Paul Mwangi is a Kenyan-born entrepreneur running a New York Stock Exchange-listed company out of South California.
He established the company over two decades ago, raking in $25 million in revenue, landing him a spot on the stock broker within two years.
Following this achievement, Mwangi has grown to become one of the most influential Kenyans in California over the years.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
Before moving to the United States, Mwangi lived in Dandora and hoped to become a pilot, inspired by his uncle who worked at Kenya Airways.
As such, after completing his secondary school education, he enrolled for a diploma in Avionics Engineering at the Kenya Polytechnic.
It was in his pursuit of becoming a pilot that Mwangi later moved to the US and enrolled at the California State University.
After settling in California, Mwangi thought of getting into business thanks to his parents who inspired him to explore other options.
According to Mukurima, Mwangi’s entrepreneurial venture was inspired by his parents who worked relentlessly to provide for the family despite not being highly educated.
For instance, his mother worked as a secretary while his dad worked as a shoe-shiner, but still, they would sell farm produce to make more money.
Their full-time jobs and the side-hustle enabled them to buy a matatu which and move to a bigger house in Dandora Phase Five.
This shows just how much Mwangi learnt from his parents and why his entrepreneurial career worked even in an unfamiliar country.
However, before setting up the business, Mwangi needed to study Accounting after realising that it would come handy in his entrepreneurial ambitions.
He graduated from college and even secured a job, scaling through the ranks to become Director of Government Contracting.
After this role, Mwangi decided to get into business, leading to the establishment of his company in 2002 when he was just 23 years old.
The multi-million company which was later acquired by Fortune 500 worked with state governments, providing pharmacists.
The business did well, raking over $25 million in revenue in the first year and got listed on the New York Stock Exchange two years later.
Even after selling the company, Mwangi stayed, working as a consultant for two years before leaving to set up another company.
In 2011, he established a nationwide staffing company specializing in healthcare, working with states and cities.
The company was also a success, generating an annual revenue of $120 million in its first year, leading to the sale of the company.
Mwangi currently works as a consultant for the company.