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Supply Chain Now Classic: Education, Entrepreneurship & Equity: A Conversation With The Visiola Foundation's Ladé Araba
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- [00:04]
Host
Welcome to Supply Chain now, the voice of global supply chain. Supply Chain now focuses on the best in the business for our worldwide audience. The people, the technologies, the best practices and today's critical issues, the challenges and opportunities. Stay tuned to hear from those making global business happen right here on Supply Chain now.
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Scott Lewton
Hey, good morning everybody. Scott Lewton and special guest host Matilda or hen with you here on Supply Chain Now. Welcome to today's show. Matilda, how you doing?
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Matilda Oren
I'm great, Scott. How about yourself?
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Scott Lewton
Doing wonderful. It is so neat to be back co hosting a show with you. It's been a long time since the last time, I want to say the last time you're with us we were interviewing Jackie Robinson's family. Do you remember that, Matilda?
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Matilda Oren
Yes, I do. And I did another one with Enrique. But yes, we had fun. Yeah, we did.
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Scott Lewton
We know. We've got an excellent show teed up here. This is going to be a bit of a special unique episode perhaps of Logistics with Purpose which is always sponsored by our dear friends at Vector Global Logistics. So this episode we've got teed up. Today we're going to be speaking with a leader of a nonprofit that's on a mission to fuel the emergence of a new cadre of leaders across Africa. In particular, this organization aims to increase female entrepreneurs across the vibrant continent of Africa. Of course, entrepreneurship is critical for all industries, especially global supply chain as we work on solving old and new challenges. So stay tuned for a fascinating discussion. Matilda, I'm going to welcome in our guests if you're ready to go.
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Matilda Oren
I'm ready to go. Let's go.
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Scott Lewton
Wonderful. Let's do it. So we welcome in Laude Aruba, co founder and president of the Viziola Foundation. Laude, how you doing?
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Laude Araba
I'm doing wonderful, Scott, how are you? Thank you so much for having me.
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Scott Lewton
Well, you bet. You know, one of my favorite things to do. It's great to have you. One of my favorite things to do is rub elbows with folks that are really pushing industry forward, giving forward, building others and because we all win that way. So I'm really excited to learn more about your journey and what you are doing at the foundation.
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Laude Araba
Well, there is a lot going on. We've worked with over 8,000 girls and young women across the about six countries in Africa giving them the opportunity to access education and also STEM learning. And STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math. And we've seen a number of these girls go on to college, get scholarships. Some of them have become tech enabled entrepreneurs. Others have been able to access jobs that they previously weren't qualified for. So there's just a lot going on, and I'm super excited and proud of these girls and the futures that they have.
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Scott Lewton
As you should be. As we all should be. So I love that work. We're going to dive into more of that in just a minute. But before we do, let's get to know Lotte a little bit better. Matilda, how does that sound?
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Matilda Oren
That sounds great, Lotte. I'm excited, too. I know.
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Scott Lewton
Not so la day. Matilda and I would love to know where you grew up. And, of course, you got to give us the goods on your upbringing.
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Laude Araba
So it's a little bit of a complicated story. So I was born in Nigeria, and we moved to Italy when I was three. My father worked for the United nations, so he was a diplomat. So I grew up in Rome, Italy, the beautiful eternal city.
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Scott Lewton
Wow.
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Laude Araba
I learned different languages and, you know, got to meet a lot of different people.
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Scott Lewton
What? You know, I'm not sure, Matilda, if I've ever met anyone that was able to grow up in Rome, of all places. How about that?
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Matilda Oren
Yeah.
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Scott Lewton
So what was it? So, you know, pardon my ignorance a little bit. I've never. I've never visited Rome. It's on my list of things to do. Gosh, Lonnie, what was it like to have a backdrop of all the ancient structures and the history? What was that like?
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Laude Araba
So, before I get into that, I want to tell you one of my earliest childhood memories. I remember the flight to Rome and how I kept my poor mother up because she had to make sure I was comfortable the entire time we arrived. And that was the first time that it had snowed in Rome in a very long time. So it's not typically that cold. So our first year in Rome, we had snow, so I made a snowman. So it's very different. That's one of my earliest childhood recollections and memories. So, you know, coming in, it was new. It was completely different from where I was coming from. Of course, I didn't speak the language coming in with just English, but I don't remember how I made the transition. But suddenly one day I was fluent in Italian, and then I became a native speaker, and then, you know, was eating all this incredible Italian food, just learning so much about rich history in Italy, but also across Europe. So I must say I had a really good childhood, and all of my memories are very pleasant.
