FROM GARAGE TO GROWTH

Hosted by O'brien Phiri

Business Entrepreneurship

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Sep 2026

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About the show

Embark on a thrilling ride with “From Garage to Growth,” the podcast that bridges continents, connecting African intrapreneurs with global insights. Discover the secrets of success, strategies, and key players transforming the intrapreneurial landscape. For visionaries across Africa and beyond, this dynamic platform fosters a global exchange of knowledge. Dive into a wellspring of inspiration and guidance tailored for founders worldwide. Join me in unlocking the power of intrapreneurial success on a truly global scale!

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44 recent

September 18, 2026Episode 4223 min

#42 Why Africa's Problem Isn't Talent, It's Connection

In this episode, Mponeng Seshea, CEO & Co-Founder of Imizizi Evolution and founder of the NGO Women Impacting Communities, breaks down Simply Complex Africa, a two-day "prosperity ecosystem" bringing together entrepreneurs, youth, corporates, and creatives in Cape Town. We talk about why economic fragmentation happens, how the event's Marketplace of Possibility and Prosperity Quest work, why there's a fashion runway at a startup event, the youth hackathon selection process, and the 12-month paid youth scholarship program built to make young people work-ready. 📍 Simply Complex Africa 2026 | 22–23 September | Cape Town, South Africa🔗 www.simplycomplex.africa TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Meet Mponeng Seshea: Imizizi Evolution & Women Impacting Communities 00:26 – The real problem: fragmentation, not lack of ideas01:31 – What's driving disconnection in Africa's startup ecosystem 02:50 – This year's theme: From Fragmentation to Connection 03:03 – Why Simply Complex calls itself a "prosperity ecosystem" 05:39 – Marketplace of Possibility: how it works 07:09 – The Prosperity Quest & cash prize judging criteria 08:30 – Why there's a fashion runway at a startup event 11:40 – Inside the Youth Hackathon: selection & structure 14:34 – The 12-month paid youth scholarship program 17:25 – Creating safe spaces for youth to try, fail, and grow 22:01 – Final takeaway: intentional collaboration over quick wins 23:02 – Registration details & how to attend #SimplyComplexAfrica #FromGarageToGrowth #AfricanEntrepreneurship #Fintech #CapeTown #Prosperity #StartupEcosystem

August 27, 2026Episode 4143 min

#41 Why Embassies Are Africa's New Business Accelerators

Ten years ago, the UAE's embassy in South Africa spent 60% of its time on politics and 40% on business. Today that's flipped to roughly 80/20. Jacob Ssali, economic advisor to the ambassador, says most entrepreneurs still treat embassies as visa offices when they should be treating them as a free way into a market: regulations, introductions, the people you'd otherwise spend months trying to find. Read why on the site, then hear the full conversation, including a cross-border deal that could turn an idle South African smelter into a solution for DRC copper, on the latest episode of From Garage to Growth.

July 30, 2026Episode 4036 min

#40 Who's Really On The Other Side Of The Screen?

How much of you would a scammer actually need, your voice, your face, a few seconds of video to fool the people who trust you most? For Richy Emah and Chantal Lamprecht of Sumsub, that's not a hypothetical. It's their job. In this episode of "From Garage to Growth," we go deep into the AI fraud epidemic reshaping Africa's digital economy, deepfakes surging by as much as 967% year-on-year in some markets, SIM-swap attacks hijacking phone numbers in seconds, and a retired teacher who lost R1.2 million without ever giving up a single password. 🕛 CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Have You Ever Been Scammed? 00:41 - The "Sophistication Shift": Fraud Up 180% Year-on-Year 01:06 - Deepfake Exposure in Africa Is Almost Universal 05:41 - What Sumsub Actually Solves for Founders 06:52 - "Growth Without Trust Is Dangerous" 08:25 - Breaking Down KYC, AML & Fraud Detection 14:12 - iGaming's Fraud Problem: 97% Happens at the Liveness Check 16:11 - Deepfakes, Synthetic Images & Fake Masks 19:48 - 269% and 967%: The Deepfake Surge Across Africa 20:37 - SIM Swaps & Money Muling Explained 22:09 - The Retired Teacher Who Lost R1.2 Million 22:51 - How Fraud Actually Starts: WhatsApp, Telegram & Instagram 27:44 - A Real SIM-Swap Story 29:26 - How to Protect Yourself Before Clicking That Link 33:44 - How Do You Safeguard Against Deepfakes & AI Fraud?34:59 - The One Question Every Business Should Be Asking 35:33 - The Final Word: Verify 🎙️ ABOUT THE PODCAST: From Garage to Growth features raw conversations with the founders and builders behind today's most innovative companies. We uncover the playbooks, mindset, and strategies they used to turn an idea into a successful venture. 🔔 SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE FOUNDER STORIES: CONNECT WITH US:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/106259356/admin/dashboard/ Website: https://fromgaragetogrowth.co.za/ Have you ever been targeted by a scam? Tell us your story in the comments below! 👇#AIFraud #Deepfakes #Cybersecurity #Sumsub #FraudPrevention #FinTech #StartupPodcast

