“Then he came out with: “I can’t take you to the investors because the other black guys I took to them aren’t doing so well, so I don’t want to take you there.””
“And what I realised through that experience is that racism exists. Bias exists. People are gonna be assholes.”Lessons from Leaders no.10:Ronnie Kwesi Coleman is the CEO and co-founder of Meaningful Gigs, matching talented designers in Africa with companies in the US – with a mission to create 100,000 jobs in Africa by 2028 He moved to the US from Ghana to go to college, and pretty quickly had to drop out to find work. He began selling office supplies in New York until one day a friend suggested he move into tech & startups. And that’s where things got really interesting…. I took a huge amount from this conversation. Ronnie was generous, honest and inspiring, and we covered everything from how to build a talent marketplace to the advice Jerry Seinfeld gave to Trevor Noah, including:
- The importance of mission in leadership
- The untapped design & tech talent in Africa
- Racism and racial bias in the tech & VC world
- What to look for in a mentor or advisor
- Knowing your personal values & not compromising them
- Looking after your mental and physical health as a founder & leader
- The value of grit and perseverance
- The advice Jerry Seinfeld gave to Trevor Noah
- Going outside your comfort zone to learn
Enjoy!
