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Success is never a solo act. Teams win when values, communication, and trust come first.
Great startups grow on teamwork, not luck. In this module, you’ll learn how African founders hire for attitude, communicate across cultures, and intentionally design the culture they want.
By the end of this module, you will:
Understand how communication shapes collaboration
Define the values that drive a strong team
Design simple rituals that build trust and motivation
See how healthy culture directly impacts revenue and growth
🎧 Lesson 1 — Communicating Across Cultures
🎧 Lesson 1 — Communicating Across Cultures
Speaker: Nankhonde Kasonde van den Broek
Nankhonde explains that communication in Africa goes beyond words, it is shaped by context, values, community, loyalty, identity, and lived experience.
She shows how cultural intelligence helps leaders understand how and why people make decisions, and why listening and respecting cultural background leads to better collaboration and outcomes.
Successful founders don’t just speak — they understand how others think, who influences them, and what values drive their choices. This lesson invites you to practice cultural humility, curiosity, and awareness in every interaction.
Lesson Outcomes:
Recognize how culture and context shape communication styles
Understand why values and relationships matter in African business settings
Adapt how you listen, speak, and collaborate across cultural backgrounds
Add-on: Identify one miscommunication that could cost money or clients and how to prevent it.
🎧 Lesson 2 — Hiring for Attitude
🎧 Lesson 2 — Hiring for Attitude
Speaker: Petra Rees
Petra Rees explains why the most valuable people in a startup aren’t the ones with the longest CVs — they’re the ones with the right attitude.
She shares how enthusiasm, curiosity, and a willingness to learn helped her succeed in a completely new environment, and why she chooses teammates based on mindset and values rather than titles or prestige.
For Petra, attitude is everything: the ability to ask questions, adapt, collaborate, and stay open-minded matters more than knowing all the answers on day one.
Lesson Outcomes:
Identify the mindset traits your early team must have
Recognize why curiosity and willingness to learn matter more than credentials
Practice choosing team members based on values, not just skills
Add-on: Write one sentence linking culture to performance—how the right attitude saves time or increases revenue.
🎧 Lesson 3 — Building Teams
🎧 Lesson 3 — Building Teams
Speaker: Haile Amegashie
Haile Amegashie shows how strong startup culture begins with the right people and real support. Instead of chasing big-name résumés, his team works directly with founders — helping them hire for mindset, build execution muscle, and access experienced operators who support branding, hiring, and strategy.
Lesson Outcomes:
Understand why startup hiring requires a different mindset
Recognize that “culture fit” means adaptability, not prestige
See how support systems strengthen founders and teams
Add-on: Identify one role in your project or startup where hiring for fit matters more than experience and explain why.
End-of-Module Activity — Culture Blueprint Canvas
End-of-Module Activity — Culture Blueprint Canvas
Bring your three worksheets together to design your Culture Blueprint Canvas.
Include:
Communication habits (How we talk & listen)
Core values (What we stand for)
Rituals (What we do to stay connected)
Support systems (Who helps us grow)
"This is how our culture helps us grow and make money sustainably."
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