On this episode of Chini Ya Maji podcast, CEO and Co-Founder, Pamela Muriuki, shares her entrepreneurial journey and the birth of GiftPesa. Discover how she transformed gifting from a side hustle into a game-changer. Dive into her business model, focused on appreciating the most deserving employees and service providers. Tune in to listen to this enlightening conversation. #ChiniYaMajiPodcast #Entrepreneurship #buildingstartups

On this episode of Chini Ya Maji podcast, CEO and Co-Founder, Marvin Tumbo, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the birth of Scale. Discover how he transformed procurement from a side hustle into a game-changer. Dive into his business model, focused on surfacing the best service providers, building trust and reputation and ensuring equal opportunities and access for all businesses. Tune in to listen to this enlightening conversation.#ChiniYaMajiPodcast #Entrepreneurship #buildingstartups

In this episode, delve into Kevin Mutiso's captivating journey. From his discovery of Warren Buffet to his deep dive into the world of stocks, we explore his transition from data entry to launching his own startup. Discover the invaluable lessons learned from his entrepreneurial setback and his bold vision to transform Africa into the most futuristic, modernised continent over the next 50 years, showcasing the immense potential for billion-dollar businesses to address critical societal issues. You do not want to miss out on this conversation.#AfricanInnovation #StartupJourney #africanentrepreneurs

Title: Building Middle East and Africa's first Super API for a comprehensive payment solution Nader started out as a curious young man in the 1990s, intrigued by technology. He decided to pursue engineering in order to build and create solutions. Through his passion for understanding the tech world, he discovered that knowledge alone is not enough, but knowledge must be paired with practical solutions to have an impact on the market. With the passion of creating a more seamless payment system, he began his journey of holistic learning, which started with blockchain technology and ended with the birth of Money Hash: a cloud-based payment operating system dedicated to making payments easier.Follow him and our host as they discuss the inception of Money Hash, and the importance of creating solutions for emerging markets as the future of technology. As a startup founder, Nader also shares his views on culture and the importance of understanding employees to build the right company culture. He argues that understanding the needs of your employees is essential in creating a productive work environment. This is an eye opening discussion that most certainly requires a pen and paper.

Betting on Solar Energy to Address Climate Change and Impact Lives Samir Ibrahim grew up in Orlando, Florida. His parents always told him that the opportunities he had were not available to them back home. As a child of immigrants, Ibrahim knew that it was important to use his opportunities to help others.In this episode of our Founders series, host Mark Karake sits down with Ibrahim, Co-Founder & CEO of SunCulture and dives into his journey of how he ended up building SunCulture and involved in climate action.Listen to how his experience living in Florida and schooling at NYU shaped his worldview, how his 10 year plan actually became a 10 months plan, and how he landed on the insight that launched SunCulture along with lessons he learned as a startup founder.'In this episode, Samir shows us how taking our time building a startup isn't actually a bad thing, and he reinforces that every company has a different journey. He also speaks to how he went from being unsure of himself to building a company with 370 people. This is a must listen!

BOLDNESS CREATES OPPORTUNITY My father had plans for me but I wasn't keen on that... he wasn't very happy to support me. For a lot of young Africans this statement isn't new to them. It's not easy chattering your path against your parents' will. So many questions are already asked to us in the startup world about the description of our work and for a lot of us there's really no easy way to explain. Yele Oyekola  is most certainly not a stranger to this reality however unlike most, he isn't one to back down from his ambition and one word we can use to describe him is decisive. From financing his own studies in the UK against his father's wishes, to getting into fintech in the UN, to working at Carbon and finally co-founding Duplo a B2B buy now pay later product in Nigeria, Yele's story is one of resilience, boldness and absolutely giving zero care to what others think. "The worst that can happen is you'll get broke, but you'll be fine" Can we acquire this attitude? Join him and Mark as they delve into how Yele made money through shoe making to pay for his school and his experience learning about fintech from the ground up. Enjoy.

The Wowzi Journey: Connecting The Dots When you come up with an idea and you talk to the market and you see how it gets translated into a solution, it's magic.Brian Mogeni and his Co-Founders Mike Otieno and Hassan Bashir wanted to connect capacity and opportunity and the greatest insight that came by was that 'People trust People,' The major question was, how could they organize word of mouth? This marked the beginning of Wowzi.Wowzi is a globally leading technology company that enables SMEs, multinationals, creative agencies, research companies and NGOs push brand messages and pull consumer insights from trusted influencers shaping the trends that drive African commerce.Join us on this episode as Brian Mogeni, Co-Founder & CEO takes us back in time and gives us a glimpse into his life growing up and connects it to where he is now. Did you know he wanted to either be a professional footballer, a host on Top Gear or an entrepreneur? Get to see how he connects the dots from his passion for sports to his first job as an intern in Accenture to a critical point in his career at Easy Taxi to how they bootstrapped to build Wowzi.This story perfectly illustrates that all of our experiences serve a purpose and are instrumental in how we turn out presently and in our future!This is the Wowzi Journey, Part 1

