Ep 4: One life vest in a storm the Uganda wake-up call with Milbert Kiggundu-Bentham

What starts as a peaceful family getaway to the Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria quickly spirals into one of those travel stories that feels almost too chaotic to be real. In this episode of Risky Routes, Olivia Goldstein sits down with financial services veteran Milbert Kiggundu Bentham to unpack a journey through Uganda that included a stormy boat ride with only one life vest on board, running out of gas in the middle of the lake, a midnight bat encounter inside their hotel room, and a final escape via what Milbert describes as a “Volkswagen with wings.”Milbert brings more than 25 years of experience in financial services, with leadership roles at Bank of America, Standard & Poor’s, and Bear Stearns, most recently focused on digital engagement for small businesses and middle-market banking. A Cornell graduate and entrepreneur who has also founded a small business in New York City, she shares how this travel experience mirrors lessons from the corporate world: trusting your instincts, doing your due diligence, understanding incentives, and knowing when to take control of a situation.What unfolds is more than just a wild travel story. It becomes a conversation about risk, leadership, decision-making, and the importance of asking the right questions before you get on the boat both literally and metaphorically.If you’ve ever ignored your gut while traveling or in business this episode will hit close to home.