Mercy Wakweika, Alumni
- Year
- 2011-2012
- From
- Uganda
- Sector
- Textiles & Apparel
- Location
- Uganda, Kenya
- Degree
-
2014 MBA, Sloan School of Management
“Growing up in a community where most of the people rely on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to earn a living, I am driven to help these SMEs become more competitive and profitable both locally and internationally.”
Mercy’s company is expanding by starting an apparel manufacturing arm of her women’s retail store, Envy. Envy was started in 2009 and has since grown to be one of the trendiest retail stores in Kampala, Uganda. Specializing in apparel for women 14-45, Envy has identified an opportunity to move into the manufacturing business after experiencing fast moving inventory and closely studying the target Ugandan and Kenyan market. Tunga at Envy will manufacture versatile, ready-to-wear clothing for women that easily translate from professional to social settings. Tunga will take a sustainable approach that involves using locally sourced fabrics and leveraging the skills of unemployed, already-trained tailors who are victims of various tragedies.
Born to a mixed Kenyan and Ugandan heritage, Mercy spent a considerable time between both countries. After completion of her undergraduate degree, Mercy and her partner started Envy, which helps manufacturers worldwide get rid of their excess inventory by selling the balance in their flagship store in Kampala, Uganda with several pop up stores in Nairobi, Kenya and Kigali, Rwanda. She also has experience in Investment Banking after working with Deutsche Bank in New York and in Retail Strategy Consulting with Endeavour Partners in Cambridge, MA.
Mercy is pursuing her MBA at the MIT School of Management. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
