Podcast

1240: Chasing Black Unicorns And Interpol Most Wanted List

Marek Zmysłowski is a Polish-born entrepreneur and executive, focused on online businesses in Frontier and Emerging Markets, author of “Chasing Black Unicorns. How building the Amazon of Africa put me on Interpol Most Wanted list.”

Silicon Valley meets Indiana Jones – Chasing Black Unicorns is an autobiography written by one of Poland’s most respected internet entrepreneurs. Witty and humorous, the book covers many dramatic and often dangerous events.

Before moving to Nigeria to set up the ‘Amazon of Africa,’ Zmysłowski worked for one of Poland’s most prominent financial services companies and is the founder of many online ventures in Central Europe. While establishing the first online network of funeral services in Poland, he had to overcome challenges from criminal gangs running the market sector.

His businesses in Nigeria have also made him enemies, powerful individuals who have corrupted police and government officials to stand against him. Overnight, Marek became an international fugitive and was put on the most wanted list by Interpol, an organization with a history of being manipulated by corrupt regimes. Zmysłowski describes this and many other events, putting them in the context of African history and cultures, a continent he is now deeply in love with.

The book reveals an engaging story of an entrepreneur who scales big businesses in Africa. Marek’s experiences show the behind-the-scenes business building for many of us on the exotic continent and investor relations and the fight against big competition.

Marek also co-founded Jumia Travel – Africa’s Biggest Hotel Booking Portal listed on NYSE as part of Jumia Group and HotelOnline.co – a Travel Technology Company. In 2014, he was chosen as one of the Ten Most Important People in Tech by IT News Africa Magazine. He is a Lead Mentor at Google’s Launchpad and World Bank’s XL Africa Program

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