The lists of the top 25 women in Digital, 2018, is out. The award announced by Digital Africa on Friday recognizes women who have directly or indirectly contributed to the growth and use of digital for personal and societal good.
These women are innovators, entrepreneurs, corporate trendsetters harnessing the power of digital media to share, inspire, educate and empower.
The top 25 are as follows:
1. Caroline Kimutai
Caroline is the Managing Editor, Digital at Standard Group Plc.
She is a trained journalist with 15 years’ experience in print and online media. She previously worked at Genesis, a global internet consumer company with headquarters in Kiev, Ukraine. While at Genesis, she started www.tuko.co.ke. Kenya’s first viral news website that disrupted the Kenyan media landscape in 2015.
2. Grace Murugi
Murgi is the Digital Strategist and the Digital Manager at Safaricom, handling the Brand and Marketing Communication for the Consumer Business Unit and the Enterprise Business Unit.
Her mandate is to deliver personalised communications across all digital platforms.
3. Isis Nyong’o Madison
Madison is the Founder & Chief Executive officer of Mums Village, an online platform that enables mothers to access and share locally relevant content.
She is one of the pioneers on the founding teams of Google, MTV & InMobi. Some of her achievements include defining and implementing MTV's commercial strategy for its entry into Africa.
4. Janet Mbugua
Janet Mbugua is a former Citizen TV anchor, passionate YouTuber. Her channel focuses on discussing and exploring topical issues that seek to empower and bring social change.
Her social media channels are vibrant with encouraging content that seeks to engage and empower young people.
5. Mariam Maina
Mariam Maina is an internationally certified public relations practitioner. Currently, she is a Public Relations and Communications Officer at the University of Nairobi, where she develops and manages content for the Schools website and Social Media Platforms.
6. Josephine Mwangi
Mwangi is Head Communications, Marketing and Stakeholder relations at Nailab Incubation and Consulting. She developed and executed Nailab’s first communication strategy, overseeing the rebrand of Nailab in 2013/2014.
She was also involved in program design, partnership building and contract negotiations leading to the launch of Jack Ma’s Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative in August 2018.
7. Christine Mwiti
Mwiti is a Digital Marketing Strategist with proven experience in building brands online. She is the Senior Associate, Digital Marketing at Britam, a role that has seen the Brand nominated three consecutive times at the Social Media Awards Kenya.
8. Kaluhi Adagala
Kaluhi is a food blogger. Using her food blog, Kaluhi’s Kitchen, she experiments with new recipes sharing tips and presentations skills for her readers. Kaluhi holds a BAKE Award for best food blog three years in a row.
9. Carol Radull
Radull is a passionate sports commentators and Radio show host. Her online presence and experience in the media space have seen her nominated as the most influential media personality, Social Media Awards Kenya.
10. Juddy Gitahi
Gitahi is the Founder and Head of Business Development at Art Digital, a social Enterprise focused on helping vulnerable communities raise their income through training and leveraging technology in their businesses.
11. Achieng Onguru
Achieng Onguru is the Social Media and Brand Experience Manager, E-commerce at Safaricom PLC with vast experience in copywriting and Digital Marketing. Achieng role manages content creation and delivery for Safaricom E-commerce platform Masoko.
12. Peris Gathu
Gathu is the Digital Marketing and Communications Manager at the Co-Operative bank in which she is responsible for managing the banks Digital marketing and Communication Strategies.
Through her directive in this role, Co-operative Bank was awarded the digital brand of the year award at the Social Media Week Nairobi 2018.
13. Rashmi Chugh
Chugh is the Group Head of Digital at the Nation Media Group in Kenya. Her mandate at the Nation Media Group is to provide digital direction and strategy for the group's media brands.
She is a former Business Head for News-websites at HT Media, having started her career as a Journalist with the Press Trust of India.
14. Chloe Spoerry
Spoerry is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of HiviSasa, Kenya’s largest producer of online news content. Chloe also founded a charity organisation, The Sailing Doctors, that provides medical care to remote areas in Lamu District.
Sailing Doctors was later transferred to what is now known as safaridoctors.org.
15. Caroline Mbarire
Mbarire is the Digital Marketing Lead at Access Leo Burnett. Her mandate is to identify and tap into new digital opportunities while applying digital best practices for existing clients.
She is also the Digital Marketing Lecturer, Trainer and Facilitator at Africa Digital Media Institute.
16. Maureen Gitau
Gitau is the Marketing manager at Twig Co-Work where her role entails brand management. One of her greatest achievements is having contributed to Samsung being awarded SoMA technology award 2017.
17. Rita Gitobu Njuguna
Njuguna is a Partner at Go Gaga Experiential Limited, the franchise holder for Social Media Week Nairobi. Social Media Week Nairobi is an annual event that showcases innovations and insights on how technology is changing/ influencing businesses and online cultures.
18. Terry Mwangi
Mwangi is the Digital Marketing Manager at Jumia Kenya, focusing on Jumia Food & Jumia Party. Terry’s mandate is to ensure that digital campaigns meet strategic targets and performance KPIs for the brand, making Jumia Food & Jumia Party one of the leading e-commerce sites in Kenya.
19. Maureen Kasera
Kasera is a Digital Marketing specialist and is the Social Media Co-ordinator for Kenya Revenue Authority, with an expertise of building customer engagement platforms.
She was involved with planning and executing of the iTax digital campaign that won an MSK Award 2015 under the Digital/Online/ New Media Category.
20. Liz Njambi
Njambi Njeri is currently the Marketing Manager for Uber across East Africa. In this role Elizabeth focuses on formulating hyper-local marketing initiatives aligned with the needs of target audiences in each city.
21. Grace Msalame
Msalame is an iconic online content creator and social media marketer.
She is the founder of do it with Grace blog that encourages and inspires people across the board by shedding light into her experiences, fashion and thoughts.
She is currently a TV host on Switch Tv, hosting a daily inspirational lifestyle show. She is a SOMA Nominee, Top 40 under 40 and WIBAwards Winner.
22. Elizabeth Costabir
Costabir is the Chief Executive Officer of BuyRent Kenya, Kenya’s trusted property website. She is an experienced and driven professional whose role is to grow online advertising and marketing cultures with brands.
23. Njeri Wangari
Wangari is a multitalented Kenyan performance poet, writer, marketer and Founding member of Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE). She is one of Kenya’s pioneer bloggers, having started her blog Kenyanpoet.com in 2005 to publish her poetry and write on arts culture in East Africa.
She is currently the Marketing manager at GeoPoll, a US mobile surveying platform where she handles communications, Media Relations and Content Marketing.
24. Gladys Warindi
Gladys Warindi is a brand strategist at 34 Degrees. She is an avid technology enthusiast with a passion for brand storytelling, market research, data analysis and all things digital.
She was part of Chase bank’s “Save a Mum”. A Campaign that saw Chase Bank nominated as one of the top 4 brands at the 2014 SoMA Awards.
25. Wavinya Malinda
Malinda is a strategic planner with a vast understanding of consumer-driven engagement principles, having been involved in leading, strategizing and conceptualizing digital marketing campaigns.
She previously worked with the Nokia as Digital Assets Manager where she developed and maintained the brands online, content creation, monitoring and reporting as well as management of strategic and effective digital agency relationships.