What I offer
Strategic & Tactical Soundness
Leveraging her unique position and experience as an implementer and operator at various stages, Akinyi's superpowers are her capacity to; i) think big picture, while tactically executing on the day-to-day;, ii) create systems structures for teams to deliver consistently; and iii) engage stakeholders
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Advisory & Support
Akinyi has and continues to support a range of SMEs (e.g. food, hospitality, e-commerce). She currently sits on the Board of Freely in Hope (an NGO empowering survivor of sexual and domestic violence to thrive) where she also serves as the Secretary
Experiences
7+ Years Building & Scaling VCs
From ideation and prototype for a pre-seed logistics company, to scaling and productizing a marketplace, Akinyi's experience and contributions are diverse. Most recently, she supported an acquisition and led an expansion into a new market.
Sabbatical / Career Break - Sept 2023 to Present
- Published a blog series highlighting my key takeaways from VC support and building
- Co-founded Kitawi Collective and facilitated two retreats in 2024 that secured a 22.5% profit
- Serve as board member and secretary of Freely in Hope and advise a few SMEs in Nairobi
Eden Life Kenya, Country Lead - July 2021 to Aug 2023
- Co-led expansion to second market and supported acquisition of Lynk Jobs Ltd
- Grew business to KES 966,751 in 18 months without paid marketing
- Developed KPIs and monthly departmental milestones
- Hired and managed a lean team of 8
- Standardized B2C & B2B service delivery for all verticals
Lynk Jobs Ltd., Director of Ops & Academy Lead - Jan 2019 - July 2021
- Managed 10 dept. leads and realized 12.6% B2C growth (KES 5.97 M) in COVID
- Spearheaded cross-cutting incubation strategy for 100+ workers
- Managed several grants e.g. KES 8.3M DFID grant that transferred > KES 1M to workers and attracted add. $200K in equity
- Co-led wind-down strategy and ops
ADMI, Student Affairs & Partnership Officer - Nov 2017 to Dec 2018
- Developed SOPs for 3 major departments
- Revamped ADMI’s job-readiness program and delivered 100+ instructional hours to 120 students
- Managed KES 2.3M grant that delivered media and life skill training to 82 refugees
- Supported curriculum restructuring of 60 syllabi for 20 faculty
This Is My Backyard (TIMBY), PM & Partnerships - May to Oct 2017
- Facilitated training sessions for 30 marginalized community leaders on TIMBY’s mobile and web apps
- Served as the point of contact for all land-based projects e.g implemented an evidence-based reporting system to document illegal evictions and forest degradation for 1000+ displaced persons
Freelance Writer, Researcher, and Editor - Oct 2017 to May 2017
- Independent research assistant and writer for Isaac Kwaku Fokuo former CEO, of the African Leadership Network
- Research assistant for a review on queer politics in Africa commissioned by Kike Consulting under Dr. Awino Okech
Lori Systems, Content & Engagement Ass. Manager - July to Oct 2016
- Managed the incorporation of the firm including setting up operational processes and procedures
- Coordinated delivery of cargo between providers and end customers including data collection, bug reporting, and beta-testing
UNHABITAT, Junior Associate Programme Mgmt. - Apr 2015 - Apr 2016
- Supported the Kenya country team implement initiatives related to revenue mobilization, youth employment, and urban planning
- Developed comprehensive report on the status of waste in African cities
- Assisted senior officers manage regional portfolios and report on program activities
