Nzambi Matee is the embodiment of creative and resilient individuals.
The 31-year entrepreneur is a mechanical engineer by profession, environmentalist, and a hardware designer.
Matee, a sustainability enthusiast, has earned admiration for building an enterprise, Gjenge Makers Limited, which turns plastic waste into bricks.
Through her business, she has not only managed to clean the environment but also created jobs as well.
Caleb Karuga is the textbook definition of resilience, epitomising the saying that whatever happens, life has to move on.
The journalist-turned-entrepreneur ventured into agribusiness in 2013 after he unexpectedly lost his TV job.
As a journalist, Karuga was earning less than Ksh100,000 per month but two years after venturing into poultry farming, he was making close to Ksh1 million.
Nelly Cheboi is the current Chief Executive Officer of TechLit Africa - a company that uses recycled computers to create technology-based laboratories in schools.
The program, according to Cheboi, seeks to provide children from humble backgrounds with digital skills needed to unlock opportunities for budding talents.
Born and bred in Mogotio, Baringo County, Cheboi's family grew up in poverty as her mother struggled to provide for her family.
Teresa Wanjiku is the founder and CEO of Clean Start Africa which helps women and children, especially those released from prison, to reintegrate into society.
The founding of her organisation was inspired by the 8 months she spent in prison for wrongful conviction.
Wanjiku has in previous interviews narrated that she was arrested and taken to prison together with her three-month-old baby for a crime she did not commit.
She would later be released in late November 2011.
Appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kenya Commercial Bank in 2022, Paul Russo has continued the trajectory of placing KCB as one of the most formidable financial institutions in the East African region.
Under his guidance, KCB has continued to expand its footprint in the East African market, offering innovative financial solutions to its customers.
Russo holds a Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) degree from Moi University and Strathmore University.
Peter Ndegwa is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Safaricom, having taken over the position on 1st April 2020. He is the first Kenyan to serve as Safaricom’s CEO.
He has an academic background in accounting, with an MBA from the London Business School and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nairobi.
Wangari Kuria is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Farmer on Fire which focuses on empowering farmers in a bid to promote food security.
She is an experienced farm project manager and an advocate for women and youth.
Through the organisation, she runs various programs such as a single mothers farming initiative in Kajiado County.
Elizabeth Wathuti is an environmental conservation and climate activist. She is the founder of the Green Generation Initiative, and her work extends to leading and establishing the Wangari Maathai Foundation’s Youth Hub.
Elizabeth’s commitment to the environment also led to her appointment as a member of the Counties Advisory Committee (CAC) for the Upper Tana Nairobi Water Fund.
Dr James Mwangi is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Equity Bank.
In June, Mwangi was feted the Top CEO of the Year award at the 2022 Think Business Banking Awards for his sterling leadership of the bank over the years.
The bank was also named the Best Bank in Kenya at the June awards.
Dr Gideon Muriuki is the Group Managing Director and the Chief Executive Officer of Co-operative Bank.
He has over 30 years of experience in the banking industry and has served as Co-op MD since 2021.
Under his leadership, the financial institution scooped the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) 2022 Sustainable Finance Catalyst Awards in October.