Tosin Faniro-Dada Biography, Age, Networth
Her official bio describes her as “passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and helping them scale.” It’s not hype. Tosin has been involved in venture building for 14 years over a career that spans serving in and leading the teams that have helped entrepreneurs across different industries access the crucial financing they needed to sustain and scale growth in Nigeria and across Africa.
Tosin Faniro-Dada is the Managing Director & CEO of Endeavor in Nigeria. Tosin is passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and helping them scale, not just for the immediate impact this has on their organization but more for the multiplier effect this confers on the larger society and economy. She has worked with entrepreneurs in various life-cycle stages, supporting them with interventions and resources to help them thrive.
A Certified Public Accountant licensed in Massachusetts USA, Tosin graduated Summa Cum Laude (highest honors) with a B.sc in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and an M.sc in Accounting from Boston College. She is currently participating in an Advanced Management and Advanced Leadership program at INSEAD.
Tosin was the Director, Programmes & Coordination, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) where she led the fund’s intervention programs; providing access to finance to MSMEs, facilitating training and job placements for young people, and supporting entrepreneurs in Lagos State, under the Lagos Innovates program.
INDUSTRIES & FUNCTIONS
Current Company: Endeavor Nigeria
Industry: Entrepreneurship
Location: Nigeria
She led the fund's intervention programs, providing access to finance to MSMEs, facilitating training and job placements for young people, and supporting entrepreneurs in Lagos State under the Lagos Innovates program.
Prior to working at the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Tosin worked in the Corporate Banking Division at Skye Bank (now Polaris Bank) and as a Financial Analyst at ARM Investment Managers.
She managed ARM’s Hospitality and Retail Projects such as Four Points by Sheraton and Lakowe Lakes Golf & Country Estate, etc. Tosin started her career in Assurance, spending three years in PricewaterhouseCoopers in Boston, auditing Mutual and Private Equity Partner Funds. Tosin joined the LSETF as the Head of Strategy & Partnerships in 2016.
She managed the design and development of the Fund’s online loan application portal, which significantly reduced the submission of paper loan applications. She was actively involved in the sourcing and closing of the Lagos State Employability Support Project in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme “UNDP,” with a commitment of $1million from UNDP.
Tosin rapidly and impactfully transformed the organization and rose to become the Director of Programmes & Coordination at LSETF. She was the Lead Coordinator of LSETF’s MSME Recovery Fund, raising funds from the private sector and supporting over 2,000 entrepreneurs affected by the aftermath of the protest in Lagos in 2020. She was the pioneer Head of Lagos Innovates at LSETF, responsible for developing and implementing programs that support an enabling environment for tech startups to thrive.
Under Tosin’s leadership, Lagos Innovates supported over 150 founders and startups and created over 3,000 direct and indirect jobs. Tosin is resolute in her belief that entrepreneurs and their businesses are vital to creating jobs and wealth in emerging economies. She is passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and connecting them to resources to help them scale.