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Scott Lewton
Oh, my goodness gracious. All the. So many questions, so little time. Matilda, have you ever been to Rome?
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Matilda Oren
Yes. That's what that's what I was going to say. This is very interesting because my entry into the Western world was through Rome. I came through. I went to Switzerland as an. A young exchange student and I had to transit through Rome. Yeah. So it was interesting.
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Scott Lewton
So I'm the only non world traveler here. Okay, so. So. All right, one, one more quick. We're going to talk about fluency and languages that you touched on in just a second. Before we do, you mentioned all this delicious Italian food. What was your favorite dish that you can recall out of all the good food?
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Laude Araba
Probably hands down, lasagna. Lasagna Romana Sounds great.
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Scott Lewton
Let's go to Rome and get some. Let's go down. All right, so what is amazing, one of the amazing things I think about you and your journey and who you are is you are fluent in three languages. English, French and Italian. And he also speaks some Spanish. That blows my mind. So, so how did you just. You just mentioned a moment ago, you don't recall kind of when you became fluent in Italian, but how did you accomplish this trilingual aspect of your journey and talk about the impact it had. It's had on your world travels?
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Laude Araba
Certainly, Scott. So I would say that speaking Italian certainly gives me an advantage with the Romance languages. So the languages that have a Latin root, so French, Spanish, so it's pretty easy for me to understand these other languages. But I never really made an effort to formally learn how you conjugate verbs when I was little. As I got older, I realized I needed to be able to actually speak converse in these other languages. So I took formal courses, and then I spent two semesters in Paris as an exchange student when I was in college. And there I was really able to deepen my French. And then while I was in the US I also took Spanish classes. But I would say Italian and French are definitely my strongest of languages. And it's been a huge advantage for my career because I've been able to work in international organizations and qualify for positions in other countries on the merit of being able to speak these other languages, which really helps with business.
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Scott Lewton
I can only imagine. And I can also only imagine being able to spend time in Paris while in college. I bet you've got some stories that you maybe can share and you can't share. I don't know. All right, so, Matilda, where are we going next with our friend Layde here?
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Matilda Oren
This is really exciting, lady. It is very exciting to see what you're doing and just wanted to know, you know, apart from, you know, wanted to kind of talk about Your vision at Visiola foundation, you know, and I know it's going on the right direction and the language, but I think we forgot African language in all this. There's also an African language, so there's an African language to that. But kind of wanted to gear off a little bit to prior to the Visiola foundation, what were a couple of key positions that shaped your worldview?
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Laude Araba
Wonderful. And yes, you're absolutely right. So Yoruba, which is, you know, my native language, although my husband claims that I don't speak it because he does not appreciate my accent and intonation. But I do make an effort. So I think two roles in particular really shaped my worldview and influenced the decision and desire to set up the Fazila Foundation. So first, I had the opportunity to return to Rome as an adult in 2005. So I was offered a position with the Food and Agriculture Organization, which is a United nations agency that tries to improve food production and agriculture in the developing world. And while I was there, I had the opportunity to travel within Africa, so to Uganda, to Kenya, countries I had never visited before. And I was really struck by. By how fertile those countries are. Wherever you go, you know, it's green, the soil is fertile. So I really can reconcile the image of these being poor countries where hunger was still an issue. So that for me was sort of a big turning point in my life and career. And I wanted to understand why local people couldn't produce enough food to feed themselves and have improved health outcomes. And so that was part of the work that I was doing. The second, I would say, big moment was when I was working with the African Development bank and I got to travel again across Africa looking at financing, infrastructure, electricity, since most of the continent, surprisingly, does not have access to stable, reliable electricity. And again, just traveling across countries and just not being able to reconcile the huge need and the poverty and just, you know, the lack of so many basic services. And yet seeing that all these natural resources were available. So that, to me, felt like a wake up call. And it drew me to want to do something that would contribute directly to development, but also improving the quality of life of people and giving them access to better economic opportunities.
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Scott Lewton
Oh, man, Matilda, that is remarkable. That sense of purpose in those early eureka moments that Laude had. Right?
