Two and a half years ago, at a crucial transition time of my life, I was deeply searching for something worth putting my life into. I knew it had to be forward thinking and economically empowering not just to me but to people in my age group.
Let me take you back a little. After about 5 years of work experience, one thing vexed my heart the most; and that is how the older generation undermined the potential of the upcoming generation including myself. There is only so much you can do when the systems have been set up against you. It is even more frustrating when you can feel the well of potential inside of you and the debilitating fear of never having the opportunity to live out your purpose.
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
~Paulo Coelho, the Alchemist
Things began to change for me when I walked into Mark Karake’s apartment in search of a new opportunity. This is one man who is anchored in his God-given assignment and I was sold! Don’t get me wrong, it was not that easy. I was leaving a more mature organization and took a 50% pay cut to join a mission that at the time consisted of Mark and 6 final year university students. But it felt right.
It’s been two and a half years of building the fundraising muscle of Impact Africa Network — a non profit startup studio on a mission to ensure that young talented Africans get a chance at participating in the digital transformation of Africa as creators and owners. With little to no experience, we have built a network of high networth individuals who understand the value of our work and have given their time and resources to support us.
Through our Innovation Fellowship program we have grown to an organization of 70+ young talented people working on multiple projects. Four of which have launched as early stage startups growing in their own right.
It has been truly awe inspiring to witness ideas come to life before our eyes, start growing and attracting customers.
I have had the privilege of hosting fireside chats with some of the most successful people in tech and entrepreneurship. An opportunity I do not take lightly. It has sharpened my thinking, boosted my confidence and made me realize as a woman I have something to put into the world.
Conversations with global business leaders and change makers designed to shift mindsets and inspire a new generation of innovation leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa
Most importantly, thanks to the firm belief Mark has in the potential of young women in our ecosystem; we have built a platform that prioritizes female leadership. This belief is etched deep into how we run our businesses.
“Women are much more effective at leading and nurturing complex people-centric systems, and startups are the quintessential people centric systems of our day.”
~Mark Karake, founder & CEO, Impact Africa Network
From this thesis, I got the opportunity to pioneer a live cast series hosting global female business leaders to share their experiences with the intent of inspiring a new generation of female leaders in Africa.
Looking back, I never thought that in my late 20s I would have the level of access and opportunity to make an impact as I have.
With this track record and skills I have learnt along the way, it is clear that it is time for me to spread my wings and have a greater impact on our ecosystem. Turn the skills I have learnt so far to raise a venture fund, attracting resources to the south to help build great African companies.
Over the next few months, we’ll be setting up From Here Ventures — an early stage fund on a mission to catalyze Africa’s transformation by supporting exceptional mission driven entrepreneurs building great African companies that hold human wellbeing at their core. What is even more exciting is that a major part of our investment thesis will prioritize companies with women in leadership
The opportunity to lead and be part of setting up a venture fund has me energized. Having experienced first hand the intentional hard work that goes into building startups, I am excited to be at the forefront of supporting these efforts.
The VC space has and still suffers from a lack of diversity. To be a young African woman in this space is breaking the mould. It is very crucial for us to be involved because we bring in the female intuition and the understanding of the market, which when well combined are a powerful force.
To prove our thesis further, we recently announced the first CEO of our first portfolio startup JENGA School and it is a woman! Wendy Oluoch who joined the company 5 months ago as the head of growth and marketing has proven her tenacity and performance, and has driven the company to greater heights so far. Go Wendy!
When all is said and done, what I know for sure is that:
1. He who ignores the women is not interested in success
2. The coming economic emancipation of Africa will be led by young people with young women at the forefront
The thesis backing our belief in women is inspired by these two pieces by Mark Karake, our founder. Find out more:
See you at the top!
