In the first guest episode of The Founders Atlas, we travel to Kampala, Uganda to meet two extraordinary changemakers: Joan R. Nalubega, founder of Uganics, and Etienne Salborn, founder of the Social Innovation Academy (SINA).

Joan’s journey began as a child in an orphanage where malaria nearly took her life. Today, her social enterprise has helped reduce malaria cases by up to 88% in the households they reach, while employing over 40 people.

Etienne, who first met Joan when she was just 10 years old, shares how SINA is reimagining education by empowering disadvantaged youth to become entrepreneurs—through trust, autonomy, and self-discovery.

Together, they share a powerful story of community-led impact, overcoming bias, and designing business with deep purpose.

 This is The Founders Atlas. We hope you enjoy the ride 

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💌 Learn more about Joan & Etienne:
Joan Nalubega: Website | Linkedin |Instagram
Etienne Sarbonne: Website | Linkedin | Instagram

📘 Show Notes & Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to Kampala, Uganda
03:57 – Introducing Joan and Etienne
04:10 – Etienne on founding SINA
06:27 – Joan on discovering purpose and founding Uganics
10:44 – The role of trust in their companies
13:38 – Building customer trust and empathy
16:45 – Upskilling employees and leadership development
19:13 – How SINA replicates across Africa
22:54 – Joan on building as a young Ugandan woman
29:01 – Etienne on resilience and redefining success
34:09 – Joan’s vision: health equity and expansion
39:26 – Etienne’s vision: replicating purpose-driven education
43:05 – Closing thoughts and how to get involved