Yele Oyekola

Honestly, let me school you on Yele Oyekola. This guy’s the real deal in fintech, especially in Africa. He’s the co-founder and CEO of Duplo, which is basically the Venmo for B2B payments in Africa. Started that thing in 2021, and man, it’s all about fixing the crazy payment flow mess in the continent. You know how shit gets complicated with cross-border stuff? Yele’s making it simple, digitized, smooth, like, he’s actually changing how businesses do commerce there.

But here’s the kicker, Yele’s not just some random guy jumping into startups. He’s a YC alum from the Winter 2022 batch, so he’s legit in the startup game. Before Duplo, he was all over the place, co-founded Julla, a financing platform, and worked as a Product Lead at Carbon, helping build CarbonZero, a Buy Now Pay Later thing. That shows he’s got a real knack for fintech and making finance accessible, he’s all about empowering people with tech, no bullshit.

Before diving into startups, Yele even worked for the UN as an Economic Policy Officer. Yeah, the UN. He was advising governments in sub-Saharan Africa on urban policy, talk about having a serious impact on a macro level. That’s not just some random background; it’s proof he’s got a deep understanding of how economies tick, especially in Africa, and he cares about fixing real problems.

His process started in finance, analyst gigs at Equity Capital Solutions and GoldenTree Asset Management. Basically, he’s been in the trenches with money from day one, understanding the ins and outs of capital, which obviously feeds into his current hustle. He’s all about smashing the barriers that keep African businesses from thriving, using tech as his weapon.

What does this all say about him? Yele’s motivation is rooted in making a difference. He’s not in it just for the fame or the cash (though he’s definitely crushing it). He genuinely believes in solving Africa’s financial infrastructure bullshit. His past, from UN policy work to fintech startups, shows he’s driven by a desire to enable and raise. He’s someone who saw problems early, jumped into the trenches, and kept pushing until he found solutions that actually matter.

So, in short, Yele is that guy who’s been around the block, understands finance, has a global perspective, and is now on a mission to transform how Africa moves money. He’s a two-time founder, a YC alum, a guy who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, and someone you should definitely keep an eye on. Because he’s not just building startups, he’s building the future of African finance.