I saw the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX) as a major step for Ethiopia. Businesses would have a new way to raise capital, and more people could take part in their growth.
I brought the news of the ESX to my peers with excitement, but it didn't land the way I assumed it would. I felt that same unconcern across my immediate Ethiopian community at church. People talked about Ethiopia's future all the time, but did not yet see what capital markets could unlock.
After talking to more family and friends, I heard the same conversations about what was happening back home, but the formation of the ESX never came up.
I wanted to change that. I started MELA and brought six of my friends together to help spark the next generation of Ethiopian retail and institutional participants in the capital markets.
Caleb JoelCo-founder
