Breaking Barriers: Gender-Smart Investing & Impact with Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes Ep. 6

In this episode, Alicia Castillo Holley welcomes Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes, the Founder and CEO of Aruwa Capital Management, one of the few women-owned and managed growth equity and gender lens funds in Africa. With over 15 years of experience in investment banking and private equity at global institutions like J.P. Morgan, Adesuwa is a trailblazer in the finance world. She has earned numerous accolades, including the 2X Global Woman Fund Manager of the Year award in 2023 and recognition as one of the 100 Laureates by Institut Choiseul for shaping Africa’s future. As the only woman in Nigeria to raise over $10 million in a first institutional fund, she continues to break barriers in impact investing across sectors such as healthcare, financial inclusion, agri-processing, and renewable energy. In this conversation, Alicia and Adesuwa dive deep into the power of gender-smart investing, the importance of capital access for women-led businesses, and the role of private equity in fostering sustainable economic growth. Adesuwa shares her journey from global investment banking to launching Aruwa Capital, the challenges she faced as a woman in finance, and how she’s reshaping the investment landscape in Africa. They also discuss the impact of intentional funding strategies on underrepresented entrepreneurs and what the future holds for women in business. If you're interested in finance, entrepreneurship, and impact investing, this episode is a must-listen!