In this episode of the INSEAD Emerging Markets Podcast, Nick Lall speaks with Kaoru Kaganoi, INSEAD MBA '16J and founder of Peach Tech, East Africa’s leading used car marketplace. From growing up in Paris as the son of a Japanese professor of French philosophy to intense stints at McKinsey in Tokyo and Nairobi, Kaoru shares his global journey through social impact work in Bangladesh, Tuvalu, and Palestine, culminating in launching a high-growth startup in Kenya.
He opens up about:
- How his early cross-cultural experiences shaped his worldview and career
- Lessons learned from microfinance and the nonprofit sector
- The challenges and rewards of switching from consulting to startups
- Building Peach Tech as a vertically integrated solution to bring transparency, safety, and trust to Africa's used vehicle market
- What it’s like to live and build in Nairobi
- Why fairness is his core life principle—and how that guides every decision
With reflections on grit, culture-building, and creating systems from scratch in emerging markets, this is a must-listen for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, Africa, or mission-driven business.
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