Mkono Entrepreneurs: Get To Know Them!

TungaTunga Hcrafts

Have you ever wondered who are the entrepreneurs Mkono supports? Soon, you'll be able browse through our entrepreneur profiles and discover our community directly from our website. In the meantime, here's a sneak peak of some of Mkono's entrepreneurs!

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• Joseph, House of Asaa
• Zia, Zia Africa
• Lornah, Tunga Tunga Hcrafts

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Keywords: Photography, videography, media

Having been passionate about photography since a young age, starting a side hustle doing just that was a natural decision for Joseph. But it was only later that this after-work hobby turned into a full-fledged career. 
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After graduating from USIU Africa with a Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration, Joseph accepted a position within a company working in marketing. There, he got the opportunity to operate the company’s camera; and so, as Joseph got more exposure to the world of professional photography, his desire to launch his own business grew. 

Joseph Mbugua

Finally, in 2015, he decided to quit his day job and focus full-time on developing his small business, House of Asaa.​ Today, House of Asaa specializes in event photography and videography. Joseph hopes to expand his services to include event management, makeup, and fashion in the next few years. In the meantime, with his Mkono loan, he was able to upgrade his gear which allowed him to produce higher quality content for his clients. As a participant in Mkono’s mentorship program, Joseph was also able to set up a concrete business plan for the near future.

In his free time, Joseph loves to travel, explore different dining experiences, and watch movies. His entrepreneurial journey and hobbies definitely reflect his adventurous spirit!

Keywords: Fashion, Clothing, Accessories

​When Zia was in university back in 2013, she began a side hustle buying second-hand clothing from local markets and selling them to her classmates. While she was in school for international development, it was clear to her that fashion was her passion. Therefore, after graduating, she decided to venture into the fashion and retail industry, importing and selling clothes from Australia. However, when COVID hit, her business model was challenged. Upon reflecting on her options, Zia decided to focus on manufacturing her own pieces locally.
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Today, Zia Africa boasts an all-female 7 person team—which is no surprise considering women empowerment is at the heart of the company’s mission. “Help women be the best version of themselves, whether through employment or the clothes they sell," that’s Zia Africa’ motto.

Zia Bett

In the future, Zia hopes to train and employ 1000 women tailors. But for this year, she is focused on expanding to the rest of Africa, beyond Nairobi. She also hopes to develop more clothing lines, such as childrenswear and activewear. 
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In her free time, Zipporah likes to work out, eat at new restaurants, and overall maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Keywords: Fashion, Accessories, E-commerce

Growing up with a tailor as a mother, Lornah was exposed to the world of fashion from a young age. At the age of 5, she learned how to sew, and at age 12, she was already selling products at the local market. This experience allowed her to have a better understanding of the fashion and retail industry, which left her to wonder: what would happen if more female tailors had access to a global market? And so, with that thought in mind, Lornah founded TungaTunga Hcrafts in 2017 with an initial goal of producing high quality designs, all while promoting women empowerment. 

Having graduated with an MBA in Global Sustainable enterprise from TSIU, she used her knowledge in procurement and supply chain to grow her business, handling everying from marketing to manufacturing.  

Lornah Mukasa

Today, TungaTunga Hcrafts shifted from producing in-house ​products to developing an e-commerce platform for vendors—most of which are women from marginalized communities—to sell their designs. Furthermore, Lornah’s company provides training to these vendors, helping them navigate the business process and building their knowledge base and confidence.
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In the future, Lornah envisions TungaTunga Hcrafts becoming a staple African brand, providing home decor and fashion products in every household. In the following years, she will be focused on increasing the number of recruited vendors, including those from marginalized communities.

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