Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes

About

Adesuwa is an experienced finance professional with a demonstrated track record over the last 15 years in investment banking and private equity from global institutions such as J.P Morgan. She is the Founder of Aruwa Capital Management, one of the few women owned and managed early stage growth equity funds in Africa investing into untapped investment opportunities in West Africa in the small to lower mid-market. Adesuwa is an entrepreneur, CEO, mother, investor and women’s empowerment advocate. She founded Aruwa Capital in order to make an impact in society with her skills and track record and change the narrative for women and small businesses across Africa. She is one of the youngest female private equity fund managers in Africa having launched Aruwa Capital at 29 years old. Adesuwa is the first female solo GP to raise more than $10 million in an institutional first fund in Nigeria. Adesuwa is a big believer that investing in women is not only the moral thing to do given the role women play in society and the multiplier it can have in terms of poverty alleviation for families, but also because investing in women and for women, has been proven to deliver outsized and superior returns. Adesuwa is focused on using Aruwa Capital Management’s investments as a case study to illustrate the business case to invest in women as fund managers, entrepreneurs, consumers and stakeholders in society. Adesuwa was recognised as one of the Top 35 Women Moving Africa Forward in 2020. In 2021, she was named as one of the Top 100 global leaders combining profit and purpose by Meaningful Business. In 2022, Adesuwa was named as one of Top 100 African leaders under the age of 40 by the Institut Choiseul, set to play a major role in the economic development of the African continent and also recognized as one of the Top 50 Inspiring Women in Nigeria by BusinessDay.