A Kenyan CEO attracted a sizeable attention in the United States after CBS San Francisco TV host tracked her down for an interview after trying on her products.
Appearing on the station's Black Renaissance programme on Wednesday, August 17, the show's host Jan Mabry noted that she was impressed by the running shoes manufactured by Enda Company co-founded in Kenya by Navalayo Osembo.
Mabry noted that she was nonchalantly surfing the web when the sneaker appeared. Being a lover of products emerging from Africa, she ordered a pair which was delivered in under a week.
She was so impressed with the comfortability of the shoe which was modeled after Kenyan runners in rift valley and hosted its co-founder on her show later.
"You know this story started with an algorithm. I was scrolling through my phone and a sneaker popped up and it said 'Made in Kenya.' I love all things African. I click through and in less than a week, the shoe was on my feet.
"I was shocked when I ordered my shoes, they were on my doorstep in a matter of days. That is incredible," Mabry stated during the interview.
Speaking about her inspiration to start the company, the Stanford University-educated Osembo noted that she first wondered why Kenya produced great runners but no brand of shoe or clothing emerged from the country.
To expand production for global market, the company leveraged on the internet to create a team of like-minded individuals aligned to its vision.
"I just felt like it was something that needed to be done. I wondered why is there no running shoe when you talk about Kenyan athletes who are like the world's great runners. It just presented itself as an opportunity.
"We used LinkedIn, searches and tried to talk to different people to give us references and that's how we ended up with people around the world who were aligned in terms of vision. That is how we have been running since then," Navalayo explained.
The company operates in Africa and opened two stores in the United States, one in Utah and the other in California.
Enda produces different types of shoes to support the different running styles but their soles are imprinted with the word Harambee.
"We do have a fulfilment center in the US. Right now it is split between Utah and California. We have already done the steps of making sure that the inventory is already sitting next to the customer so when you order the shoes they come to you quickly," she added.
Mabry has worked at CBS San Francisco for 22 years since she joined the company in 2000.
