In this episode, we head to Dakar to speak with Madji Sock, an insightful entrepreneur, investor, and ecosystem builder whose work bridges tradition and innovation across Senegal and beyond. Madji brings a grounded, fearless presence shaped by a childhood split between continents, a deep reverence for Senegalese culture, and a belief in the transformative power of women. From co-founding the Women’s Investment Club—now a model replicated across Africa— to leading her own investment studio, Haskè Ventures, Madji has championed new ways for women to build, invest, and lead on their own terms. In this conversation, she reflects on how local traditions like tontines inspired scalable investment vehicles, the power of women’s leadership in Senegal, and what it will take to move African ventures from “one to ten.”

JUMP TO:

00:40… where Darren introduces season co-host Elisabeth Makumbi who hosts this episode

03:05… Madji’s invocation, where she calls in Wolof for divine intervention in these troubled times.

06:00… Madji discusses her upbringing and how a name can have such profound influence over a life, as well as the role of food and music - and discussions about women and girls’ causes at the dinner table.

09:00… The influence of the US and particularly New York, on her ambitions in life and on the draw of Senegal.

10:55… Her journey to co-founding the Women’s Investment Club

15:20… Shout out to Wendy Luhabe of South Africa’s WIPHOLD (Women Investment Portfolio Holdings).

18:30… The role of powerful women in Senegalese society.

22:00… Admiration for the authenticity in young people’s voices today.

23:50… African entrepreneurs’ difficulties growing continental champions; how it is one thing to be able to grow a company, to “get from 0 to 1”, quite another to “get from 1 to 10.”.

28:00… The people of Senegal “are still getting up and building” - be that in business or the arts/ entertainment spaces and how hope is driving the country past a “tipping point”.