Education
Cornell University logo Cornell University
B.S., Mechanical Engineering
Harvard University
M.B.A., Business Administration
Pacific Western University
Ph.D., Philosophy
Podcasts
47:21872: What It’s like to Work in Finance in International Development With Adam Saffer, Gateway Development International [Main T4C Episode]
Adam Saffer is the CEO of Gateway Development International, a consulting firm focused on bringing tech and infrastructure to frontier and emerging markets in Asia and Africa. He is a mechanical engineer who has spent most of his 35 year long career living and working in developing countries. Adam’s first..
Career Path
Interview Highlights
“If you’re up for adventure, if you’re the type that looks for doing something a bit out of the box, this is a great way to expand your comfort zone.”
Best Career Advice
“The key to being a good leader is to appreciate the context you’re in and learn about the context. And yes, you may be the smartest person in the room in terms of academic credentials and your ability to write and articulate, but you’re a novice in these [other] countries, no matter.”
Career Challenge
“I fail all the time. This is a challenging industry and a lot of the failures are unavoidable or external. You know, when, when ebola hit Liberia, I was quarantined and had to leave Liberia. So that company failed because I got kicked out.”
Skills
Consulting, Strategy, Fundraising
Professional Interests
Travel, Communication, Collaboration