September 18, 2025Episode 3932 min

#39 From a $5,000 Problem to a $100 Solution: Reinventing Hearing

How do you take on a multi-billion dollar industry when you have no money and no investors? You start with a problem you can't ignore.For Audien Hearing founder Ishan Patel, that problem was watching his grandfather become isolated by the staggering $5,000 cost of a traditional hearing aid. He decided to change the game, creating a high-quality, accessible solution for under $100.This is the ultimate bootstrapper’s story. In this episode of "From Garage to Growth," Ishan Patel shares the raw, in-the-trenches playbook he used to turn a personal mission into a company that has helped over a million people. He reveals how he survived going 10 months without a paycheck, battled industry giants, and built a brand that truly matters.🕛 CHAPTERS:00:00 - The $5,000 Problem02:01 - The Personal Story: Why He Started Audien Hearing04:34 - Inside the "Garage Phase": Building a Company in 47°C Heat06:52 - The #1 Skill Founders Must Learn to Succeed08:03 - Facing Failure: 10 Months with No Paycheck10:15 - How to Handle Industry Pushback & Naysayers13:40 - The Truth About Manufacturing Costs vs. Retail Price18:37 - Designing for Humans & Removing the Stigma of Hearing Aids28:17 - The Future: Global Expansion & Helping Millions More30:31 - Ishan's Final Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs🎙️ ABOUT THE PODCAST: From Garage to Growth features raw conversations with the founders and builders behind today's most innovative companies. We uncover the playbooks, mindset, and strategies they used to turn an idea into a successful venture.🔔 SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE FOUNDER STORIES: https://www.youtube.com/@Garage2GrowthCONNECT WITH US:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/106259356/admin/dashboard/Website: https://fromgaragetogrowth.deWhat was your biggest takeaway from Ishan's journey? Let us know in the comments below! 👇#FounderStory #Bootstrapping #Entrepreneurship #Startup #Disruption

September 12, 2025Episode 3833 min

#38 The Social Network for Musicians: Why Tribe is Your Greatest Asset

In this episode, Josh Simons, the founder of music-tech networking app Vampr and CEO of Vinyl Group, shares his incredible journey from frontman of a rock band to the C-suite of a public company. Discover the raw truths about the founder's grind, why he believes 'tribe matters more than talent' when building a product, and the strategic thinking behind selling his startup, only to become the CEO of the company that acquired it. Josh also dives deep into the future of the music industry and reveals how AI is set to become every artist's newest bandmate. 🎸 About the Guest Josh Simons is the CEO of Vinyl Group and the founder of Vampr, the world's largest social-professional network for musicians. He's a seasoned entrepreneur who has navigated multiple funding rounds, a major acquisition, and the transition from private founder to public company CEO. Connect with Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonsjosh/ Learn more about Vinyl Group: https://vinyl.group/ From Garage Growth: Subscribe for more interviews with top founders and operators: [Insert Subscription Link] Watch our episode on: https://youtu.be/Zr9hecO84vU Visit our website for more resources: https://fromgaragetogrowth.de/ #MusicTech #Entrepreneurship #StartupStory #Vampr #MusicIndustry #Leadership #AIinMusic

September 2, 2025Episode 3725 min

#37 The Secret to Global Expansion: The Taxi Driver Test

In this episode on global scaling, Adam O'Connor, Chief Commercial Officer of Gear Inc., breaks down the essential strategies for successful international expansion. Learn how to avoid the most common pitfalls founders face, build a resilient and cohesive global culture, and use his unique 'taxi driver test' to evaluate new markets before you invest About the Guest: Adam O'Connor is a C-suite executive with over a decade of experience in scaling businesses across dozens of countries. Connect with Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-o-connor-54766048/Learn more about Gear Inc.: https://www.gearinc.com/ Timestamp 01:34 - Introduction 02:07 - The Journey from Hotel Security to the C-Suite 03:10 - Delegating Outcomes, Not Tasks: A Leadership Masterclass 03:55 - Breaking Your Own Systems: The Conflict Between Sales and Operations 05:24 - The "Bad English Accent" Story 07:26 - Teaching in the workplace 08:33 - How to Build a Cohesive Global Culture 09:34 - The 'Taxi Driver Test' for Market Entry - The Art of Scaling 17:38 - AI as an Amplifier: How to Implement it Right 21:50 - Building, Breaking, and Rebuilding Your Systems for Scale 22:50 - What It Really Costs to Reach the Top From Garage Growth: Subscribe for more interviews with top founders and operators: Watch our episode on: https://youtu.be/bLnfpQFGReg Visit our website for more resources: https://fromgaragetogrowth.de/ #GlobalScaling #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Startup

