Over the years, female entrepreneurs have continued to make their mark in the world of business, changing how they are viewed and how roles change.
In 2022, a report by the United Nations (UN) showed that more African women are more likely to be entrepreneurs than men.
In this article, WoK looks at Kenyan female entrepreneurs to watch in 2023.
Peris Kahuthia
Peris Kahuthia is the founder of Peryk Beauty Parlour and also involved in the shipping business where she imports goods from countries such as Turkey, China, Dubai and India.
Services offered at Peryk Beauty Parlour include manicure, pedicure, stick-ons, makeup and eyebrows shading among many others.
They also do hair which includes braiding, twisting, locs and hair treatment among an arrays of other available styles.
Peryk Beauty Parlour is located along Ronald Ngala street, RNG Plaza, 3rd floor room FC11.
They can be contacted via 0724 620 720 or 0784 84 84 86 or through Facebook and Instagram at Peryk Beauty Parlour and @perykbeautyparlor respectively.
Jihan Abass
Jihan Abass is the founder of Lami Technologies, a tech platform company dealing in digital insurance products.
Jihan invested her entire savings in the company that helps institutions such as banks digitize their insurance products.
The company’s first product is Griffin, Kenya’s first digital car insurance app.
“We started with car insurance because we felt it was an easier way to access the market with a product that people buy on a day-to-day basis
“It took less that two minutes to buy your policy, it was something that was considered revolutionary in the market that we are,” Jihan said.
Catherine Mahugu
Catherine Mahugu is the founder and CEO of Soko, an e-commerce platform based in Kenya and San Francisco in the United States of America.
She is also the founder of Chiswara, an agro-tech and online platform that offers an equitable coffee experience for farmers and consumers.
Mahugu has also been part of numerous big ICT projects such as the Stanford University’s Nokia Africa Research Center project, creating a mobile application for informal communities.
Leah Wambui
Leah Wambui is the current CEO of Cheriez Properties Limited boasting 200 houses valued at Ksh 17 million each.
In 2009, she bought 8 acres of land in Kitengela after selling their house, shares and topping up the money with savings.
At the beginning, Wambui sank a borehole and constructed the boundary wall, and by the end of 2015, she had set up 10 houses and planned to sell each at 17 million.
Navalayo Osembo
Navalayo Osembo is the founder of the Enda Shoes Company the first African sports shoes company.
She started the company together with friend, Weldon Kennedy, in 2016 with the vision of creating high quality shoes for export to bring the world’s attention to Kenya.
Osembo recently received a Ksh 169 million grant after the Enda Shoes Company business proposal emerged third in the African Business Heroes Awards being sponsored by Chinese Billionaire Jack Ma.
Lorna Rutto
Lorna Rutto is the founder of EcoPost Limited, a company she formed in 2009 after quitting her job in the banking sector.
The company recycles plastic wastes and manufactures aesthetic, durable and environmentally friendly fencing posts among other commodities.
Since its inception, the company has grown to employ over 300 workers and attracted investors across the world.
The 28 year old has made a fortune out of this garbage collection business and won several international awards.
Juliana Rotich
Juliana Rotich is the founder of BRCK Inc, a hardware company based in Kenya making BRCK and other devices.
A BRCK is a self-powered mobile WiFi router that has on-board battery and storage.
She is also the co-founder of Ushahifi, a non-profit tech company which specializes in developing free and open-source software for changing how information flows in the world.
Linet Kwamboka
Linet Kwamboka is the founder and CEO of Data Science Ltd, a Data Analysis and Research Company focusing on providing services to the local private and public businesses.
The company uses available and new data to gain insights for better planning, resource allocation and profits making.
She holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Nairobi, and is self-taught in geographic information systems (GIS), data analysis and mining.
