Christine Khasinah-Odero, a Kenyan entrepreneur on a mission to support new mums — Lionesses of Africa

Tell us a little about your team

We are a team of 5 people with everyone very clear on what role they play. There is a lot of teamwork and friendship, with a deep commitment to see the events turn out well.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I stumbled into entrepreneurship after becoming a mum. I was previously employed mainly in the tourism and travel industry. The resource I mainly started with was the idea and I developed it from there. For instance, while building our social media presence, initially I thought the best approach would be to start off with a mums group. It was both a good and not so good idea – as a result, it turned into something else, I later on thought it would be better to have an online page, speak as a brand, and also engage with mums and parents. After a year or so, we transitioned to the page and later on developed the website. The website is pretty much a portal on everything of interest to mum and baby in Kenya. Secondly, getting the initial capital was not easy – getting corporate partners on board was also not very easy at the beginning. Nor was getting mums to attend the events. Eventually I learnt how to make the idea sustain itself, by creating relationships with corporates, with the mums, and by exploring the digital space. We grew event attendance through consistency and creating vibrant event themes – also by nurturing relationships with mums. Today, they also recommend us to their mum-friends and come with them for the next one. 

Over time, some of some of the achievements and recognitions that I have been honored to receive include:
• Country Winner 2015, CEO Magazine Africa Most Influential Women in Business and Government
• Finalist CFC Stanbic Bank Rising Star Awards 2015, Entrepreneur Category
• Business Daily, Top 40 Under 40 Women Finalist 2014
• Top 5 Women under 40 in Business, Up Magazine, Kenya 2013
• Finalist, CEOs Magazine Africa Most Influential Women in Business and Government, 2014 SME Category
• Finalist, CEOs Magazine Africa Most Influential Women in Business and Government, 2013 SME Category

Being an entrepreneur has been more a case of learning on the job and working on continuous self improvement, and also being mentored by others.