On Centre-stage: Some enterprising women entrepreneurs from Kenya
#WomenEntrepreneurs #KenyaInnovation #Trailblazers
Women entrepreneurs from “The Land of a Thousand Hills” are rewriting the narrative of business and innovation, breaking barriers and redefining success on their own terms. With 93% of women in Kenya considering entrepreneurship (a figure which surpasses the regional average) this country has become a hub for female-led enterprises. From technology and agriculture to fashion and finance, women are leading the charge – creating businesses that drive economic growth & social change.
New research from Mastercard that was released ahead of International Women’s Day 2025, highlights the driving forces behind this wave of entrepreneurship – financial independence, flexibility & the pursuit of personal dreams are among the top motivators for women starting businesses. Many are balancing careers with side hustles, with 76% of women engaged in income-generating activities beyond their main jobs. This hustle mentality is shaping a future, where women-owned businesses are not just thriving but transforming industries!!
Funding, Mentorship & Innovation: Key drivers of Women Entrepreneurship in Kenya
Kenya is an epicenter of innovation, home to groundbreaking solutions like mobile money platform M-Pesa, and a rich ecosystem of creative and resilient entrepreneurs. Women are at the forefront – turning challenges into opportunities & building brands that are gaining global recognition.
Let us celebrate these trailblazers, as we showcase some of the most inspiring women entrepreneurs in Kenya – visionaries who are proving that with passion and perseverance, success knows no limits.
> Juliana Rotich, Co-Founder of BRCK Inc
Juliana Rotich is Co-founder of BRCK Inc, which is a hardware company based in Kenya that makes BRCK and other devices. BRCK is a self-powered mobile WiFi router that has on-board battery and storage, a backup generator for the internet. It provides redundant internet connectivity using wireless or ethernet backhaul. BRCK stands for “rugged internet for people and things”, and it takes its name from its sturdy boxy shape.
She is also Co-founder of Ushahidi Inc, a non-profit tech company, based in Africa, which specializes in developing free and open-source software for changing how information flows in the world. Ushahidi also acts a catalyst in innovation as part of the Making All Voices Count global challenge for development.
She wears many hats. She is a Technologist, MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow, TED Senior Fellow and currently serves as Chair of World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Data-Driven Development. Plus, she is an internationally sought-after keynote speaker as well as a strategic advisor to the councils of BASF, Microsoft 4Afrika and Waabeh Ltd. She is also a trustee of the iHub in Kenya and Bankinter Foundation for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Spain.
> Mary Njoki, Founder, Glass House PR
Mary Njoki worked to make her dream a reality. So, starting small – from doing data entry jobs in Graffins College to becoming a key player in the PR industry, she is a formidable personality today. At a young age of 23, she started a PR agency called – Glass House PR; and after six years, Glasshouse has become a PR giant battling other established big agencies!!
Awards have come her way too. She was named under the Africa top 40 under 40 women leaders by Amazon Watch Magazine. In 2018, Glass House PR went on to receive the Global Business Insight, award – as the ‘Most Innovative Agency in Digital Communication and Media Management “.
> Tabitha Karanja, Chief Executive of Keroche Breweries
Mrs Tabitha Karanja is the Chief Executive of Keroche Breweries, which was established in 1997 – as the first alcoholic beverage producer to be wholly owned and operated by an indigenous Kenyan and, a woman.
And, she triumphantly managed to penetrate a market that had over half a century been dominated by multinationals, the main one being the Diageo owned EABL. During their 22+ year-journey both she and Keroche Industries has faced a host of situations, including battling monopolies, industry sceptics and high taxation. And all this in a male-dominated industry, only to emerge successful and create a truly Kenyan business success story!
> Flora Mutahi, CEO and Founder of Melvins Tea
Flora Mutahi is CEO & Founder of Melvins Tea. Interestingly, she was the first person to venture into flavoured tea business in Kenya. Besides, she is also the Chair of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers – making her the first woman to head the lobby group, and is Vice President of the COMESA Business Council. In July 2016, she was appointed Chairperson of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, and she created history – because she was the first woman to
occupy that office, since the founding of the association in 1959!! She is also a member of the board of directors of Seed Hope, a Kenyan non-profit striving to improve the living conditions of the slum-dwellers in the Kibera shanty town.
> Dr Rose Mutiso, Co-Founder & CEO of Mawazo Institute
Dr Rose Mutiso is currently the Co-Founder & CEO of Mawazo Institute. And, she is very passionate about helping elevate women to positions of leadership and influence in African society. Mawazo Institute and Mawazo’s inaugural Energy Research Fellow, help on focusing on African energy sector development.
Previously, Dr Rose served as a Senior Fellow in the Office of International Climate and Clean Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), where she led DOE’s engagement on technology and policy dimensions of energy access in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Besides, she served as an Energy and Innovation Policy Fellow in the office of U.S. Senator Christopher A. Coons, where she authored several pieces of legislation that were signed into law by President Barack Obama.
> Rebecca Wanjiku, Founder & CEO of Fireside Communications
Rebecca Wanjiku is the Founder & CEO of Fireside Communications – a company that manages end-to-end installation processes – delivering fully integrated communication solutions. She started off in the Telecom industry at a time when telecom firms were not outsourcing their work yet. Moreover, she put together her own savings and her mother’s savings and by 2008, and that was when she set up a business that initially installed DStv.
When telecom companies started outsourcing infrastructure work, she had already positioned Fireside as a company. Taking a reality check, she still has to deal with the condescending attitude that is often directed at women pioneers, especially in industries as male-dominated as infrastructure and engineering. But she is confident that she continue to take the company on a winning track.
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
Poonam Sinha