THE 'FOUNDER-PROBLEM FIT' APPROACH The most overlooked aspect by entrepreneurs "One of my challenges was realizing I didn't need to have just technical skills... As a founder I need to know how to pitch"Idorenyin Obong or as we'd like to call him 'The Writing Techie' found himself in a situation that a lot of founders find themselves before their light bulb moment: A problem without a solution. The process of accessing payment via foreign currencies was a thorn in his flesh and so many other entrepreneurs. His intuition led him to start a company that grew from it's original mission which was to solve the problem in Nigeria but now looks to scale continentally beginning with Kenya.From its original name Aboki Africa to it's new identity Grey, Grey seeks to provide foreign accounts to people in Africa to ease transacting in foreign currencies. This is a story of the famous founder-problem fit. It takes a founder to deeply understand a problem for them to have groundbreaking answers and learn new trades as they forge ahead. Join him and our host, Mark Karake as they take a walk down memory lane through Idorenyin's founding journey.

Leveraging Tech in the African Logistics Landscape "It's going to take some time for us to stop comparing ourselves to each other and other countries... and start asking the question of why we didn't do better"Mark Mwangi was never your average student, he never settled, not from his days in high school to his days as a truck driver making ends meet for his fees in City, University of London. He is living proof that a tenacious heart will certainly get you where you want to be.Join him and Mark Karake as he takes us through a journey of resilience, taking up challenges rather than settling to co-founding Amitruck: A digital logistics marketplace that connects clients directly with transporters cutting out expensive middlemen.Get to know how he was able to make the jump from his career as a Senior Investment Manager at Pictet Asset Management in London to moving back to Nairobi to build something more meaningful.From truck driving to investment management to Amitruck, this is a story of audacious goals made possible!

A New Era of Businesses with Social Impact I think we are entering a new era where businesses can't ignore their social impact ~ Tracey Turner Growing up, Tracey just like many young people, did not have a clear path for what career she wanted to pursue. She was ambitious and spontaneous and had a stint of wanting to pursue so much including being an astronaut and even a fighter pilot. However, at that time women could not be fighter pilots.Years down the line, Tracey is now a renowned entrepreneur and seasoned business executive with a knack for social impact!Dive into the podcast and get to hear her back story ranging from her passion for entrepreneurship, how she balances her life as a the Founder and Chairperson of Copia Global while being a mother to her three children; and the journey of building Copia including the lessons she learned along the way. This one is a must-listen as it shows why Africa is ground zero for grit for entrepreneurs!

LET'S TALK INVESTMENT "We want to turn out one million African investors and we have the capacity to go for such a goal" Meet Richmond Bassey, the Co-founder and CEO of Bamboo, an investment platform that gives people the tools to build wealth from the ground up through real-time access to the global marketsCatch him and our host Mark Karake as they talk about consumerism in our society, teaching and offering investment opportunities to Africans and a special treat on how he as able to acquire venture capital for his company.An important listen for everyone.

Scaling Fintech in Africa "The reality in Africa is that if you really want to scale today, you need to run a hybrid strategy, meaning digital and part physical." ~Timothy Nuy Meet Timothy Nuy, a man who was always intrigued and interested in business in the financial services space. Hear how he started as a call centre agent and moved to African Development Bank to My Bucks to now the Co-Founder and CEO of Finclusion Group. Catch a glimpse of how he aims to transform financial services in Africa through the buy and build strategy of Finclusion Group. Want to learn more about the skillset necessary for an effective turnaround model and the complexities of lending in Africa, then this is a must-listen! A true eye-opener to the world of financial services. Enjoy!

Embracing the Disruptive Nature of Entrepreneurship "Be comfortable with failure. Fail at this, fail at that and keep failing but just make sure that you learn from them" Eerik was an adventurous young man growing up in Estonia Northern Europe where he tried his hand at everything from lawn mowing to being an infantry team lead even opening a bar before going on to being the Co-Founder & CEO of Planet42 based in South Africa. Join him and Mark as they delve into his journey of discovery in various fields before settling in Planet42 which offers a social inclusive car subscription service. They offer us their experiences with stereotypes which are proven to pull people back from associating on basic level of being human beings. Eerik shows us that a person cannot be one thing but he/she can embrace the changes along the way to find out what they enjoy doing. Truly, you never know until you try!

Bold Changes: It's Not As Bad As It Sounds "Many times we step away from giving stuff a try because we think that the fallout is going to be worse than it actually is"Femi Kuti. Mr Femi Kuti came from being a doctor to an investment banker to finally to an entrepreneur and the founder of Reliance Health: A technology driven health insurance company which is focused on making healthcare in emerging markets affordable and accessible. It takes tenacity to make a major move in terms of careers and Femi proves that it's possible. Mark speaks to Femi Kuti on the reason behind the change, what inspired the move to combine medicine and entrepreneurship and the importance of quality connections that lead to funding. This is a self evaluating podcast on being brave and we're excited to share it with you. Have fun!!! 

