Overview:

The East Africa chapter currently meets once a quarter for a series of presentations and discussions among members who are active in the region. The Chapter also hosts monthly happy hours that bring together members and other organizations that form a part of the small and growing business eco-system in East Africa.

If you would like further information on the East Africa chapter, please contact the Regional Chapter Coordinator Mary Mwangi.

ANDE members - if you would like to join this chapter, please do so via the ANDE Member Portal. If you have any problems logging into the portal, please contact Stella Hanly.

Current Activities:

The next meeting of the ANDE East Africa Chapter will March 22nd 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya. For more information, please email Mary Mwangi.

The East Africa chapter currently meets once a quarter for a series of presentations and discussions from members who are active in the region. The Chapter also hosts monthly happy hours that bring together members and other organizations that form a part of the small and growing business eco-system in East Africa.

Highlights of work to date:

 -- Quarterly member meetings to share initiatives and opportunities for collaboration
 -- The Chapter has helped introduce ANDE members from abroad to the East African landscape
 -- With a CDF grant, local members (SNV and AAC) developed and published a guide for Business Management and Governance for SGBs in the region
 -- ANDE, in collaboration with Care International, the Rockefeller Foundation, USAID and Acumen Fund, hosted a workshop on early stage incubation for social enterprises in East Africa. Report from this workshop now available for download! Full report here. Executive summary here.
 -- The Chapter has also facilitated SGB sector meetings in Kigali, Dar es salaam and Kampala

Upcoming projects/events:

 -- With a CDF Grant, TransFarm Africa and Open Capital Advisors are developing legal tools tailored for the East African market. The project will produce a guide to local law and regulation, best practices guidelines for social investment in the region and a simple guide for entrepreneurs
 -- The chapter plans to conduct a mapping study of the SGB eco-system in East Africa and disseminate information on resources that are available to entrepreneurs in the region
 -- The Chapter is working on a campaign to raise the profile of entrepreneurship as a first choice for employment for University students in the region and launch a fellowship programme to support this initiative.

Upcoming Meetings and Events:

 -- Chapter Quarterly Meeting - March 22nd 2013

For more information, contact Mary Mwangi

ANDE Members Active in East Africa:
Click here to see a map of ANDE Members working in East Africa.

Jason Wendle is a Project Manager in Dalberg’s Nairobi office and serves as the leader of the ANDE East Africa Chapter. He has particular knowledge of SME/private sector development, agriculture development, and economic growth policy; and experience with the banking, IT and light manufacturing sectors. Recently, he led a team to develop a social impact verification methodology for an impact investment fund looking to efficiently understand the quality of the data on which its social return on investment measurements are based. Jason has a range of other engagements in the small and growing business (SGB) investment space in Africa. He has a number of engagements with an African venture capital fund manager that include strategic planning for the firm itself, and developing growth strategies for its first two SME investees. In addition, he has worked extensively with IFC in the region, evaluating SME programs, and helping to develop its work to unlock markets for sustainable energy finance in Kenya and South Africa. In the area of SME finance, Jason co-authored the IFC SME Banking Knowledge Guide. The guide provides an overview of trends in the SME banking industry, and an in-depth discussion of challenges and good practices at each step in the banking value chain. He has also worked with AFD to assess the offering and effectiveness of credit guarantee schemes designed to boost SME financing in four African countries. 

Chapter Coordinator: Mary Mwangi

Mary joined ANDE in 2012 as the East Africa Chapter Coordinator. Previously she has worked with the African Venture Capital Association. Mary is passionate about development entrepreneurship and while pursuing her Masters, she authored a research report on the efficacy of tertiary education and business development services in promoting and supporting youth entrepreneurship in Kenya. She has an MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship from United States International University, Chandaria Business School and a B.A in Communication and Political Science from the University of Nairobi. If you would like further information on the East Africa chapter, please email Mary.

 -- Patricia Chin Sweeney, iDev International
 -- Eme Essien, Rockefeller Foundation
 -- Anneke Evers - Bid Network
 -- Jenny Everett, ANDE
 -- Christine Kapkusum, Acumen Fund
 -- Fredrick Kariuki, Enablis
 -- Annie Roberts, Open Capital Advisors
 -- Jason Wendle, Dalberg Global Development Advisors