Kris Carter: From Harvard Law to Africa | Faith, Failure & Meaningful Work

Kris Carter’s career has rarely followed a straight line. Since graduating from Harvard Law School, he has worked in law, technology, music, microfinance, entrepreneurship, manufacturing in Africa, and venture capital. But behind those career pivots is a deeper story about identity, faith, risk, failure, and learning to follow the next call even when you aren’t sure where it will lead. Kris shares what difficult leaders taught him about the importance of being “the leader of your own soul,” how he learned not to let a job or boss determine his self-worth, and how his renewed faith changed the way he viewed his work. We also talk about his years working with microfinance institutions in Africa, his decision to move from lending to creating jobs, and the remarkable story of building Gulu Made with women in northern Uganda—and later helping build another manufacturing operation in Ethiopia. Kris is also unusually candid about depression, financial uncertainty, comparison, and the persistent voice telling him he hadn’t accomplished enough. We finish with an unexpected question for a podcast called Uncommon Impact: What if impact isn’t something we should chase at all? It’s a conversation about calling, gratitude, risk, significance, and learning to be fully present for the life directly in front of you.