Talking Tech With Creatives

Dilman Dila on Myth, Film, AI and Telling African Stories Outside the Gatekeepers - ep 32

In this episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, Stella Oni speaks with Ugandan writer and filmmaker Dilman Dila about storytelling, African folklore, speculative futures, filmmaking, and creative independence.
Dilman shares how oral storytelling, Ugandan myths, night dancers, African knowledge systems and self-taught filmmaking shaped his work. He also discusses why he prefers independent platforms, crowdfunding, open-source tools and direct audience connection over traditional gatekeepers.
The conversation explores art, technology, AI, African spirituality, visual storytelling, YouTube, PeerTube, Patreon, and what it means to build a sustainable creative life on your own terms.
Dilman Dila
Website
https://www.dilmandila.com/
Mastodon
https://mograph.social/@dilmandila
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/dilstories
 
Connect with me:
https://stellaoni.com/
 
Social media - stellaoni_official
 
 
 

From Music Producer to Tech Founder: Melody Nehemiah on Building Songdis for African Artists - ep 31

In this episode, I speak with Melody Nehemiah, CEO and founder of Songdis, a platform helping African artists and labels get their music onto global streaming services and collect royalties.
Melody shares how he sold CDs as a child, produced beats, and managed artists before identifying a major gap in the music ecosystem. He experienced how hard it was for African artists to distribute music, withdraw royalties, and navigate payment systems not designed for them. That frustration drove him to start Songdis.
We discuss what it means to build a tech platform from lived experience, how African founders bootstrap ideas into reality, and why infrastructure, community, and trust help creatives grow. Melody describes the differences between record labels and distribution platforms, outlines how Songdis supports artists at different levels, and explains why Africa should build more of its own technology systems rather than rely on the rest of the world.
Whether your interest lies in music, technology, African innovation, creative independence, or the future of digital infrastructure on the continent, this conversation offers unique insights.
Highlights
Melody’s journey from music producer to founder
The real problems African artists face with royalties
Why Songdis was created
Record labels versus distribution platforms
Payments, ownership and control
Building African tech for African creatives
AI, infrastructure and the future of music on the continent
Songdis was recognised by the NBA (National Basketball Association) through its accelerator programme, highlighting its innovation in music rights and payments.
 
Connect with Melody on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melodysongzz/
 
Connect with me:
https://stellaoni.com/
 
Social media - stellaoni_official
 

AI, Authorship and Discoverability: What I Learned at London Book Fair 2026 - Ep 30

In this solo episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, I share what stood out to me from attending the London Book Fair, especially around publishing, technology, discoverability, and the future of books.
I reflect on the UK government’s controversial AI copyright proposal, the strong pushback from the creative industries, and why this matters so much for writers and anyone building an audience.
I also talk through some of the most interesting ideas I picked up from the fair: why print is still holding strong, why readers are moving back towards more physical and comforting experiences, and why authors now need to think about General Engine Optimization (GEO) and beyond SEO and pay attention to how AI-driven search is changing discoverability.
This is an episode for writers, creatives, and publishing watchers who want to understand where things are going and how to stay visible in a changing landscape. 
 
Episode 13 - Navigating the digital shift - Insights on writing seo and ai with Abidemi Sanusi
https://talkingtechwithcreatives.com/episode/navigating-the-digital-shift-insights-on-writing-seo-and-ai-with-abidemi-sanusi
 
Schema.Org
https://schema.org/
 
Pubishing Perspective
https://publishingperspectives.com/?s=london+book@UC1eU2S9cTu-HcN3Yn8a-QmQ
 
ISSN 2978-8307 
 
 
 
 

Black Writing, Bold Futures: Dr Kadija Sesay on Activism, Archives, and Technology - Ep 29

Dr Kadija George Sesay has spent decades championing Black writers, preserving overlooked stories, and building Pan-African literary networks that stretch across continents. In this rich conversation, I sit down with her to explore what it really means to decolonise the bookshelf and ensure that our stories are not only published, but preserved for future generations.
Kadija speaks about founding Sable LitMag, curating festivals such as the International Black Speculative Writing Festival, and her extensive work with radical independent presses. She explains how Pan-Africanism operates in practice, why independent publishing and ownership are crucial, and how collective memory and community gatherings help us keep our histories alive.
We also discuss how technology, online platforms, and now AI can support preservation and access without losing the heart of the work. Kadija shares her excitement about her upcoming Fulbright journey to the United States, her ongoing research into Black publishers and Pan-Africanism, and what she hopes future readers and scholars will discover about the Black writing emerging today.
If you care about literature, archives, cultural memory, or how our stories survive in a rapidly changing world, this episode offers a powerful and generous masterclass.
 
If you enjoyed the episode, consider sharing it with someone who loves books, archives, or Black history.
 
Connect with Kadija
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kadija-sesay-00323b4/
Interview on Africa in Words:
https://africainwords.com/2022/03/23/qa-scholar-activist-kadija-sesay-on-afripoetree/
Review of the International Black Speculative Writing Festival (Vector Magazine):
https://vector-bsfa.com/2024/02/27/review-of-the-international-black-speculative-writing-festival-2024/
 
Connect with me
About me:
https://stellaonithewriter.com/about/
Podcast website:
https://talkingtechwithcreatives.com/episodes
Substack:
https://stellaoni.substack.com/
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTechWithCreatives
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stella-oni-065788140/
Thank you for reading and listening. I hope this episode leaves you thinking about your own role in preserving stories, and the ways you can share what you know with the people coming after you.
 ISSN 2978-8307  

From Lion King to Iwaju: Hamid Ibrahim of Kugali Media on Building African Worlds That Travel - ep 28

