Magatte Wade

Magatte Wade is a Senegalese entrepreneur and founder of beverage company Adina for Life. Born in Senegal and educated in France, Wade decamped to the United States after school and ended up in Silicon Valley, the ultimate destination for the motivated entrepreneur. On a 2003 trip home, she was disappointed to find that the traditional hibiscus drink of her childhood had been usurped by Western soft drinks. Determined to “criticize by creating,” Wade returned home, lined up a prestigious mentor and co-founder, Odwalla founder Greg Steltenpohl, and set to work. The company she founded, Adina for Life, relied on hibiscus from women’s co-ops in Senegal for the company’s first beverage products. Six years later, Adina for Life sells its beverages in Whole Foods and other stores around the country. Those hibiscus-growing co-ops in Senegal now take orders years in advance.