In our inaugural episode we sit down with A’Lelia Bundles, the great-great granddaughter of Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919) and author of the biography Self Made (previously published as On Her Own Ground). Born in Louisiana after the Civil War, orphaned at seven, married at 14, widowed at 20, working as a washerwoman, Walker went on to become not only one of the most successful female founders in history, but also a social activist, great philanthropist, and visionary firebrand for black women's economic empowerment.