In this episode, I speak with Hamid Ibrahim, creator and production designer of Iwaju, the groundbreaking Afro-futuristic series produced in collaboration between Kugali Media and Disney. We dive into his journey from portrait artist, to Hollywood VFX work on films such as The Lion King, Dumbo and Doctor Dolittle, to building one of the most important African creative IP houses of our time.
Hamid shares the origins of Iwaju, how a BBC interview unexpectedly led Disney to their door, and what it took to build a futuristic Lagos that resonated globally. We talk about African IP, ownership, investment, the realities of raising funds as an African founder, and why authentic stories still matter in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
If you care about African storytelling, animation, technology, creativity or the future of global IP, this conversation offers valuable insight.
Highlights:
• How Kugali Media caught the attention of Disney
• The making of Iwaju and its cultural impact
• African IP as a global asset
• The business realities behind storytelling
• AI and what it can and cannot replace
• Why meaning and authenticity still matter
• Building creative businesses without a roadmap
 
Guest Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamidibrahimportfolio
Instagram (Kugali): https://www.instagram.com/kugalimedia
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/hamid-ibrahim-564892a7
Twitter: https://x.com/hamid_portfolio
 
My Links:
About Stella: https://stellaonithewriter.com/about
Podcast Website: https://talkingtechwithcreatives.com/episodes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTechWithCreatives
Substack: https://stellaoni.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stella-oni-065788140
 
 
 ISSN 2978-8307  

Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm on Building Platforms for Women Writers - ep 27

This week I have a lively conversation with author and literary activist Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm about building platforms for women of colour from the 1990s to today.
Rasheda traces her path from founding Candace magazine to writing fiction, creating the WILDE Foundation, running writing retreats in Jamaica, and launching the H&F Writers’ Festival in West London. We explore how technology and community remove old gatekeepers, the healing power of journaling, and WILDE’s future plans to expand retreats, mentorship, and international collaborations.
It is an inspiring story of creativity, persistence, and the ongoing work of empowering women’s voices through literature, activism, and connection.
Key takeaways:
• Community and craft can coexist and strengthen each other.
• Journaling helps survivors find voice and confidence.
• Technology widens access and continuity beyond physical events.
• WILDE seeks collaborators, mentors, and publishing partners to platform emerging writers.
We also spent time talking about Jamaica, where Rasheda runs her writing retreats and where I recently attended the Calabash Festival. Sadly, the country has since been hit by Hurricane Melissa and suffered devastating damage. Journalist Nadine White has compiled a helpful list of trusted aid sources here:
Hurricane Melissa – How Can We Help
 
Please do your due diligence before making any donation.
You can read more of Nadine White’s reporting here: https://www.independent.co.uk/author/nadine-white.
Explore more:
Talking Tech with Creatives – talkingtechwithcreatives.com
Podcast Instagram – @talkingtechwithcreatives
My author website – stellaonithewriter.com
Author Instagram – @stellaonithewriter
Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm – @ashantirashedaauthor
H&F Writers’ Festival – handfwritersfestival.co.uk
H&F Writers’ Festival Instagram – @hfwritersfest
If you enjoy these conversations, subscribe to Talking Tech with Creatives, follow us on Instagram, and share the episode to help amplify the stories of women shaping creativity and culture.
 
 ISSN 2978-8307  

Inside the Publishing World: A Literary Agent’s View with Francesca Riccardi - ep 26

In this episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, I sit down with my literary agent, Francesca Riccardi of Kate Nash Literary Agency, to unpack how publishing really works. Drawing on her 15 years at publishers like Harper Collins, Atlantic Books, and Canelo, Francesca explains the differences between traditional, indie, and self-publishing; what agents actually do; and how deals, rights, and marketing come together. We also talk frankly about author income, why building community matters, and how AI is reshaping the industry and what protections authors need. If you’re a writer, or curious about the business of books—this conversation will help you navigate the landscape with clarity.
 
 ISSN 2978-8307  
 

Reimagining Entrepreneurship: Dr. Carlton Brown on Race, Data, and Doing the Work - ep 25

In this powerful episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, I’m joined by Dr. Carlton Brown, founder of the UK Black Business Entrepreneurs Conference (BBEC), business strategist, and author of the Black Entrepreneurs Report.
Dr. Brown shares his personal journey from watching his Jamaican mother run blues parties and the community padner financial schemes to becoming a leading voice for change in UK entrepreneurship. We discuss what’s really holding Black business owners back—and what must change, from biased lending to lack of market access.
We explore: • The “race paradox” and what the data reveals • His vision behind BBEC and its real impact (like a founder getting into                 450 Tesco stores) • Why the US and UK differ in Black entrepreneurial culture • How tech and AI are being used to level the playing field • What the future of inclusive business could look like
If you care about innovation, inclusion, and building an equitable business landscape, this episode is a must-listen.
Mentioned in this episode:
Www.thebbec.com
Www.aspire-consultancy.co.uk
LinkedIn Dr Carlton Brown 
Instagram : @BBEC_UK
 
Previous guests include:
 • Ajay Chowdhury – Tech entrepreneur and author of the Kamil Rahman crime      series • Nanna S. Soenya – Founder of Fundhership  • Obi Asika – Creative industries leader and co-founder of Storm360 • Corina Goetz – Middle East business strategist and founder of Star-CaT • Jendella Benson – Author and Head of Editorial at Black Ballad
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Host: Stella Oni | Instagram : @stellaonithewriter, @talkingtechwithcreatives
Watch on YouTube: @TalkingTechWithCreatives
Links to organisations mentioned on the podcast:
Foundervine 
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