Page 43 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 3

Glass House would exist because him, take a brief photo and leave. my friend said she just saw me on
I’m just a steward who has been Then suddenly someone who was Twitter, because it was trending.
trusted with that which is of God. seated on the third row walked out, People started coming to our
As I’d shared earlier Glass House I don’t know why he moved, but he exhibition and saying “Oh I’m so
has been used by God to sharpen was creating room for me. I was so jealous that Chris Sacca chose
me, to help me see different sides happy! I went quickly through the you” but as the participants were
of God and to become who He people and sat. Chris Sacca went coming, there were also investors
requires me to become through on stage and said, “Today I am coming.
the shadow of death, through the talking about women and diversity I remember that day thinking
valleys and through the mountains and I want to sit next to a woman.” “Wow, these people might not want
with God. Even learning about Everyone was screaming for him to to invest in Glass House but they
money with Him, learning about pick them. Then he told me, “You, might want to invest in something
giving, there are so many things come.” I remember how shocked that is an MPESA, not that Glass
that I have learnt through this I was. I walked on stage, sat next House is not.” The realization that
platform. to Chris and he asked me, “Where I got is that God has graced me
are you from?” I was like, “I’m from to meet people that other people
Starting out young as you Kenya.” Then he said, “You came might not meet. Because of that
did was indeed a very all the way from Kenya for this I have to create a platform that
courageous move that not conference?” I said, “Yes.” Then he enables people to connect with
many would make. Is this said, “Oh you’re such a badass…” people they cannot connect to.
(You know how they talk). And for It was so clear to me when I left
what inspires you to help
the next three minutes he talked America, that I had to start a
others get started through
about Kenya and he said Kenya platform for startups where I can
your coaching program, A
was a decade ahead of them in inspire them, encourage them and
Billion Startups? terms of mobile technology. He connect them to the people they
Actually what inspired me to start talked about MPESA and that’s might need.
A Billion Startups came way later. all I remember because for 10 The other reason for starting a billion
I started the company in 2012 and minutes I was star struck. Then startups was of course my journey.
as I’ve explained earlier I started he asked me to go with him back I noticed most entrepreneurs think
with KES 6000/- then I had one stage to take a photo. It was very the only need they have is a need
client who was paying me like interesting because I had gone to for finances and remembered that
KES 5000/- a month, but the more take a photo of him, but he was for me, what I needed was a skill. I
I walked it’s like He kept surprising asking to take a photo with me. created my own website and that’s
me. As I was leaving, the media were how I started marketing myself.
My background was in IT so one there and they were asking me, Actually, with my 6000 I bought
day I decided to develop a PR “Oh my God how was it to meet a modem that didn’t work in my
system, which we are hoping to Chris Sacca?” village and I had to borrow more
launch soon. I had paid someone in At some point I had asked Chris to buy a modem that worked in
India to develop a prototype for me who I could talk to if I wanted to get my village, but the skills I needed
and one day, in an amazing way, I in touch with him, and he pointed were the marketing skills. I had IT
was shortlisted to go to the US to at his fund manager who I later skills, which are what I used as my
present the software. Glass House connected with. capital. So capital is not always
PR was to display the software So I was on New Orleans TV money, it can be a skill, a network,
on the third day of the exhibition. talking about meeting Chris Sacca, someone you know… so those are
I had asked a friend to come and but of course I talked about Glass some of the things that triggered
help me out. On the same day we House and Kenya and Afrika. the process of A Billion Startups.
were to exhibit, a man called Chris Then as I was walking towards
Sacca, who was a guest investor my exhibition, there’s a place What is the idea behind A
on Shark Tank, was to speak at investors were seated. There was Billion Startups, and has
a particular stage at 12 noon. I this rule that unless an investor it been effective in helping
told my friend that at 12 I would invited you to meet him you could
be going to see him, he was the not go there. As I was passing by, business startups take their
big oga (boss) in that conference. one of the investors called me, first steps?
When I entered the hall everyone saying, “You’re the girl who was The idea is to support, mentor, train
was standing, there was no room with Chris Sacca on stage; these and to demystify this narrative out
to sit. I was at the back and I are my contacts. I’m an investor there that capital must be money.
wondered if I would even see him. from Israel…” and it was amazing. Over the years I have trained and
I just wanted to catch a glimpse of When I got to our exhibition stand, mentored over 100 entrepreneurs,
but I believe there’s so much more.