Grit & Growth
75 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 43 ratingsMeet intrepid entrepreneurs from Africa and South Asia, hear their stories of trial & triumph, and gain insights and guidance from Stanford University faculty and global business experts on how to transform today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities.
From securing investment and planning family succession, to mindful leadership and managing in adversity, you’ll learn firsthand from entrepreneurs and experts on how to develop the grit you need to grow your business — in times of crisis and calm. Walk away with actionable information, new perspectives, and fresh inspiration to take your business to the next level.
Listeners can also take a deep dive into entrepreneurship with masterclass episodes featuring interviews with Stanford faculty and global experts. It’s a unique opportunity to hear about cutting-edge research, get practical business tips, and learn proven leadership strategies from some of the world’s leading thinkers and practitioners.
Grit & Growth is brought to you by Stanford Seed, a Stanford Graduate School of Business-led initiative that partners with entrepreneurs in emerging markets to build thriving enterprises that transform lives.
About The Host:
Darius Teter is executive director of Stanford Seed, a Stanford Graduate School of Business-led initiative that partners with entrepreneurs in emerging markets to build thriving enterprises that transform lives. Darius has held leadership positions at Oxfam America, the Asian Development Bank and with the US Government where his experience included advising governments on economic policy, developing human rights programming, and financing infrastructure megaprojects across Africa, Asia and Latin America. All the while, he remained intrigued by the human experience and our universal drive towards growth and prosperity.
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Episodes
Season 4 Trailer
April 16, 2024 08:00 - 2 minutes - 1.91 MBWelcome back to Grit & Growth from Stanford Graduate School of Business. In Season 4, you’ll hear tales of entrepreneurial trials and triumphs, obstacles and opportunities, and, of course, plenty of grit and growth. Plus, we share insights from Stanford faculty and global experts on how to avoid the pitfalls of growth and achieve success. We’ll talk to entrepreneurs from Africa and South Asia and hear their impressive stories of business growth despite a host of challenges, includi...
Short Takes: Trailblazing the Internet of Things in Bangladesh
April 02, 2024 07:00 - 7 minutes - 6.67 MBMeet Mir Shahrukh Islam, cofounder and CEO of Bondstein Technologies Ltd. in Bangladesh. He created his IoT, or internet of things, company at a time when very few in Bangladesh even knew the term. Today, that future-focused, risk-taking spirit still defines and inspires his entrepreneurial journey. Taking bold risks is part of almost every entrepreneur’s DNA. Shahrukh demonstrated that trait from the get-go when he chose his company name, Bondstein, a mashup of James Bond and Eins...
Short Takes: Where Science Meets Culture
March 12, 2024 07:00 - 8 minutes - 7.75 MBMeet Raj Prakash, cofounder of Zifo, a science informatics company in India. While growing revenues is on almost every entrepreneur’s mind, Prakash believes building a thriving culture should be too. Hear how creating a great place to work is helping his company achieve great results. Zifo is one of the largest global pure play science informatics companies, with over 1,800 employees. And it counts many of the largest global bio-pharma companies among its customers. The company foc...
Short Takes: Pioneering a Holistic Approach to Speech Therapy in Kenya
February 20, 2024 09:00 - 13 minutes - 11.9 MBMeet Grace Macharia, a speech and language therapist and founder of SLT Support in Nairobi, Kenya. She created a social enterprise with a mission to support not only her patients, but also the profession of speech therapy in Kenya as a whole. “In 2011 there were about five speech therapists in Kenya, and all of them were trained out of the country. Can you imagine only five speech therapists for a population of 21 million?!” she recounts. When Macharia eventually found her true ca...
Introducing the If/Then podcast from Stanford GSB
January 30, 2024 08:00 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBIf/Then is a new podcast from the Stanford Graduate School of Business that we think will be of great interest to Grit & Growth listeners. This episode features Stanford GSB Professor Jonathan Levav analyzing the premise, “If we want to generate better ideas, then we need to get people back to the office.” To Zoom or not to Zoom? That is the question on many leaders’ minds, nearly four years after the COVID-19 pandemic emptied offices around the world. While remote work has become ...
Short Takes: Growing a Family and a Business
January 09, 2024 13:40 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBMeet Sakshi Kapahi, head of Omam Consultants, an HR consultancy in India, and a mother on a mission to balance home and work life for herself and her employees. Hear about Kapahi’s journey — the hurdles and highlights — as she grew both her family and the business her father started over 40 years ago. In India, a country where only 14 percent of entrepreneurs are women, Sakshi Kapahi has had to grapple with all the familiar obstacles that working mothers face … and then some. “You ...
