Korede Kaneto Akinsete is the founder of Ko Concepts, a storytelling studio that empowers leaders, impact builders, and creatives to identify, refine, and amplify their unique narratives. She’s also a writer exploring the intersections of arts, culture, and identity across the African diaspora, with sensibilities shaped by Lagos and New York. Here she shares with us how she makes sense of the internet.
Who are you? What do you do?
I’m a curious, cultured Nigerian woman with a ton of interests and a mission to turn my side quests into main quests. I run Ko Concepts, a storytelling studio that helps leaders, impact builders and creatives identify, refine and amplify their unique narratives. I’m also a writer exploring the intersections of arts, culture, and identity across the African diaspora. My sensibilities are shaped tremendously by Lagos and New York. Both cities raised me, which explains the range and ambition.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
I whisper “Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus” until my spirit and my body agree to roll out of bed, and into gym clothes. So essentially, I start my day by making deals.
What’s the last thing you do on your phone before bed?
Final email sweep and responses to family and tier-1 friends.
What’s the app you open the most without thinking?
I really try to use my phone intentionally. I’m fighting for what’s left of my attention span. That doesn’t mean I don’t scroll aimlessly, it just means I’m conscious of when I’m doing it.
Would you say you have an online persona? What’s it, and how did you arrive at it?
Not quite. I’m sure I probably fall into an archetype, but not consciously. I do have a newsletter on substack called “I Really Mean It”, a cheeky Dipset reference but also a promise to tell the truth. It has a specific tone of voice: frank, witty, well-researched, a little unserious but extremely intelligent. Kind of like me? Lol
How do you use the internet: for work or pleasure?
At my core, I’m an analog girl in a digital world. I don’t even really like the internet if we’re being real. I don’t think we are supposed to have this much access to this many people and their thoughts. But I’m a curious person, and having an endless library within reach is pretty irresistible. Professionally, the internet has given me a lot of freedom. I get to work and live between New York and Lagos, which I really appreciate… so maybe I don’t dislike the internet after all.
What rules do you live by on the internet?
I have quite a few. My words and ideas are how I earn a living, so I’m careful about giving too much away for free, particularly in spaces with zero barrier to entry. I avoid trauma video content, particularly anything involving harm to Black bodies. And overall, the internet is a tool. Use it, don’t become it.
What moment or episode in your life would you say captured the essence of the internet?
2020 was a complete reset for society and for our relationship with the digital world. We went from treating the internet as a secondary public square to it becoming the main public square. It raised a lot of questions for me about how we relate to each other and to information. Does absence online equate to disappearing from the consciousness of your community? The internet promised connection, yet we somehow walked away in the middle of a loneliness epidemic. Between global protests, viral trends, and non-stop discourse, the year was a microcosm of everything the internet has since become. It is urgent, chaotic, communal, isolating, and promising…all at once.
Do you remember the first time something you posted went viral? What was it, and how did it make you feel?
Probably one of the first articles I ever published under my own name, “Call Us By Our Name”. It was 2018, Nigerian pop music was tasting the early rumblings of a cultural renaissance, and I had problems with the term “Afrobeats.” At the time, very few people were bold enough to publicly challenge the label because of how profitable the moment had become. It went pretty viral and ended up being discussed on New York radio, Spotify offices and at labels. It also got misconstrued by a few people too. This taught me the importance of knowing why I write and standing behind anything I publish. Till this day, the article gets referenced in top-tier publications trying to make sense of the current surge in music from the continent. But the greatest feeling has been the two times college students reached out to me to let me know it was assigned as reading or that they were working on a related thesis.
What’s the most outrage you have ever generated over something you posted? How did you react to it?
I don’t do outrage. I’m not afraid of it, but I’ve learned that writers and storytellers have to be intentional about when and why they wade into that territory. Outrage has become the fastest route to virality, but I never want to perform for the algorithm or become a caricature of myself. Some people do outrage and do it well; I just don’t think that’s my ministry.
What’s your favourite social media platform? Why?
If Substack now counts as social media, then Substack. But if we’re talking original recipe, ruin-your-mental-health social media, then TikTok. We all needed a palate cleanser from the performance art that is Instagram.
For nostalgia,Tumblr that year. And honestly, Twitter (not X) that year too.
YouTube or TikTok? Which do you prefer and why?
Tiktok (with the exception of dance videos. On days I can’t make it to the studio, I’ll learn random choreo online).
What was the last meme you saved?
I’m more of a TikTok sound girl. The last unsolicited one I used was: “Ah ah. No be Gadus be this?” after coming across some unexpected tea.
What is your guiltiest online pleasure?
I watch every retired rapper/athlete podcast. I may be crossing enemy lines, but I simply cannot stop.
What was the last rabbit hole you fell into?
Angie Martinez interview archives. She’s the blueprint for capturing iconic stories without resorting to outrage. She makes guests feel safe, so they give her the scoop with a smile instead of a media-trained script.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned online recently?
That Zora Neal Hurston was chaotic af but probably also a great time
What’s a corner of the internet you’re obsessed with right now?
A podcast about Black American historical figures and all the gossip of their heyday. The host’s attention to detail is elite. It feels like a secret society newsletter.
Which Nigerian creator do you think the world needs to see and hear more of?
Not necessarily a creator, but startArchiviNG is my favourite handle on the internet right now. The way they contextualize Nigerian history is so needed. Please give them all the funding.
Who is the coolest person you follow?
Ivie Ani
and the coolest person who follows you?
Moliy
What is your favourite Nigerian podcast?
WJGB #iykyk
Have you ever hooked up with someone you met online?
PR did not approve this question.
Five people you’d love to see answer these questions.
Tayo Bero, Fresh L, Nollybabes, Deji Osikoya, Ivie Ani
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