Made For Us

Rebecca Omordia knew she wanted to be a concert pianist from the age of seven. As a music student, she mastered the demanding repertoire of Western composers and at home, she listened to Igbo songs sung by her Nigerian father. So when she discovered piano music by African composers, she wondered, “ why shouldn't this be in the canon?”
In this episode, Rebeca reflects on her journey bringing African classical music to the concert stage, how she won over the doubters, and the moment she realised there was an audience for this undiscovered genre.
This is the first in a series of episodes we’re bringing you in collaboration with Classically Black, a festival taking place on October 10, 2026 at King’s Place in London. Learn more about Rebeca’s performance here: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/classical/keyboard-warriors/
The following excerpts included in this episode are from African Pianism, Vol. 2 by Rebeca Omordia (Somm Recordings):
Elilta - Cry of Joy (Girma Yifrashewa), Two Preludes on Yoruba Sacred Folk Melodies, No. 1, “K’A Mura” (Fela Sowande), Study in African Pianism No. 1 (Akin Euba), Crépuscule sur la baie d’Alger (Salim Dada), and Senzeni Na (arranged by Grant McLachlan).
---
About Rebeca Omordia
Rebeca Omordia is an award-winning British-Nigerian concert pianist and curator, internationally recognised as a pioneer of African Pianism. Hailed as a “classical music game changer” (Classical Music Magazine), she founded the first African Concert Series, resident at London's Wigmore Hall.
Visit Rebeca’s website: https://www.rebecaomordia.com/
Follow Rebeca on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeca_omordia/
Purchase African Pianism vol 2: https://somm-recordings.com/recording/african-pianism-volume-two/
---
About Classically Black
Now in its third year, Classically Black is a festival redefining what classical music looks and sounds like today.
The programme celebrates and elevates Black and global majority musicians and composers in classical music, past and present. Curated by Black Lives in Music, Classically Black 2026 returns to Kings Place, London on Saturday 10 October 2026.
Learn more about Classically Black: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/black-lives-in-music-presents-classically-black/
Learn more about Black Lives in Music: https://blim.org.uk/
Follow Black Lives in Music on Instagram: https://instagram.com/BlackLivesinMusic
---
Connect with Made for Us
Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/

This September on Made For Us, we’re bringing you a series of conversations with some of classical music’s innovators - performers and composers who are expanding the boundaries of the genre.
We’ve teamed up with Classically Black, a festival in the UK that is redefining what classical music looks and sounds like today.
Curated by Black Lives in Music, Classically Black takes place on October 10, 2026 at King’s Place in London. The programme features live performance, discussion, a new talent showcase and a workshop for young musicians.
Learn more here: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/black-lives-in-music-presents-classically-black/
Subscribe to Made For Us and be the first to hear when new episodes drop.
---
Connect with Made for Us
Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/
Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

Eric Collins co-founded Impact X Capital to back the founders traditional venture capital overlooks. Inspired by the "original investors" in his own life, Eric’s work is driven by his belief that while talent is distributed equally, opportunity is not.
In this episode - our season finale - Eric discusses his move from technology executive to investor and why he sees the racial wealth gap as a problem that can be solved through intentional capital. He reflects on the journey of Impact X portfolio company Marshmallow to unicorn status and shares the logic behind investing in the animated series Iyanu.
You’ll learn:
- Why Impact X invests where other VC firms don't - and the data that backs its strategy
- Why good ideas are distributed equally across populations, but venture capital remains stubbornly concentrated
- How Marshmallow helped bridge the insurance gap for immigrants, reaching a $1.2B valuation in 18 months.
---
*** Help us shape the future of Made For Us! Take our 4-minute listener survey for the chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and get instant access to our curated reading list of every book ever recommended on the show: https://forms.gle/pNyrCooa23oYsaVk7
---
About Eric Collins
Eric Collins is a serial entrepreneur, investor, technology executive, host of award-winning Channel 4 business show, The Money Maker. In 2018 he co-founded Impact X Capital Partners, a UK domiciled VC fund that has closed 2 funds with 49 investments including Europe’s 2nd Black unicorn, insurtech innovator, Marshmallow. In his award-winning book, We Don’t Need Permission: How Black Business Can Change Our World (Penguin), Eric argues investing in Black and underrepresented entrepreneurs is the surest, fastest socio-economic game changer there is.
Follow Eric Collins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericdcollinsba/
Learn more about Impact X: www.impactxcapital.com
Read We Don’t Need Permission: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/446046/we-dont-need-permission-by-collins-eric/9780552178648
Learn more about the Black Literary Club: https://www.theblackliteraryclub.com/
---
Connect with Made for Us
Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/
Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

