Thandiwe Muriu

Kenyan entrepreneur building Africa's largest network of women-led businesses through digital platforms

Thandiwe Muriu is revolutionizing women's economic participation in Africa through her tech-driven enterprise She Leads Africa. Founded in 2017 but reaching global prominence post-2020, the platform now connects over 50,000 female entrepreneurs across 34 African countries. Muriu's 2021 launch of the AfroTech Women's Accelerator program provided seed funding and mentorship to 1,200 startups, with 78% still operational three years later. This initiative directly created 15,000 jobs by 2023 in sectors from fintech to agritech.

Her most impactful innovation is the Women's Business Intelligence Dashboard, a machine learning tool that identifies market gaps and connects entrepreneurs with investors. A 2022 report by Forbes Africa highlighted how this system increased funding access for women-led startups by 400% in its first year. Muriu also pioneered Africa's first digital marketplace specializing in women-made products, She Leads Africa Marketplace, which now boasts $120M in annual transactions.

During the pandemic, she launched the Mask Makers Initiative, training 3,000 women to produce PPE which was distributed through her network. This effort not only provided critical medical supplies but also created sustainable income streams for participants. Muriu's TED Talk on mobile entrepreneurship has become required viewing in African business schools. Critics question the platform's profitability model, but supporters cite its transformative social impact: 43% of participants report increased household income since joining.