Workplace Friction: How to Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder
December 12, 2023 14:24 - 37 minutes - 34 MBWelcome to Grit & Growth’s masterclass on friction — the good, the bad, and the ugly. Robert Sutton, Stanford professor in the School of Engineering and best-selling author, has stories and strategies to help you identify the causes of friction, eliminate it, and even learn how to use friction intentionally to create more space for success. Friction, according to Bob Sutton, “ is simply putting obstacles in front of people that slow them down, that make their jobs more difficult a...
Fail It 'til You Nail It: Masterclass on Embracing the Upside of Down
November 21, 2023 14:35 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBWelcome to Grit & Growth’s masterclass on growth mindset and psychological safety and how they can empower employees to speak up, fail fast, and fail smart — with accountability but not retribution. Sarah Soule, Stanford Graduate School of Business professor in organizational behavior, has tips and tricks for leaders to help build a culture that encourages healthy debate and out-of-the-box thinking. Failure happens … whether you like it or not. Yet, almost every entrepreneur would...
Creating a Culture of Healthy Debate
October 31, 2023 14:10 - 34 minutes - 32 MBDoes your company have a culture where people are truly free to speak their minds … without fear of retribution? At the start of the pandemic, Elikem Tamaklo, managing director for Nyaho Healthcare in Ghana, realized that the answer was no. Hear how he changed his company’s culture and his own behavior to lead his team through COVID-19 and beyond. Also, gain strategic insights from Sarah Soule, professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, on the process and benefits of creatin...
FLASHBACK | Raising Capital in Africa: It’s Not Just About the Money
October 10, 2023 09:00 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBWe're excited to announce that Stanford Seed has a new advisory board member: Andreata Muforo. We are thrilled to have Andreata on our team! To celebrate, we're bringing back one of our favorite episodes from Season 1, "Raising Capital in Africa: It's Not Just About the Money", which featured Andreata as a guest. Enjoy! Original Show Notes: Meet Elo Umeh, Managing Director and CEO of Terragon Group, a Nigerian digital marketing and data insights company, and Andreata Muforo and I...
How to "Think Faster and Talk Smarter": a Masterclass with Matt Abrahams
September 19, 2023 08:00 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBWelcome to Grit & Growth’s masterclass on spontaneous communication — those unplanned moments when you’re called on in a meeting, asked to give feedback, or introduced to a potential investor. Matt Abrahams, Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer in strategic communications, has tips and tricks to overcome anxiety, gain confidence, and make sure you’re ready to speak when you least expect it. Matt Abrahams speaks a lot in public, whether he’s teaching MBAs at Stanford or ho...
The Business of Ending Generational Poverty in India: Haqdarshak!
August 29, 2023 08:00 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBCreating a compelling strategy is step number one for every business. But almost no one gets it right on the first try. Aniket Doegar and “Guns” Ganapathy, co-founders of the Indian social enterprise Haqdarshak, pivoted multiple times while remaining focused on financial sustainability and their mission: eliminating generational poverty in India through access to social security. India, with a population of 1.4 billion, has about a billion people dependent on some form of social se...
Making Great Strategy: A Masterclass with Jesper Sørensen
August 08, 2023 02:00 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBWelcome to Grit & Growth’s masterclass on strategy, featuring Jesper Sørensen’s insights on how to build a strategy for success and accept the inherent uncertainty of it all. This Stanford Graduate School of Business professor tells you what you need to know: from defining what a strategy is — and is not — to deciding who to involve and how to debate constructively. Every entrepreneur understands that their business needs a well-thought-out strategy to succeed. But the gap between...
Unleashing the Power of Market Creation
July 18, 2023 08:30 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBAlmost every entrepreneur dreams of becoming a market leader. But a business's greatest potential for success happens with market creation. Andela, led by co-founder and CEO Jeremy Johnson, did just that by unlocking access to a global labor market — for both job seekers and companies in need of great talent. Hear Andela’s market-making journey and gain insights on this kind of disruptive innovation from Efosa Ojomo, director of Global Prosperity at the Christensen Institute and co-...
