Building the trade bridge between Africa and the world.
Bashir Azeez is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Abartfoods and Baagrilink, working on food, agriculture and trade between the United States and Africa.
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Beltsville and Wheaton, MarylandFarms across Africa
Nine years ago, I opened a grocery store to bring home a little closer. Today I’m building the supply chain behind it: from the farm, to the shelf, to the families who miss the taste of home.
October 2017
Abartfoods opens its doors
2 stores
Beltsville and Wheaton, Maryland
4 ventures
Food, agritech, minerals and trading
Four ventures. One thread.
Moving goods, capital and opportunity across the Africa–world bridge.
Abartfoods
Beltsville and Wheaton, Maryland, and online
Online and in-store African grocery, serving customers since October 2017. Its mission is to drive commerce and trade across the U.S., Africa and beyond.
An agritech solution that empowers farmers and connects them to opportunity. Built for farmers, buyers, cooperatives and partners who believe African agriculture deserves better infrastructure.
I look for partners who care about the same outcomes.
I’m a Nigerian-born entrepreneur based in the United States. In October 2017 I launched Abartfoods to give customers authentic African food they could trust and find easily. It has grown into an online and in-store business serving communities in Maryland.
Not everything has gone to plan. Some of my most expensive lessons came from trusting people on their words instead of their track record. So I built differently: clear roles, written processes and regular checks. I think of it as respect for the business and for the people in it.
The next chapter reaches upstream. The best grocery shelf in America is only as good as the farm that feeds it, and I want African farmers to have better access to markets, information and fair opportunity.
The most valuable things are built slowly, on purpose.
Lessons from building across continents.
I write about entrepreneurship, trust, systems and African trade. No motivation, no guru talk. Just what I’ve seen, what it cost, and what I’d do again.
African Trade
The real cost of capital across borders
Article summary and reading time appear here.
Systems
Trust as infrastructure in emerging markets
Article summary and reading time appear here.
Entrepreneurship
Why operational depth beats pure brand
Article summary and reading time appear here.
One letter, once a month.
Practical lessons for founders and operators, written by someone still doing the work.
Let’s talk about what we can build.
Choose the path that fits you best.
Investors
I’m building companies for the long term and welcome investors who share that view. Tell me who you are and where you see the fit. Serious conversations move to private discussion.
I’m looking for a cofounder or senior partner who owns operations, technology or finance and is comfortable with long horizons and honest conversations.
I speak on entrepreneurship, building trust-based and systems-based companies, and the future of African trade. Interview, panel and keynote requests are welcome.
