US maverick rallies local entrepreneurs
Laone Choeunyane | Monday February 2, 2026 10:40
Harding made the remarks last week during a coffee session held at the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub (BDIH). The session, themed 'Living Out Your Purpose Through Entrepreneurship', marked the launch of BDIH’s Coffee Session series and attracted a diverse audience of entrepreneurs, professionals, innovators, and students.
Harding is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Impact Junkie, a United States-based organisation that works with entrepreneurs to integrate purpose, service, and profitability. Drawing from his experience working across multiple countries, Harding challenged conventional perceptions of business as being primarily profit-driven.
“A business is really a group of people who have agreed to work together to find people who have problems and bring sustainable solutions to those problems,” Harding said. “Business is not about greed or taking from people. “It is about service, growth, and creating value for others.”
He noted that entrepreneurship can play a significant role in addressing unemployment, inequality, and economic stagnation by responding directly to unmet needs within communities. According to Harding, enterprises that are grounded in empathy and problem-solving are more likely to achieve long-term sustainability.
The session featured robust interaction, with participants engaging Harding on innovation, economic participation, and how to convert ideas into viable enterprises. Attendees represented a broad range of sectors, including education, healthcare, technology, marketing, and agriculture. Harding commended the cross-sector engagement, describing it as critical to building effective and scalable solutions.
Harding’s visit to Botswana forms part of an expanding collaboration with Seriz Capital, a fully citizen-owned venture capital firm led by Boemo Maseko and Alvis Ditsabatho. Seriz Capital focuses on allocating private capital to mission-critical start-ups developing solutions for smart infrastructure, with applications across agriculture, healthcare, defence, and medical technologies.
“Our focus is on impact innovation and sustainable economic change,” said Ditsabatho. “Rather than only providing capital, we are building the infrastructure, networks, and training that allow start-ups to develop solutions within focused smart districts and access initial markets before scaling.”
As part of the partnership, entrepreneurs are encouraged to engage through Impact Junkie’s 16-week structured training programme, which focuses on mindset development, strategic thinking, and purpose-led business design. The initiative aligns with national development priorities, including economic diversification, reduced dependence on government support, and private-sector-driven growth.
Harding said his engagements in Botswana are intended to strengthen collaboration between local innovators, international networks, and institutional partners. His visit continues until January 28, with scheduled activities including the University of Botswana Innovation Summit and meetings with diplomatic and business stakeholders aimed at strengthening trade and investment cooperation.