When things don’t go as planned, most people stop.

But what does it actually take to keep going — when the path is uncertain, the pressure is real, and the outcome isn’t guaranteed?

Resilience is not about never failing. It’s about what you do next.

In this episode of Catch The Upswing, Jessica Espinoza speaks with Angie Madara — entrepreneur, mentor and investor — about what it really means to build, adapt, and move forward in uncertain environments.

From navigating setbacks to building in emerging markets, Angie shares a grounded perspective on resilience, entrepreneurship, inclusive AI, and financial inclusion — and why success often depends less on certainty, and more on persistence.

This conversation is about business — and beyond.

🎙️ In this episode, we explore:

• What it really takes to keep going when things don’t go as planned
• How to respond to failure without letting it define you
• Why building often means moving forward without certainty
• What resilience looks like in practice — not just in theory
• The reality of building across markets — and the gaps in access to finance
• How innovation and inclusive AI can expand opportunity
• The mindset that helps you keep going when things get hard

🔗 Check out Angie’s work:

Angie Madara (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/angiemadara/

Athena Fund X: https://athenafundx.com/

⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 Episode Start

00:01 Intro

00:59 Welcome Angie Madara

01:38 The $1.7 trillion credit gap

03:18 “Entrepreneurship for most women is winging it”

05:12 Her biggest failure

06:35 The rookie mistakes that cost her money

08:22 Learning never stops in entrepreneurship

09:31 Resilience is not a trait

10:43 What first-time founders should do differently

13:01 Building Athena: from idea to reality

16:22 AI, bias, and the future of credit

19:07 “It’s not charity. It’s big business”

25:35 98% repaid — so why didn’t it scale?

26:26 We need a new game

33:42 From empowerment to economic resilience

39:23 The risk ahead: a growing credit gap

43:26 How she stays hopeful

44:04 “Hold yourself before you fail”

49:00 Final thoughts

📺 Watch more episodes:

Catch The Upswing is a business and leadership podcast exploring how people build, lead, and navigate complexity in a rapidly changing world.

Subscribe for conversations with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and emerging voices shaping today’s economy.

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#Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Resilience #FinancialInclusion #CatchTheUpswing