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Shasha Voices

by Shasha Network

Entrepreneurship Self-Improvement

Season 3

Farai Munjoma - Design as a Language of Trust

As we close Season 1 of Shasha Pathways, we turn to the person who made this series possible. In this finale episode, Farai Munjoma, Founder & CEO of Shasha Network, reflects on how design can be used to build trust, tell stories, and create systems that expand opportunities for young people across Africa. Drawing on his journey across entrepreneurship, education, and innovation, Farai shares why designing pathways is ultimately about helping people believe in their own futures.

Ifeanyichukwu Ezinmadu – Where Entrepreneurship Meets Music

Welcome to the Shasha Pathways Series, and this is our Entrepreneurship Edition, where we speak with purpose-driven founders across Africa and the diaspora who are building bold, impactful ventures. Today, I’m joined by Ifeanyichukwu Ezinmadu, an EdTech entrepreneur, creative innovator, and musician who’s bringing music, artificial intelligence, and education together in exciting ways. Ifeanyi is the Founder and CEO of SymphoMe, a music-learning platform that uses AI and Music Information Retrieval (MIR) to transform the way people practise and perform music. He’s also a former Mastercard Foundation Scholar, a pianist with experience across the UK and Nigeria, and someone who’s worked in everything from private equity to business accelerators,all while building his own company. His story reminds us that creativity, technology, and purpose don’t have to be separate paths and I’m so excited to learn more about how he’s building the future of music education.

Rejoice Muruge – Championing Smallholder Farmers in a Changing Climate

Welcome to the Agriculture Pathways series, part of Shasha Network’s commitment to spotlighting purpose-driven professionals across key industries from education to energy, design to agriculture, and helping young people across Africa explore real, relatable career journeys. Today, I’m so excited to be joined by Rejoice, who is a passionate, globally-minded changemaker and proud Zimbabwean dedicating her career to building a more just, sustainable, and food-secure future for Africa and the world. Rejoice holds a degree in agronomy from the prestigious EARTH University, and her work sits at the powerful intersection of climate justice, sustainable agriculture, and policy advocacy. She is now a research scholar in Precision Agriculture at the University of Florida. She’s deeply committed to advancing innovation that supports smallholder farmers, and dreams of becoming a leading voice shaping evidence-based solutions for climate-resilient food systems

Dr. Monica Madzvamuse – From Clinical Care to Healthcare Impact

Welcome to the Healthcare edition of Shasha Pathways! I’m Shirley, and today we’re joined by Dr. Monica Madzvamuse, a medical doctor with clinical experience across pediatrics, obstetrics, internal medicine, and surgery. She’s currently working in Zambia and enhancing her leadership skills by studying project management. In this conversation, we’ll explore Monica’s journey from high school in Zimbabwe to medical school in China, and how she’s now integrating healthcare and innovation to make a meaningful impact. Let’s dive in!

Dean Mazhawidza – Building Career Identity in a Changing World

Welcome to the Education Pathways series! I’m Shirley, and in today’s conversation, we’re diving into the evolving world of career development, educational equity, and youth empowerment. I’m thrilled to be joined by Dean Mazhawidza, a passionate change agent and the founder of Future Pathways Consultants, where he’s leading some of the most innovative work in career guidance,like AI-powered career identity tools and game-based learning through the RIASEC Board Game. Dean is also currently a Post School Success Associate Manager at Nova Pioneer and a PhD candidate in Industrial and Organisational Psychology at Stellenbosch University. From shaping policy to helping Grade 6 to 13 learners reimagine their career futures, Dean is on a mission to make career support more accessible, relatable, and data-driven.

Kuzi Mahwire – Navigating Global Finance and Leadership

Welcome to the Entrepreneurship edition of Shasha Pathways, where we speak with leaders who are shaping industries, building businesses, and reimagining the future of work across the globe. Today, I’m joined by Kuzi Mahwire, an Investment Banking Associate Director at UBS in New York and a proud Zimbabwean who’s combined academic excellence, global finance experience, and a commitment to leadership and impact. Kuzi studied at Dartmouth College and is now pursuing his MBA at Harvard Business School. He’s worked with top-tier firms like Bain & Company, Credit Suisse, Citi, and the Higherlife Foundation, all while mentoring others and representing his community with distinction. We’ll be hearing about his journey, from growing up in Zimbabwe and winning national scholarships to building his confidence in competitive global spaces and what entrepreneurship, education, and discipline have meant in his story.

Keno Omu – Reimagining Education for African Futures

Welcome to the Shasha Pathways Series, and this is our Education Edition. I’m Shirley, and today I’m joined by someone whose work sits right at the heart of reimagining education in Africa. Dr. Keno Omu is a curriculum designer, educator, and engineer. She’s studied at Princeton, Imperial College London, and Cambridge, and has worked across the world, from IBM Research Africa to ETH Zurich in Switzerland, and now at ALX Africa, where she is Director of Learning Research and Development. But beyond all these titles, what makes her work special is how deeply she cares about designing learning that is empowering, practical, and built with young Africans in mind. Whether you’re someone who loves science or someone who wants to change education systems Dr. Omu’s journey has something to offer.

Yadah Ngolo - Building Inclusive Tech Communities

Welcome back to the Pathways Series, where we explore the journeys of inspiring young professionals across different industries to help you, our listeners, dream bigger and navigate your own path. Today, we're diving into the Technology Pathway, and I’m so excited to be joined by Yadah Ngolo, a rising tech leader with Congolese roots who’s already built an impressive track record before even finishing his Computer Engineering degree at the University of Ottawa. Yadah’s completed not one, but two internships at Microsoft, one as a Software Engineer and the other in a hybrid Software Engineering and Product Manager role. Yadah led workshops, built frontend features with Solace, and currently works as a Project Manager at CEED, where he helps engineering students bring their ideas to life. Yadah is not only trilingual in French, English, and Lingala, but also a powerful advocate for representation in tech, building community through groups like ColorStack and the National Society of Black Engineers. Let's jump in today's conversation with him.

Jack McMillan - Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Across Campuses

Welcome to the Shasha Pathways Series and this is our Entrepreneurship edition. I'm Shirley, and today I'm joined by someone who has built an extraordinary career supporting aspiring founders across the UK. Jack McMillan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Creator Campus, a fast-growing digital platform dedicated to empowering entrepreneurial students, staff, and graduates across the UK. With over five years of experience working in university enterprise at Edinburgh Innovations, Jack has supported hundreds of early-stage founders, from mentoring non-technical entrepreneurs to coding community platforms himself. He’s also the creator of Student+, a messaging app that connected thousands of university students. Jack’s journey blends hands-on tech, community building, and a passion for building cross-campus bridges to unlock the next generation of change-makers.

Bomikazi Lupindo – Bridging Psychology, Healing, and Community Care

Hi everyone, and welcome to the Health Pathways Series with Shasha Network. I’m Shirley, and today I’m so excited to be speaking with Bomikazi Lupindo. Hailing from Matatiele in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, Bomikazi is a Rhodes Scholar currently pursuing her DPhil in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford. She’s also a clinical psychologist, working with communities across public health and correctional systems. Her research and work focus on trauma, particularly how adolescents are affected by violence in their schools and communities. Beyond her academic achievements, Bomikazi is the co-founder of Mind Matters NPO, a mental health organization that supports youth and works to end mental health stigma. Today, we’ll dive into her inspiring journey from growing up in a small town to studying at some of the world’s top universities and explore the lessons she’s learned along the way.

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