From Dreaming of Flying Planes to Launching Uganda's Next Tech Startup

From a stubborn, playful child who wanted to be a pilot, to becoming Production Assistant for Miss Uganda and Marketing Manager at AutoSwift, a fast-growing tech startup expanding from Uganda to Kenya — Paulen Nekalta embodies hustle, adaptability, and fearless self-belief. In this inspiring, real, and funny conversation, Paulen opens up about: • How she landed a Miss Uganda production role through initiative & networking • Building AutoSwift, an app that connects car owners to garages — now in Uganda & Kenya • Balancing a business statistics degree with her entertainment & tech career • Why women don’t need to depend on men — financial independence & confidence • The secrets of trust, teamwork, and emotional intelligence in startups • Uganda’s entrepreneurial mindset — “Being Ugandan is a full-time job!” • Her dream to revive an NGO project (EarthDrop) for clean water access • And her message to youth: work for free if you must — just get in, get noticed, get paid later. This episode is a masterclass on entrepreneurship, faith, and persistence — for anyone chasing their dream, whether it’s tech, business, or entertainment. Host: Albert Emmanuel