Hello! It isn’t every day that you get a nostalgic feeling when you come across a new company. Growing up in Kenya, surrounded by M-Pesa and its impact, I got a sense of familiarity when I came across Moniepoint. I just knew I had to be a part of what they were building.

I started my career in the audit and assurance industry, focusing on financial services clients. Subsequently, I spent time with early-stage start-ups in aquaculture and fintech before a short stint working with a VC firm. While at the VC firm, I worked on the Moniepoint Series A and Series B transactions, and when the fundraiser closed, I made the switch to join Moniepoint! 

Here’s a mini-documentary of my life and professional journey. 

Life Growing Up

I was born and raised on a farm in Kenya.  Growing up, my parents worked hard to provide for us and made incredible sacrifices to send us to the best schools in the country, even though it was a big stretch for them. 

After high school, I pursued a degree in actuarial science, intending to become an actuary—a decision that would mark the beginning of my professional journey.

Adulting 101

After university, I had my eyes fixed on the actuarial industry, but as fate would have it, I found myself at Deloitte, where I trained as a CPA. Over six years with them, I lived and worked in multiple countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, the US, and the UK.

After six years, I itched for something different and also wanted to be back home in Kenya, where there was a wave of new start-ups coming up. I reached out to a founder of a greenfield aquaculture start-up who agreed to let me join him. I took the leap of faith, left the UK, and returned to Kenya. The farm was located next to the shores of Lake Victoria and had the most beautiful sunsets. The work at the farm was challenging and rewarding, but I wanted to be in the technology space, which, with its fast pace and innovation, is more my style.

This led me to join Tala, one of the pioneer digital lending consumer start-ups, where I spent three years building out the finance function for their Kenyan business before taking a left-field move to join Novastar Ventures, a $200m venture capital firm investing in early-stage start-ups primarily in East and West Africa. While at Novastar Ventures, I worked on the Moniepoint (then TeamApt) Series A and Series B fundraises. It was one of the most exciting companies I had seen, and I could bet my life that it would be a blowout success given the parallels it had with some of the successful payment companies I had seen, such as M-Pesa. So when I was asked to join Moniepoint, it was an easy decision.

Joining Moniepoint

When I first encountered Moniepoint, I was struck by its similarity to M-Pesa in Kenya. The company’s focus at that time was on cash-in, cash-out transactions, a model that had seen great success with M-Pesa in driving financial inclusion. I could see the potential Moniepoint had to grow, ride the payments digitisation curve and make a significant impact.

However, it wasn’t just the business model that drew me in. It was Tosin, Moniepoint’s CEO. Listening to him articulate his vision for the company, it was clear that Moniepoint wasn’t just a business—it was a mission. His passion and the scale of his dreams were captivating. It was hard to say no, and I quickly realised that Moniepoint had the potential to become something extraordinary.

The dream at that time, when it was being pitched to Novastar, was for Teamapt to revolutionise banking by creating an agency banking model that would allow customers to get all types of banking and payment services through a network of agents, i.e. a decentralised, low-cost,  technology-driven bank. 

Currently, digitisation has taken Moniepoint in a different direction. But ultimately, Moniepoint is still solving the same problems - enabling people to pay in a manner that is most convenient for them. 

My Day to Day

My role at Moniepoint has been multifaceted. I have worked on several areas across corporate finance, including supporting fundraising efforts, investor and board reporting, financial planning and analysis, and M&A deals to drive expansion.

One of the most exciting parts of my job is that I get to imagine and build new processes or systems and evolve them as the company scales to new heights. Seeing the tangible impact of my work and knowing that it’s contributing to the company’s success is incredibly fulfilling. I am also privileged by the opportunity my role provides to see, analyse and try to connect the various dots from the different pieces of all the great things happening across Moniepoint.

Jamaican in New York

I was the first Kenyan to join the Moniepoint team as a full-time employee. If you’re wondering how it felt to work with a predominantly Nigerian team as the only Kenyan, it honestly was a smooth transition for me. My previous roles had exposed me to diverse cultures, including working with Nigerians in the US, some of whom are still my good friends to date, so it didn’t feel too foreign.

In my first few weeks at Moniepoint, I quickly noticed how hardworking, passionate and ambitious everyone was. It was like being surrounded by a tribe of super-ambitious, driven individuals who were focused on getting things done. It’s a dynamic, fast-moving environment, and that’s precisely the kind of place where I thrive. I was truly home.

That’s not to say there were no cultural differences. The biggest difference is the communication style. Kenyans tend to be more subtle, while Nigerians are more direct. The message is often the same, but the delivery is different. I appreciate both styles, and they’ve helped me adapt to various situations within the company.

Looking to Join Moniepoint? 

If you’re considering joining Moniepoint, my advice is simple: stay in execution mode. Things move fast here, and you'll be surrounded by people who like to get things done.

Also, remember that no matter how tough things seem, they will always get better. Since I joined, the company has only grown stronger, and the future looks brighter every day. Tomorrow is always a better day than today.

So, if you’re ready to be part of something big, head over to our careers page now! We’d love to have you on the team.

Asante!