan boss babe Diana Mpyisi to explore her entrepreneurial journey and experiences on the continent. Diana is the founder, managing director and ceo of Blue Oceans, a consultancy firm that specializes in media, communication and creative arts services to both the private and public sector in Rwanda. The company’s underlying philosophy involves utilizing creative thinking, from conceptualizing ideas to implementing them in the field of media. And on brand with "A Series of Ands" dynamic trailblazing Leaders, Diana is a woman who wears many hats. In addition to running her own company, she’s also the co-founder of Spoken Word Rwanda which is an initiative that seeks to promote performance poetry, literature, and creative writing in Rwanda. She’s also the founding curator of ‘Global Shapers’ in Rwanda which is an offshoot of The World Economic Forum. Diana is also a prolific writer and a former staff member within the Office of Rwanda First Lady. Like many of the episodes, we dive deeper to learn more about her upbringing in Rwanda, growing up with parents who were quite hands on in molding her into the inspiring Queen that she is. We discussed what sparked her passion for writing and creative arts, which led to her spearheading many initiatives within this space. We also teased out her company Blue Oceans, what inspired her to take on this entrepreneurial journey and her long-term vision for her company. And it wouldn’t be "A Series of Ands: episode if we didn’t discuss the role gender plays across various industries on the continent. Diana shared with us her commitments to women’s empowerment and her previous experience working for the First Lady of Rwanda, Jeannette Kagame, wife of Rwandan President Paul Kagame. This episode definitely drops many gems and reiterates how African women from all walks of life are doing the damn thing on the continent. From being pillars of change in their countries to taking on the global stage in amplifying not only their experiences but the voices of other African women! 

Need a little picturesque scenery? Come with us as we take you to the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda, East Africa. Did you know Rwanda has the world’s record of highest representation of women in parliament, with over 60% of parliament members being women? Did you know Rwanda's capital, Kigali, has been hailed as one of Africa’s greenest and cleanest cities? Meet the beautiful Rwandan Boss Babe  Elizabeth Berabose, a highly intellectual and socially conscious young fashion designer and entrepreneur. Elizabeth is a creative at heart, fashion enthusiast, and change maker. As we all know, the fashion industry has a critical role to play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals as it is the second largest polluter in the world. Elizabeth’s brand, Berabose Designs was launched in 2021, with the intent for it to be more than just a fashion brand, but a brand that has a positive social and environmental impact. In this episode, we got candid gaining insights to Elizabeth childhood growing up in Belgium with Rwandan parents and their experience with the Rwandan genocide. The impact that it had on Elizabeth and how that fueled her passion to want to return to her country of origin to contribute to its development, economic empowerment, and sustainability agenda. She walked us through her day-to-day grind of working in the industry, how she uses her voice and creativity to tackle and address systemic problems from sustainability to racial inequality, gender inequality and the many biases that exist in the fashion industry on the continent. Even with these challenges, Elizabeth is not allowing them to deter her from chasing her dreams of making her brand a household name.  We discussed the future of sustainable fashion in Africa, more specifically, how she incorporates traditional methods that are eco-friendly and ethical into her brand. We honed on how Berabose is taking action to  minimize waste and the impact she is hoping to make in her country.  Like all our bawse women, Elizabeth was truly a pleasure to connect with and get to know. We are dubbing her, the new school leader in the up-and-coming fashion entrepreneur boss babes. 

Need a little picturesque scenery? Come with us as we take you to the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda, East Africa. Did you know Rwanda has the world’s record of highest representation of women in parliament, with over 60% of parliament members being women? Did you know Rwanda's capital, Kigali, has been hailed as one of Africa’s greenest and cleanest cities? Meet the beautiful Rwandan Boss Babe  Elizabeth Berabose, a highly intellectual and socially conscious young fashion designer and entrepreneur. Elizabeth is a creative at heart, fashion enthusiast, and change maker, who is a sustainable fashion designer and entrepreneur based in Rwanda.  As we all know, the fashion industry has a critical role to play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals as it is the second largest polluter in the world. Elizabeth’s brand, Berabose Designs was launched in 2021, with the intent for it to be more than just a fashion brand, but a brand that has a positive social and environmental impact. In this episode, we got candid gaining insights to Elizabeth childhood growing up in Belgium with Rwandan parents and their experience with the Rwandan genocide. The impact that it had on Elizabeth and how that fueled her passion to want to return to her country of origin to contribute to its development, economic empowerment, and sustainability agenda. She walked us through her day-to-day grind of working in the industry, how she uses her voice and creativity to tackle and address systemic problems from sustainability to racial inequality, gender inequality and the many biases that exist in the fashion industry on the continent. Even with these challenges, Elizabeth is not allowing them to deter her from chasing her dreams of making her brand a household name.  We discussed the future of sustainable fashion in Africa, more specifically, how she incorporates traditional methods that are eco-friendly and ethical into her brand. We honed on how Berabose is taking action to  minimize waste and the impact she is hoping to make in her country.  Like all our bawse women, Elizabeth was truly a pleasure to connect with and get to know. We are dubbing her, the new school leader in the up-and-coming fashion entrepreneur boss babes. 

