Shining a light on women and youth entrepreneurs: highlights from the Kisumu dialogue event
On 23rd July 2025, Kisumu became the stage for the first-ever Biashara Pawa Dialogue Event a pioneering platform under the IYBA-SEED project (Investing in Young Businesses in Africa - Supporting Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development).
This event marked the beginning of a nine-part dialogue series taking place across Kisumu, Nakuru, and Uasin Gishu counties through to September 2026.
Hosted by WiseHub Foundation in partnership with Responsible Business Consulting (RBC) and Kaizen Consultancy, the Kisumu gathering drew 125 participants: entrepreneurs, county officials, private sector leaders, and academia. Together, they shared one goal advancing women and youth entrepreneurship in underrepresented sectors.
A Platform for inclusion and opportunity
The Kisumu dialogue was far more than a business event. It was a movement to recognize and elevate women and youth whose voices are often missing in key economic spaces. From inspiring role models sharing their journeys, to over 80 seed and pre-seed entrepreneurs eager to learn and connect, the room was filled with determination and possibility.
County leaders, academic institutions such as Jaramogi Oginga Ondiga University and Maseno University, and private sector partners including Equity Bank Foundation and Pepea Capital sat side by side with small-scale entrepreneurs and local hubs.
It was a rare moment where people who do not usually share the same platform came together to imagine solutions.
Central to the day’s discussions were eight sectors that hold both promise and challenges for women and youth: agriculture and agribusiness, green and circular economy, manufacturing and engineering, technology and innovation, the blue economy, financial services, infrastructure development, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). In breakout sessions, participants exchanged perspectives on how to dismantle barriers and unlock opportunities in these fields many of which have long been dominated by men.
Ideas ranged from sustainable agriculture practices like black soldier fly protein supplements, to harnessing Lake Victoria’s untapped potential for women and youth, to the future of digital entrepreneurship.
We need to recognize and celebrate women and youth in sectors that are underrepresented in Kenya. Dialogue and knowledge exchange are how we start building a future of job creators in our region.
Caroline Odera, CEO of WiseHub
Government commitment in action
The dialogue also highlighted the role of local county government in creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship. Hon. Farida Salim, Kisumu County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Tourism, Industry and Marketing, shared encouraging updates:
We as Kisumu County Government are actively working to put in place strategies that improve the businesses of small-scale traders. Our goal is to ensure that they grow from where we found them and walk with them until they reach a place of progress.
These commitments include new entrepreneurship clinics, a revolving fund, and the ‘smartduka’ programme targeting 6,000 entrepreneurs practical steps that signal a growing alignment between policy and the needs of local businesses.
A collective vision for change
The greatest achievement of the Kisumu Dialogue Event lies not in a single announcement but in the momentum it created. Partnerships forged in that room are already being translated into action, from mentorship programmes linking young entrepreneurs with role models, to a toolkit that will guide future dialogue events.
The journey now moves to Nakuru County on 28th August 2025, the second stop in a series designed to ensure that women and youth are not only part of business conversations but are also seen, heard, and supported in tangible ways.
Strengthening the ecosystem means equipping women and youth businesses better. We’re shifting from an employment-seeking mindset to a business-building culture.
Nduta Ndirangu, Project Manager at IYBA-SEED Kenya
With passion, partnerships, and persistence, Kisumu’s entrepreneurs are not just imagining change they are building it. Supported by development partners, county and national governments, and a vibrant network of entrepreneurship support organisations, the Biashara Pawa movement is setting the stage for a new generation of job creators.
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