The SheEO Effect: Amplifying Her Ambition

  Esther came to SheEO without any training in financial management or with a business concept.  As a university student, pursuing education, little experience existed regarding how to manage money or accrue savings. But after going through SheEO's training, Esther's journey took a transformative turn. Today, Esther handles her finances with confidence, saves a third of the money she receives as a freelance writer, and is in the process of opening an MMF account.  The knowledge has encouraged her to diversify into entrepreneurship:  She is saving to get started with the chicken rearing business in her neighborhood to  sell eggs there, therefore guaranteeing her a stable income stream toward fulfilling her studies and future goals. Nowadays, Esther is a SheEO Fellow , contributing to the planning and follow-up of programs with other women participants.  She is passionate about empowering others by using her experiences to guide and encourage those who have just begun on their r

Christine  joined   the SheEO program with no savings,  business,  or   even  an unsure future  ahead of her .  However,  through the training in goal   setting, savings, and budgeting by SheEO, she  unlocked  her potential, saving small change from her daily food stipend.  Using   the  SheEO  budgeting module, Christine  saved  enough money  to   buy  seeds  for  her own business: a cleaning business  now  trusted in homes and offices within her community. With   the   support of  SheEO   in   conducting   market research, Christine began diversifying her products. She felt  there   was  demand for cleaning agents and  planned   on   selling those once her business  had   grown  enough — a direct response to  the wishes of  her clients . Having  a better understanding of debt, Christine today  looks   at  loans as very important tools if  well  managed . She learned  how  to  calculate  her Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio, budget  properly , and separate personal and business finances. Tod

Faith is the resilient entrepreneur that has overcome many hurdles to make fresh healthy greens available for busy city people in Nairobi. She sources her produce directly from local farmers, prepares, packs, and freezes the produce to freeze for quick, healthy meals. But when a power outage wiped out her entire stock of frozen vegetables, Faith was sent into big setback. Thanks to her training with  SheEO savings, investment, and business risk mitigation, Faith had an emergency fund available. This allowed Faith, with her savings and a microloan to bridge the gap, to restock and resume with no interruption of service. The training on debt management allowed her to borrow responsibly and be sure she would recover to serve her customers again. Faith's journey is only just beginning. Now preparing to go through mentorship through the  SheEO  MAP program, Faith looks to grow her business in the coming years by increasing sales and customers and adding more team members. She is creatin

  At SheEO Foundation , we believe in practically and realistically turning potential into performance. The stories of Grace and Faith of late best describe how our program lessons culminate into real-world success and resilience. Grace's Willfulness: Grace comes from our Micro-Enterprise Accelerator Program and is only two modules into her training-one of those being Personal Financial Planning, which covers savings and investments. For one still early in the course, Grace has shown great determination. With a capital of just 3,000 KES, she started a small charcoal-selling business. It is the pragmatic advice, strategies she took away from our program-budgeting and financial planning in particular-that have been so pivotal. The small business that Grace owns is already making waves in her community, a testament to the power of early-stage lessons in empowering entrepreneurs to make key steps toward their goals. In fact, her initiative has just shown how immediate and tangible the

  The story of SheEO's birth is deeply intertwined with my personal journey, marked by unexpected turns, periods of reflection, and a deepening sense of purpose that emerged during one of the most challenging times in recent history—the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2016, after a successful career as a sales executive, I made a bold decision that many might find surprising—I resigned from my corporate job. At the time, I was seeking something more meaningful, something that resonated with a deeper part of me that I couldn't yet fully understand. I was young, and though I had achieved financial success early on, I hadn’t mastered financial management. This, combined with a restless spirit, led me on a path of self-discovery. Leaving Nairobi behind, I moved to Naivasha to work with my brother and a friend in a hotel. Despite having no background in the hospitality industry, I jumped in, hoping this new environment would provide the clarity I was seeking. However, it soon became clear tha

 Today is Global MSMEs Day—an annual celebration for micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises all across the world, serving as encouragement in raising awareness to the immense contribution of the enterprises to achieving the United Nations' SDGs. At SheEO Foundation , we believe in the power of women leading micro-enterprises in marginalized communities to change the economy. We bring out their potential through our life-changing Micro-Enterprise Accelerator Program. Micro enterprises are the lifeblood of economies in terms of growth, innovation, and jobs. Too many women entrepreneurs, however, lack access to the finance tools, mentorship, and the basic business acumen that will get them off the ground. This is where SheEO steps in: an initiative committed to closing the financial gap and giving those small businesses the same opportunities as their peers. Our program delivers critical business skills, with a laser focus on financial literacy, hands-on mentorship, and access t