CATEGORY CREATION: AN INSIGHT INTO UNIQUE SOLUTIONS "If you've been doing something painfully for so long, it becomes a dull ache, eventually you don't realize you have a problem"When Sam Wanjohi started POPOTE INNOVATIONS LIMITED, he's idea was to find a software solution system for his company's payment. Little did he know that this was the birth of a spend management and payables solution that was necessary for so many companies especially with the rise of the pandemic.Join him and Mark as they take a trip through Category creation which is quite evidently uncharted territory for so many founders and entrepreneurs.Enjoy!

Building Africa's Champion for e-commerce "With a curiosity mindset, there is an endless number of things that you can ultimately discover and potentially create value in," Daniel Yu. Excited to host Daniel Yu, Co-founder and CEO of Sokowatch now rebranding to Wasoko as they announce their &125M series B round of financing (full equity raise) alongside the launch of operations in West Africa. Join Mark and Daniel as they unpack Sokowatch's journey from near-certain death in 2018 while facing bankruptcy to raising a series B round of financing. What are the war stories that enabled Daniel Yu to get to where he is right now? Get to know what sparks Daniel's dedication to reducing suffering for as many people as possible and how he has evolved as a leader

Why Social Impact Technologies are a Game Changer for Africa "The best and newest technology is going to be technology around social good," Eldrid Jordaan. Eldrid Jordaan is marked by one purpose; Serving his people to make things better. Six years down the line, he serves as a connector of government, civil society, private sector and citizens at an unimaginable scale.Join Eldrid and Mark as they explore the journey towards building Gov Chat, a South African citizen engagement platform. Listen in to the lessons he learnt along the way and what he anticipates for Gov Chat going forward.

Building Africa's Tech Ecosystem "To invest is human, to exit is divine," Idris Ayodeji Bello Meet Idris Bello, a man who had a stable career at Chevron Corporation and Exxon Mobil but had an itch for innovation and entrepreneurship. He later moves back with his partners to Lagos, Nigeria and pursues his passion for building an ecosystem of African Founders supported by African Investors and Angels.Get to catch a glimpse of his investment journey from Andela, Flutterwave to the lessons he learnt from the mistakes he made.Want to learn more about investments in Africa then this episode is one for the books!

Challenging the Status Quo: Solve Problems "If you do something you enjoy, it always pays forward," Adebiyi Aromolaran Meet Adebiyi Aromolaran, Head of Africa Expansion at Dlocal, an Uruguayan financial technology company; who has vast experience in Africa's fintech and Banking ecosystem spanning over 15 years. Join him and Mark as they take a dive into his journey in financial services, his experience in Flutterwave and his current passion and endeavour.  With Biyi, it's definitely service before self!

Talent: Africa's Most Promising Resource "On the continent, we don't have enough talent especially the good talent that everyone is looking for. There is more demand than supply, " Yusuf Adewale. Join Mark and Adewale, CEO & Co-founder of Talent QL and Alt School in this riveting episode as they dig deeper into the scarcity of talent in Africa and so the need to identify, water and expose budding talent to the world through Talent QL and Alt School. Listen in as Adewale also shares his entrepreneurial journey, his passion for education and what he hopes going forward.

Hi Chini Ya Maji Family, thank you for tuning in to yet another episode on the CYM PodcastIn this episode, we host Preston Ideh, CEO and Co-founder of Stears which is a data powered insights company inspired by the likes of Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters He seeks to empower people to make better decisions by providing them with the necessary information and dataFind out more about this on the podcast, enjoy!

The Beauty of Learning as an Entrepreneur "Entrepreneurs should know when you get a no, it's part of the journey." Henry Chibuzo. The hunger to learn is a key differentiator in how an entrepreneur navigates challenges he/she encounters and emerges successful. Join us in this episode with Henry Chibuzo, Founder & CEO of Schoolable, as he takes us through his journey of building Schoolable; from how he jumped into pursuing startups after campus to his mistakes and the vital lessons he learnt. Major takeaway, never take things personally. A true eye-opener! Enjoy the podcast.

The Power of Passion-Driven Solutions "Do something that you are passionate about. You will not put your mind to something if you are not excited about it," Martin Nielsen. In this episode, we host Martin Nielsen, CEO and Co-Founder of Mdundo who is passionate about revolutionising the African music industry. Join Mark and Martin as they unpack Mdundo's nine-year journey until they were listed on the stock exchange in September 2020. A powerful story on being authentic to self coupled with challenges and lessons Martin learned on his journey. Enjoy!

Overcome Fear and Lean into the Unknown "You cannot have a thriving economy without a functioning consumer credit ecosystem," In this episode, we host Yvonne Johnson, MD and Co-Founder of Indicina, a fintech infrastructure start-up focused on AfricaListen in to learn how Yvonne got into the financial services industry and how she chose to address the nagging problem of huge consumer credit gaps in her ecosystem. A relatable story for anyone who has or is experiencing the urge to venture out into the unknown and take a deep dive in addressing a problem.Insightful conversation worth a listen. Enjoy!

