Ubuntu: New World Advocacy [Episode 80 feat. Lushentha Naidoo]

I'm kicking off 'World, Opportunity' by hopping across the pond to Europe! ✈️ Meet Lushentha Naidoo, a part of the pioneering force behind the European Supplier Diversity Program. We chat about the real talk on global business development, from navigating Europe (it's a continent, not a country! 😉) to the power of visibility for minority businesses. Lushentha shares her incredible journey, growing up during South African apartheid, and why equity and education are her passions. Get ready to expand your mindset! 💡-- About Lushentha Naidoo: Lushentha started her career in South Africa over 15 years ago as a finance management trainee at Unilever and worked in over seven countries across five continents. She discovered her passion for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) during this time. As Supply Chain Director, Lushentha led large scale transformation and circular economy projects, successfully set up the EDI SC strategy in Europe (growing gender diversity by +5% in one year). Leaving role at Unilever was an extremely difficult decision for her but having grown up as a woman of colour in apartheid South Africa, Lushentha knew that she had to use her lived experience to make an impact on the world. Lushentha managed to combine her experiences and passion to set up and lead ESDP, a non-profit organisation based in the Netherlands, focused on closing the socio-economic gap by bringing together European Ethnic Minority Businesses (EMBs) with industry leaders who are committed to inclusive procurement and supplier diversity. ESDP is the first advocacy network on continental Europe to certify ethnic minority suppliers in the Netherlands, France and Germany with a database of over 500 suppliers.-- About the Fast Forward Podcast: The Fast Forward Podcast is the strategic briefing for C-suite executives, Fortune 100 leaders, and government leaders navigating complex organizational change. Hosted by Kalyn Romaine, a founder, organizational psychologist, and executive coach, each episode shares her nearly 20 years of experience transforming enterprise teams, unicorn startups, and public sector agencies. This channel bridges behavioral science and high-stakes execution. It's practical intellectualism, delivered with a touch of witty wisdom. Visit forwardcollectivegroup.com to learn more.