Enterprise

I left six-figure salary in US to start consultancy

POWER-LIFTER-H

Ms Brenda Anzeze. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Brenda Anzeze was earning a six figure salary in the US before she came back to Kenya to start a consultancy firm.

In the US, she worked with some of America's leading multinational corporations such as JPMorgan Chase, Fidelity Investments and the Bank of America.

When she relocated in July 2018, she formed Brenda's Diaspora Consultancy, a company that helps Kenyans in the diaspora to invest in real estate at home.

To achieve this, she worked with corporate lawyers such as Valentine Khaminwa from the Khaminwa and Khaminwa Advocates and Lawrence Madialo from S.O. Madialo and Company.

“It was established as a solution provider for the Kenyan diaspora living across the world to enable them to invest and resolve their local issues using a trusted source while providing employment to the local businesses,”says Ms Anzeze who holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Ohio.

Ms Anzeze adds that she also started the firm after she could not secure a job in Kenya despite boasting over 15 years of working experience in the US.

With her colourful CV, she thought it would be much easier to get a job here at home but she was in for a rude shock.

“I mean I managed a whole region of seven-branches in Texas for JPMorgan Chase and offered Bancorp products across the US market,” she adds.

“I had high expectations upon arrival in Kenya, but I was very disappointed as the rate of unemployment was high even for skilled workers.”

She also tried all sorts of businesses such as selling avocados and other organic veggies to mama mbogas as well as supermarkets but she experienced some challenges. Supermarkets could not pay her on time or not pay at all.

“I decided to venture into this diasporan consulting business because I wanted to bridge the gap between diaspora and Kenya while applying my skills and creating employment across the nation in different sectors. I realised the gap and struggles diaspora have in trying to achieve some of their local projects and took advantage of it,” she says.

Racism in the US also played a part in pushing her to come home. Being a black African woman, she says was like double jeopardy.

“Companies had started hiring black people just to meet their tax quarters then turn around and fire them once they meet their government needs,” she says.

“I remember applying for a vice president position at Morgan Stanley and asked for the same salary as my white friend and they denied me the job and were clear that it was because of my salary request.”

Some of the big projects she has worked with is a real estate project in Kiambu.

She outsources two employees who help her in projects thus saving her cost.

“Some of the other projects I am currently working on with the Kenya Commercial Bank is assisting diaspora to purchase apartments and land while they get loans since I am a licensed agent with KCB,” she says.

MANY CHALLENGES

“I assist my clients to select the best development projects in town because there are a lot of issues with some developers and sometimes the issues arise when it is too late.”

She has worked with over 100 clients across USA, Canada, UAE, Qatar, UK, Australia, South Africa and Ital. Covid-19 has posed many challenges to her business with projects slowing down.

“Diasporans need to identify a gap in Kenya and other African countries such as Botswana then they can work on market share in their area of interest. Africa is the new future,” she states.

What are her future plans?

“I would like to expand my business network and establish one of the best investment companies in Kenya,” she says.