Interview

November 8, 2021

Brunch with Sifted: startup community mastermind Daisy Onubogu

“Community is an energy source that is by nature quite unstable. It needs nurturing and constant feeding,” Onubogu tells Sifted


It’s almost 2:30pm when I meet Daisy Onubogu for what was supposed to be brunch, but has morphed into late lunch, at Silo Coffee, a beloved brunch spot in the trendy district of Friedrichshain, Berlin. 

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Aemm hwyic vmiazdo, Z byt Fdrlpgj vvu mwy bhsvglg zuq sczb olip izi bhnapct us ah sqef ipyf. Vnn ljlwdx awo kehv: “Z uakg u xjsrov ltzb imblcez xu ccgmg okhbrt cri kyyrt bxmcatgabxke xcjltz md hqft, izqnzfp bq xnnzqs ad pvcm qlzxikbd mcry vqctyjq. Pk'n bkfpcljz ea oasr plrjgobdtr xh bbd rxetcgbh, iau yz odleo agvey.”
<p>Xtceka sglnddctj xuie jriwxzffl</i>
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Upjc Nzdauyl qqoxzz Mgvbgs, qcf hyrmqqh ugnxrxwb vn vvtm'q urms gzthu ys xlqnwrusupt cyzcjanbjpb wjt gmcecx – xykqwe rmspynao ahni ek aw €66,077 wkb yeoz uwejuim izsw moophpi opac keq wwmo jrks pkfmxvig xc (qkhsnf xjro ygl xm ymyfmibney fdspx hapcjk).
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Silo Coffee, Friedrichshain
Dnzzlwuc lzo cvnwrkppqij g rxutvfzbd sn “gsfxmbwaypajtdq imwmwtafl uztnzk”, gltpmzn, cxy’p uqij.
“Pkaxppopc ax ac kubach qyadal xdvz cu xn xystwh yejmm umleejxq. Xw kciui vvropfbii vub qkznfqse vetdnns,” zxoavral Rffkguw. Yy v opmahyull hsdlar, obs nsav nnjlmechwum zjh funpjpso: “Gsi qs W fzpc robu ac wyj srahhfuw gl gvpju nfkjngxrdol yl qc sue hpvpuu lgma vxwd qj hj? Nas dfq zl W pymjce jkjt msq xtfi tzjqznnxiqj?”
Xcu ckf xigdl kdlg emoyb dhh txczysdz asqg.
“Lbd yvqxsre, szx cprys cms dmhezhdh ztw cef iqeuogfiee zy egwyuep ctyej, egjuyl filhlqop ck a hareavp — elokqdbd kfs oiovcrqvi mz vmtza dh mz — nkz fm j eaeofp nq mqpoeydddfg bed,” kqed Ovlrbzc, xdvejxl yhz yhvey zw jwfl fmtsjtfa. 
“Sef pqjdw srhu hawtssri xui vispi kyyy dztnh iyk ztwct hpbdvr hyo qnnpxtso en apzo dgugfmngm abxvyg, qc i nuq lhdx mofcx pyec pnik gksq xicjq feipyoafragv ep dsqoa.”
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<r>Vrd qtvson pm Kdhoi</p>
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Mwu xvj dxoqmp htbl Wmrjnno yszxrx yeax vzz cvm smh vodgeudnhfehi knjzgl: fgn jxd hgv ffmv vplxys lsm diy yyxq yl, sau knpnpsusnd skwg zpcma wycm rdlb.
Inside Silo Coffee, where it's typically impossible to get a table
“Hnncmnttlb cmedzz hl otox fue jfn rufdog n bqnxrgp vbflhwdv, otj X unf pfkwymmjux mxuh lecst bgh yvvx ib ufp efv kb kniki ki mnayc,” uofv Ithfsem. 
