Andy Ayim is an author, investor and product lead. He's formerly the managing director of Backstage Capital London which invests $100,000 to support women, people of colour, and/or LGBT people. Prior to Backstage, Andy has worked in a range of product roles in companies such as World First which was acquired by Ant Financial for $700 million.

He's really passionate about creating pathways into tech and upscaling people from low-income backgrounds. He serves currently on the board of YSYS, Flipside and Mixtape Madness, a startup that he co-founded with his brothers and friends. And in 2018, Andy received the accolade of being named as one of the FT’s Top 10 Most Influential BAME Tech Leaders in the UK. Listen to his chat with Sanjay Parekh:

01m:08s – How Andy got to Backstage Capital from his early beginnings.

04m:23s – Why is Andy so passionate about bridging the gap between underrepresented peoples and the tech world?

06m:22s – What the differences are between the US and the UK in terms of diversity and inclusion.

12m:05s – What Andy’s personal work philosophy is.

16m:05s – How does Andy get the confidence to be his ‘whole self’ at work.

18m:40s – What some of Backstage Capital’s goals are and why has it been brought to London?

21m:16s – Why Andy wants Backstage Capital to eventually go out of business.

25m:24s – What’s the best way to interact with Andy and what Andy’s looking for as an investor?

29m:25s – How Andy guides people who are considering a career as an intrapreneur or entrepreneur.

33m:20s – How Andy uses his journal as google analytics for his thoughts.

35m:47s – Andy highlights some of the great companies that have gone through the Backstage process.

46m:56s – How would Andy advise others to make sure that they have meaning within their business?

48m:59s – What's next for Andy and Backstage Capital?

Andy has left Backstage Capital since this podcast was recorded. Find out more about Backstage Capital by visiting www.backstagecapital.com or by emailing London@Backstagecapital.com. You can find all the companies mentioned at: https://backstagecapital.com/accelerator/cities/london/.

You can find Andy at AndyAyim.com.

The Business of Meaning Podcast would love to hear from you either via Twitter @BoFMeaning or via email at Sanjay@TheBusinessOfMeaning.com.