Maziwa makes breast pump which fits underneath women’s clothing, allowing them to discreetly pump while at work. It has helped more than 15,000 Kenyan women continue to breast feed after returning to the workforce. Courtesy photo
Sahar Jamal, MBA ‘19
Zell venture: Maziwa
At Maziwa, we ignite the potential of African mothers to continue working postpartum, without compromising on breastfeeding. We have launched Wema breast pump which allows mothers to express breastmilk in any environment. Wema is discreet enough to fit underneath clothing, rechargeable and battery-operated, and equipped with breastmilk storage. Our Community Breastfeeding Ambassador (CBA) programme recruits and trains influential women to provide peer-to-peer lactation support and distribute our products. We are proud to have reached over 15,000 mothers and babies with our products and services to date and received incredible feedback.
Why did you choose Kellogg? I never thought I would start a company before I came to Kellogg; however, I chose Kellogg for its focus on social impact, healthcare, and international business, because I was interested in pivoting from my background in consumer healthcare brand management to global health and international development.
In hindsight, the Zell Fellows program is absolutely a differentiator for Kellogg’s entrepreneurship program, and I would most certainly have chosen Kellogg and the Zell Fellows program again, knowing that I’d start a business upon graduation.
What prompted you to apply for the Zell Fellows? As a prospective Kellogg MBA student, the Zell Fellow program caught my attention during the Day at Kellogg admissions weekend. I was impressed by the social enterprises that had come out of the program, particularly those operating in Kenya and India. While I initially didn’t plan to apply, I recognized the prestige and rigour of the program.
Sahar Jamal
During my internship, I had a life-changing experience that inspired me to start my organization. I learned that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months can reduce the likelihood of infant death by 14 times. Unfortunately, many mothers are forced to wean their babies off breast milk early upon returning to work shortly after giving birth, and resort to substitutes like other milk, other foods, or baby formula. It felt unfair that we were penalizing these mothers for their reproductive capacity rather than supporting and celebrating them.
So I pulled together an application for Zell upon returning to school in the Fall of my second year and was very fortunate to be selected. The rest was history from that point on; I was able to develop my idea and test my hypothesis around a social enterprise solution for the market challenge I had identified in Kenya, thanks to the support of a variety of expert mentors, the entrepreneurial toolkit we built, and the tangible resources provided for research and travel.
What was most helpful about the program? What was the most unexpected? The Zell Fellows program has been the most practical accelerator I have experienced to date, surpassing the many other programs I have been through since graduation. The program equipped me with the tools and knowledge needed to launch a sustainable social enterprise and gather support and resources behind it. The curriculum focused on areas such as financial modeling and theory of change have been world-class compared to similar trainings I have encountered in the social entrepreneurship space.
The most unexpected aspect of the program has been the opportunity to form lifelong friendships with fellow entrepreneurs and the broader community. I never expected the continued engagement post-graduation. In fact, I am fortunate to be traveling to Singapore this June with a group of Zell Fellows nearly 4 years after graduating out of the program! I appreciate the global community of individuals from diverse backgrounds with unique experiences and perspectives. This diversity has enriched my personal and professional growth and has led to the formation of close bonds that have lasted well beyond the program itself.
What challenges did you encounter with your venture that the fellowship helped you overcome? While launching Maziwa, I encountered several challenges that the Zell Fellows program helped me overcome. First, the practical resources and financial support made it possible for me to travel to Kenya to test out the assumptions behind my business model during my second year and gave me reassurance that there was a market for my idea before graduating into the “real world.”
Second, was refining my pitch and fundraising strategy through several iterations and revisions. Not only were we able to gain reps on pitching in a variety of situations, the program provided access to more “luxurious” services that we wouldn’t otherwise have access to such as vocal coaching, media training, and graphic design, which continue to make my company stand out from the crowd to date.
How would you say the fellowship aided in the success or development of your venture, and your skills as a founder/leader? The Zell Fellows program was pivotal in helping me launch Maziwa. Notably, I was fortunate to receive the 2019 Kellogg Social Entrepreneurship award, as well as a few prizes at the VentureCat pitch competition at Northwestern University, which gave me the safety net I needed to commit myself full-time to this endeavour.
Perhaps more importantly, the Zell Fellows program prepared me to succeed as an entrepreneur by investing in high-quality leadership coaching, including guiding us through the well-respected Hogan Leadership Assessment for senior leaders and identifying and matching us with a dedicated coach who is still coaching me 4 years later. Managing the many demands of a start-up can lead entrepreneurs to compromise on the soft skills required to inspire and motivate a team or build a company culture, which can often be the most critical components of an organization’s success. Being able to focus on well-rounded business leadership skills, including team management and personal development, through this program has been a real privilege.
What’s next for you and/or your venture? I am so proud to have built a successful single-product breastfeeding brand and strong local partnerships in Kenya, all with a part-time team and purely non-dilutive grant funding so far. Now, with the help of our first round investment, we will create a powerful multi-product distribution network for African mothers with a full-time team across 4 countries. By 2027, we will reach half a million mothers and children, train 300 Community Breastfeeding Ambassadors, and become a profitable social enterprise.
Celebrating 10 years at Kellogg, the Zell Fellow program has supported more than 100 Kellogg students. What does it mean to you to be a part of this community-oriented group of people? I was immensely fortunate to join the notoriously competitive Zell Fellows program in my second year at Kellogg. My favorite memory of the program was our joint trip to Israel where we met our fellow ‘Zellots’ working on equally impressive opportunities across the globe.
The practical resources and financial support also made it possible for me to travel to Kenya to test out the assumptions behind my business model during my second year and gave me reassurance that there was a market for my idea before graduating into the ‘real world’. Notably, I was fortunate to receive the 2019 Kellogg Social Entrepreneurship award, as well as a few prizes at the VentureCat pitch competition at Northwestern University, which gave me the safety net I needed to commit myself full-time to this endeavour.
The social entrepreneurship journey can be a challenging and lonely road. However, being part of the global Zell community means that I always have a roster of people, who understand where I am coming from and always have sage advice, that I can call or reach out to when I need support. Thanks to this program I have built a robust network and well-rounded entrepreneurial toolkit, which have been the catalyst for my career and my company.
Next page: Ian Goldberg, CEO of Canopy Service Partners
Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.