Waceke Nduati

Proud mom moment.

We graduated 75 teenagers from the Centonomy Teens Bootcamp, and seeing them in the room with their parents made the day even more special. It was a beautiful reminder that financial conversations can become a bridge between generations.

My son was one of the teenagers who went through the bootcamp, so I experienced it in a very personal way.

I teach money every day, but watching my own child go through it in a structured way was different.

The dining table in my house has now become a place to talk about business ideas, money and the choices we make. I’ve heard him talk about his vision, career choices and ideas in ways I hadn’t heard before.

The other day, he was heading somewhere and chose to take an Uber Boda because it was cheaper. Such a small decision, but I noticed it.

Sometimes the biggest signs of learning aren't the big declarations. They are the small decisions that show you someone is beginning to think differently.

And that, for me, is what makes the experience so meaningful.
Not just that they learn about money, but that they start looking at their choices, future and possibilities differently.

It also gave parents an opportunity to hear those thoughts and have conversations with their teenagers that might not have happened otherwise.

75 teenagers graduating is a milestone for Centonomy, but for me, the real win is knowing that the conversations don't end when the bootcamp does. They come home with them.

We had different cohorts over the past few weeks, including a group that went through the programme in partnership with Karen Country Club . The learning also went beyond the classroom, with the teens getting to visit GTBank Kenya and explore saving through Chumz.io

To all the parents, look out for the next Centonomy Teens Bootcamp. You may be surprised by what your teenager comes home talking about.

Income is not the same as wealth.

I remember the comfort of knowing that a salary would come in every month. Leaving employment meant letting go of that certainty and it changed the way I thought about money.

My focus became less on how much I was earning and more on what I could build with what I earned.

Income can stop. Wealth needs to keep working.

That was at the heart of our recent Centonomy Open Day. We explored what it really means to move beyond the paycheck: building assets, making intentional financial decisions, investing and creating systems that allow your money to grow over time.

I was joined by Donald Wangunyu, Angela Kariuki and Kingori Muito, and I loved the questions and conversations that came from the room.

Because the goal isn't simply to earn more.

It is to build a financial life that isn't entirely dependent on the next paycheck.

That is the work and it is work worth starting!

So, what are you building with the income you earn today?

One of the greatest joys of building Centonomy is watching entrepreneurial journeys unfold.

Our recent Centonomy Entrepreneur Chats brought together three incredible entrepreneurs— john kageche , John Kagai and Yvonne Kanyi.

What made the conversation particularly meaningful was hearing John and Yvonne speak about how their time at Centonomy has influenced the way they now run their businesses.

John spoke about learning that growth does not mean doing everything yourself. When he encountered challenges around the financial side of his business, he recognized that he needed expertise and brought in an accountant to help. He applied the same thinking in other areas, identifying where he needed support and bringing in the right people.

Yvonne spoke about learning not to be afraid of increasing her prices and knowing the value of what she offers.

These may sound like simple decisions, but they can change the way a business grows.

Both once walked into Centonomy as participants. Today, they are building businesses and sharing their experiences with others who are still on that journey.

And that is what makes these conversations so special. Entrepreneurs at different stages of the journey come together—some just starting out, others finding their stride, others with decades of experience and yet all are still eager to learn.

This is why at Centonomy, we don’t just teach financial literacy, we build a community where people continue to learn, grow and encourage one another long after the programme ends.

There is something incredibly rewarding about seeing that journey unfold!

Building lasting wealth begins with the decisions you make today.

Join us this Saturday for the Centonomy Open Day.

📍 Jalaram Auditorium, Parklands
🎟️ Entry is free.

Register today: https://bit.ly/4xpNTj2

Speaking to a room full of entrepreneurs at the launch of the Founders Collective by Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) gave me the opportunity to reflect on my own entrepreneurial journey.

Entrepreneurship has seasons.

Personally, my journey began with survival. I was everything in the business. Every decision, every challenge, every opportunity eventually found its way back to me. I carried the business because, in many ways, I was the business.

Then came success. Things weren't any easier, but there was clarity. The business had found its footing, and while the challenges didn't disappear, I was no longer building from a place of uncertainty.

Then came a season I never expected, the pause.

For seven years, I stepped away from my role as CEO. It wasn't because I had stopped believing in the business. Life demanded that I slow down. I had to navigate personal challenges, recover from burnout, and rediscover myself.

Today, I'm in a season of significance. I think more about legacy than I do about success. I'm more interested in building something that will continue to create impact long after I'm no longer at the center of it.

As I shared the stage with entrepreneurs like Michael Macharia , Ashok Shah MBS and Eric Kimani ,another thought stayed with me. Our stories are different, but the seasons are remarkably similar. Each of us experiences struggle, growth, transition and moments of doubt. The seasons look different for each of us, but they shape us all.

17 years into entrepreneurship, I believe my story encourages others. Yet every time I listen to entrepreneurs who have been building businesses for 40 or 50 years, I'm reminded that I'm still learning. In many ways, I feel like I'm only just getting started.

Thank you to Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) for creating a space where entrepreneurs share their stories and learn from one another. Conversations like these remind us that entrepreneurship is as much about who we become as it is about what we build.

Recently, we held our very first Centonomy Privilege Connect with our founding cohort.

Connect brings our alumni together with people who have built businesses, created wealth, and experienced the realities of the entrepreneurial journey. It is a space for honest conversations, shared experiences, and learning from those who have walked the path before us.

Our first conversation was with Rajiv Sehgal , Founder & Director of The , one of Nairobi’s finest Indian dining experiences.

I went into the session expecting Rajiv’s entrepreneurial journey to be the conversation we would all remember.

In many ways, it was.

But what stayed with me most was what happened afterwards, when the room began reflecting on their own journeys.

As entrepreneurs shared their experiences, I noticed a pattern. Nobody spoke about the opportunities that felt obvious. They spoke about the ones that made them hesitate. The deal that felt too risky. The opportunity they almost walked away from. The move that looked too big until they stepped into it.

It made me realize we may have been looking at fear all wrong.

We spend so much time waiting to feel ready, for confidence or certainty. Yet when you sit with entrepreneurs who have built something, you realize almost none of them waited. They made the decision first. Confidence came later.

That was my biggest takeaway from our first Connect.

Successful entrepreneurs are not people who have all the answers. They are people who are willing to move before they do.

That is the kind of community we hope to build through Centonomy Privilege — one where entrepreneurs learn not only from the person at the front of the room, but from one another’s stories, experiences, and reflections.

Because sometimes the story you need to hear begins with: “I was scared too.”

Many people believe their biggest financial challenge is earning more.
But often, the bigger challenge is knowing what to do with what you earn.

A higher income can improve your lifestyle but it does not automatically improve your financial future.

I have met people who have increased their earnings and still feel financially stuck — not because they do not work hard, but because they were never taught how to turn income into assets, habits and investments that grow over time.

Wealth is not created by income alone. It is created through the behaviors and decisions that shape what you do with that income.

And those behaviors can be learned.

This is the conversation we will be exploring at our next Centonomy Open Day:
Beyond the Paycheck: Turning Income into Lasting Wealth.

Are ready to move beyond earning and start building lasting wealth? If yes, we would love to have you.

Register here: https://wkf.ms/3SJesR2