Wassa

Cisse

“For a long time, I have been observing the financing models used to support conservation and climate efforts around the world, and there’s more to do.”

Wassa Cisse breaks down how waste management and the circular economy are relevant across industries and tied to climate change.

In her role as an Impact investment Analyst for the BESTSELLER Foundation, she looks for innovations across the continent that support the investment process. The foundation invests in businesses across sub-Saharan Africa that tackle waste management and push the circular economy agenda, “It’s essential to support initiatives that are working toward solving these problems,” she says. In her career she hopes to focus on conservation and climate finance, “for a long time, I have been observing the financing models used to support conservation and climate efforts around the world, and there’s more to do. I would like to involve both the private and public sectors to make sure the funds are sustainable, lasting and recycled. At ALU, I got to explore the challenges of the conservation fields as well as the opportunities. I hope to one day find a way to leverage one to solve the other.”. During her time at ALU the most important lesson she learned was that you can learn as much from people as from books/school. “I got to meet incredible people working in a field I never thought of, and the insights they provide are always so valuable and can more often than never be of relevance to my job and interests. At ALU, you learn how to learn. The model is very much self-directed, so you have to develop discipline and structure for yourself. After years of doing so, I can now learn anything on my own. I know where and how to find resources, and how to filter content and make the best of the learning experience. This is an incredible asset when you discover new concepts or work in an ever-evolving field.