Sarah Idahosa is a versatile professional recognized for her expertise in Web3 community development, Web3 education, and decentralized finance research. She serves as the Partnership and Community Growth Lead at Mansa, a DeFi protocol providing liquidity to multinational blue-chip companies in emerging markets, focusing on payment financing.
In addition to her leadership at Mansa, Sarah is the founder of Women In DeFi. This pioneering not-for-profit organization empowers women with comprehensive knowledge of blockchain technology and helps them navigate the Web3 ecosystem using their existing Web2 skills.
In the last three years, through Women in DeFi, Sarah has equipped over 4,000+ women with knowledge in blockchain technology and decentralized finance.
Sarah‘s work bridges the gap between Web2 and Web3, facilitating smooth transitions and fostering connections within the decentralized landscape. She is also a sought-after public speaker, having presented at prominent forums like Nigerian FinTech Week, GDG DEVFEST Lagos, Africa Tech Summit in Kenya, and the Africa Money and DeFi Summit in Ghana.
With a career that includes collaborations with leading tech entities such as Cassava Network, Mara, and Myth of Money, Sarah Idahosa continues to impact the global technology and finance communities significantly.
Tell us about your journey into decentralized finance and Web3. What sparked your interest in these fields, and how did you develop your expertise to this level?
I got into the Web3 scene in the year 2020, during COVID through a network marketing company that utilized Blockchain technology for its functionality. At that time, I had no knowledge about Blockchain, but I had a little clue about cryptocurrencies through social media. I was able to build my network through the platform, but sold all the Ethereum I’d accumulated through it. Not long afterward, the value of Ethereum skyrocketed, which made me curious about what caused it. This made me want to learn more about Ethereum, which made me learn more about Blockchain Technology, Web3, and Decentralized Finance (DeFi). I got hooked when I understood that DeFi meant: “freedom.” Freedom to take charge of your finances, especially for me as a young lady. I developed my expertise and am still developing it through continuous learning. I still read up on new technologies in the Web3 space through web3 newsletters and further research to ensure I’m updated on the latest innovations. I join educative communities, watch YouTube videos, and connect with global Web3 experts.
As the Partnership and Community Growth Lead at Mansa, you work regularly with blue-chip companies in emerging markets. What unique challenges have you encountered in this role, and how has it shaped your leadership style?
Navigating the financial, legal, and regulatory environments in emerging markets can be difficult. The absence of efficient frameworks typically necessitates a flexible and problem-solving leadership style because unforeseen obstacles appear regularly. This has encouraged me to use a transformational leadership approach to motivate my team to overcome challenges and foster innovation.
Let’s chat about your nonprofit organization, Women in DeFi; what inspired you to create this platform, and what has been the most fulfilling aspect of your work with this community?
Women in DeFi was founded in response to a gap in women’s representation and involvement in the decentralized finance and blockchain industries. As a young lady in the space, I observed a dearth of easily accessible tools designed especially for women and that they were frequently underrepresented in leadership positions and overall roles within the ecosystem. The intention was to create a platform that gives women the skills, knowledge, and social support they need to succeed in this quickly changing field.
The most rewarding part of my work with the community has been seeing the tremendous changes in the women who enroll in our programs. Watching them develop new abilities, acquire confidence, and create their projects in DeFi is pretty satisfying. In addition to encouraging personal development, the goal is to set off a chain reaction that inspires other women to take the initiative and establish themselves as leaders. It’s a unique and significant trip because of the community’s sense of camaraderie, support, and common goal.
In a space that is still very much male-dominated, how do you ensure that women’s voices are heard and their contributions are valued in the world of blockchain and DeFi?
It takes initiative to ensure women’s opinions are heard, and their contributions are acknowledged in fields like blockchain and DeFi that men dominate. To do this, Women in DeFi has used the following strategies:
- We ensure that women have an exclusive space like our community where they may gain confidence, ask questions, and learn without worrying about being judged. This creates an atmosphere where people are encouraged to speak up and take charge.
- The voices of female leaders, creators, and innovators in blockchain and DeFi are frequently highlighted and amplified. Through features on our social platforms, personal interviews, and success stories, we raise awareness of their accomplishments and motivate others to pursue similar paths.
- We highlight the value of teamwork by setting up mentorship programs in which seasoned women in the field assist and mentor newcomers. This acknowledges women’s contributions and ideas.
- We offer both technical and non-technical training in our inclusive events and educational programs, such as our Introduction to Web3 and Skill-Up trainings. We focus on encouraging women to participate actively, ask questions, and engage in hands-on activities that allow them to exhibit their skills.
- We have a strong network of women in our community who help one another, share knowledge, and celebrate accomplishments. We promote cooperation over rivalry to ensure that every woman’s contribution is valued and acknowledged. We do this by encouraging them to collaborate and participate in hackathons, where they have gone on to win prizes and establish themselves in the space.
Women in DeFi has successfully provided a safe space for over 3000 women to be empowered to take charge of their economic power and build the life of their dreams.
How do you measure the impact of your work, and what milestones are you most proud of so far?
