Wangechi Mwangi, a third year student at Strathmore University, studying Bachelor of Business Information Technology (BBIT), who is also Valuraha Group co-founder and CEO, was recently at the World’s capital, Washington DC, in the US, for the GSEA competition. This was as a result of her winning the East African chapter of the competition organized by @iBizAfrica, an incubation centre that is home to Valuraha.

 

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) runs Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) which is the premier global competition honoring the top student entrepreneurs who have founded and are running revenue-generating businesses. They honored Wangechi Mwangi, CEO of Valuraha Group with the Global Social Impact Award.

 

Wangechi, a 21-year-old Strathmore University student, competed against a field of 2,000 from 38 countries through a series of national and regional competitions. Together with her co-founder Kinyanjui Njoroge, Wangechi started Valuraha group to help young people learn how to save and invest money in a fun way! They run investment clubs in high schools where students come together to learn about personal finance and investing and interact with a virtual trading platform that simulates the investment ecosystem in Kenya.  The club activities lead up to the Value Investment Challenge that is hosted within Strathmore University.

 

The premise of Valuraha is that they interact with money every day but no one ever teaches us how to handle it. It is also based on the belief that a better understanding of money and investments will lead people into financial freedom, which results in happier lives. Receiving the Social Impact Award fuels Valuraha’s mission even more.

 

The GSEA is not just a competition; it helps students grow their businesses and succeed in their countries, as well as learn from experienced entrepreneurs. The program focuses on mentorship, learning, support and recognition for the hard work that comes with student entrepreneurship.

“The foundation of this program is to support the next generation of entrepreneurs. This year we saw some amazing competitors with innovative businesses. These student business owners remind us that entrepreneurship has no age limit. They innovate, create jobs, and impact their communities all the while attending school full-time,” said Annush Ramasamy, GSEA committee chairman.

 

Wangechi’s Experience

Wangechi says, “This is the most inspirational and motivational program I have been a part of. To see peers from different countries all over the world running largely successful businesses and creating impact in their communities has been life changing. I was most impressed by their resilience and their commitment to execute despite whatever barriers they face. I was also greatly moved by the members of EO and the judges who were deeply insightful and extremely supportive. I go back to Kenya with renewed energy, and a determination to achieve greater heights as a business that is geared towards improving how our society works. I thank the Valuraha team and mentors, @iBizAfrica, IDEA Foundation, Strathmore University, and EO for this amazing opportunity that would not have been possible without your efforts.”