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Matilda Oren
Yes. That is amazing. That means you've touched on literally everything that Africa needs to grow to be able to compete on the global level equally. And I think that is what everybody is striving for. So talking about finance and infrastructure, what do you think Especially now that Africa has the largest trading block with Africa, Continental Free Trade Area. What does Africa need to do to manage or work? Especially the need for infrastructure across the Africa continent. What does Africa have to do to accomplish that?
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Laude Araba
I always talk about two things, so the factors of production and economics. Land, labor, capital. So for me, the two things that are really glaringly absent are human capital. So we don't have enough technical talent that is actually able to design, develop, construct, manage and even perform the regulatory services that you need for infrastructure. We need more engineers as an example. So one is, you know, huge investments are needed in human capital, but also really in technical skills. And then secondly is actually developing the infrastructure. We still need probably millions of gigawatts of electricity being provided to the continent. I think around 600 million Africans currently do not have access to reliable electricity, which is unfathomable in 2022. We need to build roads, highways, we need ports, airports, we need telecommunications. There's just so much that needs to be built. And in order to do that, you need the financing. But I think coupled with that is also the technical skills to be able to do so.
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Scott Lewton
Gosh. A couple thoughts come to my mind, Matilda, and love to get your response too. I've been watching a manufacturing centric discussion take place about a movement to insource more production and build more manufacturing facilities in Africa. And I think that's a brilliant idea. But it's seems like that would need some of those things that you've mentioned, right? Because they consume so much of that type of infrastructure. And then the second thing. Well, first off, respond to that, Lotta, what's your take there? Manufacturing? Is that high up on your radar?
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Laude Araba
Absolutely. And we're already starting to see countries like Ethiopia, for instance Rwanda, really investing in human capital, but also the infrastructure that you need to set up factories where you have access to cheaper labor and obviously can reduce the overall cost of production so that your margins then will increase. So we're starting to see countries, some countries do that, but there's definitely a need for a lot more investment and across the entire continent.
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Scott Lewton
Right. And as I understood it, and correct me if I'm wrong, while sure some of that will lead to export, some of that new manufacturing activity, but there's also an intense focus to produce locally for local markets across the African continent, which is outstanding. Also update me last, when I was chatting with a couple of friends, it's been a few months back about the free trade movement across the continent of Africa, I thought that there was one country's holdout Eritrea. I say that right. Did they. Are they still holding out or do they sign on and we don't yet.
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Laude Araba
Have full ratification of the African Free Continents Free Trade Area. I believe a couple of Years ago about 24 countries had actually signed up to it. There's 55 African countries. 54 depending on, you know how you, if you count new countries that have come on board. But basically only about just under half of the countries have actually signed up. So there's still a bit of work to do to ensure that everybody comes on board.
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Scott Lewton
Gotcha. So it's not just airtrip. Maybe it was a. Maybe it was a subsection of that free trade work that I was reading about or. Regardless, that's a wonderful development. Hopefully we'll get more ratification and really open up, reduce the barriers to success and trade across the robust continent of Africa. Matilda, before I ask Lade about other Eureka moments, she's already shared a couple. What else comes to your mind, Matilda, based on some of what she's talking about business across Africa.
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Matilda Oren
So it's very interesting where Lade has been all these, like I said, all these three focus it Africa can focus on these three areas definitely will be able to make an impact for me. Also, the creative industry is also up and coming because when you look at the Africa continent, almost everybody owns a minimum of one cell phone. And then going into the technology and digitization and everything. Creative industries. So what do you think the creative industry can be used, you know, to do or catapult Africa into a whole new direction? That's a question. Jalabi, I would love to hear your point of view.
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Laude Araba
I think you're absolutely right. And it's already happening. I can, you know, I travel in the U.S. i travel to different countries and I hear music from various African countries, very popular. And people dance, they know the lyrics, they know the artists. We're seeing a lot of collaboration as well between artists in different countries. We're also seeing that local Hollywood versions are emerging. So Netflix is making it possible to watch movies from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, India, as well as US Movies produced in Hollywood. So there are a number of other streaming media that make this possible. So I think we're already starting to see that. And there's definitely a huge investment, an opportunity within the creative industry on the continent, but everybody doesn't necessarily need to go into that one industry. I think that there's many other opportunities in other sectors and industries as well.
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Scott Lewton
Agreed. You know, unfortunately, I'm not getting offered a recording contract anytime Soon, Matilda and LA Day. I'm very disappointed about that.
