Starting small, thinking global: Flora Mutahi’s entrepreneurial legacy

As the world marks International Women’s Day, one Kenyan woman stands out as a powerful example of what determination, courage and vision can achieve.

Flora Mutahi is many things: a mother, a wife, a mentor and a boardroom leader, but above all, she proudly describes herself as an entrepreneur.

"I’m a mother, wife, sister. I sit on a few boards, and I also coach and mentor entrepreneurs to scale their businesses," she says as our conversation begins.

Mutahi is the Founder and CEO of Melvin Marsh International, the company behind the popular Melvins brand known for its flavoured tea blends, salt and rice products that have become a household name in Kenya.

But her entrepreneurial journey did not start with a master plan.

She briefly tried employment as an auditor, a career that lasted just nine months.

"I didn’t enjoy it, so I fired myself and decided to try entrepreneurship," she recalls with a smile. "I didn’t even know what business to start, so I began looking for a market problem I could solve."

Her first attempt was introducing free-flowing salt into the Kenyan market. But within three weeks, she realised the business would not generate the returns she hoped for.

Then opportunity knocked.

At the time, the government had lifted a monopoly on tea, opening a new space in the market.

"I picked up tea, and that is how Melvin Marsh International was born. My vision has always been to see value-added tea from this continent on shelves globally."

The early days were far from easy.

"We started small. I had no business plan, no finances, and no business agreements. It was a lot of learning in the beginning," she says.

Today, nearly three decades later, Mutahi is a globally recognised entrepreneur, author, speaker and business coach. Her leadership journey has seen her break several glass ceilings.

She became the first woman to chair the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) in over 50 years and later the first woman to chair the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) board.

Her influence has also reached the global stage, serving on the Board of the UN Global Compact, the United Nations’ flagship initiative for responsible business.

But beyond building businesses, Mutahi is passionate about helping others succeed.

She founded the Scale Mastery Programme, an accelerator designed to help entrepreneurs especially women and youth transform small or stagnant ventures into structured, scalable and profitable enterprises.

The program tackles common barriers facing African entrepreneurs, including limited access to finance, regulatory challenges and the lack of structured growth strategies.

Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple but powerful.

"Don’t fear starting small. The most important thing is to start. Follow your passion — I followed my gut and kept learning along the way. That’s why I mentor others today."

Mutahi says the biggest barrier many women face is mindset.

"Women must believe it can be done. Self-belief is very important."

She acknowledges that access to finance remains a challenge for many women entrepreneurs, especially due to lack of collateral.

"Financial institutions are beginning to lend more to women, but the terms are still not always favourable," she notes.

As the world celebrates women’s achievements, Flora Mutahi is encouraged by the global message of “Gift to Gain”, which encourages people to give of themselves in order to grow.

And her final message to entrepreneurs across Africa?

"Let’s be innovative. Sometimes it hurts me when I see people coming up with very basic ideas. Africa has many small businesses — but I believe we can build bigger businesses, especially as women."

From firing herself as an auditor to building a globally recognised brand, Flora Mutahi’s journey is proof that bold decisions, resilience and vision can turn small beginnings into powerful success stories.