WHO IS CHARLES SEKWALOR?
Charles Sekwalor is a serial entrepreneur and advisor on a mission to change and influence lives through small businesses and investment. Notably, he is the CEO and founder of Movemeback, a community that connects professionals, entrepreneurs, students, and influencers with inspiring opportunities in Africa. He’s on a mission to drive economic and social growth through individuals and organizations.
Connecting Entrepreneurs in Africa
Before big brand names like Uber or Facebook come onto the continent, someone is laying the groundwork. Chale Sekwalor is one of those change-makers. Where ambitious goals and problems turn others away, he embraces the challenge and shows what is possible when we stretch our capacity.
Chale covers a lot of ground, but so has his career. He’s worked for big names like Tesco and McKinsey. He talks about the journey into full-time entrepreneurship and the drive to solve problems. There is some frank talk about financing and the challenges facing businesses. Tune in to learn from Chale’s insights and experiences.
Highlights of the episode:
- 3:13: Reflecting on the diaspora experience while growing up in West London; starting the journey to owning all that makes him a world citizen like the name Charlie and speaking Ga
- 14:34: Getting “itchy feet” syndrome and the start of his investing. The confidence to back himself.
- 17:00: Investing big in real estate, and then the market crashed. Taking a huge chance to make it work.
- 20:37: The side project of finding investors for the property and how he started to discover himself and what can be achieved
- 26:13 Jumping into entrepreneurship and speaking about being in the same organization but having different experiences
- 27:33: About starting Project Nights, Minds Meet, and other side businesses
- 32:39: About pivoting to the African continent and solving problems there; the start of Movemeback, setting up the business, and the benefits of talking to people
- 36:01: The challenges entrepreneurs on the African continent face around launching and scaling; part of the reason for Movemeback
- 40:46: The real impact of Movemeback in Africa and where the platform is today
- 43:47: How do you finance the big goals? Speaking on directing funds to solve the right problems.
- 51:08: The paycheck isn’t impressive, but they have built self-sustaining businesses. A frank talk about salaries and reinvesting in the business.
- 56:19: Discussing the obsession businesses have about raising funds as a way to survive and if it is a valid method to operate
- 1:03:18: The need for a unified African business plan and 500 million jobs for Africa’s economic survival
Mentioned Resources
- Movemeback
- The Continent Group
- AgonyApp
- COS Ventures
- Charles Sekwalor
- Callmechale.com
- Malée
