What if funding the informal economy could unlock South Africa’s next wave of entrepreneurs?In this episode of How Would You Build It, we talk to Katie Dodge, co-founder of Koola Capital, who’s helped over 200 informal businesses access funding through loans rooted in trust and long-term growth.Katie shares the honest story of building a company while learning to build it, the realities of being a female founder, and why relationships beat marketing. Our audience has always enjoyed when we dive into topics around the township economy, and I think you will feel quite inspired after this one.👉 Sign up to get notified about new episodes at www.howwouldyoubuildit.com👉 Join the newsletter at www.theopenletter.ioConnect with the Hosts:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-sequeira/https://www.linkedin.com/in/renier-kriel/00:00 Intro02:39 Koola Capital - fueling the informal sector03:36 How did they discover the opportunity06:46 What constitutes a business for Koola11:06 Challengers faced by informal businesses13:11 Impact of crime16:01 No one teaches us "the how"19:07 Stories23:20 Loans vs grants27:15 Building the business in WhatsApp31:22 Applications? 32:42 Journey as a female founder39:53 Lessons in expanding43:56 Nuturing relationships vs marketing47:23 How do you AI?