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Laude Araba
But I would buy your album, Scott.
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Scott Lewton
I'm gonna hold you to it. I'm hold you to it.
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Matilda Oren
Yeah.
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Scott Lewton
Gosh, so much to talk about. Fascinating, all the different things that you're involved in. And let's talk about eureka moments though, because if anything, the last couple years has been so tough for all of us across the globe. What's been a eureka moment that really taught you something here recently?
- [17:12]
Laude Araba
Goodness, there's a number. Obviously, the last couple of years have been really difficult for many people, as you've mentioned, and I've also had my own challenges. But when I think about, you know, the girls that I have had the pleasure of working with through the foundation, I'm reminded of the purpose and the why of why we created the organization to begin with. I have seen girls who literally had no future. And today they are working in tech, they have jobs with health care companies, they are earning decent salaries that have effectively changed the trajectory of their lives, but also their family's lives. So that to me just reminds me that what we're doing is important and it's necessary.
- [17:58]
Scott Lewton
Oh, man, we need to replay that last 40 seconds for everybody, Matilda. To live a life of that degree of purpose and impact and, you know, paying it forward and giving forward, as we call it around here. I love that. So let's, let's talk more about, for our listeners, the Viziola Foundation. So let's start with, let's go all the way back because you are a co founder, why did you start the Viziola Foundation?
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Laude Araba
It is my purpose, it is my life mission. The story really starts in Rome. So I grew up with the privilege being born into a family where my parents were able to send me to school. Education was never anything I worried about. Healthcare was never anything I thought about. You know, I had a pretty good childhood. But while I was in Rome growing up, I noticed that we were in the minority as African immigrants. So there's probably only a handful of us who came from working professional families. I was the only black child in my preschool. There was only a handful of us in elementary and middle schools. And everybody else that I saw had a struggle of some sort. Unfortunately, I also noticed from a very young age that there were a number of girls and women who were trafficked. And it's very easy to see if you drive at night or at least at the time. This is, you know, 40 odd years ago. If you drive at night, you see these girls on the street, you know, Barely clad, even in the winter. And I knew there was something wrong. I think my young mind didn't fully comprehend what was going on, but I knew there was something wrong. And so I remember having a conversation with my mom in the car as I'm bundled up saying, can't we pick them up and take them somewhere and teach them a job so they can get off the street? So that, for me, you know, was the starting point of. I knew that there was something different about the life that some people led and that I was privileged and fortunate to not be in that position. When I came back to Italy as an adult to work, difficult for me, because here I am, a young African woman who's professional, who earns a decent salary, But I could see so many people struggling. And I started meeting with these young women through my church, and I realized that many of them did not understand the importance of education. The reason why I had so many opportunities was because I had gone to college, I had done an mba, I had access to jobs. If they would have, you know, pursued education, they could also have access these types of opportunities. So I basically started inviting them to my apartment. We would do Bible study, but then we would also do what I like to call, you know, life workshops and talk about education, how to get jobs. And, you know, that sort of started it. And so, you know, several years later, I felt it was time. I didn't. I didn't have all the answers. Didn't really know how you started a foundation or nonprofit, but just got to work, you know, putting together some sort of business plan, like I would if I was starting a company through the mission. And also just, you know, creating. Creating a structure. And we have been operating now for eight years. And as I said, we worked with over 8,000 girls.
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Scott Lewton
Okay, man, so much, so much good stuff there. You know, Matilda, we talked a lot around here around deeds, not words. Right? It's one of our favorite phrases, right? Because it's about taking action. It's not about lip service and lip service leadership. And that is what I heard shouting in my ears. Lottie saw a problem, she saw an issue. She wanted to do something about it, and that's exactly what she did. And she didn't let. She didn't let what we. What all of us don't know. You know, all of us. I don't know how to start a nonprofit. You know, when we started supply chain now, I didn't know how, you know, all the ins and outs there, but she didn't let that. Those knowledge gaps get in the way. Matilda, what else did you hear there?
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Matilda Oren
Yes. I mean, what she lady is doing, I think cannot even be put put into. Into contest in the impact she's having. I had the lesson of judging one of her competitions. That's how I got to meet her. And what she's lady has been able to do with these girls is nothing short of phenomenal. And so lady, let us know what it is that we can also do. This is amazing. And we applaud you for that.
