Rudo Kayombo - Leaving Corporate at 56 (Part 2)

Batje’s Take #12 | The Career Operating System Nobody Talks About

What keeps you grounded when the title disappears? In this deeply reflective episode of Batje’s Take, Batje Chibafa unpacks one of the most powerful themes from her conversation with humanitarian leader Rudo Kayombo, faith as an operating system, not a performance. From leading humanitarian work across 18 countries to navigating life after executive leadership, Rudo’s story explores what happens when identity is no longer tied to position, status, or a paycheck. Batje reflects on: * Why leadership does not require pretending to know everything * The danger of building careers on image instead of rootedness * What career transitions reveal about identity * Why saying “I don’t know” can actually strengthen leadership * The importance of succession planning and building leaders beneath you * How faith, purpose, and being grounded can shape long-term career decisions This episode is especially relevant for professionals navigating transition, leadership pressure, uncertainty, burnout, or reinvention. If you are currently in a season of change, this conversation may give language to what you are feeling and remind you that your worth is bigger than your title. 🎙️ Listen to the full two-part conversation with Rudo Kayombo on HUMHR Career Insights. 📌 Connect with Batje Chibafa on Linkedin 📌 Follow HUMHR Career Insights for more conversations on careers, leadership, entrepreneurship, and purpose-driven work. #CareerTransitions #Leadership #FaithAndWork #HumanitarianCareers #CareerCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #HUMHR #BatjesTake #PurposeDrivenLeadership #NGOCareers #WomenInLeadership #CareerGrowth #PersonalDevelopment

Rudo Kayombo - Leaving Corporate at 56 (Part 2)

She left Africa Vice President at Habitat for Humanity and the most overwhelming feeling, she says, was relief. This is Part 2 of Batje Chibafa's conversation with Rudo Kayombo. If you missed Part 1, start there. We walked through the twenty-five-year humanitarian career, the lawyer years, the saying-yes-in-tears moment, and the faith thread that pulled her from World Vision Zimbabwe to World Vision Uganda to ONE Campaign to Habitat for Humanity. Part 2 is the building arc. The first week after she stopped being VP. The cousin's message that broke her open. Why she moved back to Harare and chose a cottage over a Prado. The Fahari Women's Fund. The mentee who paid her back fifty thousand shillings. Why she calls herself a dinosaur for ChatGPT. And the single piece of counsel she leaves for every senior leader sitting at the exit door. If you are mid-pivot, this conversation is for you. MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM PART 2 "The most overwhelming feeling was relief." "Do not be comfortable being the one chief." "Do not be deceived. What a man sows, he will reap." ABOUT THE GUEST Rudo Kayombo is the Founder of Fahari Kubwinya Splendour. Find her on LinkedIn: Rudo Kayombo | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudo-kayombo-7a7975159/] WATCH THE FULL VIDEO ON YOUTUBE [https://youtube.com/@humhr3715?si=dSLW89_3J30tIDiY] 🔗 CONNECT & SUPPORT 🎙️ Patreon:   / humhrcareer   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmVXdTNzcTQyd2xRd1l4X0xJbW1zeFliU0FVQXxBQ3Jtc0tsb2NabnBBcDZVb01ET0g3bWl1LS1meEpEUHJaMjVuTzhxckgwMUdmaEt4MDc4VW1aSlBMQWJjRElEdUxjc1lVemVTZFk4dTlQOXdaTm1nY0Vlcy1sekxDNERkbXlzRUtKTUZqZHNEOExnNlpqX3ZXSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patreon.com%2Fc%2FHUMHRCareer&v=UPqfgj8ES70] 🎧 Podcast (Apple/Spotify): https://batje.podbean.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3hHVzEzZ3FPVC1oMGpnMXIwRWdOZUd4ZERfQXxBQ3Jtc0ttRG9fWjBWR2I5MlA4SHl6WTd5NzR4dXJCc3kweWpmSTFjRjdvWGxtMkhSRWVobnRlX3dUZGZVS1F0ZUtiOUd3b3dHXy1WTzhpWkpRUC05bzVJZkNZbFlKQ2otOGdnRTdXVmQ4VW5oVVFvbk43Zl81bw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fbatje.podbean.com%2F&v=UPqfgj8ES70] 🌍 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/humhr [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnpycVcyeXIyY1laMGVFRWpRQzVrWnZVNXczZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsTkNjTGRfRkFOR1ZacWp3WVlMOU5hQV91ekFSUHZnLWJlWnREZGpmWmZZLXNLd2pWSFBRWWFscmNZWXRDSFN3U1QxdjNSa0FHbWxCNC1SWXN0czVfZzJSYzN5WUFVXzU0X1FZX2FFVmVyNVpBY3M5Zw&q=https%3A%2F%2Flinktr.ee%2Fhumhr&v=UPqfgj8ES70] 💼 Batje on LinkedIn:   / batjechibafa   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHpURzRXT2Z3cEtudnp4NTU4Z2JrM3JYUTdRUXxBQ3Jtc0trSC1zekdMNkFlel9TX3VvVmJuc0JUNmRJdlBCVE5KVW9HencwNUl1bmY4X1FOVFZhdVd3MThLYll1RTRKYUFodkl0eGc0UmZ2US1fRkM0RDZ3M2hoNFNUM2t1eW1iWTRzNzhBVUtIMnJXZjF5eXZYaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fbatjechibafa&v=UPqfgj8ES70] 🏢 HUMHR LinkedIn:   / humhr   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUhVajdGSjZYVzJkVDgydTVIclQya2RpdGUzd3xBQ3Jtc0tucW5NZ05pYjBMRFdkeXVxSEh0bG02TkhyVUx1ZTNIUTBRc29ibS0yUlg2RFVkbWpxd3pCYW9xRUNFdTJVcV9nRmhyVWRzOWFsR0lfZVV1Y0l2VG82WWdOZi1xdWczVzUzNXZ1SGlLZVlaUHlXUlhKRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fhumhr&v=UPqfgj8ES70] If this episode resonated, three things help us grow. Subscribe. Rate. Share with one person sitting at a transition. Until next Tuesday. Stay inspired.

