Sarah Dusek’s entrepreneurial journey reads like an adventure novel – from studying law in the UK to selling her glamping company for over $100 million and then dedicating herself to funding female entrepreneurs across Africa. Her story proves that business can be the most powerful vehicle for driving meaningful change in the world.

After a heartfelt connection with Zimbabwe during her nonprofit days addressing the AIDS crisis, Sarah experienced a profound sense of belonging that would later draw her back to the continent. When her nonprofit work felt incomplete, she made a pivotal realization: perhaps business, rather than charity, could create more sustainable impact.

This mindset shift led her through several entrepreneurial ventures, including the devastating failure of her first business during the 2008 financial crisis. Rather than surrender to conventional employment, Sarah and her husband relocated to Montana and bootstrapped what would become Under Canvas – luxury safari-inspired accommodations near America’s national parks. The business struggled initially until Sarah made the crucial decision to pursue venture capital rather than continue growing slowly.

“I realized I couldn’t play small,” Sarah explains. “If this business was going to last and build something of value, significance, and impact, we had to go big or go home.” This perspective shift catapulted Under Canvas to a successful exit, but the fundraising journey exposed Sarah to the challenges female founders face in accessing capital.

True to a promise she made herself during those difficult fundraising days, Sarah created Enygma Ventures after her exit – a fund exclusively backing female entrepreneurs across Africa. Her investment philosophy prioritizes determined founders who demonstrate exceptional execution abilities above revolutionary ideas.

Today, Sarah continues building with Few and Far, a regenerative travel company developing eco-lodges in South African wilderness areas. Her message to female entrepreneurs remains consistent: think bigger, don’t let anyone tell you no, and remember that when women create and distribute wealth, only good things happen.

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