In this edition of the Melanin Rich Fireside Chat, we sit down with one of the most influential voices reimagining Africa’s food and agribusiness landscape, Ada Osakwe, founder & managing director of Agrolay Ventures.

This conversation isn’t about agribusiness as usual; it’s about the future of Africa’s food systems, the bold leadership required to transform them, and the economic power that emerges when women build at scale.

Ada is not just an investor; she is a builder of industries.

Through Agrolay Ventures, she has backed and developed pioneering food and beverage brands that champion sustainability, value addition, and African excellence. Her portfolio includes disruptive ventures like Nourish Foods, The Nuli Juice Company, and several emerging agri-innovators reshaping what Africans grow, eat, and export.

What defines Ada’s journey is her conviction:

She believes Africa doesn’t just need to feed itself; it needs to own the entire value chain.
She champions local production, local processing, and local talent.
And she has proven that mission-driven businesses can be profitable, scalable, and globally relevant.

Ada’s impact extends far beyond boardrooms.

As Nigeria’s former senior investment adviser to the Minister of Agriculture, she helped direct billions into agricultural projects.
As a global advocate, recognized by Forbes, CNN, and the World Economic Forum, she has become a leading voice for transforming food economies through entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusion.

This Fireside Chat takes us behind the scenes of Ada’s rise and the lessons that every founder, operator, and investor can apply immediately:

• What it takes to build brands that become movements, not just products

• How to navigate funding with clarity, courage, and strategic precision

• Why the future of African wealth lies in agribusiness, value chains, and sustainability

• How women founders can lead, influence, and win without shrinking themselves

At Melanin Rich, we believe African entrepreneurship is not just a pathway to growth; it’s a path to sovereignty. Ada’s story affirms that belief with action, strategy, and results.

This is real insight from a real builder, a woman who is redefining what is possible when purpose meets enterprise and when African founders stop waiting for permission and start shaping markets.

Because the future of food is African.
And Ada Osakwe is one of the women leading us there.