I’m basically a Swiss Army knife in human form. My career has never followed a straight line -and that’s exactly how I like it.

It all started atypically with plant fibers and a wild dream: I launched my first startup making handmade paper from plant waste – an ecofriendly solution to a major plastic waste crisis in 2016. I was a fresh grad with a strong sense of purpose and a passion for manufacturing technology. I was determined to build a successful business while solving a major problem – but I lacked important business skills.

So I sought out these skills. I found two wonderful women who had launched a small business connecting rural African weavers to the global marketplace. This was a perfect hub in which I could learn and see the inner workings of a business while staying true to my purpose – solving real problems and helping real people.

In the interim – I co-built a furniture and design business, wearing just about every hat: production lead, operations manager, social media guru, bookkeeper, website developer, HR, policy writer, and 3D designer. I transformed our chaotic startup into a well-oiled machine (and even converted a 30,000+ sqft supermarket into our HQ). I built the websites, ran our finances on Zoho Books, and turned Instagram posts into actual paying clients. Somewhere in between, I raised two tiny humans and made it all work from home.

Along the way, I picked up skills in budgeting and resource management, risk management, leading cross functional teams, Python, 3D CAD, QuickBooks, Graphic Design, and a whole lot of “figure-it-out-as-you-go” magic.

Now, I’m channeling all that eclectic experience into building digital tools – like Sanaa- to help small businesses grow smarter. It’s the same mission, just a new medium: build tech that empowers, especially for those too often left out of the digital revolution.