Episode 2: Mangrove, Today - Women Supporting Women, By Design

In this second episode of Confluence, host Eunchim Choi is joined by current core team members Sarah Badju Tollestrup and Kim Teillet-Meunier to trace how each came into The Mangrove Collective, from prior ties as INGO colleagues to Eunchim's simple invitation to join the core team. The three unpack why they left full-time institutional roles for consulting, weighing the autonomy and flexibility motherhood demanded against the isolation of going solo, and how TMC's collective, values-driven model closed that gap. They revisit 2025's unexpected "dry season," when USAID's collapse froze sector-wide work just as Sarah and Kim arrived, and how cold-bidding, relationships, and team grit turned the business around within the year, alongside how they've grown a trusted network of local and national associate consultants. The conversation closes with reflections on the meaning of The Mangrove Collective's name, how values like mutual support show up in the business itself, and what each has learned about herself in the process. Support the showSupport the show