Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Drane.
Hi Anne, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Kenya, where I grew up surrounded by remarkable women who worked tirelessly to support their families with very few opportunities. After earning a degree in Finance, I moved to the United States, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the talented artisans I had met back home. What began as asking my mother to purchase a few handwoven baskets from women in rural Kenya quickly became something much bigger. The women kept returning, walking miles with more baskets because, for the first time, they had a reliable buyer.
That experience changed the direction of my life. I founded SAWA SAWA to connect artisan women with global markets, but over the years I realized my work was about far more than baskets. It was about building systems that allow communities to thrive through entrepreneurship, partnership, and shared responsibility.
Today, SAWA SAWA partners with more than 1,125 artisan women across Kenya while supporting conservation, renewable energy, and women’s health initiatives. At the same time, I’m stepping into a broader role as an impact entrepreneur, exploring how business, nonprofits, education, and storytelling can work together to create lasting social and environmental change. My goal is not only to build organizations, but to inspire others to see entrepreneurship as one of the most powerful tools for creating a better future.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. Looking back, I realize I had the vision long before I had the skills to lead it. Every stage of growth required me to become a different version of myself. I had to learn fundraising, governance, finance, international logistics, retail partnerships, leadership, and how to build an organization that could grow beyond me. There were many moments when I felt completely unqualified, but I kept learning because the mission was bigger than my comfort zone.
One of my biggest lessons came from success itself. SAWA SAWA grew faster than the systems I had built to support it. Those gaps eventually created vulnerabilities that culminated in an attempted external takeover of the organization. It was one of the most difficult experiences of my life, but it forced me to rethink everything I believed about leadership.
I had to unlearn the idea that passion alone could sustain an organization. Today, I believe great leadership is about creating transparent systems, empowering others, and building organizations that can withstand challenges long after the founder steps away. In many ways, the hardest year of my journey became the year that transformed me from someone building a mission into someone building an institution.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sawa Sawa?
SAWA SAWA was built on a simple belief: poverty is not a lack of talent, it is often a lack of opportunity. We create sustainable solutions to poverty by connecting artisan women in Kenya with global markets while investing in the communities where they live. What begins with a handcrafted basket often grows into something much bigger: children staying in school, women building businesses, conservation efforts, renewable energy, menstrual health initiatives, and stronger local economies.
As our work has grown, so has my own calling. While I will always lead SAWA SAWA, I’ve realized I’m equally passionate about helping other founders build organizations that solve meaningful problems. I’m a founder, mentor, consultant, and lifelong student of impact entrepreneurship. I love helping entrepreneurs think beyond profit and ask, “How can my business make life better for people and the planet?”
That’s why I’ve begun creating educational content around impact entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership, and social enterprise. I want to share both the successes and the mistakes I’ve made so others can build stronger organizations faster than I did.
What sets my work apart is that I don’t believe business and purpose compete with one another, I believe they’re strongest when they’re designed together. Entrepreneurship is one of the greatest forces for good in the world. When we intentionally direct innovation, creativity, and commerce toward solving real problems, we build successful companies and stronger communities and a better future.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that leadership is more than having a vision, it’s about becoming the person capable of carrying that vision. Every season of growth has required me to learn something new, but sometimes it has required me to unlearn things too.
One of the hardest chapters of my journey came when SAWA SAWA experienced an attempted external takeover last year. It forced me to look inward instead of outward. Rather than asking, “Why did this happen?” I asked, “What is this teaching me?” I realized that passion must be matched with strong systems, clear boundaries, and thoughtful stewardship. As leaders, we’re entrusted with a mission and with people who believe in that mission. Protecting both is not about being unkind, it’s about being responsible.
I’ve also learned that access matters. The people we invite into our organizations and our lives can help us grow or make the journey much harder. Choosing wisely is one of the greatest responsibilities of leadership.
Above all, I’ve learned to keep learning and to keep going. Consistency is more powerful than perfection. Every challenge, especially the painful ones, has prepared me for the next chapter. I believe our responsibility isn’t just to grow ourselves but to share what we learn so others can build stronger organizations and create even greater impact. When we stay aligned with our purpose, keep showing up, and trust the process, even our hardest seasons become part of the foundation for what’s ahead.
Pricing:
- Handcrafted Straw Baskets are $99 to $175
- Hand Beaded Bracelets are $9 to $32
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sawasawausa.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/sawasawausa and instagram.com/ciikudrane
- Facebook: Facebook.com/sawasawausa and Facebook.com/ciikuanne
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annedrane
- Youtube: Youtube.com/@sawasawausa and YouTube.com/@ciikudrane