Executive Coaching: Why Entrepreneurs Shouldn’t Go It Alone
June 27, 2023 12:32 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBWelcome to Grit & Growth’s masterclass on coaching, featuring Laurie Fuller, a certified executive coach, who believes entrepreneurs can benefit from having a collaborator, connector, and cheerleader by their side. Fuller provides practical tips on what to look for in a coach plus tried-and-true techniques she uses to help her clients transform themselves, their teams, and their companies. Entrepreneurs are almost always on a quest to improve. But improvement can be ridiculously ha...
Taking a Stand with Your Brand: Genderless Fashion in Africa
June 06, 2023 09:00 - 36 minutes - 33 MBIn Africa, as in the rest of the world, gay rights is a deeply divisive issue and queer people often face discrimination and violence. Wandia Gichuru, CEO of Vivo Fashion Group, and Chris Makena Muriithi, CEO of BOLD Network Africa, decided they wanted to do something about it using their collective strengths in business, fashion, advocacy, and storytelling. The Zoya X BOLD collection is about more than creating fashion for the queer community — it’s about starting a conversation ab...
Strategy: It’s the Big Bets that Matter
May 16, 2023 14:01 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBDo you have a strategy? Or do you just have a plan? Understanding the difference and how to define and execute on both is essential to transforming your business. Abhishek Rungta, founder and CEO of INT, realized he had been running his business without a strategy for far too long. Hear his journey and gain strategic insights from Jesper Sorensen, professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, on why strategy is all about managing uncertainty. Abhishek Rungta started his IT bus...
Executive Coaching: From Self-Doubt to Self-Awareness
April 25, 2023 09:00 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBEntrepreneurs aren’t meant to solve all their business problems alone, but all too often they try. Kunaal Rach, CEO of Healthy U, was no exception … until he met Laurie Fuller, a certified business coach, who transformed his leadership—and his business. Hear from both coach and coachee on how coaching can help provide the strategic, moral, and emotional support every entrepreneur needs. Kunaal Rach left Kenya at the age of 13 to attend boarding school in England and says he really ...
Pivot, Adapt, Grow: Building a Fashion Brand in Kenya
April 04, 2023 09:00 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBStarting a business is hard enough. But growing it can be exponentially harder — especially when crossing borders and continents and in a business as fickle as fashion. Wandia Gichuru is experiencing it all as founder and CEO of Vivo Fashion Group, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Gichuru thinks about her business beyond simply selling clothes. We can be “warriors for economic growth,” she explains. Hear her story of lucky breaks and quick pivots, strategic growth and purposeful passion. W...
Short Takes: Sweet Success – Can you build an ice cream unicorn in India?
March 14, 2023 08:00 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBMeet Gaurav Khemani, CEO of Prestige Ice Creams based in Kolkata. Faced with COVID-19 shutdowns, a cyclone, supply chain pains, and more, Khemani believes personal and professional discipline will help make his entrepreneurial dreams come true. Hear about his journey from a career at big retail companies to leading a small business that he hopes will soon become a billion-dollar company. Gaurav Khemani begins each day at 4 a.m., reading, writing, working out, and generally taking...
Short Takes: From Farms to Forks
February 21, 2023 10:00 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBMeet Delia Stirling, commercial director of Brown’s Food Co. in Nairobi. She and her team are on a mission to spark consumer demand for foods made from indigenous Kenyan crops. Hear how their efforts are also helping small family farms and educating consumers about the environmental, economic, and taste benefits of eating locally grown food. Delia Stirling has always been a foodie and entrepreneur. As a little girl, she sold ice cream at craft fairs, using a sleeping bag for insula...
Short Takes: Bringing Affordable Medical Imaging to Botswana
January 31, 2023 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBMeet Nita Bhagat, a hotelier turned owner of Village Imaging, a radiology practice in Botswana. Hear how her father’s struggle with cancer led her business in yet another new direction, one that now helps everyone in her country to get better, closer, faster health care. Nita Bhagat and her cardiologist husband came to Botswana from Zimbabwe in 2003 as economic refugees. With her life and career uprooted, she worked as a receptionist in her husband’s medical clinic. Bhagat got an i...
Short Takes: Bringing Safe Water to Rural India
January 10, 2023 10:30 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBMeet Divya Yachamaneni, CEO of Naandi Community Water Services, a for-profit social enterprise bringing safe drinking water to rural communities across India. Hear how this mission-led company made a strategic pivot to get the “urban rich” to help subsidize and ultimately scale its impact. Coming from an urban environment, Yachamaneni had no idea how widespread and severe the problem of contaminated water really is. Visiting rural communities made the issue crystal clear. In one vi...
Customer Psychology: Why Don't People Buy Your Stuff?
