Welcome to The People Behind the Programs, a blog series celebrating the voices, stories, and impact of the community professionals powering connection and belonging across the globe.

Today, we meet Kishi Wuraola Fadeko, the Community Lead & Founder of The CM Guide at Immigify in Lagos, Nigeria.

Being a natural gatherer of people, Kishi discovered the essence of community building before she even knew it was a profession. Her inspiring and validating journey into this field speaks volumes about her dedication and passion. Let’s hear her story in her own words.

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How It Started

To be honest, I got into community building long before I even knew it had an official name. It started with a simple love for bringing people together, hosting small gatherings, and creating spaces where people felt seen and connected. During my undergraduate days, that instinct led me to volunteer with GDG (Google Developer Groups). I didn’t think of it as “community management” at the time ;  I was just organizing events, keeping members engaged, coordinating activities, and doing everything I could to make sure people showed up and felt involved.

Along the way, I joined several campus ambassador programs, and that exposure changed everything. It taught me how communities align with a brand’s goals, how engagement directly affects growth, and how structured community experiences can shape the perception of a product. That was my first real encounter with the business side of community.

My actual entry into the industry came when I landed an internship at ALX. That was the moment I discovered this thing I’d been doing for years had a proper name, a full career path, and even a job description that perfectly matched my natural strengths. It was eye-opening; and validating.

From there, everything accelerated. I’ve now spent the last four years actively managing and building communities across different industries: tech, talent, startup ecosystems, and learning communities. Each role has reinforced one thing ;  community is not just about gathering people; it’s about designing experiences that move individuals forward and help brands grow in measurable ways.

What started as something I stumbled into has become a career I’m deeply committed to, and community building remains the work that feels most natural to me.

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A Day in the Life

My current role sits at the intersection of community strategy, growth, and member experience. I work across different brands, and each one requires a slightly different approach ;  but the core of my work remains the same: building purposeful communities that actually move the business forward.

On any given day, I’m switching between community strategy, content planning, member engagement, and data tracking. I manage communities that range from talent ecosystems to startup-focused spaces, and the goal is always to create meaningful experiences that keep members active, supported, and connected to the brand’s mission.

A typical day starts with reviewing member activity and conversations to understand what’s happening in the community in real time. From there, I handle onboarding flows, engagement prompts, and responses to member questions so the space never feels silent or unmanaged. I work closely with product and marketing teams to align community programming with campaigns, feature releases, or organizational goals.

I also spend a good amount of time analyzing what’s working. That includes checking engagement metrics, looking at participation patterns, studying content performance, and identifying the activities that actually impact retention or conversion.

Alongside my work with brands, I run a community for Community Managers themselves, The CM Guide ;  a learning, support, and resource-driven space for both aspiring and experienced CMs. My day-to-day there involves organizing masterclasses, hosting AMAs, curating resources, guiding conversations, and ensuring everyone has access to knowledge that helps them grow in their roles. It’s also where I test community ideas, experiment with formats, and stay close to the pulse of the industry.

No two days look exactly the same, but the through-line is simple: I’m constantly designing, observing, improving, and supporting people.

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The Tools that Power My Work

My go-to tool for community building depends on the stage, structure, and goals of the community, but there are a few I consistently rely on because they make the work smoother and more intentional.

For day-to-day community management, WhatsApp and Telegram remain unbeatable for communities in Africa. They’re not the “fanciest” platforms, but they’re where members already spend their time, and that naturally improves participation and retention. For fast communication, AMAs, daily prompts, and quick engagement loops, these platforms work incredibly well.

For structure and long-term community health, I’m a big believer in Notion. It’s the backbone of almost everything I do ;  from planning engagement calendars to tracking growth metrics, documenting community processes, creating content pipelines, and storing resources. If a community isn’t organized internally, it won’t grow sustainably, and Notion makes that internal structure very easy to maintain.

For communication at scale, Mailchimp has been one of my favorite tools. I use it for newsletters, onboarding sequences, and nurturing campaigns. It helps me segment audiences and send the right messages to the right people without overwhelming the community.

When it comes to hosting events, I depend a lot on Google Meet, Zoom, and an all-time fave, Bevy depending on the experience I want to create. Bevy in particular helps elevate the feel of virtual events, and for communities that value learning or spotlight-style sessions, presentation matters.

And finally, I rely on analytics tools ;  from simple ones like Google Forms and Tally for feedback to platform-specific insights. Community decisions become smarter and more intentional when they’re backed by data.

Each of these tools plays a different role in my work, but together they help me build communities that feel organic, supported, and designed for real growth ;  not just activity.

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Advice for Newcomers

If I could give just one piece of advice to anyone starting out in community management, it’s this: understand that community work looks very different depending on where you’re doing it. The way communities operate in Nigeria ;  the tools people prefer, the speed of communication, the expectations members have ;  is not always the same as what you’ll see in the US, Europe, or even other African countries. So the earlier you understand your environment, the better decisions you’ll make.

One thing I wish I knew earlier is how important clarity is. Be very clear about your responsibilities from day one. Ask direct questions about what the company expects from you, what success looks like to them, and what level of support you’ll actually receive. A lot of burnout in this industry comes from walking into a role with unseen expectations, unclear KPIs, or goals that sound fancy but are not realistic for the community you’re managing.

Also, communicate with your stakeholders. Many community problems are not “community problems” ;  they’re clarity problems. Make sure the leadership team can articulate why the community exists and how it ties into the company’s goals. This helps you build the right programs, create the right experiences, and measure the impact properly.

And finally, stay humble and curious. Community management is not a one-size-fits-all job. What works today may not work next quarter. What works for a Web3 community may flop for an edtech or creator community. The industry changes fast, and the best community managers are the ones who continuously learn, try new things, ask questions, and adjust without ego.

If you stay adaptable, connected to your members, and aligned with your company’s goals, you’ll do just fine.

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Resources I Suggest

I don’t actually listen to a lot of community-focused podcasts, but I always recommend the books that shaped how I think, build, and lead communities. My all-time favorite is The Community Manager’s Playbook by Lauren Perkins. It was one of the first books that helped me understand community as more than “vibes and engagement.” It breaks down structure, systems, and strategy in a way that makes you feel equipped rather than overwhelmed.

Another one I love is Community in a Box. It’s very practical and gives you a framework for building communities that are not only active, but scalable. A lot of us start out creating experiences based on instinct, but this book helps you see the architecture behind healthy communities.

And then Get Together ;  this one is for when you want to reconnect with the heart of community. It focuses on belonging, storytelling, and the culture side of things. Every time I feel stuck or disconnected from my “why,” I go back to it because it reminds me that we build communities around shared purpose, not just shared activity.

All three books shaped different parts of my evolution as a community manager: strategy, structure, and soul.

And because storytelling is important in this industry, I’m currently working on my own book, The Community Manager’s Guide, coming out in 2026. It’s a mix of the practical frameworks I’ve used over the years and the lived realities of doing community work in the Nigerian context. My hope is that it becomes a resource for both new and experienced community builders navigating this space.

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💬 Let’s connect on LinkedIn - I’d love to hear from fellow community builders.

💡 The People Behind the Programs is a blog series that shines a light on the community professionals powering impactful programs around the world. Want to share your story or nominate someone doing incredible community work? Submit your spotlight here.

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