Ghana is in the building and representing in such a fabulous way! Did you know Ghana is the home of the popular Azonto Dance? Did you know Ghana is home to West Africa’s largest open-air single market? In this segment, we connect with fashion entrepreneur, and designer, head honcho in charge, Alima Bello, who is the creative director and owner of a fashion powerhouse, Bello Edu. Her flagship brand is a socially responsible and contemporary womenswear brand based in Accra, owned and managed by her, and supported by its own in-house production team. Her brand mission is to design clothing for the passionate, contemporary, and life loving woman. Bello attributes her African heritage to influencing her design aesthetics. In this episode, we explore her childhood growing up in Ghana, why she left a promising opportunity in her family successful business and decided to carve her own path by turning her passion for fashion into a full-fledged booming business. We also dive deeper in how she’s been able to single handedly move her company from its start up phase into its grown-up business stage. We discussed how her company; Bello Edu, has turned into a sustainable enterprise. Furthermore, Bello was candid with us as we cover the fashion industry on the continent at large. From its cultural history, emerging trends, and current market growth opportunities. We were excited to also discuss how Alima Bello made África proud, when her fashion brand represented the continent at Portugal Fashion AW 2022. She showcased her collection THE TRIUMPH, which was inspired by the dragonfly – which symbolizes  hope, new beginnings, and love. THE TRIUMPH also depicts a woman who has emerged stronger, bolder, and filled with self love. Bello Edu is here to stay and growing to be a staple on the continent for generations to come, with goals to rival the likes of channels, Dior and others! Why not?

Come with us as we take you to Malawi, a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. Did you know Malawi was the first country in Africa to grow tea on a commercial scale? Did you know Malawi is home to the “richest concentration of rock art in Central Africa”. Did you know, Malawi is known as the “warm heart of Africa” due to the welcoming nature of its people?. Our special guest is a true boss chick and catalyst for change, Wangiwe Joanna Kambuzi, founder and managing director at Mzuzu E-Hub, an entrepreneurship and innovation hub that supports youth led start ups and early-stage businesses by linking them to a network of services for success. Wangiwe is a communication practitioner, business development professional, community builder and a passionate enthusiast about providing innovative solutions for socio-economic empowerment. She is also a youth manifesto champion for the Youth Decide campaign under Youth and Society and sits on the Executive Committee for the Commonwealth Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs Africa Chapter and Commonwealth Business Women Malawi Chapter. In this segment, we discuss Wangiwe’s upbringing in Malawi, what sparked her interest in wanting to work with young people in her country and some of her key impacts as a social entrepreneur.   At ASA, we love a boss babe who not only makes money moves but more importantly makes a meaningful impact.

We are headed to one of Africa’s biggest and fastest growing economies with the most diverse population, you guessed right, Nigeria! Did you know there are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites that you can visit in Nigeria? In this segment, we link up with boss babe and the inspiring Shalom Olufemi , Co-founder of Edu4Impact, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering girls in Africa to become well-rounded global change agents, while promoting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Edu4Impact is run and led by two young west African women who firmly believe in the power of girls to drive positive change in their communities and in the world at large. With shalom’s bubbly and warm personality, we discussed her upbringing in Nigeria, family background, and what key moments in her life sparked her passion to start her own nonprofit organization. We explored further Edu4Impact priority areas, agendas, and foreseeable goals. We tapped into her passion for working with young people, especially girls, and providing them  with mentorship, training, and support to develop their leadership, entrepreneurship, and social innovation skills.  We also discussed her consultancy services to clients in the public and private sectors, helping them to align their strategies and initiatives with the SDGs. Her focus is on SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), which are critical to advancing girls' education and promoting gender equality and economic empowerment. Lastly, we explored her career trajectory, the fearlessness that exists within her to tackle fields unknown , some of the career challenges she faced, the self-taught opportunities she seized, and how she never gave up on her dreams and passion areas.  Shalom is truly a woman of confidence, resilience, strength with a  sense of purpose. And she’s on a mission and  can’t be stopped!

