Born and raised in Ghana's Upper East Region, I learned my earliest lessons about decision-making not from business schools or leadership books, but from the unforgiving savannah where choices had immediate consequences. As a young cattle herder, I discovered that the wrong choice of grazing location could leave animals undernourished, poor timing could expose the herd to predators, and failure to anticipate needs could lead to dangerous situations.
These early experiences shaped what I now call the "Herder's Decision Matrix"—a practical framework for making choices under uncertainty that has served me across contexts from healthcare crises to entrepreneurial challenges. The savannah taught me that perfect information is never available, but that decisive action based on available evidence often proves more valuable than endless analysis seeking impossible certainty.
A Path of Courageous Transitions
My journey from rural Ghana to the corridors of American healthcare, and eventually to entrepreneurship, has been marked by a series of bold decisions that seemed risky at the time but proved transformative in retrospect. Each transition required choosing between the safety of known paths and the uncertainty of authentic possibility.
From Village to Global Healthcare Leaving my village for educational opportunities in the United States meant abandoning familiar systems and cultural contexts for entirely new frameworks of learning and living. As a registered nurse working in American healthcare systems, I witnessed both the power of advanced medical technology and the persistent barriers that prevent many communities—particularly those resembling my home village—from accessing essential financial and healthcare services.
From Clinical Practice to Entrepreneurial Vision The most pivotal decision came when I faced a choice between accepting a prestigious nursing leadership position at one of America's top hospitals and pursuing full-time development of a financial inclusion platform designed to serve underserved populations in Ghana. The hospital position offered everything I had worked toward—excellent salary, respected institution, clear advancement path. The entrepreneurial path offered only uncertainty, financial risk, and the slim possibility of creating meaningful change.
Moses Akurugu Ade-na
Professional Nurse /Author/Entrepreneur
