The green economy is more than solar panels, wind farms, and clean tech. It’s also about who leads, who benefits, and whose voices shape the transition. Around the world, particularly across Africa, women are on the front line of climate change. They are often the first to feel its burdens, from energy poverty to food insecurity, and yet they are also among the most powerful agents of change. When women are given the tools, mentorship, and capital to lead, the ripple effects extend far beyond households. They reshape entire communities and markets.
This intersection of gender, entrepreneurship, and climate action is where some of the most exciting transformations are happening today. It is also where systemic barriers remain the steepest. Cultural expectations, lack of financing, and exclusion from policymaking often limit women’s ability to lead in spaces where their insights are most needed.
Few people understand this dual challenge and opportunity better than Ms. Takur. An economist by training, a climate activist by passion, and a mentor by calling, she has built a career dedicated not only to renewable energy solutions but also to human empowerment. Her work reminds us that the transition to a green economy cannot succeed without women at the helm, steering innovation with both rigor and empathy.
A Journey from Finance to Climate Advocacy
Born the first of four daughters, Ms. Takur grew up under the weight of cultural expectations. For nearly four decades, she lived within the boundaries set by society, rarely expressing her authentic self. That shifted at 40, when she embraced what she calls her “rebirth”—a decision to live fully and unapologetically as herself.
This personal breakthrough paralleled a professional one. With 18 years of experience spanning finance, banking, energy access, and climate action, she began to channel her skills into building solutions for a more sustainable world. Her early work in finance equipped her with the rigor to analyze systems and mobilize resources, but it was the urgency of climate change—and its deep human impacts—that drove her to focus on renewable energy and environmental justice.
The turning point, she shared, was painfully personal. Her grandmother, who lived in a rural area and cooked daily with firewood, died at 73 from lung complications linked to smoke inhalation. This was not simply a health tragedy; it was the predictable outcome of a life lived without access to clean energy. For Ms. Takur, the lesson was searingly clear: women in rural Africa should not have to sacrifice their health, or their lives, simply to feed their families. “No rural woman would end up being a statistic,” she resolved.
From that point forward, her advocacy for clean cooking and energy access became both a professional mission and a personal vow—a promise to honor her grandmother’s life by ensuring other women would not endure the same fate.
Connecting Gender and Climate Change
When Ms. Takur talks about climate change, she doesn’t begin with emissions graphs or temperature curves. She begins with women.
In many African communities, it is women who spend hours each day gathering firewood, who inhale toxic smoke while cooking, and who carry the weight of households without reliable electricity. The energy poverty that traps families in cycles of hardship has a distinctly gendered face. And when droughts, floods, or storms strike, women—often responsible for food production, caregiving, and household management—are the first to feel the strain.
For Ms. Takur, these inequities are not abstract. She has seen them firsthand and has committed her career to addressing them. Her work includes raising awareness in schools to cultivate a new generation of climate-conscious youth, engaging policymakers in roundtables to press for systemic change, and forging partnerships to deliver practical solutions such as solar cookstoves and solar-powered freezers.
These interventions may seem modest, but their ripple effects are profound. A solar freezer, for example, does more than reduce reliance on diesel generators—it enables women to store food safely, run small businesses, and contribute to their local economies. A clean cook stove does more than reduce emissions; it protects lungs, saves hours of time otherwise spent gathering wood, and frees women to pursue education or entrepreneurship.
At the heart of it all is her conviction that women are natural problem-solvers and innovators. What we lack is the willpower to believe our voices are strong and must be heard, she said. Her mission is to create safe spaces where women can express their ideas and to mentor them so that their individuality is seen as a source of strength, not a liability.
Building Sustainable Businesses
Through her company, Sally & Athena Consulting, Ms. Takur helps entrepreneurs “unleash their genius” by simplifying business strategies and grounding them in sustainability. Many entrepreneurs, she observed, fall into the trap of chasing trends—launching products or services without fully understanding the long-term relevance of their solutions. True sustainability requires a different mindset: thinking beyond quick wins and focusing on enduring value, both for the planet and for communities. We must keep asking: Will this solution remain relevant 10 or 20 years from now? Does it reduce harm to the planet while creating long-term value for people? These are not easy questions, but they are essential for entrepreneurs who want to make a genuine impact rather than a fleeting splash.
This is where she brings her dual focus on technical and human dimensions. On the technical side, she emphasizes renewable energy systems, circular economy practices, and designing business models that are resilient in the face of climate and economic shocks. On the human side, she offers mentorship, accountability structures, and personal growth tools—because she knows that entrepreneurship is as much about mindset and character as it is about capital and strategy.
For Ms. Takur, entrepreneurship is not just about financial success. It is about building legacies rooted in impact, resilience, and justice.
Mentorship and Capacity Building
A self-described “Fixer,” Ms. Takur has trained countless clean energy leaders, many of them women, across Africa. As a certified mentor with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and Women in Africa, and a Fellow of Vital Voices Visionaries, she has helped aspiring entrepreneurs step into leadership roles with confidence.
When asked about the most critical skills for the next generation of climate leaders, she pointed to mindset above all. Women often already have the technical skills to create solutions, but stereotypes and a lack of confidence hold them back. Her message: embrace your individuality, believe in the power of your voice, and find mentors who will push you to grow.
The Role of Policy in Africa’s Green Transition
For Africa to fully harness its renewable potential, Ms. Takur stressed, policy will play a decisive role. Stable and predictable regulatory frameworks are essential for attracting private capital. Beyond that, governments must invest in enabling infrastructure, support workforce development, and ensure that the transition is equitable.
Policies should attract and mobilize investment, develop enabling infrastructure and technology, and address social equity and workforce needs. It is only with this alignment of policy and practice that renewable energy can truly scale across the continent.
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Ms. Takur envisions an Africa where sustainable entrepreneurship drives not just economic growth, but also social and environmental resilience. She sees immense potential in tech-savvy, purpose-driven young entrepreneurs who can harness digital and green technologies to build inclusive, community-centered businesses.
Her advice to them is practical yet profound:
- Start by deeply understanding the problem you want to solve. Don’t chase trends, but rather focus on the problems and needs of society.
- Measure success not only in profits, but in impact. Build businesses that leave communities and ecosystems stronger.
- Build strong networks, especially with local community leaders. Collaboration is the currency of sustainable change.
- Master the art of storytelling backed by data, because ideas gain traction when people believe in their power.
Closing Reflections
After connecting with Ms. Takur, I was struck by the way she blends economics with empathy and technical expertise with human-centered mentorship. Her journey shows us that building a sustainable future is not only about renewable energy grids and clean technologies—it is also about empowering people, particularly women, to lead.
Her story is a reminder that climate action is personal, and that the path toward a green economy must center both innovation and inclusion. Entrepreneurs, policymakers, and mentors alike have a role to play in shaping that future—and Ms. Takur is helping to lead the way.