Week 51: Christina Sass, Andela
Growing up in the U.S., it was easy to understand the importance of education, even at a young age. As children, we are constantly told to do well in school so we can go to a good university and, therefore, get a good job. In the wake of the recession, it became clear that the aforementioned formula was no longer a guarantee to success. At the same time, employers across all categories were in need of more technical talent to fill the growing demands of their businesses. Though the rise of developer bootcamps here in the States helped alleviate some of this pain, there was still a hole in the hiring landscape. Now, as we transition to a more remote workforce, it’s easier than ever to tap into talent across the globe. Yet how do we ensure this new genre of employees is prepared for the technical workload?
One person who saw this trend as it evolved was Christina Sass, cofounder and President of Andela. Andela is a network of technology leaders dedicated to advancing human potential by catalyzing the growth of tech ecosystems across the African continent while solving the global technical talent shortage. The startup helps companies build high-performing engineering teams by investing in Africa’s most talented software developers. And quality entrepreneurs they have; Andela has been called “the startup that’s harder to get into than Harvard” by CNN and is consistently lauded for the talent it develops. Talking with Christina, it’s quickly evident that this is largely due to the resilience and hustle of the personnel on the ground in Africa. As with most startups, it’s a team effort that contributes to Andela’s success, yet this time, each country director acts in part as a CEO by sourcing the country’s talent while ensuring they get a quality education. Learning no longer is synonymous with a traditional model, and it’s great to see companies like Andela think of creative ways to define what education truly means.
Stage 👉 Series C
Location 👉 NYC & Lagos
Industry 👉 Human Capital Services
“My brother and I were made to be incredibly resilient problem solvers. But for Andela, it was solving this specific problem that added the fuel to the fire.”
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
- How Andela’s cofounders, Christina and Jeremy Johnson, came together over shared values and vision about the opportunity in Africa
- What it was like pitching to early stage investors, and why it was critical that they accompanied them to Africa to see the magic firsthand
- The company’s headquarters in Lagos and New York, and why both cities have benefitted Andela thus far
- Christina’s father, who emigrated from Germany, and how her parents instilled in her a global mindset from a young age
- Her experience as an educator, starting first as an idealist in Clark County, Georgia then to the West Bank and Southeast China, before finally heading to Nairobi and Kenya
- Christina’s thoughts on the traditional education system, both in and outside of the U.S., and how Andela is fixing it for those who need it most
Be sure to listen through the end, where Christina shares the African startups to watch, and the reason why she’d want to chat with Elon Musk.
P.S. Thanks to John Melas-Kyriazi for the intro!
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