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The course

Why did you choose to study at the University of Edinburgh Business School (UEBS)?

As an entrepreneur, I was attracted by the Business School’s commitment to equip and build a global community of entrepreneurial leaders. UEBS has an intentional drive to nurture leaders who can contribute towards a sustainable and equitable future, which was evident in the course design. We also had a diverse class with people coming from all corners of the world, which exposed me to a global perspective.

What was it about the degree programme that particularly attracted you?

The degree programme had an emphasis on hands-on experiences and engagement with real world challenges while incubating my curiosities. In terms of the final assessment, I was drawn to the possibility of working on a business plan as a dissertation.

Your career

Can you tell us about your career before and after graduating?

I had lived and worked across seven African countries and I had experience working in education and technology companies such as Eneza Education, Ashinaga, Junior Achievement and the African Leadership Group. Prior to studying at UEBS, I worked as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the CEO of the African Leadership Group in Kenya.

After graduation, I transitioned to working for my venture Shasha Network, a digital platform on a mission to empower 50 million young people in Africa to achieve their fullest potential through soft skills and personal development.

I’ve built a team and partnered with donors to help empower and train young people in Africa.

How did your degree prepare you for your career?

The biggest takeaway from my degree was that entrepreneurship is a team sport; solving big challenges requires collaboration and partnerships. I gained the skills to identify and communicate problems, as well as convince stakeholders to partner with me to solve those challenges. In my case, this included building a team and seeking donors to provide resources for the mission.

My degree exposed me to different components of building a business and immersed me in the operations and work of other entrepreneurs through consulting projects. I was then able to use all these learnings to compile my business plan and launch my business.

Masters of Change

What notable changes has your degree enabled you to make in your professional or personal life?

I am a better strategist and cross-cultural communicator because of the exposure my studies provided me with in terms of working with people from diverse backgrounds.

I have also become more reflective and intentional about my personal growth as a leader and constantly seek ways to reinvent myself and learn from others.

What are the changes you have been able to make in your chosen field, of which you are most proud?

Through my work with Shasha Network, we've worked with 3,000 young people across 19 African countries and supported them with soft skills training in communication, opportunity search and mentorship. Some of our scholars have gone ahead to study in top universities across the world such as University of Cambridge, University of Rochester and Yale.

Seeing young people discover their unique skill sets and leverage them to open opportunities for career and academic progression is something that gives me a sense of purpose. We aim to do this for 3 million young people by 2030.

How did your studies at the Business School help you to make those changes?

Through the Business School, I was connected to Edinburgh Innovations, who helped me navigate establishing Shasha Network in the UK as a charity. This has positioned us to leverage opportunities in the ecosystem to grow our product offering and fund our mission.

What key things that you learnt at the Business School do you still rely on today?

The Business School helped me to appreciate good design practice and how it can be leveraged to address gaps intentionally. This is something I reinforce in my organisation as we seek to support the next generation of young African leaders achieve their fullest potential.

Course highlights and advice

What one piece of advice would you give to current students and recent graduates?

Entrepreneurship is a team sport; solving big challenges requires collaboration and partnerships -focus on building alliances.