December 20, 2022 10:30 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBWelcome to Grit & Growth’s masterclass on marketing, featuring Jonathan Levav, Stanford Graduate School of Business professor of, you guessed it, marketing. Levav provides insights and advice on the psychology of customer marketing so you can learn how to get into the heads and hearts of your customers, influence their decision-making, and get them to choose your brand over the competition. Professor Levav has a PhD in marketing with a passion for exploring the brains and guts of d...
Marketing: Who are Your ACTUAL customers?
December 06, 2022 14:15 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBHow do you market your product? And who are you marketing to? Those two questions go hand in hand as Nick Musyoka of Sonar Imaging Center learned. Hear how he targeted his marketing messages and increased revenues by 500% in just six years. And, gain insights from Jonathan Levav, professor of marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business, on how customer segmentation can help you find and market more effectively to your customers. Standing out is never easy, especially when the...
Navigating Corruption: A Case Study from India
November 22, 2022 11:00 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBIs it possible to be virtuous in a sea of corruption? Indian entrepreneur Rajah Koppala of Avis Vascular Centers is trying to do just that. Hear how he and his team are strategically and realistically fighting against the tide of corruption. And, gain insights from Saumitra Jha, an associate professor of political economy at Stanford Graduate School of Business, on what it takes to understand and navigate challenging ecosystems. Rajah Koppala trained and practiced medicine in the ...
Bribes, Kickbacks, “Commissions”—Oh My! Dealing with Corruption at Your Business
November 08, 2022 10:00 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBCorruption is an unfortunate fact of business life. How can you remain ethical and still survive when it seems that everyone else is playing the game? Soji Apampa is one entrepreneur who believes there are ways to strategically navigate a corrupt system. Hear how his NGO in Nigeria is helping entrepreneurs to keep their hands clean. And listen to true stories from business owners across Africa and South Asia about the real cost of corruption on lives and livelihoods. When it comes ...
Survival and Growth: Franchising in Africa
October 25, 2022 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBWhat are the obstacles and opportunities of franchising in Africa? While this business model is still in its infancy there, entrepreneurs like Grace Munyirwa of Vine Pharmaceuticals in Uganda are embracing it to grow and scale, while experiencing significant challenges along the way. Hear a story of struggle and success and gain insights from Chiagozie Nwizu, a franchise expert in Africa who has dedicated his career to educating entrepreneurs and investors on the power and pitfalls ...
Latest Insights on Driving Business Growth
October 11, 2022 15:24 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBWelcome to Grit & Growth’s masterclass on the effectiveness of small business interventions in emerging markets — with hard data to back it up. Thanks to researcher Stephen J. Anderson’s studies with African entrepreneurs, you’ll hear why having a coach, getting classroom training, and learning how to delegate can drive growth and impact your bottom line. Stephen J. Anderson has spent his entire career trying to bring rigorous research to international development efforts, whether ...
It Starts With You: Evolving Your Leadership as Your Company Grows
September 27, 2022 11:57 - 32 minutes - 30 MBWhat kind of people and culture do you want in your company? How will you engage with employees and lead effectively? And how do you figure all that out while growing revenues? Human resources are rarely the first priority of leaders, but they should be. Just ask Sachin Dhanani, co-founder of Kenyan-based Danco Capital, and his HR adviser Claudia Salvischiani. Leadership styles are as varied as entrepreneurs. And they certainly change over time as companies grow. But the very best ...
Scaling Your Business: It’s All About The People
September 13, 2022 08:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBWhat’s the greatest resource for a fast-growing company? If you answered human resources, you’ve got a great head start on scaling for success. Sachin Dhanani, co-founder of Kenyan-based Danco Capital, learned firsthand the importance of having a strategic HR plan. Hear his story and get essential guidance from HR expert Claudia Salvischiani as you grow and scale your own company. Sachin Dhanani paid little attention to org charts as he took his manufacturing company in just seven ...
Masterclass: Find The Best People...& Keep Them
August 30, 2022 15:21 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBWelcome to Grit & Growth’s masterclass on talent — finding it and keeping it — featuring Claudia Salvischiani, an expert on all things HR. From workforce trends and interview techniques to structuring incentives and performance evaluations, Salvischiani gives candid advice and insights on how to attract and retain the best people to help your business thrive. It takes people to run a business, and the better they are, the better your business. So what can you do to not just get, b...
