Laptop, 6k and grit: My bumpy ride to the top

Mary Njoki, CEO and the founder of Glass House PR LTD.

Mary Njoki, the affable CEO of Glass House PR might be one of the most resilient businessperson in town. After completing high school at the age of 16, Njoki’s single mother could not afford money to take her to campus. She found solace in acting, doing some gigs at the Kenya National Theatre to hone what she thought was a fledgling acting career. It didn’t last long.

At 17, her mother took some loans and enrolled her at Graffins College, graduating with a higher diploma in software development. Later, she enrolled for a course at Daystar University for a communication course majoring on public relations, but quit midway. In 2010, Njoki registered an image consulting firm and in the same year consulted for a gospel artist who paid her Sh500 – the only amount she made that whole year! Two years later, at the age of 23, Njoki founded Glass House PR with an initial capital of Sh6,000, a laptop, an Internet modem and tons of optimism.