The Salary Scramble With Lee Kasumba
Aug 1, 2026 · 1 hr 5 min · 17 segments
She founded the business by herself. But that didn't stop them from asking: "Is she fronting?" Valerie Mpholle walked into an industry where the room was built for older white men with engineering…
Lee KasumbaHost[upbeat music] The first significant contract we got, um, and I'm very proud about this, it was because it was back home, it was in Lesotho.
Sometimes people who are aware of the work we're doing, even if they're not familiar with the technical, um, essence of it, are so grateful.
... and I'm like, "Wow, it's getting a bit embarrassing." I just feel like it's our duty.
But the reason for that is because h- uh, millions o- of people died from COVID.
We've seen, I mean, we walk through many hospitals where I've nearly seen someone die because they had-
But the minute that you put the systems that we work in or with, at least you know there's free flow of oxygen.
With oxygen, for example, then it has to be at 99.5% or more, and it has to be handled in a really meticulous, very stringent, regulated way so that by the time it gets to the hospital you're not exposed to contamination and all those things.
Because once you have contamination in the gas, then that's a life that you're responsible for.
I would encourage, um, corporate companies to give people a chance, right? Because not everything that you see is at face value.
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[upbeat music] The first significant contract we got, um, and I'm very proud about this, it was because it was back home, it was in Lesotho.
Sometimes people who are aware of the work we're doing, even if they're not familiar with the technical, um, essence of it, are so grateful.
... and I'm like, "Wow, it's getting a bit embarrassing." I just feel like it's our duty.
But the reason for that is because h- uh, millions o- of people died from COVID.
We've seen, I mean, we walk through many hospitals where I've nearly seen someone die because they had-
But the minute that you put the systems that we work in or with, at least you know there's free flow of oxygen.
With oxygen, for example, then it has to be at 99.5% or more, and it has to be handled in a really meticulous, very stringent, regulated way so that by the time it gets to the hospital you're not exposed to contamination and all those things.
Because once you have contamination in the gas, then that's a life that you're responsible for.
I would encourage, um, corporate companies to give people a chance, right? Because not everything that you see is at face value.