In need of a beautiful Atlantic Ocean view? lush rainforest? and cuisines to die for? well buckle up for some picturesque moments. Did you know that Liberia is Africa’s oldest republic? Did you know Liberia is also the only African state that was not subjected to colonial rule during the scramble of Africa? In this episode, we give you a first-class trip to the beautiful country of Liberia, West Africa. We chat with our girl Royda Philimena Urey, a public relations and communications expert, co-founder and head of creative development at the vantage group, a world-renowned content creator, influencer, creative disruptor, vlogger, youtuber, brand ambassador, and the plug for Liberian diaspora affairs. Clearly, as you can see Philimena, is a multifaceted boss babe and a woman who wears many hats. Philimena has been featured in reputable publications like CNN, Ebony Magazine, The Grio to name a few etc. We explore Philimena’s transition from the diaspora back to her country of origin, Liberia. The ups and downs that comes with relocating back to the continent, what prompted her passion for vlogging and content creation, and what sparked her business acumen and entrepreneurship journey with her businesses and brands. Philimena gives us a behind the scenes perspective of her beloved country and how she’s changing the narrative of a once war-torn nation through her travel vlogs and Liberian storytelling. We love a boss babe who can tap into her creative side and innovative knack to attain impact and transformation.

Let’s take a surprise trip to somewhere you have never been before. Did you know that Libya has the largest proven oil reserves in Africa? Did you also know that Libya is the  fourth-largest country in Africa and the Arab world, and the 16th-largest in the world? In this episode, we introduce you to our very first North African Bawse Babe, Tamadur Almahdi! Who gives us  an all access pass to the beautiful State of Libya.  Tamadur is the Chief of Staff at Speetar – an award-winning Health Tech startup company, providing access to healthcare for 2+ Million people in conflict-affected areas. She’s a woman about her business and passionate about making an impact. Tamadur is the epitome of how Libyan women are driving innovations and blazing a path towards their economic empowerment and liberation. We discuss her career trajectory in a conflict affected area and how she has been able to beat the odds and rise in her career at such a young age. Yes y’all, this dynamic and inspiring African girl magic is under 30 and doing the damn thing. Our conversation with Tamadur also explored her childhood in Libya, how she coped during the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi which led to the unrest and breakdown of the country in 2011, and how she overcame this tragic event, with her mental health intact and passion for meaningful impact.  We also discuss the post 2011 conflict, the rise of Libyan women in innovation, their endless potential and untapped talent. In addition to being the chief of staff for a world-renowned venture that has been featured in reputable publications like Forbes, Tamadur is also a freelance writer and avid lover of literature. She writes for Medium, an online publishing and open platform where readers find dynamic thinking, and where expert and undiscovered voices can share their writing on any topic. This hijab wearing beauty, boss babe, and shero in the making, is defying all odds and trailblazing the way for other women and young girls to follow not just in Libya but the continent of Africa. 

In our opening episode for season 2, we are taking you on a road trip to the “gateway to Africa”--Ghana, West Africa. Did you know that Ghana is the 7th largest gold producer and the second largest cocoa producer in the world? Did you also know, Ghana has the world’s largest artificial reservoir, Lake Volta?  In this episode, we sit down with the Ghanaian boss babe and Oheema (Queen) herself, Hillary Andoh, Chief Executive Officer at HSA PR - a public relations agency that specializes in elevating public perception of brands and entities, as well as telling stories that capture the essence of brands and personalities in Ghana and globally.   Hillary’s clients are reputable companies, brands, celebrities, and political figures in Africa who she supports with PR, communications, and crisis management services. To get down to the nitty and gritty with Hillary, we discussed her transition from the US to her homeland of Ghana. Why she started her PR firm and the current African market where PR opportunities are expanding as the economy in the region continues to strengthen and grow. We also dive deeper into her faith in God and how that has been the main driver behind her ability to remain grounded and balanced in a demanding field. In addition to Hillary being a CEO & GirlBoss, she’s an avid fashionista and a staple in the Ghanaian fashion industry.  She has provided her Public Relations services to the likes of Ghana Fashion and Design week, and through her efforts, she was able to garner a partnership with prestigious publications like Vogue Italia. Furthermore, she facilitates discussions on branding, public relations, and the business of fashion. Hillary is also a creative at heart, who lends motivational, inspirational, and communications capacity to support youth education and literacy in Ghana.  We love a boss with style and grace. Hillary is who we like to refer to as “silent confidence”. Her accolades and accomplishments speak for themselves. Connect with us: Instagram: @aseriesofands Twitter: @aseriesofands Facebook: @aseriesofands Visit: www.unwomanlymedia.com