Meet Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE) alum, April Flora Stephenson, and find out how her time at LSE complemented her career in fintech and culminated in the setting up of her business, Simba Technologies.

Programme and graduation year: MSc Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE), 2020

Company name: Simba Technologies

How did your time at LSE contribute to your success?

The LSE Department of Management was instrumental – not only because I studied entrepreneurship, but also because 1) studying at LSE allowed me to shift my self-concept from a tech worker to a leader in my field, and 2) LSE is a diverse global community and a hotbed of thought and challenging discussion, which breeds innovation. LSE also offers a practical space for experimentation in the form of LSE Generate, where I did my first-ever pitch. Combined, these spaces make LSE a great place to transition to entrepreneurship.

What inspired you to set up your business (tell us a bit about your career journey)?

I spent nearly a decade working in fintech (start-ups, Venmo, PayPal, and later a stint at Amazon) before studying at LSE. This gave me an eye for tech solutions and the ability to build. My programme involved doing fieldwork in an informal settlement in Nairobi, and whilst there I was struck by the lack of tech solutions for the underserved, despite wide phone adoption. That’s where the idea for Simba was born – we do data collection and impact measurement in developing environments, pairing basic tech they already use with AI-powered analytics, so development organisations can scale their insights.

What are your plans for the future of Simba Technologies?

Growth! We’ve spent the last six months in beta testing, and are ready for GA release and to operationalise our growth strategy.

Do you have any advice for current students wishing to set up their own businesses?

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone – it entails a lot of risk, limited short-term returns, and repeated failure. Tolerance for this environment can be inversely correlated with high traditional achievement. Luckily, LSE offers a space in the form of LSE Generate where aspiring entrepreneurs can tinker and learn more about the process of entrepreneurship before fully taking a plunge – I would highly recommend participating in their programmes and trying things out.

Find out more about the MSc Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship programme.

If you’re an LSE student or alumni check out LSE Generate.

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