Thinkers & Builders

Silas Olan’g serves as NRGI’s Africa Energy Transition Advisor, bringing years of experience at the intersection of natural resource governance and energy transition across the continent. His passion is rooted in rural Tanzania, in the 1960s and 70s, where traditional biomass and kerosene were the only sources of energy. Electricity was a luxury only a few could afford. The situation hasn’t change...

Sarah Ezra, a senior management and board executive with over 18 years of experience managing multi-million dollar projects, shares her transformative approach to holistic, intentional leadership - both at work and at home. In this profound conversation, Sarah opens up about a realization that changed everything: "Why don't I run my home as a company?" From leading multi-million dollar community p...

Jennifer Shigoli, CEO and Founder of Arizona Vocational Training College and ELEA ProductS, shares the four transformative principles that took her businesses from startup to training over 5,000 people across Africa. From selling beads in school at age 16 to becoming a visionary educator and impact-driven entrepreneur, Jennifer's journey about building sustainable businesses in Africa is profound....

Dr. Catherine Kahabuka, PhD, Founder of Cremes International, shares her “Muscle to Brain Framework” - helping professionals move from trading hours for money to creating passive income through intellectual assets. Learn how she went from early-career doctor to global board member and internationally recognized coach by overcoming perfectionism and fear of visibility. Discover the pathway to becom...

Mike Mushi on turning privilege into statrup advantage in Africa Mike Mushi shares his extraordinary journey that began when his father decided primary education was enough and pushed him into the business world as a teenager.  In this powerful conversation on Thinkers & Builders, Mike reveals how what seemed like a disadvantage - being denied secondary education - became the foundation for unders...

What shapes who we become as adults? In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the powerful connection between childhood experiences and adult behavior with Prof. Lusajo Kajula, a Tanzanian international scholar in health behavior and psychology for adolescents and families, and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health’s first Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence. Mtoto wa Nyoka ni Nyoka/ The...

In this conversation, Mariagoreth Charles sits down with Simon Shayo to discuss gold sourcing, where Simon shares sustainability insights from AngloGold Ashanti Tanzania and explains how you can make money in mining without actually mining. Simon Shayo is Vice President for Sustainability and Corporate Affairs at AngloGold Ashanti Africa. He began his career in Tanzania’s energy sector in the earl...

In this conversation, Burak Büyüksaraç shares insights on Private Equity (PE) and Venture Capital (VC). He reflects on lessons from his past business experiences, explores the potential of Tanzania’s capital markets, discusses how to identify promising businesses, and explains what it takes to become investor-ready. He also highlights the differences between successful and unsuccessful startups an...