Patricia Mbatia-Macharia, CEO of GameChanger Marketing, described her transition from founding an art school without industry experience to building a corporate career before re-entering entrepreneurship. Her journey highlights the evolving landscape of business opportunities for all genders.
"The way we were brought up, there isn’t a thing that you want to do that you can’t do," she said. "Entrepreneurship is open for everybody. Anyone who wants to do it can do it." Mbatia-Macharia challenged perceptions of gender-specific business challenges, noting expanded institutional support for women and youth since 2019.
"Look at the mama mboga, she has a plan," she said, referencing informal female traders. "Sometimes people say it is harder for women, but the question is 'who is saying that?'" She argued that resistance often comes from corporate professionals hesitant to leave stable employment.
Mbatia-Macharia emphasized starting with a single client to build momentum, advising: "Start by piggybacking on someone else’s line. Then once the money starts trickling in, you can invest in your own line." She also stressed the importance of market evaluation before securing financing, stating, "Once you have answered 'how do I go about this?' then you will find your source of financing."
Her approach includes strategic pricing to ensure sustainable growth, particularly in capital-intensive industries. "You need to price it right so you can get the money. It is expensive to keep getting money from financing," she explained, noting the added costs of bank interest. Mbatia-Macharia also highlighted opportunities to adapt foreign business ideas for local markets, emphasizing problem-solving as a foundation for entrepreneurial success.
