Market Truths

After a tumultuous week in global markets, today the US stock market ended higher on the session. On the heels of macroeconomic data that showed strong fundamentals in the US, along with overtures from China to slow its downturn, the Read more…


Leapfrogging into the Future

We live in strange times, and sometimes it seems that the world is spinning backwards. Donald Trump is a leading presidential contender and the North Pole saw December temperatures rise above freezing without any sunlight.   As every year comes to Read more…


Are Banks the Next Dinosaurs?

Last week, I spoke at The Economist’s Buttonwood Gathering in NYC about how emerging markets (and Africa in particular) are leapfrogging innovation in the financial services sector. The most documented example of this is M-Pesa’s mobile money platform in Kenya, Read more…


Smart Data, Diversity and our Decentralized Future

As an avid traveler, observer of the world and a technophile, I’ve been struck by the parallels in the development of technology with the broader evolution of societal structures. These observations have led me to the investment thesis at the Read more…


Rethinking Impact Investing

Impact investing, venture philanthropy and social entrepreneurship are all areas in practice and theory that have been close to my heart for years. As regular readers of my blog know, I was born in Nairobi and grew up visiting the Read more…


On the Rocks

I spent last weekend in Boulder, Colorado rock climbing for the first time in years. It was a reinvigorating weekend with a dear friend who had first introduced me to the sport. I reflected on why I love rock climbing Read more…


The Magic of Abra

One of the challenges of communicating the power of the blockchain over the past couple of years has been the absence of a “killer app”. An application on top of the infrastructure that renders the complex technology behind it invisible Read more…


Modi and Ma

The last 2 weeks were notable for the world’s two most populous countries. If there was any doubt that the 21st century will be “The Asian Century” Jack Ma and Narendra Modi, an unlikely pair, lay those doubts to rest. Read more…


Billion or Bust?

I  just wrote a short piece which Quartz published today.  I’m re-posting below.  Do I think we are in a valuation bubble?  I think that later stage valuations are frothy (for reasons I explain below) while earlier stage valuations are Read more…


What in the World ?!?

I gave a talk, titled “What in the World?”, almost exactly 2 years ago to this day at Bloomberg LP’s headquarters in NYC as part of Social Media Week.  You can view the full presentation here.  I overviewed  demographic and economic Read more…