Season 3 credits:
Creator, producer & host: Tosin Sulaiman
Audio engineering: Justin Orive | Graphic design: Judith Raynault
Social media: Shilton Freeman | Cover art: Valentin Grimoux

Growing up, Valencia Koomson wasn't supposed to be the one playing with the electronic set - that was her brother's Christmas present. She played with it anyway, and now she runs a lab at Tufts University focused on designing precision biosensors. She's turned that expertise toward addressing a long-overlooked problem in medical technology: pulse oximeters that work less reliably for patients with darker skin.
In this episode, she explains what it actually takes to engineer a more inclusive pulse oximeter and she shares how she's navigating the complexities of commercialising a new medical device.
You'll learn:
- Why pulse oximeters tend to be less accurate on patients with darker skin tones
- The engineering principles Koomson is using to redesign the device from the ground up
- How she thinks about bridging the gap between lab innovation and real-world impact
---
*** Help us shape the future of Made For Us! Take our 4-minute listener survey for the chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and get instant access to our curated reading list of every book ever recommended on the show: https://forms.gle/pNyrCooa23oYsaVk7
---
About Valencia Koomson
Valencia Koomson holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts University with a secondary appointment at the Department of Computer Science and Tisch College of Civic Life. She is the founding director of the Advanced Integrated Circuits & Systems Lab at Tufts with a research focus on medical device innovation, global health technology, and health equity advocacy. Dr. Koomson completed B.S. and M.Eng. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science at MIT. She was awarded the George C. Marshall scholarship to pursue post-graduate studies at the University of Cambridge where she received the M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering. Dr. Koomson has authored over 60 publications, book chapters, and patents. She was awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professorship at MIT in 2021.
Follow Valencia Koomson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/profkoomson/
Learn more about the Advanced Integrated Circuits and Systems Lab at Tufts: https://engineering.tufts.edu/ece/koomson
---
Other episodes you might like:
The pulse oximeter problem: a trusted medical device comes under the spotlight
How to design a fairer healthcare system
---
Connect with Made for Us
- Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast
- Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

*** Help shape the future of Made For Us! Take our quick listener survey for the chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and get instant access to our curated reading list of every book ever recommended on the show: https://forms.gle/pNyrCooa23oYsaVk7
---
At age 17, Hugh Herr was an elite rock climber whose life was defined by the vertical world, until a mountain climbing accident fundamentally changed his trajectory.
Today, as Professor at the MIT Media Lab and co-director of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics, his work focuses on creating bionic limbs that move and feel like natural limbs. His innovations include computer controlled artificial knees, powered ankle-foot prostheses and exoskeletons, earning him the title "Leader of the Bionic Age."
In this conversation, he shares the personal story behind his mission to design transformative and human-centred technology, and the global challenge of making prosthetics accessible to all.
You'll learn:
- What the next frontier of human augmentation looks like
- Major innovations from Hugh Herr's lab at MIT, including a groundbreaking new surgical technique
- The roadmap for creating a future with equitable, global access to advanced prosthetic technology
---
*** Help us shape the future of Made For Us! Take our 4-minute listener survey for the chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and get instant access to our curated reading list of every book ever recommended on the show: https://forms.gle/pNyrCooa23oYsaVk7
---
About Hugh Herr
Hugh Herr is Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT Media Lab, and co-leads the Yang Center for Bionics at MIT. He is creating bionic limbs that emulate the function of natural limbs. TIME Magazine coined him the "Leader of the Bionic Age" because of his revolutionary work in the emerging field of Biomechatronics - technology that marries human physiology with electromechanics.
Follow Hugh Herrr on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-herr-023697b/
Follow Hugh Herr on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hugh.herr/
Learn more about the Biomechatronics Group at MIT: https://www.media.mit.edu/groups/biomechatronics/overview/
Learn more about the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics: https://yangtan.mit.edu/k-lisa-yang-center-for-bionics/
---
Connect with Made for Us
- Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/
- Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/