Changing Lives, Organizations and the World: Dean Jon Levin, Stanford Graduate School of Business
August 16, 2022 14:35 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBMeet Jon Levin, dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, economics professor, and eternal optimist. Hear his thoughts on the business world, innovation in emerging economies, the role of big tech, and how the GSB is preparing students to meet the challenges of the global economy — from climate change to inequality. Jon Levin grew up in an academic family, but he never imagined he’d be leading one of the most prestigious business schools in the country. An economics profess...
Franchising in India: Learning the Hard Way
August 02, 2022 10:00 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MBFranchises are taking over the world, from fast-food restaurants to furniture outlets. While they may seem like a simple, risk-free way to expand your footprint and revenue, franchising is tricky business. Vijay Kapoor learned firsthand how difficult it is to create a successful franchise in India for his fashion brand Derby Responsible Menswear. Hear his roller coaster of a success story and get strategic advice on if, when, and how to franchise your own business. Vijay Kapoor le...
Fundraising: It’s a Marathon not a Sprint
July 19, 2022 14:08 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBWelcome to Grit & Growth’s retrospective on a topic that’s on every entrepreneur’s mind: money! Hear from startup and early stage investors in Africa and South Asia about what investors are really looking for, how to vet potential backers, pitching advice, and more. These experts provide practical guidance and strategies on how to secure funding for your venture. Money, money, money. Entrepreneurs can’t stop thinking about it. Which explains why fundraising is such a critical — and...
Solving Important Problems
July 05, 2022 16:55 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MBCreating a startup is challenging enough. So, when you want that startup to also address social problems, the pressure on entrepreneurs to succeed and scale can be even more intense. Meet Sadaf Rehman of codeschool.pk in Pakistan and Sarika Kulkarni Pathak of Cresa GreenTech in India, and hear how these two women entrepreneurs are struggling and striving to make the world a better place. Many of the challenges faced by social entrepreneurs are no different than those of for-profit ...
Women in Entrepreneurship
June 21, 2022 13:58 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBTo submit a story for our episode on corruption, send a voice memo to Stanford Seed via WhatsApp at +1(650) 206-3055. Women represent about 50% of the global population yet own only ⅓ of the world’s businesses and still get paid 37% less than men. Georgette Barnes, a Ghanian entrepreneur, and Stanford professors Dr. Deborah Gruenfeld and Margaret Neale share experiences, advice, and strategies for navigating the workforce as a woman — from power dynamics and negotiations to gender ...
It's Not Just a Man's World
June 21, 2022 13:58 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBTo submit a story for our episode on corruption, send a voice memo to Stanford Seed via WhatsApp at +1(650) 206-3055. Women represent about 50% of the global population yet own only ⅓ of the world’s businesses and still get paid 37% less than men. Georgette Barnes, a Ghanian entrepreneur, and Stanford professors Dr. Deborah Gruenfeld and Margaret Neale share experiences, advice, and strategies for navigating the workforce as a woman — from power dynamics and negotiations to gender ...
Negotiation: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
June 07, 2022 12:30 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBNegotiation is at the heart of almost every business transaction — whether working on terms with potential investors or communicating with colleagues. Listen to Ghanian educational entrepreneur Charles Yeboah as he shares his real-world negotiation challenges and get surprising tips and insights from Stanford professor Margaret Neale on how to turn your next negotiation into a win-win. Charles Yeboah never imagined he’d be in the business of education. But after searching for a sch...
Negotiation: When to Stay and When to Walk Away
June 07, 2022 12:30 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBNegotiation is at the heart of almost every business transaction — whether working on terms with potential investors or communicating with colleagues. Listen to Ghanian educational entrepreneur Charles Yeboah as he shares his real-world negotiation challenges and get surprising tips and insights from Stanford professor Margaret Neale on how to turn your next negotiation into a win-win. Charles Yeboah never imagined he’d be in the business of education. But after searching for a sch...
A Conversation with Nigerian Businessman & Philanthropist, Tony Elumelu
May 24, 2022 09:30 - 27 minutes - 25 MBThe deadline to apply for our 2023 Seed Transformation Program is June 1st! To find out more, visit: stanfordseed.co/apply Meet Tony Elumelu, a Nigerian businessman, billionaire, investor, philanthropist, champion of African entrepreneurs, and steadfast believer in luck. Hear how and why he’s committed to catalyzing entrepreneurship across the African continent. Ask almost any entrepreneur about their secret to success and more than likely they’ll credit a combination of hard work...