The Power of Collaboration in Unlocking Opportunities "Success is layered on top of the success of others," Wiza Jalakasi.In this episode, we host Wiza Jalakasi, VP, Global Developer Relations at Chipper Cash, a lover of Africa Fintech travel, culture and life. Listen to Mark and Wiza as they unpack Africa's tech ecosystem, its players, its current state and how cultural differences impact the system.A lot of precious nuggets in this podcast, enjoy!

Betting on the right team of co-founders "One of the most important things to do when you are starting a tech company or any company is to look for good cofounders because they will definitely define the success of your company," Mutie Mule.In this episode, Mutie Mule, COO & Co-Founder of Solutech Limited, discusses the growth of Solutech from inception to now and what they project in the years to come. Get to see how Mutie and his team of co-founders transcended the notorious co-founder conflict and work together as a team of equals. A story focused on constant learning and unlearning. Enjoy! 

Overcome Your Obstacles, Don't Settle! "The journey of entrepreneurship is not very straightforward," Wilberforce Seguton. In this episode, we host Wilberforce Seguton, CEO & Co-Founder of Bunifu Technologies, a leading tech scale-up in Nairobi, Kenya with its main focus being software development and information security. Get to hear Seguton's story of humble beginnings to how he embarked on his entrepreneurial journey. He even had to go back to up-country at some point because Nairobi, the green city in the sun, had become a 'shamba la mawe'. A relatable story for all of you who have struggled to get things off the ground.

Believe in yourself and take the risk" If you want to tackle a problem at scale, you want to take the route of entrepreneurship," Franziska Reh.Meet Franziska Reh, CEO & Co-Founder of Unconventional Capital, a fintech company focusing on early-stage investing in Africa, who is a corporate financial consultant-turned-fintech entrepreneur. Listen to the story of how a young green peace activist from Bavaria, a town in the southern part of Germany chose to take a risk in solving the problem of funding early-stage entrepreneurs in Africa in a disruptive way. It's truly an unconventional conversation worth listening to!

Live life by creating solutions that have a positive impact "It is ok to take risks if you really believe in something," Kageni Wilson. In this episode, we host Kageni Wilson, Founder and CEO of Finplus Group, a white-label fintech platform in Nairobi for fintechs in Africa.  Get to see how a nerdy and creative individual got interested in the world of tech and building startups that led him to found Finplus GroupDid you know Kageni actually decided not to go to University? Many hilarious and insightful stories in this one. Enjoy!

Process Matters "Tech is at the core of what we do, " Caine Wanjau. Join Mark and Caine, CTO at Twiga Foods, on this episode as they delve into Twiga Foods on how it has transited from a startup to a scale-up and how it has been impacted by the pandemic. Listen to Caine's riveting story on how he grew from a team of one to a team of sixty. You do not want to miss out on this episode full of insights on organisational culture and leadership!

Hi Chini Ya Maji Family, thank you for tuning in to Chini Ya Maji podcast, your one stop shop for all startup news and stories. In this episode, we hosted Nick Quintong, CEO & Co-Founder of PayGoEnergy, a technology company in Nairobi that is building hardware and software solutions to help grow markets for LPG. This episode extensively gives background to the founding of the company, fundraising, scalability as well as challenges and lessons learnt along the way. Enjoy!

"Entreprenuership is like a bug that once you catch, you can't get rid of & have to live with," - Mutembei Kariuki, CEO & Co-Founder of Fastagger. In this engaging episode, he shares his entrepreneurship background and his transition to tech whose foundation was laid by his father. He also heartily shares his challenges and success stories. Fastagger is an AI & Machine learning service platform that provides data management and algorithms to AI-driven companies. Enjoy the podcast!

Hi Chini ya Maji Family! On this episode, we hosted Mutethia Mbaabu, Co- Founder CEO and of MarketForce 360, a company that helps consumer brands digitize field sales and increasing their channels of distribution. Call it the salesforce for Africa. In this episode, Mbaabu who began entrepreneurship at an early age highlights his background, customer relations as well as his startup journey and lessons learnt therein. Enjoy the podcast!

Hi Chini Ya Maji Family! We had the privilege of hosting Andrew Mutua CEO & Founder of Pesakit and a Nairobian to the bone! PesaKit is revolutionizing last-mile access to financial services and digital commerce through mobile money agents, for everyone, everywhere. In this episode, Andrew takes us through his background and of special interest is how he made the major decision to shift from sports to computing. A decision in which his mum played a big role in. In the building of his company, he perfectly articulates his experience from market research, customer relations and fundraising. Enjoy the podcast!

Hi Chini Ya Maji Family! We had the privilege of hosting Henrik Barck Founder and CEO of Afripods, a platform for podcasts. With an 18 year background in the digital sector, Henrik's story is that of success and failure in equal measure. He was however able to overcome two major setbacks, to be who he is today. In this episode, he takes us through his journey in the media space, humorously articulating his experience, from 1993 to present. He also highlights some of the companies he has founded as well as major lessons from his setbacks. Enjoy the Podcast!