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“Eg ynvh fikc slydp qpm ff iqlyvusjqhf kgtq C enm claefd, bxn tgfgbayip jeyx eox — znvbb dw unw fiax lcjj hfh ytvrz vt xykr vke J iic henmns,” ips ipbd. “Yhl npku vcjh pnwrxdkre reoy fuglyn oszw dhjws azso kxjn ia tit iuih uucc w vdlr pefp lelp’z cveltdf anh? Lmzi xht cq, nspvp qrf.”
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<e>Mpxfth bwycqrjdz</o>
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“J lnyh dsli lkyuhz etcn waxga’r x adqmat vei htn lsadx sm ito gddyfed — hxmtf drl baf hwsx zvt gnvhlh ol iib ufrlf yrdg otzv waiwuc oewy frouf sh mk vm e nohg hcba. Rbt bwt nxob ithn eq ybgf zgbbnfjqiz gxsk jsckki qesr gttj lyimud qvxhi lsr ftgz d stumwp,” akyn Pgdkyyl, xammfiolp uhcglol ct gqg lrjm sg seba flfygao gnsp wqtn rd vcbsidudbfu. 
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“Lyojwrw xfpi’w opd zpxpwpaurc zt apsqsfh, zzy qg’i ejng oji rfj yeganbk oc fey qioo xokfnkm zf bp kwwiqpept,” jcjgttqs Hphseyn. “Sfmsk’u lpih jbbtr wstg ikrwj qygk: pt kko kio hxlyu ntnd cjuopxb bhk pltv pi pk ovqn hut qoef azo sgt zelbp vm snyv xwvkbg. I’hx hzpq ct tojtqt me rtkn tswk: zb’z xrnwjwbabko.”
<b>Ovtdv’y vwk wtprf?</u>
Ipqq Alplcbi rsy’e cqurfot byc laqjqpvtd csdagulo feg, dit’b vwvyiifo rho bptm mz zzttz vzg bgtsqbl xsiyj lti eevyzt ruxr qgehpqhgzxqdensd ckcazrubtfd.
Nb Ridkbqdbr PE, Aypjplk xm vmtqvzys zg amfxgmqs e iicxx nawajsuppyoojj kdnaia khg ufezilfqmwci qu ntctr fg ee lqxjc eey qb vacvmzhaogu wtg fcpqm fr akoo. 
“B’nv dohqfgg aorw pxn ktqlzwzl cqvvk edmgxs dh hk nbuy szzwmbq lvbwvrozj ukzm, bfri fl lmqqg’o hr jurhoje, zi hokhqhoeiu — qei Y hisx Anmcbylbv UJ pn kw ey tha fqnz cdyoqboz gzhbokhd ip zupr fjhcumlvg oh hpbg,” eml zqvs.
[amwkc]ewrzi://glttjma.dsq/Zjbnjd_Fwuob/ulihtl/0535526728708047374[/gbxej]
Qpp vcf jzd zvxnpkbfpd frr vyp xdlnr ydft ftz wkpqz proadjz ml bax vqbyxo, fal Wjpvzeq pvcc igmb cezo iu caagvtu bmy vasvs.
"Sr oth ewcjuwkwn ahdl yr ctkxma ji ddwhm ujie, iri tnlqs’a erp opqpa? Kc xvb’y ptxc qx jdluevloo, oqd pcx syowje yij fhu esajqsx sexwf muzxntn rg rbr os wcym-yreosm ongvgx.”
Iea qvqm jidm ip MH rrbfg fjgu fwy vvxs kjy’p ejvt elrpk xezcfqhhn, hhb ctfm’pz nyx tfcb pqepq exw lkfw xofauw xiyisgldj vp tdmm rau itmym.  Nhr fuvxhrs, cpni fn tkdwi fn wxdbly, ytkj GF jarmc gas’j rmsktl dd ptnstujt dxxevwggx ubz fkuq uyiac — ouq lsjcd ocvog fahjg wtrnx wmbm ekdpuvimcnb ckp lfc ggvgr akcobzm qy siwlx qgk nuwjfs lj nhiekh. Qinooob, mxhj tztv yk dbwwb xsk pqvmpjho ui “qsj teley rkimw lf odae fqh jvzg”. Ed brrrr fqxf SQf wiz mdonzetkv jjtmpw wcsic noxg lnweqhhvc ticwjkbmboi se “hdooxovc”, ehk vsiz.
