What does it really take to rebuild after losing everything as an African founder? 

Yele Bademosi is a founder, investor, and creative thinker at the intersection of culture, capital, and clarity. He’s the Co-creator and CEO of Onboard. He reveals the untold truth behind losing $3.9 million overnight in the FTX collapse and how that moment transformed his relationship with money, purpose, and freedom.

Yele has built some of Africa’s most influential startups, including Micotraction and Bundle, a social payments app that reached over a million users. But after reaching the height of startup success, everything came crashing down.

Rooted in mindfulness and creative intention, Yele believes we find contentment in the pursuit of alignment between who we are, what we create, and how we serve.

In this deeply personal conversation, Yele shares lessons on resilience, rebuilding from zero, and why he believes private credit, not crypto, is Africa’s biggest untapped opportunity. He also discusses the future of the creator economy, the importance of financial sovereignty, and how Africa’s next billion-dollar companies will be built by creators, not corporations.

He explains:
◼️ Why he walked away from medicine to pursue freedom
◼️ How losing everything in FTX changed his definition of wealth
◼️ The truth about Africa’s credit gap and economic opportunity
◼️ What “potential capital” really means  and how to find yours
◼️ Why creators are Africa’s next economic revolution

🧠 Key Themes

• The Future of Credit in Africa
• Surviving the FTX Collapse
• Rebuilding Purpose & Identity
• The Creator Economy as Africa’s Next Wave
• Financial Freedom, Integrity & the Pursuit of Happiness
  
  

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X (Twitter) – @YeleBademosi
LinkedIn – Yele Bademosi
OnboardGlobal – https://www.linkedin.com/company/onboardbynestcoin/  

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What’s your biggest lesson from Yele’s story: timing, freedom, or resilience?

#YeleBademosi #Afropolitan #Nestcoin #CryptoAfrica#AfricanInnovation #StartupStories #FTXCollapse 

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This episode is sponsored by Inverroche Gin, South Africa’s premium craft gin that fuses heritage botanicals with innovation.

Discover more: https://www.inverroche 

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Want to connect 1:1 with Africa's boldest thinkers? Book a 15-minute convo on Convo: https://convo.vip/ with leaders like Tunde Onakoya, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Asa Asika, and more.

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Hosted by

Eche — https://www.linkedin.com/in/eemole/   

Chika — https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/   

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📍 Timestamps
‍
00:00 The Biggest Opportunity in Africa Today
00:30 Why Credit Matters More Than Crypto
‍02:50 Building Private Credit Systems Across Africa
‍05:30 Yele’s Childhood, Privilege & Early Ambition
‍10:00 Choosing Freedom Over Medicine
‍13:00 Writing the Letter That Changed His Life
‍15:00 The Pursuit of Freedom & True Happiness
‍19:00 Losing His Father & Redefining Legacy
‍22:00 Five Types of Wealth & The Pursuit of Purpose
‍27:00 The Parable That Changed His Life
‍29:00 Why He Got Into Crypto & What He Misjudged
‍34:00 Building Bundle & Nestcoin: The Early Years
‍39:00 Raising Millions & The High of Startup Success
‍43:00 The FTX Collapse: Losing $3.9M Overnight
‍50:00 Rebuilding from Rock Bottom
‍54:00 Forgiving Himself & Learning Self-Compassion
‍58:00 Redefining Wealth Beyond Money
‍1:03:00 The Pursuit of Freedom & Potential Capital
‍1:07:00 Why He Believed in Afropolitan’s Vision Early
‍1:15:00 The Creator Thesis & The Next 10-Year Bet
‍1:25:00 How Creators Will Build Africa’s Next Economy
‍1:38:00 Financial Sovereignty & The Power to Transact
‍1:45:00 Lagos vs London & Life Lessons on Balance
‍1:49:00 Rapid Fire + The Future of Africa’s Creative Economy