RIHANNA-BACKED FUND EYES KENYA'S WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN CLIMATE INNOVATION PUSH

A Kenyan-born entrepreneur and global superstar, Rihanna, are teaming up to change how climate finance works on the African continent. Jo Opot, founder of Gather Ventures, has launched a climate-focused investment fund aimed at supporting women-led startups across Africa.
Backed financially by Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, the fund is turning the spotlight on African women, who are often overlooked when discussing solutions to the climate crisis.
In a statement, Gather Ventures indicated that it is on a mission to fight climate change while helping women build lasting wealth in communities where both environmental shocks and economic inequality hit hardest.
Moreover, Opot, who grew up in Kenya, said her mission is deeply personal. She witnessed firsthand the legal and cultural obstacles that prevent African women from building and passing down wealth.
“Many women work hard to build wealth with their partners. But when those partners die, the property often goes to the man’s relatives, not the woman. We want to change that,” Opot told AFROTECH.
Jo Opot believes climate finance can no longer ignore gender. According to her, it is time to center the voices of women, especially those in low-income and rural communities, who face the brunt of climate disasters yet are rarely at the decision-making table.
Gather Ventures is doing that by targeting sectors where women are active, like agriculture, while also pushing into construction and clean energy, where women are still underrepresented.