Kenyan Resident, Wakiuru Njuguna, under Scrutiny
Wakiuru Njuguna, an experienced investor with over 15 years devoted to Africa's creative sectors, currently serves as Managing Partner at HEVA Fund. Her role has seen her design and implement innovative blended finance models, combining venture capital and impact investment to stimulate growth for cultural and creative enterprises across Eastern Africa.
Under her leadership, HEVA Fund has mobilized more than $40 million and invested in over 100 creative businesses. She is adept at shaping capital allocation strategies to support sustainable growth for creative ventures, particularly those spearheaded by women, youth, and marginalized communities.
Among her many achievements, Wakiuru played a key role in the creation and launch of targeted investment facilities such as the Young Women's Creative Enterprise Fund, Thrive Fund, Cultural Heritage Fund, Sanara, and the Next Narrative Africa Fund. Each of these funds aims to address market gaps and stimulate industry growth in Africa's creative economy.
Wakiuru recently received the 2023 BWAM 40 Under 40 Award for Impact Investment. She continues to contribute to the continent's creative future through research, training, ecosystem-building, and policy engagement.
The Global Creative Economy Council includes leading figures from various countries, such as Daniar Amanaliev (Kyrgyzstan), Omar Nagati (Egypt), Andrea Dempster Chung (Jamaica), Dwinita Larasati (West Java, Indonesia), John Newbigin (UK), and Avril Joffe (South Africa), among others. Wakiuru Njuguna is one of the esteemed members of this council.
Synposis: Wakiuru Njuguna's contributions to Africa's creative industries have been significant, particularly in investment, financing, and empowering talent within the continent's creative sectors.
Through HEVA Fund, Njuguna helps provide essential tools and capital to artists and creative entrepreneurs, fostering sustainable growth in the creative economy. She actively participates in industry discussions, shaping discourse around investment and development in African film and creative industries.
Njuguna plays a pivotal role in fostering public-private collaborations and global investment to drive Africa's creative industries forward, bridging gaps between urban and rural creators while expanding markets for African art, media, and digital creative ventures. She is a prominent member of the Global Creative Economy Council, comprising influential figures from various countries.
- Wakiuru Njuguna, an experienced investor in Africa's creative sectors, have designed and implemented innovative blended finance models, combining both venture capital and impact investment to stimulate growth for cultural and creative enterprises.
- Under her leadership at HEVA Fund, Njuguna has mobilized more than $40 million and invested in over 100 creative businesses, with a focus on supporting sustainable growth for ventures that empower women, youth, and marginalized communities.
- Njuguna has created and launched targeted investment facilities like the Young Women's Creative Enterprise Fund, Thrive Fund, Cultural Heritage Fund, Sanara, and the Next Narrative Africa Fund, aiming to address market gaps and stimulate industry growth in Africa's creative economy.
- Her work in the creative economy extends beyond her role at HEVA Fund, as she contributes to the continent's future through research, training, ecosystem-building, and policy engagement.
- Wakiuru Njuguna also plays a vital role in fostering public-private collaborations and global investment, driving Africa's creative industries forward while bridging gaps between urban and rural creators and expanding markets for African art, media, and digital creative ventures.
- As a member of the Global Creative Economy Council, Wakiuru Njuguna joins leading figures from various countries, engaging in discussions that shape discourse around investment and development in African film and creative industries, as well as education-and-self-development and career-development opportunities within these sectors.