Profiles of Purpose: What About My People?

Meet Lerang Selolwane, co-founder of Lucient Engineering, a company that’s bringing water, power, roads, and rail to the people of Botswana. By constructing and maintaining the essential infrastructure his country and people need, Lerang is also creating pathways out of poverty.Selolwane is not your typical 20-something entrepreneur. He began his career working for the largest diamond mining company in the world — a job that literally took him around the world. It was an exciting time, but he realized that his priorities were somewhere else … specifically, back in Botswana. “These experiences I'm having are great, but what about my people? Who's going to build a London for my people? And after a while, it goes from being a great experience to not being so great because you realize that this isn't yours. Your people, people who look like you, don't get to have this,” he said.So, he came back home to build a business that would make an impact on his country and people. He started by focusing on the basics — roads, water, power, and transportation.Selolwane explains why:“When you don't have access to clean, reliable water … when you don't have access to transportation that can get goods to market … when you don't have power that allows you to even dream about building a tech or an IT company … everything else just doesn't happen.”While Selolwane has recently transitioned out of Lucient Engineering, the company’s work continues. And, in true entrepreneurial spirit, he’s involved in two new ventures designed to drive further economic development in Botswana.Listen to his mini profile to hear how a strong purpose can drive both value and impact for mission-minded entrepreneurs.To participate in Grit & Growth’s paid focus group, visit http://stanfordseed.co/podcastsurveySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.