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Scott Lewton
Yeah, agreed. All right, so let's talk. So Matilda mentioned competitions a couple times. Let's talk about those. But also, what all does the foundation do? Talk to us about that, Lana?
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Laude Araba
Absolutely. So we currently run three programs, and these are primarily in Nigeria and Ghana, but we've also had students come in from Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, Sierra Leone and Liberia. So the first program that we run is after school STEM clubs for girls in junior and senior high school who attend public schools. So these are government institutions, poorly resourced, you know, lacking in infrastructure, lacking in materials, lacking in a lot of things. So what we do is we fill the knowledge gaps in the public educational system. We teach them the theoretical concepts and especially science. So in physics, biology, general science, chemistry, computer science, we introduce them to electronics, robotics, and topics in engineering. But importantly, we provide them with experiential learning. So the labs, you know, all the practical work that you typically do, where you're able to tinker, carry out experiments, build prototypes, apply the science to actually see how it works. So that way they're learning and not just memorizing formulas and theories that they don't understand. The second program that we run is a residential STEM camp, which happens typically over the summer, but we also do over the holidays. So we had one in December in Accra, Ghana, and Matilda had the benefit of being a judge at that. So what happens is we have a theme. So for instance, in Ghana, the theme was Robotics for Sustainable Development, Renewable Energy and Robotics for Sustainable Development. So they learned about renewable energy, the importance of climate change, and how you can create prototypes that improve the quality of life for people in an environmentally sustainable manner. And then they were tasked with developing prototypes that worked. And these were the prototypes that they presented to the panel of judges who interrogated them and basically asked them to explain the science behind what they had built. And then the third program is coding boot camps for young women. So this is a slightly older cross. So we're typically working with girls between 17 to 25, sometimes going up to 30. So they spend five weeks learning basic computer programming so they learn how to code. They are introduced to web development, graphic design, algorithms, data stripe on building mobile apps. At the end of the boot camp, again, it's a competitive process, so we only give certificates to those who fulfill all the requirements. But at the end of the boot camps, we've seen girls then go on to get jobs in tech that they previously were not qualified for. Some have gotten competitive internships so they can continue learning and others have even become freelancers doing web development, basically creating websites or even becoming graphic designers. But it gives them opportunities and access to jobs and higher incomes that they would never have have been able to access without this training.
- [25:46]
Scott Lewton
I love that. So eight years, over 8,000 students are attentive participants that have benefited from these three programs that you all do at the Viziola Foundation. Just remarkable. The impact. The impact. And you know, when you can help people get good paying jobs they wouldn't have otherwise, and then they can start paying bills and affording things that they, you know, they and their families need. I mean, the sense of fulfillment that you must, you and your team must have must be off the charts. Lottie.
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Laude Araba
It is. It's very humbling, but I don't know how to explain it. There's just a joy that comes every time I see this happen or I get, you know, a testimonial from a student even after they've left our programs.
- [26:33]
Scott Lewton
So how can I want to make sure we. Matilda alluded to this a moment ago to any of our listeners, companies, wherever they are, that want to maybe support what you're doing and help you continue to serve more and more. What are some of the ways that companies or individuals can help support the Viziola Foundation?
- [26:52]
Laude Araba
We love that question. You can become a friend or partner to the foundation. So we've had companies where their staff have volunteered their time to give career talks. So what does it mean to be an engineer? What does it mean to work in support chain, you know, what types of jobs are available, what do I need to study to get there? So just talking to them about, you know, your personal journeys and being real is always very helpful. Being a mentor to the students, obviously, having that guidance and somebody who believes in you, who cheers you on, who can share from their own life's journeys is also very empowering for the students. We've had companies provide internship opportunities, opportunities for the students. It's always important to actually have some work experience that makes you a better candidate going forward. Obviously, you know, companies have also provide, provided corporate Sponsorship for some of the programs, that's another opportunity. So there are many different ways in which you can support what we're doing. And we have a website, we also have a US fiscal sponsor. So if anybody wanted to make 10 tax deductible donations, those are also possible. So there are many different ways in which you can support what we're doing.
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Scott Lewton
I love that. I love that. Lottie. So Matilda, she mentioned earlier in her response one of our favorite things. We're big supply chain nerds around here and we have a question for her about that, right, Matilda?
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Matilda Oren
Yes, we do. And Lottie, I think for the social impact you'll be a great, great partner for Vector Global Logistics. But look at supply chain. Everything is supply chain. So when it comes to supply chain. Now, any observations for our listeners?
