AI That Speaks Her Language | The AI Sisterhood Podcast Ep. 8 ft. Esse Komlanvi

With Esse Komlanvi | | 72 min

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Episode summary

Esse Komlanvi joins a conversation about Nuse, a voice-first AI platform aimed at helping women entrepreneurs in emerging markets with bookkeeping, business insights, and financial education. The episode focuses on why speaking in a woman’s own language can matter for managing business finances, and on how listening to women entrepreneurs shapes useful AI. It also traces Esse’s path from Togo to studying mathematics and technology in Italy, then business analytics in Minnesota. Along the way, the discussion highlights barriers facing women founders, the role of community, and what “AI for good” should deliver for the people it is built to serve.

Meet the guest

Esse Komlanvi

Esse Komlanvi is the founder of Nuse, a voice-first AI platform supporting women entrepreneurs in emerging markets with bookkeeping, business insights, and financial education.

What this episode explores

  • Voice-first tools are presented as a way to make business finance more accessible in a woman’s own language.
  • The episode centers financial education as an early priority, not an afterthought.
  • Listening to women entrepreneurs is described as shaping what the product should do.
  • Trust and local knowledge are framed as important ingredients in useful AI.
  • The conversation also looks at barriers for women founders and the need for community.

Jump to a chapter

  1. 00:00 Yawa’s business: why voice-first AI matters
  2. 00:56 Meet Esse Komlanvi
  3. 04:29 Nuse: power in her own language
  4. 07:41 Records, insights and financial education
  5. 10:41 From Togo to mathematics and technology in Italy
  6. 16:49 Business analytics and a new chapter in Minnesota
  7. 22:50 The stories behind Essivi and Esenam
  8. 28:27 What listening to women entrepreneurs changed
  9. 33:06 Put financial education near the beginning
  10. 35:01 Expansion, pilots and local knowledge
  11. 38:10 Data, trust and building the first prototype
  12. 45:52 Learning with Minnesota Women in AI
  13. 49:12 The barriers facing women founders
  14. 55:32 Advice: begin, and find your people
  15. 57:32 Rapid fire: a personal AI tool
  16. 1:01:22 Coffee, Trieste and Capo in B
  17. 1:03:40 The woman Nuse is built for
  18. 1:06:32 What AI for good should deliver
  19. 1:09:59 Closing reflections
Read the original episode description

What if a woman could manage her business finances simply by speaking in her own language? Esse Komlanvi joins Arthi Rajendran on The AI Sisterhood Podcast to discuss Nuse, a voice-first AI platform designed to support women entrepreneurs in emerging markets through bookkeeping, business insights and financial education. From Togo to mathematics and technology in Italy, and then business analytics in Minnesota, Esse shares the experiences behind her founder journey. We explore what listening to women entrepreneurs changed, why financial education comes first, and how trust and local knowledge shape useful AI. We also talk about the barriers facing women founders, finding a supportive community, and what “AI for good” should actually deliver. Subscribe to The AI Sisterhood Podcast for more conversations about women in AI, entrepreneurship and technology with social impact. JOIN THE CONVERSATION What would you want AI to make easier for a woman running a small business? Share your idea in the comments. GUEST & HOST Guest: Esse Komlanvi, founder of Nuse Host: Arthi Rajendran Learn about Nuse: https://essekomlanvi.com/case-studies/nuse-financial-inclusion CHAPTERS 00:00 Yawa’s business: why voice-first AI matters 00:56 Meet Esse Komlanvi 04:29 Nuse: power in her own language 07:41 Records, insights and financial education 10:41 From Togo to mathematics and technology in Italy 16:49 Business analytics and a new chapter in Minnesota 22:50 The stories behind Essivi and Esenam 28:27 What listening to women entrepreneurs changed 33:06 Put financial education near the beginning 35:01 Expansion, pilots and local knowledge 38:10 Data, trust and building the first prototype 45:52 Learning with Minnesota Women in AI 49:12 The barriers facing women founders 55:32 Advice: begin, and find your people 57:32 Rapid fire: a personal AI tool 1:01:22 Coffee, Trieste and Capo in B 1:03:40 The woman Nuse is built for 1:06:32 What AI for good should deliver 1:09:59 Closing reflections MUSIC & SOUND Music: “Forest Mist Whispers” by Alejandro Magaña (A.M.), via Mixkit. Sound design includes Pixabay-licensed effects. #WomenInAI #FinancialInclusion #TheAISisterhoodPodcast ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The AI Sisterhood Podcast is the show where women building the future of AI share how they actually do it. Hear how they built it. Then go build yours. Host Arthi Rajendran sits down with women in AI for honest conversations about their work, their career journeys, and the lessons behind what they build. We go deep on: → How they actually built what they built → The decisions behind real AI systems → Career journeys into AI, including the unpolished, honest version → What it takes to build as a woman in a male-dominated space → Where AI is going, from the people actively shaping it This podcast exists to make these women visible and to give every listener the fuel to go build something of their own. Watch the series:

Show notes are based on the published YouTube episode description. Watch the full conversation for context.

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