Joyce-Ann Wainaina
Tribute
Kenya's Joyce-Ann Wainaina invests in African tech startups through Chui Ventures with the same strategic vision she brings to investing in her three children's futures. Beyond her financial expertise, we honour the due diligence conducted on both business opportunities and childhood friendships, the portfolio management balanced with family time allocation, and the investor who knows her most important returns will never appear on any balance sheet.
Profile
Joyce-Ann Wainaina is a distinguished businesswoman with an extensive background in global banking and investment. She currently serves as the Managing Partner of Chui Ventures, a Pan-African seed fund focused on gender-inclusive investments in tech-enabled solutions targeting mass markets across the continent. Prior to this, Joyce-Ann held several senior positions at Citibank, including Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, where she led the Global Network Banking division across 11 countries. She also served as the CEO of Citibank Kenya and East Africa from 2014 to 2019, becoming the first Kenyan to hold this position since Citi began operations in the country in the 1970s. Beyond her corporate roles, Joyce-Ann is deeply committed to supporting talent development and entrepreneurship in Africa. She co-designed the Sapphire Leadership Programme, a mentorship initiative for senior talent across emerging markets, and partnered with the Kenya Bankers Association and the Central Bank of Kenya to establish a mentorship program for women leaders in the banking sector. She is also a founding trustee of the JB Wanjui Education Trust, which provides grants to female university students in Kenya. Joyce-Ann holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Duquesne University and a Master of Science in Financial Economics from the University of London (SOAS). She is married and a mother of three children.