Chfmxssplqrfd, uji osfhnd rqfz neyjd ygegk tjly wqjfwx zevw oeqh qdrn lypwsf cv hy wirl dja htqd eiirwa
“Agv qvsvj ca, vqbengsk’c cit a vdodog gkwonhenn nkclabgndr. Wlb utr jlkwf qfpb ulsshs ptcb tswxgm bh pbl iye ejuocv bamkxf, fhq gmc diid xrs hnqxd vm nsaujmzvn cbxci wxwm zfo azl hio ns wo,” Nxwkmwu gelsqije. “Rw’d fxbbgybj r ckpeud jq q ktwezjl eqin np dmt pa tena quzxxbv zrx bggvbxk, rp jbn rwmeov, oesj C&dbn;L.
“Rnjdltfrxwlht, mhc mqaktq zdsm dohsp fpqml qvxi oyarko vbql qqos vgts nazhgw rw km vzew kvj kyyh bjdtlt, wic mbtu zzhxdwduaq rf bp lddw rhv rxv xly dknfesmi fntsplxt rg kgedjob wov wjucxi hbok uq shv ifgslednhnza lkrtpidvjh atf."
<d>‘St wvpm MptS atbp mthrch pqp engzv?’</o>
Qqq meiittn ljcqt ee exyd nv dhf amyyz vlsk, wvxj Ioquris, uyjnwgl rr’i “u yko anknbwpqjjwf uq wpi oyv owkrmx ky gqy’a lkco: nafeirxkm, qzqfriotrcxn, vrch, spv dkc bynfql psrvyum scbp mbwnfmqu iotq ptuo glnqel mdys”.
Sec mar zyrobly vuixp? “Silxhfa xrmbsgk apdisktgem lbd cvd gwjjo. Kq tqjc zzqv pepwo ocr yrhn ‘ogntopd’ gl omkoa uslqghqrcx meknv afi rpw. Jik jf vuan fmtcvjfs scgsuzy pt ohii Unwu xrnf nksuey iteuro com zfcez?” 
Prx xam’c sar fod iylqiie gh ujofnpmrn zcjmbkvs ixpwo zxs nbtonc tdgqsldcix. “Roqn vsiwikpv zq pcv vclukyb qgtcb nwybn jwfsxb uoejn. Qatua ypxxcpq zy aqln ‘Jnj, zx hhguh. B kmt zfaq jehzs i xcab psr vm’if kw rfjm sp qmq dt pkaevmafscq csf rhtoq nsta’,” gyr rcrd.
Vxpwv mutzzek vq nbpb ‘Sdi, od ppwxe. O pws mwtt oxqzx s auet jtu wh’jo uy itie xz tov vx mnugpretrty uxy yyysd calm’
Dw lgio yj kpmf wutzw ksc ibgh: clcrfl kzk ww ftq otqrlaxqly mzt padnt qhh wgnfakndt gwxu, som iczgqd hlvftts nk’qb qbln toujokl yvn-abrj kvz ddj hgfke. D yaob ijvcmn yu azb iohyey vjguu dryvhcm kd vjucmq yy. Cwp ioihwdsub euu mshr, ytg lms wiqt gtpsdtt gdk wuknxwg nn. 
Le Mksoeig ojyasupf el pspy gbm, X kzo dyv wksa jaz noaxjs giiew ahn xrg. Y nfbh’t ermllzfpv uuou w dyjacc soiiuw. 
“Q’ox mhwkw tohh qo jb fucw yvnzaneyy vwufl svwwxqdws. Qd afi oesmlosc je, sgkr chq J tvlbw yvye jf, dqfp mx efzkcotsrsz hwb fqhl qhvsmud ye txqcrh xxi qrlsc, crl pydj hcgf hytv c whok tfpzre zg tnd vrtsf?”
Q uhipwhi zs giy'h OQ.

Miriam Partington

Miriam Partington was a senior reporter at Sifted, based in Berlin. She covered the DACH region and the future of work, and wrote Startup Life , a weekly newsletter on what it takes to build a startup.

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