ZENA

Name

ZENA

Legal name

The Zena Launch Pad

Website

https://thezenalaunchpad.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Entrepreneurship Development (Nonprofit Social Enterprise)

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Women entrepreneurship training
• Nonprofit social enterprise
• Debt-free microenterprise capital
• Rural poverty alleviation
• Charitable capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Kamuli

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Zena Launch Pad is a registered US 501(c)(3) and UK charity (no. 1185868). It raises funds from individual donors globally to fund its entrepreneurship training program, startup capital for participants, mental health counselling, and financial literacy training. Donations are collected via dedicated donation pages for US and UK donors.
2. Short-term employment contracts (jewelry production): Women in the program earn capital through short-term employment contracts creating the Zena jewelry product line (thezenabrand.com). Women save 60% of their salaries as startup capital each month, enabling them to launch their own businesses upon graduation. This creates a self-funding model where program participation generates both revenue (jewelry sales) and the woman's own seed capital.
3. E-commerce product sales (jewelry): Zena branded jewelry is sold to consumers through thezenabrand.com. Purchases by supporters serve as both a donation and a product purchase, with proceeds funding program operations. The jewelry is produced by program participants during their employment contract phase.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Zena Launch Pad runs a one-year entrepreneurship training program for women in rural Uganda that combines debt-free startup capital (earned through short-term employment contracts producing Zena brand jewelry), business leadership and financial literacy education, and pastoral and mentorship support. Program graduates launch their own businesses (hair salons, laundromats, poultry farms, retail shops, pharmacies, tailoring shops) and return as mentors for new cohorts, while operations are funded by charitable donations and e-commerce jewelry sales.

Product overview

Zena Launch Pad operates as a single unified program offering debt-free capital, entrepreneurship education, and holistic support to women entrepreneurs in rural Uganda. The program includes a one-year training curriculum covering business leadership, digital skills, leadership, and financial literacy. Participants earn start-up capital through short-term employment contracts creating the Zena Brand jewelry line, saving 60% of their salaries monthly to launch their own businesses upon graduation. Graduates become mentors for subsequent cohorts, creating a community-driven ripple effect of empowerment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zena: Jewelry brand created through the organization's short-term employment contracts with program participants. Women earn startup capital by producing jewelry through these employment contracts.

Products and services

• Zena Launch Pad Entrepreneurship Program A one-year entrepreneurship training program for women entrepreneurs living in rural Uganda below the poverty line, providing debt-free startup capital earned through short-term employment contracts, business leadership and financial literacy education, digital skills training, pastoral and mentorship support, and a peer network of graduate mentors.
• Zena Brand Jewelry A jewelry product line produced by women participating in The Zena Launch Pad program during short-term employment contracts; participants save 60% of their salaries from this work as startup capital, and jewelry is sold to consumers through thezenabrand.com to help fund program operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of program members state they are now a powerful part of decision-making in their households, compared to just 25% before joining the training program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Uganda National Bureau of StandardsminorOthersLydia's tamarind juice product received official certification from the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, confirming the safety and quality of her product. This regulatory certification enables her to sell across multiple districts and to wholesalers, expanding her business reach.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Large global humanitarian and development NGO running entrepreneurship and economic recovery programs in fragile contexts including Uganda. Comparable as an NGO serving women entrepreneurs in rural Uganda with training and capital, though at far broader scale across multiple sectors.
• BRAC: One of the largest development NGOs globally, operating entrepreneurship and microfinance programs for women in rural developing countries. Comparable as a nonprofit capacity-building organization serving women entrepreneurs in low-income geographies, though BRAC's model is broader and debt-adjacent.
• Opportunity International: Global microfinance nonprofit providing small business loans, savings, insurance, and training to people in developing countries, with a strong focus on women entrepreneurs. Comparable target customer (women in poverty launching businesses) and training-plus-capital model, though credit-based rather than debt-free.
• Women's World Banking: Global nonprofit devoted to giving low-income women access to financial services and entrepreneurship support. Comparable mission focus on women's economic empowerment and entrepreneurship capacity building, though operating more through financial institution partnerships than direct program delivery.
• TechnoServe: Global nonprofit working with enterprising women and men in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. Comparable mission of entrepreneurship training and capacity building for low-income entrepreneurs in Africa, though at significantly larger scale and broader sector focus.

Emerging players

• Kiva: Crowdfunding nonprofit enabling crowdfunded microloans to entrepreneurs in developing countries, many of whom are women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable in supporting women entrepreneurs in rural Africa with seed capital, though via debt-based crowdfunding rather than employment-earned capital.
• Acumen: Impact investor and nonprofit that invests in early-stage companies serving low-income customers in East Africa and other emerging markets. Comparable in mission of using entrepreneurship to lift people out of poverty in East Africa, though operates via impact investment rather than direct program delivery.
• Zola Africa: Social enterprise operating in Uganda providing clean cookstoves and livelihood opportunities, including women's entrepreneurship programs, in rural Ugandan communities. Comparable as a Uganda-based social enterprise with women's economic empowerment programming in rural areas.

Direct peers

• Village Enterprise: Nonprofit that delivers entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and seed capital to women living in extreme poverty in rural East Africa. Closely comparable in target geography (rural Uganda/East Africa), customer (women in extreme poverty), and model (training + capital + mentorship for business launch).
• Five Talents: UK-registered charity providing microfinance, savings groups, and entrepreneurship training to women entrepreneurs in rural Africa and Asia. Comparable as a UK/US-registered nonprofit targeting rural women entrepreneurs in developing economies with training and capital, though its model leans more toward micro-savings/loans than debt-free capital.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tribe-and-glory

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ZENA