Measuring the impact of our work at Women in DeFi is crucial to understanding how effectively we are achieving our goals of empowering women in the blockchain and decentralized finance space. We track the number of women who join our community, participate in our programs, and engage with our content. We monitor the number of women who complete our training programs, earn certifications, and gain new technical skills. We evaluate how many women-led projects and collaborations emerge from our community and the number of quality partnerships we establish with other organizations, blockchain companies, educational institutions, and industry leaders. We collect testimonials, success stories, and feedback from women in our community to understand how the program has impacted their personal and professional growth. We measure the geographical spread of our community, focusing on reaching women in underserved and underrepresented areas as we have chapters across various states in Nigeria and other African countries like Kenya and Ghana. We also track how many women secure job placements, internships, or entrepreneurial opportunities after participating in our programs. These accomplishments demonstrate our commitment to creating a strong, varied, and empowered community of women in DeFi and blockchain, and we’re determined to grow these initiatives in the future to reach many more women. For the milestone we’re most proud of, we’ve successfully onboarded hundreds of women across different regions into the DeFi space, many of whom had no prior knowledge of blockchain technology. Hearing stories of how our initiatives have transformed lives—someone landing their first blockchain job, launching their project, or simply gaining the confidence to contribute to DeFi discussions—is one of our most fulfilling milestones. Also, we’ve successfully launched several regional chapters across Nigeria and Africa, expanding our reach to women in countries where access to blockchain education and resources is limited.
What three lessons have you learned as a young female leader in the past year?
As a young female leader in the Web3 and blockchain space, I’ve learned several critical lessons over the past year. The first is the strength of collaboration and community. Creating a solid, encouraging community is one of the most significant things I’ve learned. While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed in a changing field like blockchain, working with like-minded people may help. I’ve witnessed how much more we can achieve when we combine our abilities, exchange knowledge, and uplift one another by creating a community where women work together and support one another. The second lesson is resilience in the face of adversity. There are many difficulties in leadership and surviving in a field like blockchain, which is male-dominated. In the last year, I’ve realized that obstacles are a necessary part of the journey and that it’s crucial to keep moving forward even when things seem unclear. To overcome challenges and preserve motivation, it has been essential to adjust to changes, learn from mistakes, and focus on long-term objectives. The last lesson is the significance of genuine leadership. One of my guiding principles has been to lead with sincerity and integrity to my convictions. I’ve discovered that effective leadership involves more than just maintaining control; it also entails developing a clear vision, remaining open and honest, and showing empathy for the needs of others. I’ve fostered loyalty and trust inside the organization by leading with empathy, paying attention to my community, and remaining true to the inclusive mission. This has allowed for long-term development and significant impact.
What advice would you give to women looking to enter the blockchain and DeFi space, especially those needing a technical background?
My advice for women entering the blockchain and DeFi space, especially those needing a technical background, is to start by understanding core concepts in Web3 and Blockchain technology and start with non-technical roles like content creation, community management, or marketing to contribute and build a portfolio. Join women-focused communities like Women In DeFi for support and networking, participate in events, webinars, and hackathons for practical experience, and seek mentorship from experienced women. Learn gradually and celebrate milestones. Focus on one area of interest as the Web3 space is broad and comprises different areas, and expand knowledge later. Collaborate with others and document your work. Build a personal brand on social media like Twitter and LinkedIn. Lastly, don’t fear failure.
For those already in the Web3 ecosystem, what do you think are the key skills or mindsets that women need to thrive?
Women need hard skills—like knowledge of DeFi and blockchain—and soft skills—like teamwork, communication, and resilience—to succeed in Web 3. Women can significantly affect the Web3 domain, provided they foster an inventive and entrepreneurial mindset and maintain a constant learning focus. In addition to this, active participation in communities to contribute, which helps build networks, being a mentor to other young women coming into the space, and having the confidence to own your space and voice your perspectives are the keys to thriving.
What personal values drive your professional journey?
The values that drive my professional journey shape not only how I approach my work but also how I build relationships, pursue opportunities, and contribute to the growth of the communities I serve. These values include empowerment and inclusivity, integrity, purpose-drivenness, transparency, curiosity, life-long learning, collaboration, and adaptability.
What are your plans and goals for expanding Women in DeFi?
Creating a global network that will enable African women from various backgrounds to have access to mentorship, education, and employment possibilities in the blockchain and DeFi industries is the goal of Women in DeFi. Through our emphasis on strategic collaborations with blockchain firms, tech companies, and financial institutions that are committed to promoting gender diversity in tech, educational advancement, advocacy, and growth through the establishment of chapters across various African countries, we hope to significantly contribute to the empowerment of women to take the lead in the Web3 revolution. We plan to organize large-scale virtual and in-person summits that bring together women in blockchain, DeFi, and Web3. These events will focus on networking, learning, and sharing ideas on how women can drive more innovation and inclusion in the space. We also aim to apply for Web3 and blockchain grants and launch fundraising campaigns to sustain and expand our educational programs, events, and mentorship initiatives. With this, we call on everyone to support what we do at Women In DeFi. To learn more about how you can help us, please visit our website https://womenindefi.org/ or email info@womenindefi.org, and we can talk more.
Connect with Sarah Idahosa via
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
