We're thrilled to spotlight our newest team member, Brenda Wangari. Joining us with over a decade of experience in the African tech space, Brenda's journey has been marked by a deep-seated passion for providing entrepreneurs with what they need to succeed. Let's dive into her story and learn how she plans to bring her vast experience and innovative thinking to Madica.

A Rich Background Fueling a Mission-Driven Career

A natural intrapreneur, Brenda kicked off her career in tech about ten years ago, where she worked across non-profits, tech startups and a tech publication in operational and strategic roles. This was before shifting gears to support accelerators across Africa to build viable business models by understanding the risks and opportunities that affected their organisations and hindered their sustainability. 

Her interactions with entrepreneurs supported by these programs highlighted a glaring issue: the challenge of securing early-stage funding in Africa for local founders. Fueled by this desire to support these innovators to succeed, Brenda knew the opportunity at Madica was a perfect match that aligned with her passion and talent.

Leveraging Past Experience to Empower African Startups

Her time working with entrepreneurial support organisations — which are, by nature, startups themselves who support other startups — gave Brenda unique insights into the challenges and complexities of building a successful startup. Whether it's scaling a team for growth,  unlocking recurring revenue, attaining product/market fit, etc., this experience will help  Madica provide holistic, tailored support to the entrepreneurs in our portfolio.

Seeing Opportunity in Challenges

Brenda notes that while funding for African startups has seen a dip in recent times, this trend presents an exciting opportunity for resilient local entrepreneurs to build robust businesses. She sees enormous potential for startups to reach valuations in the hundreds of millions, and she’s excited to contribute to this growth for the startups that partner with Madica.

Championing Overlooked Entrepreneurs

What drew Brenda to Madica was our unapologetic commitment to supporting typically overlooked entrepreneurs, whether due to their gender, sector or like her, who have local roots and education. In her new role, Brenda is eager to unlock the resources and social capital these entrepreneurs need to thrive but have traditionally missed out on.

Evolving Role at Madica

As Madica continues to grow, Brenda sees her role evolving to better understand and meet the needs of the diverse sectors we support. She’s excited to help create a balance between mentorship and funding to help debunk the common notion that African entrepreneurs are "over-mentored and underfunded". By offering tailored mentorship alongside pre-seed funding, she’s ready to truly make a difference in our entrepreneurs' journey to success.

Beyond the Office

In her downtime, Brenda enjoys chasing sunsets and indulging in her love for a good book paired with a  warm cup of tea – which is also a strong interest of hers along with modern-day apothecary.

We’re beyond excited to have Brenda on board and can't wait to see how her passion and experience will help our entrepreneurs and Madica grow. Welcome to the team, Brenda!

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