From waiting hours for internet as a teenager in Addis Ababa to building one of Ethiopia's most powerful fintech companies — meet Nael Hailemariam, Co-Founder & CEO of Chapa Financial Technologies. Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Nael's journey began with a deep curiosity for technology. From those early days of limited internet access to studying computer science, engineering, and data science at some of Asia's leading universities, he developed a passion for solving complex problems through innovation. In this conversation, we explore his remarkable path from Cathedral School to international hackathons, startup competitions, and China's booming technology ecosystem. Nael shares lessons from Shenzhen's rise as a global innovation hub, the mindset behind entrepreneurship, and the experiences that shaped his approach to leadership and nation-building. We also dive into the creation of Chapa, the challenges of building a fintech company in Ethiopia, digital payments, financial inclusion, cybersecurity, and the future of AI-driven businesses. Nael opens up about navigating uncertainty, raising capital, building high-performing teams, and staying committed to a long-term vision despite setbacks. GIZ: https://www.giz.de/de/downloads/giz2023-en-private-sector-development-in-ethiopia.pdf To advertise on Meri: https://meri.et/advertise +251974255555 info@meri.et Social Links https://t.me/MERI_PODCAST https://twitter.com/MERI_Podcast https://www.instagram.com/meripodcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzKNuQ80qNSpt2x-7dsazJg https://youtube.com/@Meriwoch?si=yIpJ3byprnVNwKi1 https://youtube.com/@mericlipset?si=wwa0KeQ_Nv2aPy9l https://www.tiktok.com/@meripodcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/meriethiopian/ Copyright Notice for Meri Podcast: All rights reserved. The content featured in this podcast is protected by copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or modification of any portion of this podcast is strictly prohibited. For permission to use our content, please contact us at info@meri.et Thank you for respecting our copyright.