UnwindFest by YellowLyfe, a platform focused on curated founder and ecosystem conversations, is hosting its 10th Founders Rant X next week at Alliance Française Lagos.

Over 150 founders, CEOs, and business leaders will explore what it takes to build and sustain businesses in Nigeria.

Africa is one of the most entrepreneurial regions globally, with over one in five working-age Africans starting or running businesses, the highest entrepreneurship rate in the world. Yet despite this strong entrepreneurial drive, access to funding is a challenge, with only about 20–33 per cent of small businesses able to access formal financing. These realities highlight the need for platforms that encourage honest conversations, shared learning, and practical support for founders.

Founders Rant moves beyond surface-level business conversations and focus on the real challenges founders face. Attendees can expect honest discussions on hiring, pricing, scaling, funding, and navigating uncertainty, led by founders and operators with firsthand experience. Through keynote sessions, panel conversations, and open dialogue, participants will gain practical insights, ask questions, and connect with other founders.

The 2026 edition will feature industry leaders in real estate, media, enterprise technology, and community building, including Paul Onwuanibe, founder and chief executive officer of Landmark Africa, who will deliver the keynote on scaling businesses and future of entrepreneurship in Nigeria.

Others include Katharina Link, chief executive of Pulse Africa; Kehinde Ogundare; Damilola Teidi-Ayoola; Fola Olatunji-David; and Kelechi Nwaozuzu, leaders with firsthand experience navigating realities of building businesses in Africa. In the past decade, Africa’s startup ecosystem has experienced significant growth, with startup funding increasing from less than $200 million in 2015 to over $2 billion by 2021, reflecting rising investor interest in fintech, media, and enterprise technology.

Despite this progress, sustainability is a challenge. Studies indicate small businesses fail in the first few years, often due to funding constraints, operational gaps, and market volatility. At the same time, small and medium-sized enterprises play a vital role in economic growth, with over 44 million SMEs in Africa, contributing to employment and innovation. These underscore importance of platforms like Founders Rant creating space for founders to share experiences, learn, and build stronger strategies for long-term growth.

Founders Rant has grown into Nigeria’s most consistent founder storytelling platform, creating space for honest, unfiltered conversations that reflect realities of building in a complex and fast-changing business environment. Each edition has brought together diverse voices in industries, helping founders gain clarity, perspective, and practical insights that influence real business decisions.

“Founders Rant was created because too many founders are building without enough honest context about what others are actually experiencing,” said Seyi Olaniyan, Convener of UnwindFest.

“This edition is about deepening those conversations, bringing more experienced voices into the room, and making sure founders are not just inspired, but better equipped to navigate what they are building in real time,” he added.

This milestone edition reinforces UnwindFest’s commitment to building spaces where founders and operators can engage in meaningful, experience-driven conversations that support stronger decision-making and long-term growth. The event is supported by partners including Cleva Banking, Tech Pression, Red Media Africa and Condia. (The Nation)

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