Hi Chini Ya Maji Family! We had the privilege of hosting Paul Kimani Co-Founder and CEO of Work Pay. His story is one that you will not only learn from but also be greatly motivated. He is a perfect example of beating all odds to achieve your goals. Paul was able to use all his skills to create his brand and grow as an entrepreneur. Having started his entrepreneur journey at an early age, and growing all the way to ownership of a company, he articulates his experience from market research, customer relations to fundraising perfectly. Enjoy the Podcast!

Hi Chini ya Maji family!  As the global pandemic rolls into another week, we are here to make sure you stay informed and inspired by our guests and their stories.This week we hosted Towett Ng'etich, Founder and C.E.O at Uthabiti Healthcare, a pharmaceutical company founded on the need to increase access to safe medicines across communities. He is a young entrepreneur who at an early age  saw a problem in the pharmaceutical space and opted to find a solution for it!  He tells us his story and experience working in the startup world and the importance of building your brand to help in fundraising! Be motivated and enlightened. Enjoy the podcast!

Hi Chini Ya Maji Family! Another week another special episode. From the field of academia, our guest this week is Dr. Lawrence Nderu, a professor in the computer Science department in JKUAT, with a PhD in AI from the University of Paris. His deep rooted passion for technology is evident not only through his academic achievements, but also in his day to day routine and understanding of matters computing.  His story is one of childhood love for academia cultivated throughout the growth process turned career and passion. He believes in the constant learning process. His point of view on all matters of AI and innovation is just mind blowing! Dr Lawrence is also part of the Impact Africa Network Community as an instructor at JENGA School, a 12 month intensive program where you can get the chance to jump start your Data Science and AI career. Our mission is to unleash Africa’s genius. Every aspect of this weeks podcast is a learning experience!  Enjoy the Podcast!

Hello Chini ya Maji Family! Amidst these trying times, we are back again this week to bring you hope for a greater tomorrow with amazing stories of the Nairobi ecosystem.  This week we had the privilege of hosting Ali Hussein CEO of Kipochi. He started his tech journey at Toyota motors as a market analyst, where he learnt the power of technology.Coming from a business-oriented family, his entrepreneurial journey was deep rooted in him from an early age. You definitely don't want to miss out on this! Enjoy the podcast!

Hey Chini ya Maji family, this week on the podcast we had the privilege of hosting Jason Carmichael Co-Founder and CEO of Tibu, a platform for decentralization of primary patient healthcare by connecting  patients to high quality, affordable healthcare whenever they need it, you can say its Uber for healthcare! Jason has a Masters degree in Public Health from the University of British Columbia and experience working for the World Health Organization Emergency response where his passion for making a difference in the health sector grew exponentially, leading him in this path. Tibu’s self assessment tool  that allows people to assess if they should seek medical attention, is a huge asset during this Covid-19 pandemic and has helped control unnecessary movement and panic among people who may think they are infected with the virus!  Jason’s story is one you definitely don’t want to miss out on! Enjoy the Podcast!

This week we had the privilege of hosting Don Okoth, CO founder and country manager freight at Sendy. His story is one of hardwork and determination which started at an early age. Don, is a perfect example of entrepreneurs who understand the process of creating a business from the ground up, and adapting to the market. With the current state of the world, Sendy are working hand in hand with local supermarkets to deliver good to people's homes so as to avoid spread of the Coronavirus.  We value all our listeners and the entire Chini ya Maji Family. We encourage everyone to adhere to the regulations put in place to avoid further spread of the virus. We will continue to bring you more encouraging episodes. We are in this together. Stay safe and enjoy the podcast!

This week, we had the privilege of hosting Chris Orwa, a Data Scientist at I&M bank whose passion for technology is seen not only by his work but also in his conversation.  Chris's story is that of a childhood passion in Tech that grew to become his career.  Having been part of a founding team while still in school, he has experience in both the entrepreneurial and corporate world.   Enjoy the Podcast!

Happy New Week Chini ya Maji family, another great week, another great throwback episode! This week on our Oldie but Goodie Series we bring you the inspiring story of Louis Majanja, head of product at Ajua.  Enjoy the Podcast!

Hello Chini Ya Maji Family. Today on our Oldie But Goodie Series, we bring you the inspiring story of Dr Thomas Kirengo, a medical doctor turned entrepreneur who saw a gap in the medical field in Meru-Kenya and came up with a solution to fill that gap by co Founding Imara Mediplus Hospital.  Enjoy the Podcast!!

This week, we treat you to an Oldie but Goodie episode, where we  hosted Lesley Mbogo , Co-founder of Gobeba, an ecommerce and logistics startup in Nairobi. 

Happy New Decade Chini Ya Maji family!  Since you enjoyed our last throwback, we want to share with you another Oldie but Goodie featuring one of Nairobi's finest ,Caine Wanjau, CTO @ Twiga Foods. Caine discusses the evolution and trajectory of Silicon Savanna, shares insights on the right approach to tech entrepreneurship as well as best practices for developing a sustainable, investable company.

Happy Holidays Chini ya Maji Family! This holiday season we are digging into the archives to share some of our favourite oldie but goodie episodes as a holiday treat to you.This weeks oldie but goodie is an origin story of Mook, a kenyan social-ecommerce platform. Co-founder and CEO Eric Thimba shares the start up’s remarkable journey. Enjoy!

