Wandia Gichuru is the co-founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Kenya’s Vivo Fashion Group and the e-commerce marketplace ShopZetu.
In January, Gichuru, who is 57 years old, was featured by Forbes magazine in the inaugural ‘50-over-50: Global’ list meant to celebrate women across the globe with significant contributions across various sectors.
Her contribution to the fashion industry gained her a spot, a business that she ventured into in 2011 as just a shop in Nairobi run by two people.
Her impact extends to the e-commerce sector with Shop Zetu, an award-winning marketplace for over 300 local brands.
The government has also honoured her contributions to the nation's economic development, awarding her the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) of Kenya in December 2021.
Earlier in her entrepreneurial journey, she was named the Top Woman CEO at the 2018/19 KPMG and Nation Media Top 100 Mid-Size companies awards and received a Distinguished Alumni Award for Leadership & Ingenuity from Citigroup in 2017.
Her brand, Vivo, was also named the Kenyan Fashion Brand of the Year at the Kenya Fashion Awards in both 2016 and 2017.
She told Forbes that she is committed to using her business to create financial opportunities for others, and therefore 100 per cent of Vivo’s designing and manufacturing is done in Kenya