Femi Akindele
- Blog
- July 22, 2025
- 35 views
Are you ready to grow your impact and connect with changemakers across the globe? Join us for a powerful session focused on alumni networking, chapter development, and leadership growth
Theme: Building Bridges: Alumni Networking & GrowthDate: Saturday, 26th July 2025Time: 4PM – 5PM WATLocation: Zoom This session will explore: Launch of the GAIA Alumni Network (Cohort 1)Practical steps for starting and organizing V4C chapters How to fully utilize the GAIA Learning Platform at Action University Hear directly from dynamic voices driving change: Whether you’re an intern, volunteer, or alumni, this is your chance to reconnect, reflect, and reignite your purpose USE THIS LINK TO REGISTER Let’s turn learning into leadership and action into impact. #Volunteers4Cause #GAIAforV4C #WorldMerit #LeadershipDevelopment #YouthInAction #AlumniNetwork #SustainableFuture #CommunityBuilding
Oluwatosin Oguntunde- Blog
- July 19, 2025
- 41 views
Doing the Right Things: The New Formula for Success in a Noisy, Fast-Moving World
In today’s hyperconnected, hypercompetitive world, success doesn’t necessarily belong to the loudest voice in the room or the person with the fanciest credentials. It belongs to the doers. The executors. The networkers. The fast movers. More specifically, it belongs to those who commit to: These three pillars form a new-world framework for results-driven leadership, entrepreneurship, and impact creation. Let’s unpack them—using hard data, global trends, and economic realities that are shaping success today. 1. Right Actions Over Speeches: Why Talk is Cheap in the Execution Economy We’ve entered the era of the Execution Economy—where outcomes, not intentions, drive value. Talkers are everywhere. Social media has democratized soapboxes. Everyone has an opinion, a podcast, or a Twitter thread. But value is created not by noise—but by action. Real-World Data Economic Cost of Inaction In government and development work, policy paralysis is a classic example of “speech over action.” Nigeria, for instance, has had over 15 national development plans since independence. Yet the country ranked 157th in the UN Human Development Index (2023)—a sign of a disconnect between strategy and tangible action. Case Study: Elon Musk You can hate him or love him, but Musk exemplifies action-oriented leadership. While competitors debated the ethics and feasibility of electric vehicles, he built Tesla. While governments discussed space privatization, he launched SpaceX. As of 2024, Tesla’s market cap hit $760 billion, while most traditional automakers are still trying to scale up their EV lineups. Bottom line? Talk doesn’t move mountains. Actions do. 2. Speedy Execution Over Endless Analysis: The Cost of Waiting Paralysis by analysis is the silent killer of great ideas. The desire to get things “perfect” often slows down initiatives to the point where they miss the window of opportunity. In today’s fast-moving global economy, speed is a competitive advantage, not just a logistical metric. The Numbers Don’t Lie The Agile Advantage The Agile methodology—born out of the software world—is now infiltrating every sector from healthcare to education to finance. Why? Because it promotes rapid iterations over perfection. It’s built on the principle: “Start small, fail fast, learn fast, scale faster.” Organizations that embrace agile principles see: Case Study: COVID-19 Vaccine Rollouts Moderna developed its first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate within 2 days of receiving the virus sequence in January 2020. While others were caught up in lengthy trials, Moderna moved fast, iterated fast, and became a global pharmaceutical powerhouse—reaching $18.5 billion in revenue in 2021, up from $60 million in 2019. Speed literally saved lives—and created massive economic value. Speed = Opportunity The African tech ecosystem shows a similar pattern. Startups like Flutterwave and Paystack didn’t wait for regulatory perfection. They moved fast, created value, and attracted global attention. Flutterwave is now valued at $3 billion, and Paystack was acquired by Stripe for $200 million—because they executed. Conclusion: If you wait until you’re “ready,” someone else will do it faster—and eat your lunch. 3. Building Strategic Networks Over Staying Siloed The lone genius myth is dead. In today’s knowledge economy, networks amplify success. Whether you’re a founder, policymaker, student, or social entrepreneur, your ability to build strategic alliances—not just contacts—can accelerate your progress exponentially. The Data on Networks What Strategic Networking Looks Like Case Study: Y Combinator More than just an accelerator, Y Combinator is a network. A family. A tribe. Its alumni include Dropbox, Airbnb, Stripe, and Reddit. These startups didn’t just raise capital—they plugged into a support system that offered wisdom, mentorship, press connections, and customer access. The result: Global Development Insight Networks are also transforming international development. The UN SDG Partnerships Platform connects thousands of actors across sectors. Research shows that multi-stakeholder partnerships are 33% more successful in reaching development targets than solo actors (UNDP, 2021). Silo is suicide in the age of collaboration. Let’s Zoom Out: The Macroeconomic Implication of Doing the Right Things When we aggregate these principles—action, speed, and collaboration—they don’t just influence personal or organizational growth. They impact national development and global competitiveness. Consider the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index: Meanwhile, African nations struggling with project delays, weak execution cultures, and isolated silos lose up to 40% of potential GDP growth annually (African Development Bank, 2023). The global economy rewards velocity, collaboration, and execution. Period. Final Takeaways: The New Success Trifecta In this age of volatility, the formula for real-world success—whether you’re a leader, a builder, or a changemaker—is deceptively simple but radically effective: Do the Right Things: Principle What It Means Why It Matters Right Actions Move beyond rhetoric. Deliver value. Value is tied to results, not opinions. Speedy Execution Launch, learn, and iterate fast. Speed is the new currency of growth. Strategic Networking Collaborate with purpose. Relationships amplify outcomes. These aren’t “soft skills.” These are survival skills for the modern age. If you’re still caught up in endless brainstorming, talking about your plans, or trying to do it all alone—it’s time to shift gears. Because the world doesn’t wait. Written by Oluwatosin Philip OguntundeThought Leader | Project Manager | Founder, Opportunity Gist References
- Oluwatosin Oguntunde
- Blog
- July 19, 2025
- 31 views
Building a Life of Grit in an Unequal World.
