GetFundedAfrica is committed to the development of the African startup ecosystem as well as the growth of our employees. As we grow, we are also very excited to showcase the incredible team members that are continuously trying to push the right buttons to make things work from the backend.
To kick off our staff spotlight series, we will be featuring Diana Teoh, Head of Investment & Growth at GetFundedAfrica.
Hey! Can we get to know you?
Greetings! Diana in the house. Born in Malaysia, bred in Australia and of Chinese descendants. Individualistic, growth mindset, loves execution and efficiency. I am someone who lives in the moment yet plans for the future.
What’s the most interesting thing about you?
I got into a bad accident that was caused by two giant monkeys fighting on the side of the road.
How did you get into your current career path?
By taking the initiative to reach out to executives within the VC industry and spark a conversation to land the role that I want combined with a constant effort to learn new things.
What is your GFA Story? How long have you been here?
I started working in GFA in April 2022, and so far, it has been a great pleasure working with the team, despite the cultural differences (the only Asian in the team), it feels great to be able to fit in and have been enjoying the steep learning curve that it presents.
Can you properly explain your role at GFA to us?
As the Head of Investment and Growth, my core responsibilities are to ensure investors are deploying their funds in amazing startups that exceed expected ROI and building rapport with them, lending a helping hand to startups that needed support (not only fundraising) to scale by implementing various growth hacking techniques. Lastly, is to structure and optimise GFA funds.
What does a typical workday at GFA look like?
This is not the entire list, just handpicked a few live items that I am currently working on:
- Search for suitable investors and reach out to them for an online coffee chat with the ultimate goal of getting awesome free deal flows and investing in them.
- Conduct due diligence on startups that we will be supporting in fundraising activities.
- Building deal pipeline for GFA fund.
- Create investment processes and systems to increase productivity and data tracking, exploring new tools.
- Shortlisting investors for startups and engaging with the investors to gauge interest.
- The cycle of reading, learning, applying knowledge, and repeating.
What has been your proudest moment as staff at GFA?
Knowing that I am making a difference internally and externally, an inspiration to others.
What tools or hacks do you use to make your work seamless?
There is plenty of tools/platforms that I use to automate my work as much as possible, I believe in data tracking and a solid yet flexible system in place to ensure I achieve my work goals. I am still building my tool stack, but here are a few of them that I used on a daily basis:
– I have quick steps and rules setup on Microsoft Outlook
– Hubspot
– Linkedin
– MS OneNote
– MS To Do
– Airtable
– Notion
How has working at GFA affected you positively?
Practising to be more patient and constantly learning to be a better leader and manager.
In your opinion, what is the beautiful thing about the solutions GFA provide?
The underline mission that the solution is trying to achieve, is to uplift African economies.
What advice will you give anyone looking to get into the startup space? Whether as a founder or employee.
Take the first step to execute, have a leap of faith and make un-comfortability your comfort zone. Build products that people really want by doing market research and most importantly talking to your customers.
What do you do for fun outside work?
Learn new handcrafts currently dedicating my weekend to perfecting my pottery skills, hiking – pretty much anything sporty and adventurous I am usually up for it. Exploring new places to visit, spending time with friends that can have stimulating conversations, passionate about travelling, and learning about cultures and languages.
How can people connect with you on social media?
www.linkedin.com/in/diana-teoh
About GetFundedAfrica
GetFundedAfrica is building Africa’s largest tech-enabled marketplace which connects African founders with global mentors, coaches, corporates, investors and government. Whether you want to raise funds ranging from $100, 000 to $50m or you simply want to grow your business, sign up for free at: www.getfundedafrica.com
