More than most, my life has been disproportionately influenced by women.
I was raised by a single mother who had me at 19. She had four sisters, whose presence loomed large over the first couple of decades of my life, shaping my worldview and cultivating a deep connection to the feminine.
From my mother I learned what style, professionalism, and resilience when facing incredible odds looks like. I had more than a front row seat to witness a woman curve her path through a male dominated world, which at the time I couldn’t appreciate but today stand in awe.
Today, I am dad to two amazing 12 and 13 year old girls who are the most important humans in my life. Our relationship is a barometer for how I am doing on a minute to minute basis. I adore being their father and can’t imagine it any other way. Daughters were my destiny.
I can’t remember suffering from a male superiority complex. How could I? To me, women were as formidable as anything. In school, some performed better than I did and I performed better than others. They were simply my peers. Life is much simpler when we are young.
Twenty years in America, majority of which was spent in white male dominated Silicon Valley was my induction to adulthood, with all it’s complexities and contradictions. In 2018, I was compelled to return back home to Africa immerse myself in the economic development challenge.
As I have set about identifying the right approach to unlocking tech driven entrepreneurship in my home city of Nairobi, I have uncovered some interesting insights and secrets. One of which will be central to our plans for building great African companies.
Insight #1 Women are much more effective at leading and nurturing complex people-centric systems. Duh!
As entities populated by talented individuals with unique needs, startups are the quintessential people-centric systems of our day, requiring leaders with high levels of empathy, self awareness, and people skills to nurture and drive them forward. Areas in which women are generally more gifted.
I created Impact Africa Network as a non-profit startup studio to bridge the gap between the abundant young talent in Africa and the massive innovation opportunity on the continent.
Our mission is to ensure young talented Africans can participate in the digital transformation of Africa as creators and owners.
Our mission is to ensure young talented Africans can participate in the digital transformation of Africa as creators and owners.
How
We provide twelve month Innovation Fellowships to talented college graduates providing them the opportunity to work on well-vetted ideas with like minded peers under the guidance of an experienced leadership and global mentor network.
From this alchemic process emerges two compelling pipelines that are currently in short supply on the continent:
i) World class innovation leaders
ii) Growth ready early stage startups
Talent Advantage
Growing startups require ‘adult’ leadership to move them forward. Early on Facebook famously brought on Sheryl Sandberg for this very reason. Nairobi is blessed with an amazing and abundant talent pool of highly capable younger women in the ‘Goldilocks zone’ of their careers.
Just like our planet’s interstellar positioning of the same naming, the career Goldilocks Zone is that special stage between 28 – 33, when ambitious professionals have gained enough experience to start seeking opportunities that align with their personal interests, skills, and ambitions. By then, most will have been exposed to either grinding corporate culture, uninspired lethargic work places, work politics, toxic cultures or amazing work places with great cultures. Ergo, one knows enough to be discerning about where they should invest their time going forward.
The goal for all our projects at IAN is to achieve market traction at which point we spin them out as independent operating entities. This is where we see our intrepid, emerging female business super heroes come into the picture. We bring them on at this stage to do a Sheryl Sandberg, with no need for the misguided ‘lean in’ manifesto, providing the experience required to drive these young entities on to their next phase of growth. For a particular type of high performing young professional who hungers for autonomy, responsibility, and opportunity, this is a match made in strategy heaven.
I have had many conversations with women in this demographic in Nairobi and it is apparent that they would make ideal candidates to lead our portfolio of emerging startups.
We recently we hosted one of these superwomen who had made the transition from the corporate world to the startup universe on our podcast to share her experience.
Here are some more amazing podcast guests if interested.
I have always said it takes a village to develop startups into great businesses.
I am firmly convinced that Nairobi has the ingredients necessary for manifesting startups in to scale-ups, a belief that will be borne out in the next 10 years.
At Impact Africa Network we are placing our bet on female talent to be instrumental in helping shape and manifest our 10.10.10 plan.
Onwards and upwards!
The above piece was originally posted in June 2019, below is a progress update
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Operations & Growth Manager, Jenga School - July 26th 2020
In June of 2020 Impact Africa Network launched Jenga School, our STEM Professional Talent development project with a focus on Data Science and AI.
We are thrilled to announce Esther Mumbi will be joining Jenga as Operations and Growth Manager. Esther has a BSc with a concentration in Human Resources from JKUAT. She brings 10 years experience with stints at ABSA Bank and also as an entrepreneur running her own business.
She will be one of our first Intrepid Female Business Leaders proving our above thesis.
Make An Impact
Impact Africa Network is a non-profit entity. If activating young talent in Africa is a cause that resonates with you and would like to make an impact, you can join our micro-donations support program. It works just like Netflix!
For as little as $30 a month you can enable us continue doing this important work. We are seeking 1000 champions willing to support us with $30 a month. Together we can great the change we want to see.
