Welcome to the podcast!

To mark the beginning of Women's History Month, host Riya Malik sits down with entrepreneur and MBA candidate Gloria Cherono from Alliance Manchester Business School to explore what it really takes to build a purpose-driven business as a woman. From her upbringing in a Kenyan farming community to founding sustainability venture Envirofly, Gloria shares how resilience, ambition and community shaped her leadership journey.

Together, they chat about the realities of female entrepreneurship, how the MBA influenced their leadership styles, and how partnerships can be just as valuable as funding when starting a business.

⏱️ Chapters

• (00:00) - – Introduction to Gloria Cherono
• (02:48) - – How Gloria’s upbringing in a Kenyan farming community shaped her ambitions to pursue an MBA
• (04:33) - – Why she chose AMBS when looking for business schools
• (07:20) - – The sustainability problems her business Envirofly helped solve
• (09:52) - – Challenges of being a woman in entrepreneurship
• (12:40) - – The MBA’s impact on leadership styles
• (17:11) - – How the Forté scholarship helps women looking to do an MBA
• (22:10) - – Entrepreneurship and the myth of work-life balance
• (24:57) - – What’s the Venture Capital Investment Competition?
• (29:27) - – What would Gloria tell her ‘month one MBA’ self?
• (32:34) - – The Manchester Quiz
• (35:49) - – Key takeaways for Women’s History Month

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