Our Story
Mark returns to Kenya from SV
"Africa is booming with young talent but lacking in support structures needed for enabling innovators and entrepreneurs to develop their ideas and build transformational enterprises."
Impact Africa Network is launched
Our journey began around Mark’s apartment dining table with six wide eyed interns who were the very first cohort of what evolved to become our Innovation Fellowship program. Through it we have provided a life changing opportunity to more than 100 college graduates.
The first startup from our studio is launched
Our 1st Ed startup, JENGA School was launched amidst a pandemic. We transitioned fully to WFH and learned how to scale our culture even with the distance between us.
Traction
Innovation Fellowship program expands to 6 cohorts and 100 fellows working on 8 projects.
Traction
Three of our homegrown startups attract venture funding, we hire our first external CEO to lead one of the startups.
Creating impact
IAN startups have secured funding that has fuelled their rapid growth and success.
Vision
Our vision is to develop 10 scale-ups, that provide 10K jobs, with a combined value of $10B.
The Team
People
Mark Karake
Founder
Paulina Lanco
COS
Njeri Ndung'u
HR Lead
Shalom Nyende
Engineering Lead
Ian Kiragu
Legal
Erick Kihungi
Finance
Founders, Product leads and CEOs.
Ted
Muganda
CEO, Kinetic
Kennedy
Nyabwala
CEO, ElevateHr
Kefa
Mutuma
Co-Founder, Product Lead ElevateHR
Mathenge
Waweru
Co-Founder, Product Lead Shukran
Fellows
Cohort IX | March 2023
Suhaam Abdulaziz
Data Lab
Emmanuel Kivuva
Finance
Sarah Njuguna
Product Development
Frida Wangeci
Marketing
Vitalis Mutwiri
Product Development
Are you passionate about changing the African Narrative and want to make a difference?
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