Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Africa

Towera Jalakasi is an entrepreneur in every sense of the word. She has made the jump from being a consultant advising entrepreneurs to transforming sectors with enterprises of her own. She has helped small producer communities in her native Malawi access fair prices for their products and materials by creating links between them and outside markets. Even with all her success she still faces an uphill battle as a female entrepreneur in Africa, where the glass ceiling has yet to give way. In a business environment where women are constantly questioned on their ability to lead and have difficulty accessing traditional funding sources, Towera is a beacon of hope and a confident leader articulating a vision of success. Join Ned as he speaks with Towera Jalakasi, a successful and innovative entrepreneur as we talk about the struggles and rewards of entrepreneurship in a developing economy. Edward D. (Ned) Breslin is the CEO of Water For People, widely considered a force for positive change by challenging status quo approaches to water and sanitation, philanthropy and aid transparency and offering concrete alternatives, and received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2011. Towera Jalakasi is a business consultant, entrepreneur and fair-trade expert who works with small producer communities in Malawi helping them to access fair prices for their materials, and creating links between them and outside consumer markets. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/breaking_the_glass_ceiling_in_africa