International Women’s Day: Perspectives from Women at DOB Equity
As we mark International Women’s Day, we took a moment to reflect on the role women play across the investment ecosystem and the communities our work touches.
Across the sectors where DOB invests, we see women shaping businesses and livelihoods in many ways and with resilience that keeps ecosystems moving.
We asked the women on our team to share their perspectives, and this is what they said:
Karen Serem Waithaka, CEO
“Africa's resilience has always been powered by women. That is simply the truth. And the numbers back it up. When a woman earns, the vast majority of that income goes straight back into her family, supporting school fees, food on the table, a sibling's future and more. That multiplier effect is enormous, and it is largely invisible to the people writing the cheques.
I am a mother raising two boys, I also happen to have a leadership role in a fund and that really shapes how I show up as an investor. I want my sons to grow up in a world where women leading and building is completely normal, because when my boys see that, they become the men who back it.
The female founders I meet are not lacking ambition or ideas, they are lacking capital. And that is the one thing we can actually fix. But it starts with who is sitting at the table making the decisions. When more women are managing funds and leading investment committees, we ask different questions, we see different potential, and we back different people. Diverse fund managers fund diverse founders.”
Anne Ngugi, Senior Investment Manager
“Female founders are often strongly mission- and impact-driven in the problems their companies aim to solve. They demonstrate a clear understanding of both the strengths within their organizations and the capabilities that may be missing, enabling them to plan effectively for leadership continuity through thoughtful succession planning. In addition, they tend to take a disciplined approach to risk management, which positions them favourably to build financially stable companies and drive long-term sustainability.”
Ciku Mugambi, Investment Director
“Investing in female-led businesses is not a social gesture, it is a smart investment strategy. Female entrepreneurs often build companies with strong foundations: disciplined unit economics, careful tracking of the metrics that truly drive growth, thoughtful hiring, and an environment that enables teams to perform at their best. They take calculated risks, prioritizing sustainability alongside scale. The result is businesses that grow steadily and endure. In emerging markets like Africa, this kind of leadership creates ripple effects beyond the company itself, fostering resilient enterprises, stronger ecosystems, and more inclusive economic development. Investing in women is ultimately investing in stable businesses that scale and drive long-term prosperity.”
Victoria Musembi, Marketing and Office Manager
“Women often show up not only with ambition but with a deep sense of responsibility for families, communities, and the ecosystems around them. Whether as founders, leaders, employees, or the customers whose lives these businesses touch, what stands out most is the care and heart it takes to build businesses that truly serve people. As mothers, sisters, colleagues, friends, and leaders, women bring experiences and insights that shape businesses in ways that ripple far beyond the workplace into families, livelihoods, and communities”
All this reminds us that when women lead, invest, build, and support one another, the impact extends far beyond businesses into families, communities, and entire ecosystems.
Happy International Women’s Day from all of us at DOB Equity.