From Kenya emerged a woman who refused to accept that technology should only serve a privileged few. Catherine Mahugu is not just a software engineer or entrepreneur, she is a builder of systems that give artisans, farmers, and underserved communities direct access to opportunity.
Driven by a deep commitment to representation and impact, Catherine pursued computer science at a time when women in STEM were still vastly underrepresented.
Early in her career, she applied her technical skills to projects rooted in social good, contributing to mobile solutions that addressed essential needs such as clean water access and assistive reading tools. From the start, her work made one thing clear: technology, in her hands, would always serve people.
That conviction came to life when she co-founded Soko, an innovative e-commerce platform that uses mobile technology to connect artisans directly with global consumers.
By eliminating middlemen, Soko enabled fair-pay opportunities for handcrafted products, particularly jewelry, transforming how African artisans participate in the global market.
But Catherine didn’t stop there. Recognizing the untapped potential of agricultural value chains, she went on to found Chiswara, an agri-tech platform that brings premium Kenyan coffee from smallholder farmers to local and international markets.
Through technology-enabled traceability and market access, Chiswara improves compensation for farmers while championing transparency, inclusion, and sustainability across the coffee industry.
Across both ventures, Catherine’s leadership reflects a singular mission: to use technology as a bridge between African producers and global opportunity—fairly, ethically, and sustainably.
Her impact has not gone unnoticed. Catherine Mahugu has been featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 (Social Entrepreneurs) for her work in digital commerce and social impact, and named among the BBC 100 Women, recognizing her influence in innovation and empowerment.
Her voice and expertise have been sought on global stages, with fellowships and speaking engagements hosted by organizations such as Alibaba, UNCTAD, the World Bank, Harvard, The Economist, and the BBC, a testament to her role as a global thought leader shaping conversations around technology, entrepreneurship, and development.
At her core, Catherine is an advocate. She champions youth empowerment, women in technology and business, and ethical participation in digital economies.
Her work consistently bridges innovation with social justice, challenging outdated narratives and proving that African-led solutions can shape global markets.
Catherine Mahugu is not just building platforms, she is rewriting access, restoring dignity to producers, and engineering a more inclusive digital economy for Africa and the world.
Image Credit: The Benchmark
