Power to our Women!
Power To Our Women!
The secret to Silicon Savanna’s future
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 in the face of incredible odds looks like. I had more than a front row seat to witness a woman curve her path through a male dominated world, a feat which I could not appreciate at the time 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 well I am doing on a moment to moment 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. At 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, most of it in the white, male-dominated world of Silicon Valley, was my induction into adulthood, with all its complexities and contradictions. In 2018, I was compelled to return back home to Nairobi, to immerse myself in the development challenge.
As I have set about identifying the right approach to unlocking tech driven entrepreneurship in my home city, I have uncovered some interesting insights and secrets. One of which will be central to our venture building plans in the region.
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 intuition, self-awareness, and empathy to nurture teams and drive them forward—virtues that women are generally more generouslly apportioned.
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 entrepreneurship opportunity on the continent.
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 learn-by-doing so they may develop the skills and mindset necessary to be effective problem solvers in the innovation economy.
From this alchemic process emerges two compelling outcomes which are currently in short supply anywhere in the world but especially on the continent:
i) World class innovation leaders
ii) Growth ready early stage startups
Goldilocks Zone
Developing startups across different growth phases requires ‘adult supervision’ from experienced professionals who have walked the path. Early on in its evolution Facebook famously brought in Sheryl Sandberg for this very reason as did Google with Eric Schmidt. In this regard, Nairobi is blessed with a meaningful supply of capable women in the ‘Goldilocks zone’ of their careers.
Much like our planet’s sweet spot in the cosmos, the career Goldilocks Zone hits between 30 and 35—when ambition meets experience, and the search begins for work that resonates with one’s skills, drive, and sense of purpose. By then, most have tasted the grind of soulless corporations, the drag of uninspired workplaces, the sting of office politics, or, if fortunate, the magic of a mission-driven team. At that point, you’ve seen enough to know: your time is precious, and where you invest it matters
Like startups anywhere in the world, our projects at IAN are built to chase Product-Market Fit. Once they hit that inflection point, we spin them out to soar as independent ventures. That’s when our intrepid, female business superheroes step in. We bring them on to pull a Sheryl Sandberg, providing the sharp instincts and steady hand needed to guide these precocious companies through their next phase of growth. For a certain kind of high-performing young professional who craves leadership, responsibility, and a shot at leaving a mark, this is nothing short of a match made in strategy heaven.
I have had quite a number of conversations with women in this professional demographic even hosting some on my podcast and it is apparent to me we are onto something. Here is an example of one of those conversations podcast and below are some of the other amazing guests.
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 decade.
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!
Power to our Women! was originally published in Impact Africa Network on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.