August 22, 2025Episode 3627 min

#36 The SA Startup Act: A Founder's Game-Changer or Just More Red Tape?

A law on paper is one thing. Making it work is another. Is the proposed South African Startup Act the game-changer our entrepreneurs have been waiting for? In this episode of "From Garage To Growth," we do a deep dive into this landmark legislation to see if it holds the key to unlocking our local ecosystem's true potential. We discuss:🔹 The #1 Hurdle for SA Founders: Why over 90% of local VC funding comes from offshore and the legacy laws creating this capital crunch.🔹 The Plan to Unlock Local Capital: How the Act’s proposed tax incentives, inspired by the UK's successful model, could unleash a new wave of angel investment.🔹 Bridging the Great Divide: A look at how the Act aims to fix the deep "misalignment" between government and founders, starting with exchange controls.🔹 Why Defining 'Startup' is Step Zero: We explore the critical need for an official definition to build a truly supportive ecosystem—a problem officially recognised by Parliament. 🚀 This episode is a must-listen for every South African founder, investor, and policymaker passionate about building a world-class local tech ecosystem. ✅ Subscribe to "From Garage To Growth" for more deep dives into the strategies shaping African entrepreneurship. #SouthAfrica #StartupAct #VentureCapital #TechPolicy #SAInnovation #Entrepreneurship #fromgaragetogrowth

August 12, 2025Episode 3532 min

#35 How to Find an "Internal Champion" to Close Any Deal (The B2B Sales Hack)

How do you walk away from a $600 million company you co-founded? And what do you do next? In this episode of "From Garage To Growth," I sit down with Braydan Young, the founder behind the gifting giant Sendoso and now CEO of the innovative sales platform, SlashExperts. Braydan gets candid about the difficult decision to leave his first major success and the realities of starting over. We discuss: 🔹 The Founder's Dilemma: Braydan shares the raw, internal dialogue of stepping away from a massive company when you realise you're no longer the right person to lead its next phase. 🔹 The Biggest Lie in B2B Sales: Why the idea that you can grow without human connection is flawed, especially as AI floods the market with noise. 🔹 Finding Your "Champion": A masterclass on how to identify and empower an internal advocate within a target company to navigate deals and close them faster. 🔹 The "Anti-AI" Sales Approach: How Braydan is leveraging peer-to-peer conversations through his new platform, Slash Experts, to rebuild trust in the sales process. 🔹 Founder Journey 2.0: The difference between building a company in your 20s versus building one with a family and years of experience—working smarter, not just harder. 🚀 This episode is essential for any founder wrestling with identity, growth, and the changing landscape of B2B sales. ✅ Subscribe to "From Garage To Growth" for more authentic stories from the front lines of entrepreneurship. Timestamp: 01:28: Meet Braydan Young: Founder of a $600M Company 03:45: Why I Left My $600M Startup 05:57: How to Find Your Next Million-Dollar Idea 07:13: The Founder's Identity Crisis: Who Are You After You Exit? 09:22: The BIGGEST Lie Founders Are Told About B2B Sales 11:08: The Death of the Cold Call: What Actually Works Now?13:08: The Most Important Person in Any Deal: The Champion 14:07: A Founder's Guide to Finding Your First Champion 17:27: The Ultimate Social Proof: Let Your Customers Sell For You 20:22: How to Turn Your First Customers into an Army of Champions 22:47: The 2 CRM Metrics That Prove You're Driving Revenue 23:37: Our Secret Weapon: Using AI to Analyze Customer Conversations 24:57: A Founder's Warning About the AI "Gold Rush" 28:50: Smarter, Not Harder: Lessons From a Second-Time Founder#FounderJourney #B2BSales #StartupStrategy #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #VentureCapital #TechStartup #fromgaragetogrowth

August 1, 2025Episode 3432 min

#34 Web vs Mobile (Or PWA?): Where to Build your Startup?

