The making of an Innovation Leader

I didn’t know a simple WhatsApp message would change the trajectory of my life. That was my moment. I knew this was the opportunity that I was waiting for.

“Sometimes in life, a sudden situation, a moment in time, alters your whole life, forever changes the road ahead.”
~ Ahmad Ardalan, Baghdad: The Final Gathering

So many nights I was anxious about what I would do after campus, especially when COVID-19 struck. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else other than building a business and becoming an owner, a road less travelled by my peers. I then decided to start a delivery service in my hometown, Nakuru, a decision that gave me a sense of purpose even as I was going to the outskirts of town to hand out fliers for my business and talking to the customers directly.

However, serving a single customer in the lifetime of the business is what opened my eyes to my lack of knowledge, strategy and exposure in business. Deep within, I knew there was something not adding up, a gap in my knowledge that prevented me from reaching my full potential in building the business.

“The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.”
~ Reid Hoffman, co-founder LinkedIn

The message from one of the Whatsapp groups presented a chance to get involved in a one of a kind fellowship that nurtures young talent into Innovation Leaders. This was it!

The opportunity to join the Innovation Fellowship Program by Impact Africa Network(IAN) aligned with my needs. I resonated with the mission mainly because I had been introduced to The Chini ya Maji podcast early on and was fascinated by Mark Karake's voice to the entrepreneurs who had built their businesses in Nairobi. The podcast gives a front-row seat to the players, dynamics, lessons and success stories of Nairobi’s growing and vibrant startup ecosystem.

Mark Karake, founder of IAN(Host of the podcast), together with a guest, Esther Ndeti of EAVCA

IAN provides a unique environment for innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive in young people. It was one of those things that you innately feel compelled to, a sense of a greater purpose. And in this case, building startups and developing the next generation of innovation leaders across all sectors of the economy. How can you not get excited about that? I knew I had found a place where I belonged and it was later confirmed.

Going seven months now, and it has been such an incredible journey. The ownership that the impact chasers showcase is one I have never witnessed before. A culture of “killing the snake”, accountability to each other and a commitment to the vision of building 10 scale-ups, providing 10,000 jobs at an evaluation of $10 billion as a portfolio. Working with the smartest minds always feels like you don’t know anything, and that breeds a different kind of student. A student for life.

Vision 2030, as described by Mark Karake, founder & CEO of Impact Africa Network

What do I love most? The fact that my technical background has not hindered me from getting exposure in all business aspects.

I value the technical skills that I have acquired over the years, but what’s more fulfilling for me is solving problems and enhancing people’s lives through the products that I create.

The other bit is leadership. We recently had the privilege of hosting a learning session with Nick Caldwell, VP of Engineering at Twitter. He is passionate about AI and Machine Learning and scaling leadership. This is something that resonates with me personally as I have grown up knowing that a lot of things stem from leadership, good or bad.

“My philosophy is, trapped in every follower is a leader. My belief is, if that person is placed in the right environment, the leader will manifest herself or himself.”

~Myles Munroe

Being able to inspire the same kind of ownership and responsibility in everyone as the organization grows is difficult but it is possible once people have the opportunity, environment and passion to do so.

Meet the dream team!

I take pride in having the opportunity to develop solutions for the continent. I work with an amazing team of fellows in an exciting project known as Done! International. We help people in the diaspora plan, organize and execute projects back home.

Pictured from the left; Jessica, Mutethya, Marion & I

What we do

So what does this look like? Over the last seven months, Done! International has transitioned from researching remittance inflows into Kenya from the US, Europe, Australia, Canada and other African countries.

Afterwards, we cross-referenced that to the number of immigrants living in those corridors and came up with strategies on which market to target first and why.

Having that figured out meant looking at the regulatory requirements of each of these countries which is so far the most excruciating thing I have had to do. We also had to come up with wireframes, map out the user journey for the platform all happening in parallel, as well as developing a business plan, financial projections and ensuring every aspect of the project is running smoothly. This is something I never thought I would be handling but hey! We learn on the job.

All in all, this has been the most fulfilling experience, as it has stretched and expanded my mind to see what it takes to build a great company.

Here are some of my biggest takeaways from my journey so far

1. The power of collaboration. I have observed that teamwork across the organization makes it easier to get things moving all the while building a network of leaders that are going to change the state of businesses and leadership in Kenya, Africa and across the globe.
2. Effective communication. Being able to communicate effectively and with clarity is one thing that has been imprinted even outside the organization. Being shy does not get you anywhere and this has been amplified to a great extent working with these great minds. This is evident because I didn’t have the confidence to clearly tell a story and let people know what I’m doing but this has greatly improved since joining the organization.
3. Reception to feedback. Having your idea critiqued and still believing in it has changed the way I think about criticism and learned to take it as a sign that it needs improvement and clearer explanation.

I am looking towards a future where young people will step up and build world-class businesses which create impact and an ecosystem where budding entrepreneurs can learn, network and grow to reach their full potential.

I truly appreciate the opportunity given to me to grow and harness my full potential. I am excited for what is awaiting me on this journey moving forward and the challenges that come with it, as businesses do not conform to a linear pattern. Getting a chance to work with like-minded people is such a privilege and honour that I do not take lightly.

Onwards and upwards!