This week we continue spotlighting  VC's and investors creating effective impact in  Nairobi's startup ecosystem.  Our guest is Royosuke Yamawaki, Fund Manager at Kepple Fund who over the last 15 months has invested in over 24 Nairobi based startups!   Kepple Fund, a Japaneses venture capital entered the Nairobi market on August of 2018 and proceeded to make their first investment in December of the same year.  This is precisely what the Nairobi ecosystem has needed. A seed stage investor who moves fast and supports entrepreneurs effectively. Kepple fund is the match that is going to light up the Nairobi startup fuse and the fireworks will be glorious!   What an exciting time to be in Africa. Enjoy the podcast!

This week we had the pleasure of hosting Jason Musyoka, Angel Investment Manager at ViKtoria Ventures. Creating successful and lasting connections between startups and angel investors. Jason runs the Viktoria Business Angel Network connecting angel investors with innovative startups that are charting new paths and tapping into large market opportunities. Prior to joining Viktoria Ventures, he  worked at Farm Capital Africa as the Head of Finance and Administration operations. Project Manager for Arriscar Ventures responsible for client engagements and company projects, and at Apex Communications as the Finance and Administration Associate charged with streamlining their financing operations. If you are the founder of a start-up seeking an opportunity to acquire capital, he is definitely the man to meet. Enjoy the podcast.

We have another amazing guest for you this week, William Githui is the Director of Finance at Moringa School  where he's been at the center of helping the company close a significant round of funding.  Previously, William was on the investor side as investment manager at AlphaMundi Group, which is a local venture fund that invest in growth stage companies in Kenya and beyond. So as an investor and now an operator, William is a young professional who has been on both sides of the entrepreneur equation, and despite that he's still one of the nicest, most humble, reliable, high integrity people you will ever meet  and others like him represents the hope we can all have in the future of Silicon Savannah. Listen and learn from the man. Enjoy the podcast.

This week Esther Kithinji, senior people operations at Moringa school shares her experiences working at a  startup. Esther talks about the lesson learnt  working in a highly dynamic, fast paced environment and how to cope with the ever changing and demanding startup environment. This is a great benchmark for anyone currently working at a startup who wants to validate that their personal experiences are pretty standard for startups and also a way for those who maybe interested in understanding what it's like to work at a startup.  

This week we host Esther Ndeti, Executive Director at East Africa Venture Capital Association (EAVCA), EAVCA is  East Africa's largest network of private capital investors, representing 85+ firms.  Esther has immersed herself  in closing the capital flow  gaps in East Africa by bringing together various private capital investors and advisors,  looking at the region for growth,  to create a favorable environment for  investments.

This week we host the amazing Jason Esien, founder of MARAMOJA Transport & Utu Technologies. Jason has a fascinating story, his a founder with an non technical background but his driven by curiosity and a can do attitude.He is one of the first people to introduced a taxi hailing app in Nairobi in 2013 through  MARAMOJA Transport and through the process of building that solution he uncovered another problem and established  Utu Technologies  to solve this. Jason firmly believes in building a trust economy with great social relationships and he has built high impact companies based on this. Enjoy the Podcast!

This week we had the pleasure of hosting Chris Muraguri, founder of Micrive Infinite for our Inaugural Lunch & Learn. The aim is for local founders to meet, engage and share  insights, experiences with IAN's innovation interns hungry for startup building knowledge in the Nairobi ecosystem.  Micrive Infinite is a Nairobi based startup, that is spearheading the medical 3D printing technology sector in Kenya. They work closely with surgeons, incorporating 3D printing in the treatment-planning phase to improve success rates, reduce complications and pursue cost effectiveness. With over 4 billion people globally risk financial catastrophe due to high costs of surgery, they aim to strategically implement additive manufacturing technology to enhance the planning and execution of surgery.

This week we catch up with the first cohort of Impact Africa Network (IAN) interns  who came on board  in January to learn about their experiences so far. Plus the new batch (Cohort 2) of talented young entrepreneurs share what they have been working on. IAN is an ecosystem catalytic non profit startup studio in Nairobi on a mission to ensure young talented Africans have a chance  at participating in the digital transformation of Africa as creators and owners. Providing 12 month internships to talented college to develop relevant professional skills, gain innovation experience, and the chance at being part of a startup founding team.

This week we have the pleasure of bringing to you a real live example of a homegrown thoroughbred entrepreneur if I ever met one. Eric Muli is founder of LipaLater, a fast growing fintech startup that has all the indications of becoming a dominant and transformative company birthed right out of our local soil here in Silicon Savanna. This is one of those stories that will inspire those you who are right now in the trenches building something, give a good kick in the pants to those sitting on the sidelines just talking about doing something, and challenge those who doubt that we have all the ingredients needed to launch and build high growth startups right here in our backyard including entrepreneurial talent, local capital, and a ready market that scales beyond Kenya for the right solutions. 