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Laude Araba
Absolutely. So what we do is targeted at girls and young women who come from underserved communities. And I think what you can gather from that is gender equality and equity. So access to opportunities for women. So when you think about supply chain, are you applying a gender lens within your supply chain? So are you looking to bring in women owned companies within the supply chain? Are you looking at the presence of women in the leadership teams and you know, on the boards, in executive positions within the companies that you work with? Are you looking to ensure that there is no pay gap between men and women doing similar types of jobs and you know, with similar types of qualifications? Are you thinking about how you're products and services are being designed? Do they think about the perspective of women and how women use those products? Maybe they need to be designed differently. Are you thinking about, you know, your distribution channels? Are your products and services reaching women who are a formidable consumer group and who typically are influential in decision making at the household level? So there are many different ways in which you can create a more gendered supply chain. And I think a lot more companies that do this recognize it's not just a social impact engagement, it actually contributes to the bottom line as well. Diversity and inclusion does make make good business sense.
- [30:04]
Scott Lewton
Agreed. Completely agreed. It's a business case. Even so folks, if you don't, if you don't want to just do it because it's the right thing to do, there's a business case to do it. So Matilda.
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Laude Araba
Absolutely.
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Scott Lewton
We've got a new thing around here. It's going to be called a Lotta's checklist. She just rattled off about 15 questions that business leaders should be asking themselves, right?
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Matilda Oren
Yes, that's a good one.
- [30:26]
Scott Lewton
All right, so let's, I Wanna shift gears here as we kind of come down the home stretch and in our time with Lade Araba, co founder and president of the Viziola Foundation. Let's paint a visual here. So I know you travel quite a bit. Let's, let's say you, you travel to New York City or Rome or one of any of your other favorite cities around the globe and you're at the Waldorf Astoria. I don't know if that's still around or not, but it's a big room full. You're giving a keynote to thousands of young people that are on the edge of their seat and they all want to do what you're doing, right? Do big things have impact? Be presidents and CEOs, you name it, and you've got their captive attention. So, LA Day, what's a piece or two of advice that you'd give them?
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Laude Araba
I can probably think of three or four things off the top of my head. The first thing, the first thing which I think we all need to be reminded of, is believe in yourself. You can do anything you set your mind to, and if you visualize it and you work towards it, you can achieve it. So you have to believe in yourself and be your own biggest cheerleader. Secondly, integrity is supremely important. Ethics, your name is your most important asset. And I always tell people that when people hear my name, when people see my name, do they think, I have confidence in this product or the service because I know that she has ensured that it meets a certain standard, certain quality, that she's not cut corners, and so on. So it's supremely important to always conduct yourself in an ethical manner and let your name be known for, for integrity. Cutting corners just never pays off. And then the third thing, it just doesn't in the long run, it just doesn't. And then the third thing that I would say is you can learn and even if you don't have access to, and obviously you're not going to become an expert in everything, learn as much as you can and then find technical experts in the fields or the areas where you are lacking and work together. We can't ever achieve anything on our own. So it's important for us to identify our strengths and weaknesses, but then identify other people who can complement those areas so that we have a stronger chance for success. Or as I like to call it, optimizing for success.
- [32:55]
Scott Lewton
Optimizing for success. You know, what you just shared there not only would benefit that thousands of young people in that hypothetical, everyone needs to hear that. And I Love cutting. What did you say? Cutting corners never pays off. What you just said a moment ago, it's so true. It is so true. It may seem like you are getting an immediate payback, but as you say in the big picture, you lose, you lose. One of my favorite pieces of advice, and I cannot remember her name right this second, she is a PhD. She's worked with NASA. We interviewed here, her here on Supply Chain Now. And she was. It was a live stream and she was being asked by a couple of our folks in the comments about how they can advance and succeed and, you know, get promoted, all that stuff. And her simple response was, do the work, do the work, do the work. You know, and that's such a simple thing, but it's so powerful. And if you do it, you know, that's the key. So, Matilda, I'll bring you in on what you just heard there. It was like a mini masterclass from LA Day here on leadership and then some. What was your favorite part of what Lottie just shared?
- [34:08]
Matilda Oren
I mean, I took. I've got two girls, so this was very important for me that you have confidence. That's the number one. Integrity and mentorship. You know, when you have that, these are three most important keys to success. That's what I got from. So thank you. It's phenomenal. Thank you.
