MERI PODCAST
Two Ethiopian entrepreneurs interview the country's top business leaders, from startup founders to corporate executives, about their journeys.
A long-form interview podcast focused on the Ethiopian business landscape. Hosts Kenean Dukamo and Tigabu Haile sit down with high-profile guests from diverse sectors like fintech, marketing, and traditional industries such as coffee. The conversations dig into both the personal histories of the founders and the specific, practical challenges of operating in the Ethiopian market, from data scarcity to logistics.
“Unlike generic business podcasts, Meri is deeply rooted in the Ethiopian private sector, featuring the country's most prominent business figures. The hosts' own entrepreneurial backgrounds allow for conversations that are both aspirational and grounded in the realities of the local market.”
Who hosts this show
Meri Podcast is an Ethiopian business interview show hosted by entrepreneurs Kenean Dukamo and Tigabu Haile. Each episode features long-form conversations with entrepreneurs and executives, exploring the strategies and stories behind their success. The podcast's stated vision is to strengthen Ethiopia's private sector through storytelling, education, and building connections.
Credentials & credits
- Kenean Dukamo: Host, Coffee Producer, Q Grader, 2022 Cup of Excellence Ethiopia Winner.
- Tigabu Haile: Host, Founder & CEO of Eshi Express.
Other ventures
- Kenean Dukamo: Manages Daye Bensa Coffee (specialty coffee exporter), runs Tukamo Coffee (coffee shop chain).
- Tigabu Haile: Creator of 'Founder' platform.
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01መሪ ከሆንክ ለብቻህ አትሩጥ! - Rita Tsehai - S15 Ep185Jun 24, 2026 · 1h 58m
- 02ኖረ ሞተ መባል ብቻ አልፈልግም - Nael Hailemariam - S15 Ep184Jun 17, 2026 · 1h 57m
- 03Stay Small. Stay Profitable - Heleanna Georgalis - S15 Ep183Jun 10, 2026 · 53 min
- 04The woman behind successful exhibitions - Haimanot Tesfaye - S15 Ep182Jun 3, 2026 · 2h 37m
- 05ስራ ያከበሩትን ያከብራል - Gebreyesus Igata - S15 Ep181May 27, 2026 · 1h 41m
- 06ፕሮፌሰር ሳይሆን ጋሼ በሉኝ - Prof. Panos Hatziandreas - S15 Ep180May 22, 2026 · 2h 41m
Notable episodes
- 01Nael Hailemariam - ኖረ ሞተ መባል ብቻ አልፈልግም
The co-founder of fintech unicorn Chapa shares his aggressive "Hire fast, fire faster, promote fastest" management philosophy and the story of building a major payment gateway in Ethiopia.
- 02Rita Tsehai - መሪ ከሆንክ ለብቻህ አትሩጥ!
A masterclass in marketing within the African context, this episode features a top executive who worked on iconic brands like Coca-Cola and orchestrated the Dashen Beer sponsorship of Arsenal FC.
- 03Heleanna Georgalis - Stay Small. Stay Profitable
The head of a third-generation coffee business offers a counter-narrative to the typical growth-at-all-costs mindset, advocating for debt-free, steady, and profitable operations.
What you'll be asked on this show
The podcast follows a two-host interview format, often opening with a fast-paced montage of clips from past episodes. The hosts provide detailed introductions for each guest. Some episodes conclude with a rapid-fire "one-minute round" of questions.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
- “Tell us about yourself and your story.”
- “What was the most challenging moment in your career/startup journey?”
- “What is one piece of advice for an aspiring entrepreneur?”
- “What is a belief you hold that many people around you disagree with?”
- “What was your happiest moment in business?”
- “What is one piece of life wisdom you have learned?”
- “What three books would you recommend to entrepreneurs?”
Signature segments
- · Opening with a fast-paced montage of episode highlights.
- · A final question asking for a single piece of life wisdom.
- · A "one-minute round" of rapid-fire questions.
- · Detailed guest introductions by the hosts.
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show books a mix of Ethiopia's most successful business leaders, including C-suite executives of major corporations (Rita Tsehai), founders of high-growth tech startups (Nael Hailemariam), and leaders of multi-generational family businesses (Heleanna Georgalis).
- Rita Tsehaion S15 Ep185
- Nael Hailemariamon S15 Ep184
- Heleanna Georgalison S15 Ep183
- Haimanot Tesfayeon S15 Ep182
- Gebreyesus Igataon S15 Ep181
- Prof. Panos Hatziandreason S15 Ep180
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Sponsors include financial institutions like Bank of Abyssinia and development organizations like GIZ's Private Sector Development project. The angle is reaching an audience of current and future Ethiopian business leaders, professionals, and decision-makers.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- What are the hosts' full names?
- The hosts are Kenean Dukamo and Tigabu Haile.
- What do the hosts do outside of the podcast?
- Kenean Dukamo is a coffee producer and Q Grader who manages Daye Bensa Coffee. Tigabu Haile is the founder and CEO of the logistics company Eshi Express.
- Is the Meri Podcast still active?
- Yes, the podcast releases episodes on a weekly basis, with the most recent episodes published in June 2026.
- What is the format of the show?
- It is a long-form, two-host interview show with prominent Ethiopian business leaders. Episodes are typically over an hour long.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The primary platform is YouTube, and it is also available on platforms like Apple Podcasts.
- How can I suggest a guest or partner with the podcast?
- The podcast provides an email, [email — gated], for partnership and advertising inquiries.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
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