In this episode, Joy Anderson is joined by Eric Kacou and Charity Kabango, co‑founders of Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners (ESP), to explore what it truly takes to build thriving businesses and markets across Africa. Together, they challenge familiar impact investing narratives and offer a radically different way of thinking—one that centers entrepreneurs not as isolated heroes, but as human beings embedded in complex ecosystems.

The conversation ranges from hope and value creation to the often‑overlooked power of the service economy, asking what markets need in order to actually work. With insight drawn from years of partnership through the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund, this episode invites listeners to rethink capital, expertise, and systems—and imagine what becomes possible when we design economies around dignity, choice, and investable hope.

Episode Highlights

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Criterion Institute Podcast

02:14 The Genesis of Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners (ESP)

06:21 Centering Entrepreneurs in Their Context

10:16 Understanding the Ecosystem and Entrepreneurial Challenges

14:25 The Survival Trap and Systemic Change

18:30 Collaboration and the Role of Service Providers

22:16 Power Dynamics and Choice in Entrepreneurship

26:08 Investable Hope and Capital Allocation

30:41 Pre-Investment Value Creation Services

34:32 The Importance of Service Providers in the Economy

38:04 Investing in Service Businesses

40:54 Building Infrastructure for Productivity

42:56 Hope and Future Aspirations

Relevant Links

• Criterion Institute website and LinkedIn

• Joy’s LinkedIn

• Eric's LinkedIn

• Charity's LinkedIn

• Episode #57:

In this episode of the Criterion Institute podcast, Joy Anderson reflects on the power of letting go—of beliefs, assumptions, and fixed identities that may no longer serve us. Through a personal story about guided meditation, she explores how releasing long-held ideas can create the conditions for more grounded leadership. As we enter 2026, this reflection becomes an invitation to reassess what we think is necessary or unchangeable, and to hold space for discernment, listening, and imagination. Letting go, Joy reminds us, is not about abandoning values—it’s about making room for clarity in a shifting world.

The second half of the episode turns to a live example of that clarity in practice: Criterion’s decision to postpone its 22nd Convergence event. Joy walks us through how this decision emerged from sustained listening and a willingness to pivot. Rather than centering an annual convening, Criterion is shifting toward deeper partnership, extended collaboration, and more focused engagements to address gender-based violence through finance. This change reflects a discipline of responding to what is truly needed—and offering more precise, actionable invitations that align with the urgency and complexity of this moment.

Episode Highlights

00:00 - Welcome to 2026: A New Era of Action

05:51 - Letting Go of Outdated Beliefs

12:02 - Listening and Pivoting: The Power of Adaptation

18:09 - Building Trust Through Change

Relevant Links

• Criterion Institute website and LinkedIn
• Joy’s LinkedIn



Part of the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network

https://impactalpha.com/podcasts

In this episode, Joy explores the surprising parallels between funding social movements and financing market formation companies. Joy Anderson, along with guests Katharina Samara-Wickrama and Medina Haeri, dives into what movement funding really requires: patient, long‑term investment; flexible core support instead of short‑term project grants; and a commitment to relationship‑building and collective strategy. They highlight how change often emerges after decades of groundwork and emphasize that breaking out of siloed thinking is essential because justice issues are deeply interconnected.

Joy then connects these insights to the logic of market formation, where organizations must build demand for something that doesn’t yet exist—requiring long time horizons, experimentation, narrative shaping, and capital that tolerates uncertainty. The episode frames this moment as a turning point, with feminist movements beginning to engage more intentionally with innovative finance. Through the Helia Collaborative–Criterion partnership, activists and finance practitioners are learning to speak each other’s language and co-create more resilient, systems‑level approaches to financing long-term change.

Episode Highlights

00:00 Funding Movements and Market Formation

10:05 The Role of Patience in Funding Movements

19:54 Building Relationships Across Sectors

30:09 Innovative Finance and Movement Collaboration

Relevant Links

• Criterion Institute website and LinkedIn
• Joy’s LinkedIn
• Medina’s LinkedIn
• Katharina’s LinkedIn

Part of the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network