A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence
Adesuwa Rhodes is changing the face of investing and entrepreneurship in Africa one investment at a time
Adesuwa is a leading investment professional and CEO with over 14 years of experience in investment banking and private equity in developed and emerging markets across a number of sectors including healthcare, financial services, technology and consumer goods. Adesuwa is an entrepreneur, CEO, mother, investor and women’s empowerment advocate. She is one of the youngest female private equity fund managers running her own fund in Africa, having launched her fund at 29 years old. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Aruwa Capital Management, one of the few women owned and led private equity funds in Africa investing into untapped investment opportunities in West Africa in the small to lower mid-market. Adesuwa is focused on using Aruwa Capital Management’s investments as a case study to make the business case to invest in women as fund managers, entrepreneurs, consumers and stakeholders in society. Adesuwa is a mission driven pioneer on a mission to unlock the power of private capital as a catalyst for change in her environment.
Learn More"I am on a mission to unlock the untapped potential of women as capital allocators, consumers, founders, board members, suppliers and across all levels of society, to unlock enhanced financial returns and positive social impact."
~ Adesuwa Rhodes
I was honoured to join the FCDO Women’s Network Women’s Week celebration, hosted by Deputy British High Commissioner, Gill Lever, to discuss “The Prospects of Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship.” Alongside my fellow panelist Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, we explored some of the most pressing challenges women face in leadership and access to capital, highlighting the critical steps needed to create more inclusive opportunities for women in business.
I had the honour of serving as a guest judge at the Funding Opportunity Pitch Day hosted by the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC). This event showcased transformative business proposals from innovators across Nigeria’s healthcare sector, all aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery nationwide.
I was honoured to participate in the transformative Elevate Africa Conference, hosted by their Royal Majesties, The Olu of Warri kingdom, Ogiame Atuwatse III, and the Queen Consort, Olori Atuwatse III. This gathering brought together leaders, visionaries, and stakeholders from across the continent to reshape the narrative of Africa. I had the pleasure of moderating an all-women key panel titled "Elevating African Trade: Through Regional Partnerships and Collaboration," Where I steered an interesting conversation alongside women leaders across diverse industries- Serah Makka, Executive Director for Africa, The One Campaign, Dr. Jane Kimemia, CEO Optiva Capital Partners Juanita Sheppard, VP of Foundation & Government Partnerships, United Way of Greater Atlanta, Dr. Melinda Harris Barrow, Chairman and Executive Director 6th Region Global Chamber of Commerce.
It was a pleasure to return to the 3rd Annual Black Women in Asset Management (BWAM) Conference, where I was honoured as one of BWAM's 40 Under 40 in 2022, as a speaker. I joined one of the panels to discuss a crucial topic “Gender Lens Investing: Driving Impact and Returns’. I had a great conversation with visionary leaders- Mandy Nyarko MBE, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Sahara Impact Ventures Tara Sabre Collier, Climate and PSE Practice Lead, Chemonics International under the insightful moderation of Vona Aghoghovbia-Ezichi, MD, Head of Finance, Nuveen as we explored key strategies for driving both impact and returns through intentional, gender-focused investing.
I had the pleasure of participating on two pivotal panels at the Women's Private Equity Summit Europe, held at the Fairmont Windsor Park. In the first panel, "Putting Capital to Work", moderated by Aoifinn Devitt, CIO, London LGPS CIV Limited. I joined Frances Houweling, Partner, IK Partners and Rebecca Gibson, Partner, Oakley Capital to discuss innovative strategies for capital deployment across regions. The second panel, "Investing in Africa", moderated by Anne Fossemalle, Director, Equity Funds EBRD focused on Africa's potential as a key investment destination. Together with Mogkadi Maunatiala, Head of Sustainability & Impact Adenia Partners and Kriston Wilson, Managing Partner Innovate Africa Fund, we explored the continent's unique challenges, including political stability, currency fluctuations, and inflation, and how these factors shape fundraising strategies.
Honoured to have spoken at the PEWIN - Private Equity Women Investor Network meeting in New York. Alongside Ingrid Teigland Akay and Adele Oliva, we discussed “The Global Landscape for Female Funders and Founders,” moderated by Marilyn Adler. We highlighted breaking barriers and shifting capital towards women globally. While in New York, I got to connect with female fund managers from across the globe and had the opportunity to meet with LPs, including a visit to the Ford Foundation, advancing discussions around Aruwa Fund II. It was a momentous occasion as I got to receive the award for Aruwa’s recognition as the Female-Founded Emerging Manager, emerging as the winner out of 9 global nominees.
It was a pleasure to host and moderate an insightful webinar in conjunction with one of our largest institutional investors- Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund titled "Advancing Growth: Enabling Gender Equity & Inclusive Investment in Africa." The discussion centred on the reality of our impact report through the lens of our portfolio companies. The panelists—Timi Oke, MD/Co-Founder of Agroeknor; Natalie Casey, Chief Commercial Officer of Koolboks; and Priya Amarnani, Founding Team Member and Head of Product at OmniRetail—shared valuable insights on the impact of Aruwa across their companies and the entire value chain of their businesses.
It was a pleasure to join one of the panels at the Choiseul Africa Summit in Geneva. The panel discussed a crucial topic- "Strengthening Local Value Chains: Reconciling Sustainable and Social Impact”. I shared Aruwa Capital's focus on supporting businesses at pivotal points in their growth and scale journey, and also highlighted our commitment to sustainable investments that drive social impact, aligning with our vision to create lasting value across local economies.
An incredibly proud moment for me as Aruwa Capital releases its inaugural impact report to mark our fifth-year anniversary. As I reflect on the last five years, I am filled with nothing but gratitude as to how far we have come as a firm in a short space of time. It’s been five years of making impactful and meaningful investments that are driving positive change and reshaping the investment landscape in Africa.
It was a pleasure to join one of the panels on the insightful webinar hosted by MiDA Advisors and Standard Bank Group to discuss a critical topic, “Invest in Africa- The time is now” where I discussed Aruwa’s gender lens investment strategy and its trickle-down effect on gender diversity across the value chain of businesses we invest in. I also emphasized our focus on investments in proven businesses that are at a pivotal point of their growth and how Aruwa is providing the much-needed growth capital to help them scale up. The panel expertly moderated by Thembi Matabiswana, Senior Consultant at Riscurra, included other trailblazing fund managers across the continent- Jesmane Boggenpoel, Co-founder & Managing Partner- AIH Capital, and Sheila Kyarisiima, Partner - NISK Capital.
"I believe the way to effectively provide women with more seats at the table is for us to create our own tables. More women succeeding as capital allocators means more women getting funded, more mentors, more torch-bearers, and more examples to follow. Investing in or with funds like Aruwa Capital Management is a practical way to narrow the gender funding gap and making money while you do so."
- Adesuwa Rhodes
Adesuwa is the Founder & Managing Partner of Aruwa Capital Management an early stage private equity fund investing in rapidly growing businesses in West Africa. With Aruwa Capital and her own personal investments, Adesuwa is focused on uncovering untapped investment opportunities that are typically overlooked and underserved. Adesuwa is passionate about showcasing the natural competitive advantage women allocating capital have when investing in businesses for women and by women. Through a gender lens investment strategy, Adesuwa is focused on generating enhanced financial returns whilst delivering positive social impact with a multiplier effect across societies and economies.
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