OLAF Citizen Session
✨👏 Last month, I had the privilege of joining an inspiring panel for Citizen Sessions led by ØLÅF. I always enjoy speaking at events - but sometimes one comes along that feels extra special…
Serious hats off to Karolina Wereszczyńska for organising the event, and to Olaf Hussein for the community he’s created. The vibe in the room, the audience, my fellow panellists – it all felt electric ⚡️
Maybe it was because the focus of the talk was about impact, empowerment and giving back, or maybe it was all of these ingredients coming together.
I have to admit, I was in no small awe hearing Mary Consolata Namagambe's entrepreneurial journey and about the impact she’s driving with She for She Pads, creating reusable period products in Uganda with local communities. It made me think for a moment… what is it that I actually do?
But Ashlee Janelle Danso's skilled moderation and the audience’s thought-provoking questions brought me back to my mission and myself. Our conversation flowed through:
✨ What kick started us and what keeps us going
✨ Why we’re dedicated to making a difference and how we built strategies around it
✨ Right through to our biggest challenges and our best tips those starting out
❣️ It made me proud of being a business owner and a founder with a focus on hashtag#impact, sharing why it isn’t an afterthought, and why its at the core of our business model.
Sometimes while you’re running a business you’re so busy - running - you don’t stop to recognise and celebrate the difference you’ve been part of creating.
This was made even more striking by the fact that it was Ashlee - one of our former Routes in mentees - hosting the stage for us. #fullcircle