The Power of Saying Yes

In September of 2023, I came across an article about Project Last Mile.?

If you don't know about them, here is a high level overview:

About 15 years ago, someone noticed that while you could buy a cold Coca-Cola in the most remote corners of Africa, lifesaving medicines that require cold chain logistics were nowhere to be found.

A group came together and asked Coca-Cola: Will you teach us how you manage your supply chain in rural Africa so we can apply those learnings to healthcare? Coca-Cola not only said yes, they threw their full support behind the effort that would come to be known as Project Last Mile.

I was immediately taken with the story… that resounding yes, the effort that ensued, the measurable difference that it has made in so many lives, and the fact that it was all done without the knowledge that COVID would push healthcare supply chains around the world to the brink in 2020.

I made the decision to focus an episode of Art of Supply on the Project Last Mile story.

And then I got a huge surprise: a message from Project Last Mile. Not only were they enthusiastic about the coverage, but they also had a request. Would I help them tell the story in their own words??

In the spirit of Coca-Cola, I said yes.

Next week on Art of Supply, you will hear my interview with Adrian Ristow, Executive Director of Project Last Mile and Project Director for The Coca-Cola Company,?and David Canarutto, Private Sector Relationship Manager at The Global Fund, one of Project Last Mile’s most important partners.

Before you hear from them directly, the full Project Last Mile story bears retelling - in this week's episode of Art of Supply.

Explore other editions of the Art of Supply newsletter here.?