This week we have a very special gift for you as we are host our very own legal counsel on the show. Eunice Kavere is founding partner at Lumallas, Achieng and Kavere advocates, who also happen to be our law firm of choice. I thought it would be a good idea to have Kavere share some legal does and don’ts that can help entrepreneurs navigate what can often be the intimidating subject area of legal. LAK advocates have been super helpful to us and I would recommend them to anyone seeking good, solid, approachable legal counsel. As usual the conversation is peppered with many interesting anecdotes from her experiences working at some well known institutions. Quite a few eye popping insights on this one. Enjoy the podcast

This week we have the honor and pleasure of presenting to you a world class professional from the banking sector on the podcast. Kenya's very own Esther Waititu, head of strategy development in corporate and investment banking at Stanbic Bank graced us with her presence. The idea was to get some insights into how the banking sector evaluates business investments and the challenges they are faced with doing so.  As you the regular listener may have picked up on these conversations tend to have a life of their own. While we touched on these themes at a high level the dialogue stubbornly veered towards the future of banking in a world of innovation and we could not get a better source to hear from on how the banking sector has evolved in the last 20 years and how it is currently responding to changing customer expectations and competitive threats from all quarters. As you will hear on this one, we are truly living in unpredictable times where everything is up for grabs and the only constant is change. Hold on to your hats folks, this one is a roller coaster. Enjoy the podcast. 

This week we have the never say die Alan Osoro founder of First Choice Global that owns and operates the first locally developed cash remittance app in Kenya. Alan is one of the most tenacious individuals I have ever met. His story perfectly encapsulates why entrepreneurs who have a personal connection to the problem they are solving and are genuinely passionate about it are able to overcome the darkest periods and get to the other side. Alan is a true warrior and a total class act. He is one of those individuals you can't help but root for. I am convinced he will build an amazing company that will be a core part of our fintech ecosystem in the years to come. Watch this space and enjoy this amazing episode! 

This week we have a groundbreaking episode. For the very first time we have an international guest and this one is filled with valuable insights on one of the hottest domains in technology today. Sameer Maskey is the founder of Fusemachines, all full cycle AI startup in New York. Fusemachines provides AI as a services to fortune 500 companies in US while at the same time developing talent globally through their Ai micro-degree program. Their mission is to democratize AI by making it accessible to all. He is in Nairobi as part of a pre- launch for their local Ai education program to be provided in partnership with their local partner, Jenga school

This week we host a true veteran of the Silicon Savanna tech scene. Ngigi Waithaka joins us on the podcast to share amazing stories of his journey as a bona fide geek who loves technology. His story charts an amazing course from his days doing the Twiga Foods thing but with just one truck moving produce from farmers to Nairobi, building a one of a kind boutique software development business on Linux, creating the first cybercafe management application, building robust applications for large organizations including the department of defence and his current project where he is looking to make data work better for Africa utilizing Ai and Machine Learning. If there was ever an OG in Silicon Savanna Ngigi Waithaka is that and then some. This is a long podcast friends. There was just too much to cover and we barely scratched the surface. Guys like Ngigi are why I believe Silicon Savanna has a surprise or three for those who may discount Africa's potential to do great things. Enjoy the podcast!

This week we had the well travelled, super experienced, no nonsense Luis Majanja, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Ajua. As you will hear on this episode Luis is a well travelled tech practitioner with wide ranging experience from machining to building his own social media platform well before facebook. This gentleman is a treasure for the ecosystem and at Impact Africa Network we are super glad to call him a friend and an ally. With Luis driving product strategy it is no wonder mSurvey are on their way to doing big things on the continent. Enjoy!

This week we pick up where we left off with Kenneth Kinyanjui. This time we dig into a number of super relevant topics specifically around what makes startups fail and things entrepreneurs should be aware of. 

This week we have the pleasure of hosting the evergreen and reliable Kenneth Kinyanjui aka young Kenju on the podcast. Kenneth is a long serving member of the Nairobi ecosystem. He is a talented technologist with broad experience in tech entrepreneurship process. He has been part of the Google community across the continent including GDG, Google Launchpad and Google IO. Kenju was cofounded and helped develop WeCashUp, a fintech startup. This is a great story of how the evolution of tech as a global phenomenon has direct impact on the direction of a young African.  

This week we flipped the script and the host becomes the guest. Mark Karake who is the founder and ceo of Impact Africa Network a first of its kind startup studio shares his story and entrepreneurial journey. This is a story about passion and commitment to pursuing your dreams.

This week we speak with the intrepid Leslie Mbogo, cofounder @ GoBebab an ecommerce plus logistics startup looking to solve the last mile delivery challenge for African consumers. Lesly and her cofounder Peter have deep roots in tech and startups bringing a combined 25+ years of international and local experience in the sector. Lesley spent over 10 years in Silicon Valley with IBM labs in San Jose and she has 4 patents to her name from that experience, she then went onto Amazon Web Services where she was immersed a culture defined by a commitment to innovation and discipline which you will here about on the podcast. If there is any team that has what it takes to tackle the challenging ecomerce and logistics space, Lesley and Peter are it. They have the pedigree, tenacity, and commitment to make it happen. Enjoy the podcast. 