- [34:26]
Scott Lewton
Thank you so much. Lade. Let's make sure folks know how the. How to connect with you and the Viziola Foundation. I'm hoping that there might be some potential supporters or speakers or sponsors, you name it. How can folks connect with you?
- [34:41]
Laude Araba
The Viziola foundation has a website. It's ViziolaFoundation.org and Viziola is spelled B I S I o l a foundation.org and you can find a lot of information on there.
- [34:55]
Scott Lewton
Wonderful, wonderful. We look forward to. To sharing that with our global ecosystem. Love the work you're doing. Gosh, just the. The practical. The practicality of it all. I'm a big fan of practicality. In fact, my wife Amanda, we talk about it a lot. But our first Valentine's together, I had noticed in the weeks prior that she was running in the rain with no umbrella. So I was like, problem, meet solution. I'm going to. I gave her umbrella on that first Valentine's Day. She was not happy, but very romantic. We've all had a good laugh about that ever since she cried on that first Valentine's Day. But kidding aside, I love this story, the story of your journey where you saw folks that were missing out on opportunities that were struggling in their walk of life. And you just went to work, rolled up the sleeves, went to work and, and creating these programs that enable them to do so much more and to live a fuller life like we all should have the opportunity to do. So thank you very much, Laude, for what you do. And Mathilda, man, what a great story. I am so glad that you and the Vector team connected us here at Supply Chain now with Laude Arba.
- [36:11]
Matilda Oren
Yes, I was excited. I couldn't wait for Laude to get on here because I see what she's doing and I do know the impact. So I thank you also, Scott, you know, Supply Chain now for creating the platform possible for these stories to be told.
- [36:27]
Scott Lewton
You bet. They're important stories. So we know how to connect with LA Day and the Viziola foundation and we'd encourage our listeners do just that. But Matilda, you know, we're big fans as well of Vector Global Logistics. You know, I was just talking the other day when I first met Enrique Alvarez and he tells me that his plan is to change the world. You know, a lot of folks might, might snicker at that and might might kind of laugh at that. But in the years since I've seen you and the team do just that, right? You are doing such great work. So how can folks connect with you and Vector?
- [36:58]
Matilda Oren
Thank you. I think the best platform is to go to the vector globallogistics is vector gl.com website and there's more information there. My name is too long for me to even put it out there, but you find me over there. So. So it's vector gl.com and I'm also very honored to be working with Vector Global Logistics. And thank you, Ladi.
- [37:19]
Scott Lewton
Yeah, well, big thanks to what all, both of you and all that you're doing, your respective teams. It certainly takes a village. I know that's a cliche phrase, but really a lot of you spoke about the power of collaboration and I really just admire what you are doing. We'd like to have you back. We have to have an update with Laude Araba and the Viziola foundation because I got a. I don't know, we are talking about how Matilda might be psychic before you join us here today, Lade. But I got a hunch there is going to be thousands and thousands and thousands of more folks that Viziola foundation is helping this year alone. So you are certainly leading a vitally important journey. Thanks for your time here today, Lade Arba.
- [38:03]
Laude Araba
Thank you so much, Scott. And thank you Matilda, for inviting me. It's been an absolute pleasure speaking with you.
- [38:09]
Scott Lewton
Well, you know, thanks for your time to our listeners. Man, how could you, how could you listen to this story and not be ready to run through walls? Because that is, I mean, and do good and have impact and lift others up. That's, that's what we heard a lot about here today from Lotte Araba. Make sure you check out the Viziola Foundation. We will make that really easy. We'll put those links in the show notes. You're one click away from, from learning a lot more and maybe even supporting what they're doing at the Viziola Foundation. Big thanks to Matilda and our friends at the Vector Global Logistics Team. They're doing great work. Vector GL.com but whatever you do, as we start to sign off here, wish all of our listeners nothing but the best. But if you take one thing away, hey, be like LA Day, do good, give forward, be the change that's needed. And on that note, we'll see you next time right back here on Supply Chain Now. Thanks, everybody.
- [39:00]
Host
Thanks for being a part of our Supply Chain now community. Check out all of our programming@supplychainnow.com and make sure you subscribe to Supply Chain now anywhere you listen to podcasts and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. See you next time on Supply Chain Now.