Winners line up for a warmup session in Nairobi during MB100 Kenya Tour. They include(From left) Safi Organics founder Joyce Kamande, Mamlo Foods Founder Irene Etyang, Ecocyle CEO Lucy Mutinda, EcoPlanet Bamboo co-founder Camille Rebelo and Zuri Health founder-CEO Ikechukwu Anoke.
Four Kenyan business leaders were among 100 global recipients of the 2024 Meaningful Business 100 (MB100) award, recognizing leaders who transform their businesses to benefit society and generate profits.
Meaningful Business exists to help purpose-driven leaders succeed. The community consists of social entrepreneurs, CEOs, impact investors, sustainability heads, humanitarian leaders, and academics across 140+ countries, cutting across geography, sector, cause, and company size. The platform is designed to help these individuals succeed by providing access to knowledge, connections, and resources that help them overcome their key challenges.
The judges, who included executives and sustainability advocates from some of the world’s most influential organizations, such as Adam Elman of Google, Nikhil Seth of the United Nations, and Sarah Geisenheimer of the Rockefeller Foundation reviewed 850 applications from across the world before settling on the top 100 business leaders drawn from various parts of the world.
The four honorees from Kenya were national role models in sustainability and impact-driven innovation.
The included:
Biju Mohandas, Partner & Global Head of Healthcare, LeapFrog Investments
Dr. Biju Mohandas is a Partner & Global Head of Healthcare at LeapFrog Investments, a leading private equity firm dedicated to achieving financial returns and social impact from investments across Africa and Asia. He leads LeapFrog’s healthcare vertical, focusing on scaling businesses that deliver affordable, high-quality care to emerging consumers. With over 20 years of experience, Biju has invested more than $1 billion in healthcare companies, transforming access to care for millions. He is passionate about redefining healthcare delivery in emerging markets, leveraging AI, technology, and market-driven solutions.
Camille Rebelo, Co-Founder & COO, EcoPlanet Bamboo
Camille Rebelo is the Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer of EcoPlanet Bamboo and has been responsible for the origination, implementation, and management of >35,000 hectares of carbon-financed reforestation operations spanning three continents and five countries.
Through EcoPlanet, Camille has been responsible for the development of global and local frameworks within which bamboo can be a tool for landscape restoration while reducing deforestation through the provision of a scaleable, “deforestation-free” biomass for major industries.
Lucy Mutinda, CEO, of Ecocycle
Lucy Mutinda is the CEO of Ecocycle, providing wastewater treatment and recycling plants using AI, digitization, and automation of the sewage treatment process to produce clean safe water from sewage in just eight hours. The company has rolled out over 500 onsite wastewater recycling projects, impacting nearly 50,000 people directly, as well as recycling over 5 million liters of wastewater daily back to safe reusable water.
Paul Russo, CEO, KCB Group
Paul Russo is the Chief Executive Officer of KCB Group. Paul steers one of the largest banks in the East African region with assets of over $16.9. billion. With a presence in Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Representative offices in Ethiopia and Belgium, the Bank serves over 38 million retail and corporate banking customers primarily through digital channels and 600 branches. The Bank has a wide network of correspondent relationships with over 200 institutions across the globe.
Commenting on this year’s winners, Tom Lytton-Dickie, Founder & CEO, of Meaningful Business said, “Congratulations to the Kenyan leaders recognized on this year’s MB100 for demonstrating how purpose-driven business can address some of the country’s most critical social and environmental challenges. Their innovation and entrepreneurial spirit positions Kenya as a leading hub for impactful solutions in Africa and beyond. As a key market with immense potential for sustainable growth and positive change, we are excited to support these leaders as they continue to scale their efforts over the coming years.
