Growing up, Brendah Mwirichia had dreams of becoming a paediatrician. Something she says had at the time been inspired by her doctor, whom to date she describes as “one of the best.
This would however change as she became older, with her early teens being shaped by the first internet revolution that happened in the early 2000s.
“I became fascinated with everything that was happening around tech and the dot.com bubble and I decided I wanted to go a different direction,” Brendah recalls during one of her interviews at Peak and Dale head office along Muthithi Road, Westlands, Nairobi.
Born and raised in Nairobi, Brendah now prides herself as a techie who witnessed firsthand the birth of the internet which set the country on a path to becoming what it is today.
Her journey into the tech world began at the University of Nairobi, where she opted to study mathematics and specialised in operations research.
She would later pursue a Computer Science degree at the University of Sunderland, setting her up ready for a deep dive into a tech world that was male-dominated at the time.
Once she completed her university studies, she secured a job at a Kenyan-based company where she worked as a software developer, a field that very few women had ventured into at the time.
The company would however go down a year later, leaving her jobless. It was at this point that she took a shot at entrepreneurship, starting Peak & Dale Limited, which is today a leading Integrated Tech, Marketing and Communications Agency which has helped build some of the most reputable and big brands in the country. ©
PEAK & DALE 2024 1 Article “I decided I did not want to be employed and instead let me try this thing and see if it would work,” Brendah recalls.
Peak and Dale Limited was born in 2009 inside her parents’ house with the company starting as an IT entity offering ongoing online solutions including building websites and hosting services.
Like many parents raising children during the dot.com era, her own did not understand what she was doing. “My dad was not very happy when I said I wanted to go into business, and I understood him because he had done so much for us.
He worked so hard to make sure we got a good education and expected that I would get a job in a bank or some other good employment somewhere,” she narrates with a smile.
Her first office was so small that she could not hold meetings and would meet clients in coffee shops within Nairobi’s Central Business District.
The enthusiastic founder of a start-up who describes herself as a people’s person however faced one of her low moments in 2011, two years after starting, when her business almost collapsed.
At that point, she decided to focus on offering clients value rather than compete on the lower level pricing prices, she says, a decision that saw the company expand offerings beyond technology and go into strategic marketing.
This was a decision Brendah boldly and proudly says she does not regret as it opened doors for bigger clients who were ready to spend, hence a turning point for the company.
An outstanding entrepreneur and business leader in the digital, tech and marketing fields with 15 years of experience and a track record in helping businesses develop a strong footprint in the digital space, including digital strategy and brand growth, Brendah is leading one of the biggest agencies in Kenya.
© PEAK & DALE 2024 2 Article In a strategic move that promises to reshape the African marketing landscape, Peak and Dale Group, acquired Bean Interactive, a renowned marketing powerhouse.
Brendah set the bar high as Peak and Dale Group is the first independent agency in Kenya to make such an acquisition.
This newly found union of industry titans marked a pivotal moment, signalling a new era of integrated solutions and unparalleled client value.
With this acquisition, Brendah is keen on expanding her business offerings to other African countries by introducing digital technology to various businesses that will help them scale and transform their businesses.
Brendah’s success has enabled her to win several awards such as the Digital Marketing Person of the Year 2024, Top 25 Women in Tech 2024, Top 50 Most Influential Women in Kenya 2024. These awards underscore her efforts in leaving a mark in the digital space.