On How Women Are Balancing It All: Claudia is in Conversation with Busie Matsiko-Andan

Busie's father's sudden death 2 months before her graduation walk, changed her walk. She was to work for Citigroup and move back to Uganda. But she stayed and became a workaholic to deal with that trauma and thrust herself into entrepreneurship while working a 9-5pm job. As a result, she founded one of the first fashion tech companies which was then twice acquired.

Another significant pivot was the birth of her 2nd child, who had severe food allergies. She was forced to move to remote working in 2012 as she was her daughter's primary caregiver. Busie left regular employment to become a stay at home mom then eventually a work from home mom. This moved her into consultancy as well as policy driven assignments such as board position, as she realized mom's careers suffer most and they are usually driven to make decisions which impact our families and the broader community. Busie realized, that we need more women at the policy tables. She has been fortunate to have doors open for others and believes also in amplifying others. She believes, if we light more candles we illuminate more light and there's an African Proverb which says "If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far, go together. Let's continue to build and amplify!!

She reflects on what she has learned, we need to be anchored by a strong ecosystem, and that it’s imperative that we intentionally and deliberately harness positive relationships. That's why some people bounce back more easily from adversity than others. Who you surround yourself matters. It’s like a charging bank, a reserved you may tap into because of one’s investment.

A serial entrepreneur widely recognised for her impact leadership, Busie Matsiko-Andan is an award-winning global strategist and Board Trustee who has held positions on Wall Street at Smith Barney, Oppenheimer & Co and Citibank. She currently advises multilaterals like the African Union, Afreximbank, the Africa Renaissance and Diaspora Network, Lalela Project, and the Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa on private-sector scaling and development. As a global strategist and CEO of Pont Global, Busie has been instrumental in successfully scaling and growing companies and organizations. She is also the Executive Director of The Africa Future Summit which brings together investors and leaders in technology,
entrepreneurship, and politics to address the challenges that affect Africa's future. She is also the first black woman trustee of Berkeley College, in the US. Busie was the founder of one of the first fashion technology companies, Fashion Indie, and also created RESET, a platform to discuss business strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her initiatives have been featured in international and local publications. Busie is also a sought-after keynote speaker and moderator. Busie is the founder and president of the New York African Chamber of Commerce.

To learn more about my guest, please visit her social media pages and websites:

Instagram: @busiematsikoandan

LinkedIn: Busie Matsiko-Andan

Website: New York African Chamber of Commerce

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This podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.

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