May is our Startup Grind Woman Month #SGWomen where we bring you women entrepreneurs who have thrived in entrepreneurship. This month we host a young woman in the county of Nakuru who against all orders started her business during covid and is doing pretty well in "SLOW" food!!! Why slow food?
Well, meet Rosemary. Who is Rosemary in a few words.
"My name is Rosemary Wachuka Gakinya. Born, raised and schooled in Nakuru Kenya, a graduate from Egerton University, also a YALI alumna (Young African Leaders Initiative) and also a slow food international member.
I am energetic, passionate and I love God. I love anything Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Women.
I have previously worked with the County government of Taita Taveta on gender Empowerment, then moved to Entrepreneurship. I am currently running a Food Truck Business in Nakuru, creating impact and transforming society through food".
Well, there you have her. Book your limited slot now and let's find out how she managed to start her business in a town where many say it's not easy and her being a woman made it possible.
Mlo Kitchen
Founder
My name is Rosemary wachuka Gakinya.Born, raised and schooled in Nakuru, I have previously worked with the county government of Taita Taveta on gender empowerment, then moved to entrepreneurship. I am the Founder and CEO of Mlo Kitchen a food truck business in Nakuru, creating impact and transforming society through food.
Wasili
Founder
Mvua Heritage
Co-founder and Managing Director
Baseline Marketing Group
Founder
Her journey in the industry started at Aphrodite School of Beauty Therapy, where she worked as a junior therapist before training students.
She qualified as a professional therapist in 2000 after passing a UK-based exam carried out by the International Therapy Exam Council.
“It’s one of the highest qualifications a therapist can get. Even so, I knew it wasn’t enough. Spa and beauty is a constantly evolving industry and if you don’t renew and refresh, you get left behind. I wanted to be the best, so I pushed myself.”
In 2006, Astine applied for a job as a trainer in Dubai where she trained therapists for a cruise ship company, Steiner-OneSpaWorld.
And as she trained other therapists, Astine got new ideas about spa designs, herbal treatments, and massage techniques.
In 2007, she sat for another qualification, this time the Swiss-based Comite International d’Esthetique et de Cosmetology, which is run by one of the world’s major beauty therapy organizations.
In 2009, after working in Dubai for three years, Astine decided to return to Kenya.
“I thought, given my qualifications, that finding a job would be simple, but it wasn’t. Most spas thought I was overqualified. After failing to get a job, I decided to go into consulting,” she says.
“Borrowing from the inspiration I’d picked from Dubai, I helped people who wanted to open spas with design and branding, as well as training their employees. I also helped existing spas improve their therapies.”
From her consultancy, Astine would make about Sh80,000 a month. And then in 2011, she got a job at a luxury resort, Planhotel, in Zanzibar.
“The best thing about Zanzibar was seeing how they infused spices into their therapies. I’d seen this in Dubai, but what made Zanzibar special is that we got to visit the farms where these herbs were grown and picked whatever we wanted to use,” Astine says.
“I knew that this was something I wanted to try in Kenya.”
She also worked closely with Thai therapists who taught her the value of good customer service and hospitality.
“For these ladies, beauty therapy isn’t just a job, it’s like a calling ingrained in their culture. Watching them do a message was like watching the magic happen.”
Astine returned to Kenya in 2014 determined to start her own company and implement what she’d picked up over 15 years as a therapist.
Alex Mose Is a Kenyan, Founder, and CEO of Baseline Marketing Group, An Digital Marketing Agency Based in Nakuru, Working with some of Kenya’s Biggest Brands like Sportpesa, Cocacola, Microsoft, Safaricom, Heineken, Bidco and many more.
Moseax has been a Radio Presenter with Nakuru’s Hero radio, Featured by the East Africa Drum magazine as Kenya’s Young Social Media don.
He Loves Travelling and Believes in Innovations & Technology.
Moseax: "I believe in Marketing through The traditional word of mouth, Where you could ask a question and get an answer! But now in the 21st century, we have Social media which is just an Upgrade of word of mouth. You can ask and get direct answers to different products or businesses. We say the Internet has made the world to be a global village! Yes, Social media plays a big role in communicating and advertising in this global village, And you need to be on it."
Platinum De Plus
CEO & Founder
Platinum Group
Chapter Director
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