Transitioning from formal employment to starting one's organisation is quite an achievement for anyone eyeing entrepreneurship. It even gets better if the company is doing well for itself.
There have been a number of journalists who have made the switch and commanded various niches for themselves.
From gracing the screens to going to run their own organisations, here are some journalists who have over the years, left employment and established multimillion enterprises.
1.) Zain Verjee - Zain Verjee Group
Verjee is a former newsreader on the Kenya Television Network (KTN) and radio DJ for 98.4 Capital FM, who was born and raised in Kenya.
After her stint at the local stations, Zain became an anchor and correspondent working for the Cable News Network (CNN) for 14 years.
In November 2014, however, Zain went on to create her own media production company known as Zain Verjee Group based in New York and Nairobi. The media house focuses on African businesses and lifestyle stories.
She is also the founder and content creator of a start up company called Akoma media. It is a continental network of workplaces for Africa's creative and cultural economy in 2015.
2.) Carole Mandi - Carol Mandi Media Limited
Mandi was a journalist at True Love magazine up until 2010 when she decided to bid for the magazine franchise as the parent company opted to shut down its operations in Kenya.
Mandi and her husband raised capital from their savings and set up Carole Mandi Media Limited (CMML), buying off her employer.
3.) Raphael Tuju - Ace communications
The Communications Master's degree holder graced the Kenyan TV screens for years in the late 1980s and early 1990s at the Kenya Television Network (KTN).
Specifically, he produced and directed several documentaries, radio and TV commercials for international agencies, public sector institutions, and private-sector bodies.
In 2001, Tuju founded Ace communications, a company that boasts at having the largest audiovisual library in East Africa with an inclination in health, business and community communication.
Other than that, Tuju is a politicial leader who serves as the CS with no portfolio.
4.) Hilary Ng'weno - The Nairobi Times
Ng'weno worked as a journalist and editor in chief for the Daily Nation until 1973 when he resigned. He moved to the Weekly Times where he was also the editor in chief until 1999.
Following his resignation, Ng'weno founded the Nairobi Times as well as a television station, STV. The Nairobi Times was a Sunday newspaper that was later released on a daily basis.
In 1983, however, Ng'eno was forced to sell the paper to Kenya's ruling party KANU following diminishing revenue from advertising sales.
5.) Hussein Mohamed - Consultant for USAID
The former Citizen TV anchor left Royal Media Services (RMS) at the height of stardom.
Hussein is part of a new project funded by the US government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) called Resilience Learning Activity (RLA).
RLA is aimed at empowering people at the county level ranging from County Communication Directors to upcoming journalists at the county level.
The media personality runs a media company called Iris Media.
