As the founding director at Nanjala Design, Teresa is a multidisciplinary designer and creative interested in the intersection of
design, commerce, tech, and sustainability. She believes that the fate of Africa’s development is inextricably linked to its largely undervalued and underserved creative potential. Teresa works to deliver strategic creative leadership, design management, and sustainable innovations in physical and digital outcomes. Teresa has deep experience and perspective to utilize the unique mosaic of design influences that appeal to Africa’s multi-diverse needs, cultures and clientele.

Having worked as a creative leader spanning over 20 years in Kenya’s leading agencies, Teresa’s work is transdisciplinary and is at the intersection of design, the environment, entrepreneurship and sustainability.

From her innate love for nature, to, interest in economic empowerment for underserved Africans such as the ‘juakali’ has driven Teresa to advocate for co-design and beyond, the design sector. From scholarly articles about pushing forward our Afrofuturism movement and its narratives to considering an edible grow kit for kids that will encourage urban primary kids to be responsible for greening their environment as they learn food production, to switching to organic and permaculture farming – highlights an expansive scope of her creative vision.

In 2015, she founded Shop Nanjala, an award-winning shop for gardening and home décor that supports artisans. The following year she was featured on Lionesses of Africa as ‘Top 25 Influential Women Entrepreneurs Who Are Helping Put Kenya on the Global Business Map’. Moreover, Teresa won first at the E-Commerce Story Pitch Contest in 2020, organized by the International Trade Centre’s project, ecomConnect.

At her previous job, she was the Creative Director at Seven Brands, Kenya. She lead the Seven team in crafting compelling strategies for brands in the African market. Some noteworthy accounts she has worked on include Stanbic Bank (Kenya and South Sudan), Coca-Cola, DT Dobie Kenya (Nissan, Jeep, Renault and Mercedes-Benz), Safaricom Foundation, Safaricom M-PESA, NIC Bank and CBA (now NCBA), ICRC (South Sudan), Raiser Resource Group, Zain Telcom (South Sudan, Bahrain and the Middle East), ICRC (South Sudan), Unilever (Blueband, Royco), Haco Industries and Kiwi.

‘In 2015, as an Art Director, Teresa had a pivotal role in securing Seven Brands the Experiential Marketing business for Safaricom’s youth asset, BLAZE,’ said Tomas Omamo in a recommendation letter. ‘Teresa was promoted to Creative Director in honor of her outstanding contributions. Teresa’s work as Creative Director on BLAZE by Safaricom was recognized three years in a row at the Marketing Society of Kenya Annual Awards.’

Teresa also helps corporates and SMEs maximize the intrinsic value of design and stakeholders to support innovation in harnessing digital technologies, human centred design, economic empowerment for all and sustenance. In 2021, Teresa was awarded the top prize of eCommerce Female Entrepreneur of the Year. With Shop Nanjala being awarded 1st prize as Home Improvement eCommerce Website of the Year in 2019 and 2021.

Teresa is currently an adjunct lecturer and postgraduate student at the University of Nairobi, Department of Art and Design. She holds a B.A. in Design (2005), a diploma in IMIS (UK) and is a recipient of the Babson College, USA: 2019 Launch and Grow – Kenyan Women Entrepreneurs fellowship program.