What's the single most critical tech decision a founder can make? And how can getting it right save you thousands in capital and months of development time?In this episode of "From Garage To Growth," we tackle the ultimate startup conundrum: web app, native mobile app, or a Progressive Web App (PWA)? To guide us, we're joined by Angelo Zanetti, co-founder and CEO of Elemental, a veteran with nearly two decades of experience building digital products for startups. We discuss:🔹 The Classic Contender vs. The Engagement Powerhouse: A head-to-head comparison of web and native mobile apps, breaking down the pros and cons of speed, cost, and user access.🔹 Budget & Speed: Why Angelo's default advice is "go web first," and how building a lightweight MVP can be the key to finding product-market fit without breaking the bank.🔹 The Hidden "Platform Tax": The raw numbers behind the 15-30% revenue cut on the App Stores and how a web-based strategy can protect your margins.🔹 The Best of Both Worlds?: A deep dive into Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), what they are, how they work, and when they are the smartest choice for delivering a native-like experience.🔹 A Clear Decision Framework: Angelo’s simple, step-by-step guide for making the right call for your startup, based on your functionality, budget, and market.🚀 This episode is a must-listen for any founder, offering a clear blueprint to navigate one of the most critical early-stage decisions.✅ Subscribe to "From Garage To Growth" for more insights from entrepreneurs and industry leaders.🎧 Listen on: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/from-garage-to-growth/episodes/33-Two-Million-Steps-66-000-Steps-a-Day-A-Mission-to-Redefine-Black-Health-e35t1fqListener Feedback Form - From Garage to Growth: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSecLHnXImqJshUaLPP_2VPCxG85tQbjKTwq8GmpHfRn-qiajg/viewform?usp=dialog#webdevelopment #MobileDevelopment #PWA #Startup #Entrepreneurship #TechStartup #MVP #FounderTips #fromgaragetogrowth

July 23, 2025Episode 3351 min

#33 Two Million Steps (66,000 Steps a Day): A Mission to Redefine Black Health

What does it take to walk 2 million steps in a single month? And how can that one incredible act of endurance help launch a revolution in Black health?In this episode of "From Garage To Growth," we follow the extraordinary journey of Kwame Terra, the CEO and founder of Behr Health. Driven by a deep-seated mission to tackle systemic health disparities, Kwame is building a new system from the ground up to revolutionise wellness in the black community. His story is one of resilience, relentless discipline, and a physical feat that symbolises his larger mission: walking an astonishing 2 million steps (that's 66,000 a day) to redefine what's possible.We discuss:🔹 The "Long Sprint" Mentality: How a background in cross-country running forged the discipline needed to apply to over 80 accelerators and build a startup from scratch.🔹 A System By Us, For Us: The powerful historical context that fuels Kwame's mission and his decision to create a new health system rather than try to fix a broken one.🔹 The 2 Million Step Journey: The raw, unfiltered story of walking 16 hours a day, from debilitating pain to the chance encounter with a podiatrist that saved the challenge.🔹 From Endurance to Entrepreneurship: Why focusing on the process (the daily grind) over the outcomes (the wins) is the ultimate strategy for success and silencing self-doubt.🔹 More Than Just an App: A look inside the Behr Health platform, which uses a simple health score to build the "Black Electronic Health Record" and drive community-wide change.🔹 The Power of Community: How real-world initiatives, like the Mardi Gras steps challenge and local run clubs, became the true growth engine for the app.🔹 The Blueprint for Better Health: Kwame’s simple, 3-step advice for anyone ready to begin their own health journey.🚀 Kwame Terra’s story is a powerful blueprint for any entrepreneur driven by a deep sense of purpose and the will to build a better future.✅ Subscribe to "From Garage To Growth" for more insights from entrepreneurs and industry leaders.📢 Share this episode with an entrepreneur driven by a powerful mission:https://youtu.be/RGG1KwgSxa0 Listener Feedback Form - From Garage to Growth: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeItP0mqe2VNdCjhHNPC4UEjxClZRxuhBC3-5pqX282eibTRA/viewform?usp=dialogTimestamp:00:00-01:58: Introduction to Healthcare Equity 01:59-05:04: Introduction 05:21-11:58: The discipline of running and into entrepreneurship12:36-17:28: Redefining health care for the black community17:57-26:59: 20 million steps challenge27:05-29:11: The historical context29:27-34:54: Building a health app (Behr)35:28-38:44: Using data to drive change38:47-41:15: A Call to Action: Join the Movement41:25-45:32: Community The First Step to Health45:47-51:20: 3 Keys to Transform Your Health#BlackHealth #HealthTech #CommunityBuilding #SocialImpact #BehrHealth #Entrepreneurship #Startup #StartupJourney #Resilience #MissionDriven #fromgaragetogrowth