“Many of us (myself included) are still building a rock-solid life. No inherited silver spoons. Just pure grit. Yes, some people are privileged — they’ve got access, support, and steady funding. But never forget: someone paid the price, laid the groundwork, and built what others now leverage. Respect the process. Build yours.” In today’s hyper-connected yet deeply divided world, this quote captures the essence of a growing struggle: building from scratch when you start with nothing but ambition and determination. It’s the silent journey of millions — no inheritance, no connections, no safety net. Just grit. While others glide on the escalator of generational privilege, many are still laying each brick of their foundation by hand. The Global Wealth Divide: Starting Lines Aren’t Equal The economic odds? Stacked. According to the World Inequality Report 2022 (Chancel et al., 2022), the top 10% of global earners take home 52% of global income, while the bottom 50% receive only 8.5%. And when it comes to wealth (not just income), the richest 1% own nearly 38% of global assets. Meanwhile, OECD data (2023) shows the average monthly income (adjusted for purchasing power) is: That’s a 1:15 ratio — and that’s if you’re lucky enough to be employed. In Nigeria, youth unemployment and underemployment combined is still hovering above 50% (NBS, 2023). This isn’t just an inequality of money — it’s an inequality of opportunity. Privilege Is Real — And Measurable Let’s not sugarcoat it. Some people start the game several laps ahead. In the U.S., a Brookings Institution report (2020) found that between 50-60% of wealth is inherited, not earned. Globally, the billionaire class is a prime example. According to Oxfam’s 2024 report, about 60% of billionaire wealth is unearned, either inherited or gained through monopolies and political favor. Forbes data from the same year shows: Even among non-billionaires, these dynamics are visible. Chetty et al. (2014) found that in the U.S., kids born in affluent neighborhoods (like DuPage, IL) earn 15% above the national average by age 26. In struggling areas like Baltimore? They earn 17% below. And while high-income students can “explore” majors like humanities and art, low-income students are pushed toward “practical” degrees with immediate job prospects — a pattern confirmed in Carnevale et al. (2018). The Price of Grit: Building from Scratch in 2025 So what happens when you have no silver spoon? You build with your bare hands. Globally, 58% of workers are employed in the informal economy — meaning no job security, no health insurance, no pension (ILO, 2022). That’s over 2 billion people living paycheck-to-paycheck. In the U.S., Bankrate (2023) reports that 34% of workers are doing the same — and about 57% couldn’t cover a $1,000 emergency without borrowing or cutting essentials. Meanwhile, the IMF (2023) highlights that developing countries spent $443.5 billion on external debt in 2022 alone — money that could’ve gone into education, infrastructure, or entrepreneurship. But here’s the kicker: at the same time, 204 new billionaires were minted in 2024, and billionaire wealth increased by $2 trillion (Oxfam, 2024). Wealth is compounding — but only for the already wealthy. The Invisible Foundations Others Stand On “Someone paid the price, laid the groundwork, and built what others now leverage.” Let’s break that down. The roads we drive on, the internet we use, the public schools and universities — these didn’t fall from the sky. Someone before us built them. In fact, OECD (2021) found that every college degree creates over $127,000 in public economic return for men and $60,600 for women in terms of taxes and productivity. The modern internet? Built on decades of taxpayer-funded research. Today, it connects over 5.35 billion people (DataReportal, 2024). And while it offers new opportunities, those born in places with limited connectivity or education are still struggling to benefit equally. Respecting the process means understanding that even privilege is often built on someone else’s sweat. So, What Do You Do? You build. You invest in your education, your mindset, and your skills. You show up consistently — even when it feels like nothing’s working. You save when you can, spend wisely, take calculated risks, and surround yourself with people who stretch your thinking. You learn from failure. You stay stubborn about your goals but flexible about your methods. Because your hustle? It’s a seed. And seeds take time to grow. Conclusion: Grit Is the New Currency You may not have inherited wealth. You may not have influential uncles, angel investors, or Ivy League connections. But what you do have is your discipline, your vision, your creativity, and your capacity to learn and adapt. Don’t just chase overnight success. Build roots. Build resilience. Build respect. And as you lay each brick of your life — remember: what you’re sweating through now will one day be someone else’s platform. So yes… Respect the process. Build yours. 🔍 References Written By: Oluwatosin Oguntunde Founder, Opportunity Gist | Thought Leader | Project Manager
