Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series. On this episode, we talk with Michael Podolny, Founder and CEO of Theodora Africa Project, whose journey spans Wall Street, entrepreneurship, and social impact. Michael didn’t begin his career as a social entrepreneur. He started in investment banking, leading acquisitions and capital deals across the United States before founding The Podolny Group, where he helped business owners grow, exit, and transition with Clarity and precision.

Along the way, Michael authored books on building enterprise value, guiding entrepreneurs toward both financial success and peace of mind. But over time, a deeper calling emerged—one that reached beyond boardrooms and balance sheets. He recognized a global gap: immense, underutilized talent—particularly among women in Africa—was being overlooked or exploited, while businesses in developed markets struggled to find affordable, dependable virtual support.

In 2020, Michael founded Theodora Africa, a bold and innovative social enterprise model designed to create dignity, opportunity, and sustainable economic impact. More than a charity, Theodora Africa connects global businesses with highly trained African professionals—building businesses that truly heal communities.

From his base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we explore his remarkable journey, vision, and the future of purpose-driven enterprise.

🎙️ Enjoy this powerful and inspiring interview.

👉 More on Michael Podolny & Theodora Africa:

https://theodoraAfrica.com/

https://theodoraghana.com/

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Joe Dimino Podcaster/Artist

Joe Dimino has been writing & creating in a variety of capacities since his college days at the University of Missouri-Kansas City somewhere around 1993. If you are keeping score, that would be about 29 years+. It all began at UMKCs University News as a Sports Writer & turned into a myriad of expressive avenues. Inventing poems, art, video & audio has always been in the proverbial cards.