#67: Victor Ikawa on Navigating Life's Crossroads with Grace and Grit

In this heartfelt episode, the Busy Being Born duo sits down with Victor Ikawa, a man whose journey embodies resilience, introspection, and the pursuit of purpose. From humble beginnings to facing life's myriad challenges. The two-time national scrabble champion shares stories that are both deeply personal and universally relatable. From policy rooms in Nairobi to dusty fields in rural Kenya, and from corporate offices in Lusaka to lakeside reflections in Kisumu, Victor has walked through life with quiet courage and curiosity.

His reflections on identity, community, and the transformative power of adversity offer listeners a mix of deep and meaningful insights. It’s a warm, honest conversation about growth, purpose, and staying grounded through change.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Victor Ikawa (LinkedIn) is an environmentalist, marketer, and seasoned research and strategy expert with over 15 years of leadership experience across East and Southern Africa. He has held leadership roles in major organizations, including Research International East Africa, Land O’Lakes International Development Division (USAID-funded), Celtel Uganda, Celtel Group Netherlands, Zain Group Bahrain, and Airtel Group Kenya, where he led Pan-African research efforts. He later served as Research Director at Research Path Associates and worked at Safaricom, where he served as Head of Research and Insights, following prior roles in Brand, Communications, and Sales. He is currently a director at Snapp Africa, a leading provider of full-stack software solutions and design excellence across the continent, while also pursuing research and biogeography through his YouTube channel, Lost Wings. The University of Nairobi graduate has also led initiatives focused on youth development, governance, and civic engagement. He is also an avid reader, bird watcher, old-school music lover, and believer in the quiet power of storytelling. He’s lived in Kenya, Zambia, and Tanzania, and remains deeply connected to both rural and urban life, able to move between boardrooms and barazas with equal ease.

Links and Notes

• Learn more about birdwatching in Kenya: Nature Kenya – The East Africa Natural History Society
• Scrabble Kenya (Kenya Scrabble Federation): Facebook Page
• Victor’s Youtube channel, Lost wings
• Victor's short Engage Talk
• The last lecture, a book shared with Bob Collymore
• Kenya drops to second in Africa in number of bird species
• Yesse Oenga
  
• Timocracy
• The Republic, Plato
• The Daily Stoic
• The Busy Being Born episode on Stoicism [Ep 14]
• Nature Kenya
• Burkina Faso, The land of upright people

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