Yemisi Isidi Advocates for Mentorship: Empowering Early-Stage Founders

**Championing Mentorship for Early-Stage Founders: A Conversation with Yemisi Isidi**

Yemisi Isidi, who returned to Nigeria from the UK in 2017, has emerged as a catalyst for change in the African business landscape. Witnessing the challenges faced by businesses, especially those owned by women, she transitioned from assisting small business owners in leveraging social media to providing micro-loans through her venture, Triift Africa. Recognizing that beyond finances, entrepreneurs needed structure and management, she shifted her focus to offering advisory services to business owners.

Over the last two years, Yemisi Isidi has played a pivotal role in disbursing over $10 million to early founders and business owners. Engaged in providing technical advisory through various accelerators and incubation programs, she has contributed to initiatives like the She Leads Africa program and The Future Female Business School. Notable alumni of these programs include Medsaf, Shuttlers, and Auto Girl.

In an interview with TechCabal, Yemisi sheds light on the significance of mentorship in building sustainable businesses. She emphasizes that mentorship goes beyond operational advice and challenges the notion that female founders are "over-mentored." According to Yemisi, mentorship provides access to networks, facilitates external funding, and aids in bootstrap funding for internal growth.

Addressing the role of money in startups, Yemisi acknowledges its importance but cautions against excessive funding without a solid foundation, integrity, or product-market fit. She believes too much money, lacking accountability, can stifle innovation and problem-solving.

Reflecting on her achievements, Yemisi cites enabling access to over $10 million in funding for startups across six African countries. She has also worked with 700 entrepreneurs to build investment-ready and profitable businesses. Her initiatives, such as the Illorin Digital Summit and Cirkle Labs, demonstrate a commitment to digital literacy and innovation.

When asked about lessons learned, Yemisi emphasizes the importance of financial literacy from day one. She advocates for entrepreneurs to pay attention to numbers, cut costs, maintain financial records, and improve revenue and profit to make strategic and data-driven decisions for sustainable growth.