Rudo Kayombo: 25 Years of Faith and Leadership (Part 1)

Leadership, humanitarian strategy, and career reinvention - Rudo Kayombo spent 25 years building other people’s missions before one morning in October she signed her own name. In this two-part conversation with Batje Chibafa, Part 1 traces Rudo’s formation arc: the lawyer years, UNHCR, The Musasa Project, saying yes to roles she felt unqualified for, and leading major NGO operations across Africa. Rudo grew World Vision Zimbabwe from 300 to 1,300 staff, served as National Director at World Vision Uganda, was Executive Director Africa at ONE Campaign, led Southern Africa through World Vision’s first Category 3 disaster response, and served as COO at Food for the Hungry across 18 countries. Six months ago she left her role as Africa Vice President at Habitat for Humanity to found Fahari Kubwinya Splendour, a purpose-driven brand and shop in Harare. What you’ll hear in Part 1 • How faith and calling shaped a leadership journey across NGOs and international aid • Why she keeps saying “send me people” and how she builds teams under pressure • The moment she realized she needed to learn on the job - and why that was the right move • Practical advice she would give her 30-year-old self about risk, mentorship, and purpose Memorable quotes from Part 1 “I was made by God.” “Sometimes when we hold on to something, God will wrestle it out of our hands.” “I came to the job knowing I did not know. And I needed to learn.” About the guest Rudo Kayombo is Founder of Fahari Kubwinya Splendour and a seasoned NGO executive with leadership roles at World Vision, ONE Campaign, Food for the Hungry, and Habitat for Humanity. Find her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rudo-kayombo-7a7975159 Watch the full video on YouTube: youtube.com/@humhrcareerinsights Join us on Patreon for early access and bonus content: patreon.com/c/HUMHRCareer All links and resources: linktr.ee/humhr Release note Part 2 publishes Tuesday, May 19. Subscribe, rate, and share with someone navigating a career transition.

Why Women Are Losing the AI Career Race: The End of the Corporate Ladder (Batje's Take #11)"

Are we going backwards on women's equality? A 20-year educator's concern about his daughter's future sparked this deep dive into the gender pay gap, Emma Grede's controversial remote work comments, and why the corporate ladder might be the wrong fight. With women holding only 22% of AI positions while a $10B African AI initiative launches, Batje explores whether entrepreneurship is the new career strategy. Data-driven analysis meets actionable advice for building your future outside traditional corporate structures

From Educator to Serial Entrepreneur: Building Purpose-Driven Businesses | Daniel Maveneka

In this episode of HUMHR Career Insights, we explore entrepreneurship as a career choice through the lens of problem-solving, purpose, and people. My guest, Daniel Maveneka, is a serial entrepreneur and educator based in Canada who builds businesses at the intersection of education, technology, and social impact. But what makes his journey different is this: he doesn’t start with ideas; he starts with problems. From founding an accredited global online school to building a transparent coffee supply chain connecting African farmers to international markets, Daniel’s work is rooted in one simple question: “What problem needs to be solved and what’s the worst that could happen if I try?” In this conversation, we explore: * The transition from employment to entrepreneurship * Why problem-solving beats “having a great idea” * The role of family, legacy, and intergenerational learning in business * Building ventures that balance profit and purpose * Why Africa’s future is central to global opportunity * And how entrepreneurship can evolve into a long-term career path not just a side hustle We also dive into Daniel’s ventures: * An online high school expanding access to global education * A social-impact coffee company working directly with farmers in Tanzania * An intergenerational program tackling scams targeting seniors * A personal safety app designed to combat social isolation This is a powerful conversation about building with intention, learning through failure, and creating systems that outlive you. “The most powerful businesses are built by people who are solving real problems not chasing quick money.” 🎯 WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR: * Professionals considering entrepreneurship (especially later in life) * Educators exploring alternative career paths * Purpose-driven founders and aspiring entrepreneurs * Anyone navigating career transitions Key Moments: 00:00 Introduction  14:00 From educator to entrepreneur  29:00 Building Mbinga Coffee  45:50 Bridging Generations  01:04:00 Check-In Canada  01:16:30 Final reflections  Here is the link to the Ted Talk that Daniel refers to in our conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXVEp4NAMs8&list=PLxJIo31qx92CU08Zy1CW-OuCK0-v5ppJH&index=6 Links Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/HUMHRCareer [https://www.patreon.com/c/HUMHRCareer] All links: https://linktr.ee/humhr [https://linktr.ee/humhr] Connect with Batje on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/batjechibafa [https://www.linkedin.com/in/batjechibafa] HUMHR on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humhr [https://www.linkedin.com/company/humhr] Connect with Daniel: [Daniel Maveneka (M.Ed.) | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannymav1/]