RUTH SHALOM KINYUA

POWERHOUSE GLOBAL STARS INTERVIEW WITH

RUTH SHALOM KINYUA (RSK)

PGS: Ruth, good to have you on today’s interview with Lady Anita.

RSK: Thank you Lady Anita. Connecting with you for this interview was a serendipitous encounter. Nevertheless, I am grateful to you for extending the opportunity to be featured in Powerhouse Global Stars.

PGS: Please briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

RSK: My full name is Ruth Shalom Wambui Kinyua. I am ambitious, self-driven and a risk-taker.

At fifteen years old, I was fortunate to receive a full scholarship to a Swiss boarding school, Aiglon Switzerland. Born and raised wholly in Kenya with minimal multicultural exposure, it was a tremendous leap of faith to leave my high school midway, move to a continent I had never been to before and switch educational systems. More so because I was initially offered a conditional oneyear scholarship. Thankfully, I thrived!

I completed my IGCSE during that first year (2012) and excelled in the two-year International Baccalaureate program. Selected to join the prestigious Global Scholars Program at Babson College, I moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts in 2015 to study entrepreneurship. Somehow, I managed to pack a lot into those four years. From being elected as a class senator in the Student Government, to serving as an Equity Analyst in the Babson College Fund (optimizing returns on a $4 million portion of Babson’s endowment fund) and graduating from the Honors Program. I also completed an year-long program at the London School of Economics, two summer internships at Ernst and Young, a consulting internship at the Bank of Kigali, Rwanda and a summer analyst position at Goldman Sachs. Upon graduating in 2019, I took another leap of faith by moving back to Nairobi, Kenya. In 2020, I honoured my lifelong ambition by registering two ventures: Integrale Seers Advisory, a business accelerator, and The Maarifa Collective, a social organization.

PGS: You obviously have evolved into a global leader in your industry, what were some of the challenges you faced on your journey to leadership? (Could you rephrase the question- i don’t view myself as a global leader in my industry yet- I took a stab at the question anyway).

RSK: Doubt. I recently turned 24, and there are misconceptions about what is possible versus what is beyond the scope for young leaders. Certainly, age proffers experience, exposure and greater insight on the complexities of this world. As a young leader, it is justifiable that one faces greater adversity. One needs to grasp the nuances, not only in your area of expertise, but also of the larger, interconnected and highly volatile world. That said, I subscribe to the belief that with infinite potential there are unlimited possibilities.

PGS: If you knew what you know now, what would you do differently?

RSK: Initially, I was timid, naive and reserved. Notwithstanding, I was able to power through the mental, cultural and emotional turbulence of life in advanced economies through sheer determination and grit.

PGS: Please tell us more about ‘Maarifa Collective’.

RSK:

In December 2019, having taken a personal break to recharge, and realign my priorities, I recognized the oversized impact that education has had on my life. I decided to apply for a PhD program. Although my application was not successful, I identified the need to champion doctoral training/education for Kenyan youth.

The national average dropout rate for each doctoral cohort in Kenya is 90%, whilst the average time to completion is 6 years instead of 3 years. Maarifa means knowledge in Kiswahili and so beyond expanding doctoral capacities, our overarching objective is to catalyze pathways to a growing local knowledge economy. Maarifa Collective views education and knowledge creation, particularly among youth, as a key driving force for sustainable development nationally.

PGS: What more could be done to support more women to take up leadership roles? level; targeting the pitfalls, the drawbacks and the upheavals that hold back female potential.

RSK: In their lifetime, women follow a unique pathway that needs to be aligned with the leadership mandate. If we start by fully understanding the intricacies of female livelihoods, we can put in place enabling systems and adequate supportive structures to bolster female leaders. For example, the statistics show that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate negative impact on women globally, does the recovery plan give prominence to redressing entrenched gender inequities? Maarifa Collective identifies that the current ratio of male to female PhD enrolment is 2:1. Women are underrepresented across all academic levels, (from Bachelors to PhD) and in all academic programs (STEM and Non-STEM); yet the World Bank indicates that the return to educating Sub-Saharan women is at almost 15% -- one of the highest investment returns globally. To address the endemic nature of female underachievement, tailored solutions must begin at the root

PGS: What were the top three books that changed your life?

RSK: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown illuminated the pathway to wholehearted living. The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy is an anthology of witty poems that deconstruct gender norms and create a feminist reality. Unbowed by Wangari Maathai exposes the harsh realities faced by Kenyan females in their path to leadership.

PGS: What is your message for world leaders?

RSK: Decisions made at the global level have a trickle down effect on both current and future generations. In a power-hungry world, there is a growing need for restraint and peace-making (Shalom!).

PGS: What would you say to your younger self?

RSK: Life will constantly throw curveballs, know and honor your true self at every stage. Keep your head up high as you go through every phase. I quote Winston Churchill, success is not final, failure is not fatal- it is the courage to continue that counts.

PGS: What is your message for the African Youths?

RSK: Agency. Resilience. Innovation. According to the UN, 75% of Africa’s population is aged below 35 years, and so we need to take personal and collective responsibility for our shared future, forge creative pathways to realise transformative realities and build momentum for the long haul.

PGS: Ruth, thank you for your time – much appreciated.

RSK: It is a privilege to share your time Lady Anita. Thank you.

PGS: Please share your links with us.

RSK: 1. Integrale Seers Advisory: LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram 2. The Maarifa Collective: LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram