ALAT by Wema Bank, Nigeria’s first fully digital bank, will host the second session of its ALAT Talk Series on Thursday, August 26, 2021, via Zoom. The Talk Series is a virtual session that provides young Nigerians with a platform for the exchange of ideas and insights on technology, startups and finance, offering young Nigerian professionals a guide on how to develop and build successful ventures.

The second session, which is themed ‘Developing and Sustaining the Startups of the Future’, will provide young Nigerians with the skills and information that will enable them to build and manage businesses and startups of the future.

Tomiwa Aladekomo, CEO of Big Cabal Media; Femi Akinfolarin, Head, Corporate Strategy, Wema Bank and Adaora Mbelu, Founder, Lumination Global Network have been confirmed as speakers for this session.

Aladekomo will speak on the ‘biggest challenges facing the African technology ecosystem’, while Mbelu will discuss ‘brand positioning as a growth strategy in startup-land’. Akinfolarin will share nuggets from his over 10-year experience within the industry while sharing insights on ‘how tech can help small businesses improve customer experience.’

Business branding, strategy, and management are some of the areas that will be discussed. The online audience will have the opportunity to send in questions before the event using #ALATTalkSeries on social media or via the live chat option during the session.

Funmilayo Falola, Head, Marketing, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, Wema Bank, who will serve as the host of the session commented about the bank’s decision to extend the talk series. “We are fully committed to enabling young Nigerians in their pursuit of financial independence and business skills. The success of the first session compelled us to expand the scope of the series to accommodate even broader participation. We are supporting start-up founders, aspiring entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs with capacity building initiatives, programmes and other activities that will bolster their business acumen, and provide tools for sustainability,” she mentioned in a statement.

Tomiwa Aladekomo holds a master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from Columbia University, New York. He served as Senior Digital Manager at Nigerian Breweries Plc between 2013 – 2016. Subsequently, he was appointed as the Managing Director, Ventra Media Group, a digital media agency. In 2018, he was appointed as the CEO of Big Cabal Media, a Nigerian digital media company creating engaging content for the African youth audience such as Zikoko and Tech Cabal.

Adaora Mbelu who received a BSc in economics and entrepreneurship from Northern Kentucky University is the founder of Lumination Global Network. She has worked in various leadership capacities as a brand developer. In 2017, she was mentioned in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “11 Africans that are changing the business landscape in Africa.” She was awarded “Most Inspiring Woman” at the Her Network Woman of the Year Awards two years ago.

Femi Akinfolarin holds a master’s degree in International Trade and Investment Law from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands and an MBA from the Hult International Business School UAE (Dubai/Boston Campus). He has over a decade cognate experience in the financial services sector and has held various managerial positions in different companies within and outside the sector. He currently heads the corporate strategy function in Wema Bank.

ALAT by Wema has continually shown support for young Nigerians across the country through various youth-friendly initiatives, including a partnership with SociaLiga and other initiatives tailored towards the youths.

The company has also won numerous awards, such as the Best Digital Bank and Best Mobile App in Nigeria at the 2017 World Finance Awards, Best Digital Bank in Africa at the 2018 Asian Banker Awards, amongst many others.

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