Why does the West prosper while nations in Africa and other parts of the globe remain poor? A country’s economic success is correlated with its ranking on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index. Unsurprisingly, the United States ranks highly on this index, while most nations in Sub-Saharan Africa impose tremendous restrictions on their emerging businesses. Because businesses create jobs and produce wealth, countries friendly to entrepreneurship tend to flourish, while countries hostile to business remain poor. Business is the only way out of poverty, so developing nations must encourage commerce and trade in order to improve national prosperity.

Magatte Wade is passionate about entrepreneurship and creating high-end retail brands based on diverse African traditions that change the perception of Africa. She was born in Senegal, educated in France, and launched her entrepreneurial career in San Francisco. She is fluent in, and conducts business in, Wolof, French, and English. Magatte is the founder and CEO of Tiossan, a high-end Skin Sare products line based on indigenous Senegalese recipes and ingredients. Previously, Magatte founded Adina World Beverages, with African-inspired drinks sold throughout the United States at retailers including Whole Foods and Wegmans. Prior to her departure from Adina, she assembled an executive team featuring a co-Founder of Odwalla, CEO of SoBe, and ex-co-Chairman of PepsiCo.