David Akinin

Fam, let me put you on to David Akinin, this guy’s the real deal. Born in Venezuela, grew up in America, and now he’s running shit out in Zambia. Dude’s got a wild process that’s all about jumping into big problems and crushing them.

So, he studied Economics at Chicago, smart guy, right? Started his career at Google, which is already impressive. But he didn’t stop there. He moved into investment banking at Credit Suisse, working across Latin America, Chile, New York, all over. That’s where he learned how to hustle, understand markets, and see the big picture.

Then, instead of just chilling in finance, he jumped into startups and businesses all across Africa. He’s been involved with a bunch of ventures, OperFin Inc (they do home loans), Atenu Developments, Namibia Property Group. Basically, he’s been all about building stuff and fixing real problems.

And then, boom, in 2020, he launches JABU. This is his big thing. It’s a B2B commerce platform that’s changing the game for informal retailers in Africa, last-mile distribution, payments, supply chains. Think about how huge that is. Africa’s got a massive informal retail scene, and JABU’s making it way easier for small shops to get what they need, move money, and grow. Since launching, they’ve expanded to multiple countries and raised over $18 million. That’s no joke.

What’s nuts about David is how his whole process screams motivation. He’s not afraid to jump into the messy middle of things, finance, tech, real estate, retail, and then turn around and make an impact. His experience at giants like Google and Credit Suisse gave him the chops, but what’s crazy is how he used that to build stuff that actually changes lives. It’s like he’s got this fire to fix shit, especially in Africa, where he sees so much possible but also a lot of bullshit holding people back.

He’s all about retail, design, distribution, understanding how the little guy can thrive in markets that seem tough but are full of opportunity. That’s what makes him stand out, he’s not just building businesses, he’s building solutions that matter, that lift people up.

Bottom line: David Akinin is a disruptor. He’s a guy who’s seen the world, learned how to guide the big leagues, and then used all that to fuel a mission, making African commerce more fast, more fair, more expandable. No Cap, he’s one of those guys who’s actually changing the game, and I think we’re just getting started with him.