Entrepreneurial Journeys in Africa: Insights from John Burns

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you have a fallback, you fall back. And I think at that moment in time, we were so purposeful and we were so passionate about the work that we were going to do, and we really felt we could change circumstances, we could change the world, and so the challenge from a decision making standpoint wasn't as overwhelming because we believed it was divine, it was our God's calling, and so from a decision making standpoint, it wasn't that hard. And we always knew I always could go back to law right,

I could always be a lawyer. I could always go back to that law from environment. But I said, there's a few moments in your life that you can really take a leap and believe in yourself. And that was that moment.

don't know where to start. So talk about can you walk us through your journey on the continent, Like where did you start, how were you able to scale, what challenges did you have, and what do you see the future of entrepreneurship?

had thirty eight thousand employees across sixteen countries. But them we're in Africa, and so these are his real relationships. We got into Africa through a partner he had known and took us to South Africa about ten years ago and said, hey, I want you to meet these guys are doing great work. And the work wasn't necessarily call center per se. It was call center, but the work

was providing opportunities for black people. I don't know if you all know, and those general vs. Gentlemen probably know, the unemployment rate across the kind of Africa for skilled Africans is outrageous. And these are young, talented, hard working people that just have done all the right things. They've gone to school, they got the degrees, but no opportunity

comes to them. And so we thought, what could we do, not thinking of it from like a business standpoint, but from a human being standpoint, what can we do could change those circumstances. And so we became partners in that organization with the premise that we had American company relationships that we could drive business that would create jobs and opportunity. And so look at a lens of advocacy, a lens of like cultural change and impact was ultimately was the

driving force. But then obviously from a business standpoint, through that we were able to build more busines, this relationships, and then through that we built war business relationships and grew the company across the continent. And visa that company, we're able to now open our membership club HQ in Nairobi,

Kenya in four months. And so God is great, the blessings are abundant, but I think it's always leading with the lens of advocacy first and impact and then the entrepreneurship kind of second.

of Africa. It's it's unbelievable. And so that was a pleasant surprise how much they embrace American culture. And there's so knowledgeable American culture. I think too, in some parts of Africa, there are specific things that change, just like the United States, with whatever administration is in office and right. So I think that can be a challenge to making sure you navigate the political landscape. But I think those are evolving and I think those are changing for the better.

And I'll say, and I've said that for years now, Africa is not the future, Africa as the present. And I think from an entrepreneurship standpoint, you think about black people in this country, if you're not focused on what that connectivity looks like from an entrepreneurship standpoint, from the outreach standpoint, with the kind of Africa, you're doing yourself a disservice and you're doing the business of the disservice.

intentionality and maybe it was done very intentional. Right, you had it in DC you could have done it in New York, maybe Miami, Houston, Chicago, but you chose Notiroby talk about that because when we think Nairobi, and most people if they've watched like The Avengers, they've seen Nairobi in a film. But the tech center that has become the hub that it's become for East Africa, what was the intentionality in choosing specifically that place.

I'm based upon just being there so much, knowing the government, knowing their focus, and I'm understand the vision of the US partnership too, and just the way that it's being kind of placed as a singapore of Africa. So from like a trade and economic hub, all that made perfect sense.

And then me and my brother, we've always been focused on Africa and like we wanted to be those conveners, those conduits connecting African Americans in this country to Africans on the continent, because we believe that we can never really realize our true potential if we're not connected with all the amazing people across the continent. So those were two things, and then the third thing was we wanted to think outside the box. It's easy to go to uspace like you know, Detroit, or go to New York,

or go to Atlanta. It's not easy, but it's easier, and I don't think the impact would have been as large. And I think for us, we're all about impact. And I think doing something and now creating what you brothers are doing too, you're creating opportunity and you're facilitating communities that people could never be a part of unless you

were all were providing that facilitation. And so now us opening the membership club in Nairobi, not only can our members probably experience something that can never have dreamed of experiencing, but now we can introduce Nairobians to our members. And it's just a beautiful thing to be able to create a space and facilitate community that you're actually not only driving change, you're driving pure impact.

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