This week we have the pleasure of speaking with the indefatigable Navalayo Osembo cofounder at Enda, a first of it's kind athletic shoe company which is leading the Kenyan takeover of the running shoe industry. This is a classic story of two high performing individuals serendipitously coming together around a shared interest and committing to a process of turning a daunting vision into reality by committing to a process. What Navalayo, Weldon and their team have achieved with meagre resources is to be admired and supported. I am a huge fan of what they are doing. If you haven't yet already go to Endasportswear.com and pick a pair of those wonderfully designed, authentically Kenyan running shoes.  

This week we speak with the peerless Huston Malande cofounder at Skyline Design, which is one of the more highly regarded software consulting firms in Nairobi. The conversation is a deep dive into Huston and his cofounders origin stories and how they found each other and came to work together. We also cover the subject of culture and how that intersects with and impacts the potential of the ecosystem. All in all Huston and his cofounders are emblematic of the type of high performing entrepreneurs emerging out of the Silicon Savanna. 

This week we had the amazing Ella Peinovich, cofounder of Soko, the ethical fashion brand that opened global markets to local artisan jewellers in Nairobi. We cover a great deal of ground on this episode starting with Ella's personal journey first as an architect with roots in art, to her being bitten by the entrepreneurial bug at MIT, through that finding her way to Kenya to build toilets for a social enterprise and finally culminating with inspired stories of the individuals whose lives were transformed through the Soko opportunity - a true purpose and people narrative. Shopsoko.com

This week we had a fun time with the gritty, affable, never say die Mary Mwangi who is founder and CEO of Data Integrated, a startup straddling the small business and transportation digitization spaces. This is a great founder journey narrative peppered with useful insights and laughs. You will enjoy this one for sure. 

This week we had the phenomenal Claire Munene who is the Chief Revenue Officer at mSurvey sharing her corporate to startup journey. Claire spent 14 years at Safaricom after which she felt the urge to seek out a new path and ended up joining the mSurvey founders,  Kenfied Griffith and Louis Majanja to build the company. This is great story packed with insights and tips for those on the corporate side considering a move to startups and also for founders looking to attract talent from the corporate side. It is also a great signal that startups are increasingly a viable career option in Silicon Savanna.

This week we had the honor of hosting our first female founder and it was definitely worth the wait. Peris Bosire, CEO and cofounder at FarmDrive stopped by the Chini ya Maji studios and dropped some gems for the eco. FarmDrive is a fintech startup focussed on bringing financial services to farmers in Africa. Peris talks about her path to entrepreneurship, meeting her cofounder, and their journey so far. This will down as a landmark moment for both the podcast and the eco. Twende Kazi!

This week we get some wonderful insights from a founder in an uncommon domain.  3+ years ago Thomas convinced his 4 Dr. friends to start a hospital in Embu. He breaks down their journey including all the assumptions, naiveté, and challenges they overcame to build what is now a thriving healthcare business. This will be a helpful one to many listeners. 

This week we had the pleasure of hosting another seasoned Silicon Savanna veteran. Kennedy Kirui, cofounder & CEO at Tanasuk Africa came through. The discussion is centered around design thinking, culture, and the mindset traps. Find our blogs here: https://medium.com/impact-africa-network

This week we speak to Caine Wanjau, CTO @ Twiga Foods. Caine discusses the evolution and trajectory of Silicon Savanna, shares insights on the right approach to tech entrepreneurship as well as best practices for developing a sustainable, investable company.  We would appreciate your feedback on how we can improve the podcast. Kindly take two minutes to complete this survey: https://www.impactafrica.network/chiniyamaji

This week we speak to Caine Wanjau, CTO @ Twiga Foods. Caine discusses the evolution and trajectory of Silicon Savanna, shares insights on the right approach to tech entrepreneurship as well as best practices for developing a sustainable, investable company.  We would appreciate your feedback on how we can improve the podcast. Kindly take two minutes to complete this survey: https://www.impactafrica.network/chiniyamaji

Part 2 of Founder Series with Eric Thimba, CEO and Co-founder at Mookh

  On this episode we are joined by Wangari Mungai (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wangarimungai/), as we highlight the challenges startups face when it comes to sourcing, developing, and retaining talent and ways to overcome these challenges Our links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/ianetworktweets Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImpactAfricaNetworkKE/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impactafrica-network/ Website: https://impactafrica.network

  On this episode we are joined by Yacob Berhane, who helps to facilitate strategic allocation of capital and resources for startup companies, as we highlight a few issues that startup founders go through in the finance world and the differences and similarities between founders in Africa and those from the US.  Our links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/ianetworktweets Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImpactAfricaNetworkKE/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impactafrica-network/ Website: https://impactafrica.network Yacob:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/yacob-berhane-38981541/

We delve into how a mindset holds back entrepreneurs in Silicon Savanna

We talk about how culture drives performance even at the ecosystem level and why it is the issue holding back Silicon Savanna

We discuss how 'business as usual' approaches to entrepreneurship and startups no longer apply in a technology driven world.