Masterclass on Effective Corporate Governance
May 10, 2022 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBWelcome to Grit & Growth’s masterclass on corporate governance, featuring Alexey Volynets of International Finance Corporation. From what structures make sense to employ, and when in the life cycle of your business you should use them, Volynets provides advice and insights on how corporate governance can be a powerful tool for your business. While many entrepreneurs fear corporate governance because they believe it means more legal constraints and less control, Volynets wants to ch...
Brain Trust: Making a Great Advisory Board
April 26, 2022 10:00 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MBIs it time to consider an advisory board? And if so, why? What skills do you need? And how do you find the right people who are willing to help? Aashish Agarwaal, founder and chairman of the Enerji Group, and Alexey Volynets of the International Finance Corporation share entrepreneurial perspectives and corporate governance advice to help you figure out what’s right for your company. Rare is the entrepreneur who is an expert at everything. Turning to others outside your company for...
The Psychology of Power & Influence
April 12, 2022 09:00 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MBWelcome to Grit & Growth’s masterclass on power, featuring Dr. Deborah Gruenfeld, Stanford Graduate School of Business professor of organizational behavior. From the body language of power to the authority vs. authenticity debate, Gruenfeld provides insights on how and when to use your power to gain the trust and respect of others. Professor Gruenfeld is a psychologist by training and she’s been researching and teaching about the psychology of power and powerlessness for decades. S...
The Big Picture: Hakeem Belo-Osagie on African Entrepreneurship
March 29, 2022 17:04 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBWhat are the unique challenges facing the African entrepreneurial ecosystem? How is the rapid growth of fintech startups impacting the Nigerian economy? And what does it take to become a modern business leader? Hakeem Belo-Osagie, accomplished businessman, philanthropist, and educator, has the experience and expertise to tackle all three. Few business leaders understand the systemic challenges facing African finance as well as Hakeem Belo-Osagie. For three decades, he’s been a driv...
Season 2 Trailer
March 22, 2022 11:00 - 1 minute - 1.36 MBWelcome back to Grit & Growth from Stanford Graduate School of Business. We’re tackling the complex issues facing entrepreneurs who are building businesses in Africa and South Asia. These emerging markets are exploding with opportunity and obstacles. And you’ll hear firsthand from entrepreneurs about their trials and triumphs, along with insights from Stanford faculty and global experts on how to overcome challenges and achieve success. We dig deep on product innovation, negotiation...
Season 1 “Aha” Moments: The Entrepreneurs Who Made Us Think
March 15, 2022 15:30 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBAfter a year of Grit & Growth podcasts, Darius Teter, our host and executive director of Stanford Seed, looks back on his conversations with intrepid entrepreneurs from Africa and India. He not only shares powerful moments but also some of the lessons he’s learned along the way about the struggles and opportunities of entrepreneurship in emerging markets. It’s hard to pick favorites, but some stories held special resonance and, in retrospect, revealed key themes about the long, of...
Profiles of Purpose: A Tough Nut to Crack
March 01, 2022 10:00 - 8 minutes - 8.05 MBProfile of Purpose: A Tough Nut to Crack Meet Frank Omondi, wildlife biologist turned entrepreneur. As CEO, he took Ten Senses Africa, a Kenyan producer and distributor of macadamia nuts, from the brink of bankruptcy to a modern, sustainable, and successful venture that satisfies customers and supports farmers. Frank Omondi approaches business differently than most entrepreneurs: “I look at business in a way that helps uplift more people. I think the future of Africa's food produc...
Profiles of Purpose: Clear As Water
February 15, 2022 15:42 - 9 minutes - 8.36 MBMeet Samuel Appenteng, managing director of Joissam Ghana, a company working to make clean water more accessible to rural communities in West Africa. By collaborating with the communities his firm serves, Appenteng is pumping hope and health into the people who need it most. Unfortunately, the scale of the problem is immense. Appenteng explained, “In sub-Saharan Africa, over 320 million people have no access to potable water. As we went more and more into the rural communities and ...
Profiles of Purpose: The Boy from the Streets
February 01, 2022 08:00 - 9 minutes - 8.5 MBMeet Afolabi Abiodun, founder and CEO of SB Telecoms and Devices, a company creating HR solutions for small and medium businesses in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa. From street hawker to debtor to entrepreneur, Afolabi is proof positive that a boy from the streets can find success. No one ever doubted that Afolabi had the drive to succeed. But his lack of business knowledge often got him into hot water…and lots of debt. After incurring millions in debt, he actually ran away ...