168. Leadership Insights I Wish I Had Known at the Start – Aramide Kayode

In the first episode of the Leadership Insights I Wish I Had Known at the Start series, Julia speaks with Aramide Kayode, a 24-year-old educator and founder of a free school in Nigeria. 

Aramide shares the eight lessons she’s learned about leading, starting with the power of believing in people before they believe in themselves. From listening fiercely and celebrating growth, to standing by your mission and helping others find themselves in their work, her insights are grounded, simple, and deeply human. 

She also speaks about leading in resource-limited settings, where love, safety, and dignity are often as essential as strategy. Her leadership is deeply shaped by the reality of her students' lives and her commitment to making a tangible difference.  

Listen to this episode to discover crucial insights on leadership - the kind that are rarely found in textbooks but often learned the hard way through lived experience. 

About the Guest:  

Aramide Kayode is an education advocate and social entrepreneur committed to transforming the lives of children in low-income communities. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Talent Mine Academy, a free school in Nigeria providing 12 years of high-quality education to underserved children. Aramide’s mission is to empower young people as community leaders and changemakers, and her students have already impacted over 5,000 residents through social initiatives. A graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Education and Covenant University, Aramide currently serves as a Youth Representative at UNESCO and sits on the Youth Advisory Board at RIVET. Her work has been featured by Global Citizen, Malala Fund, Harvard Magazine, and more.