Bio
Patrick M. Karanja is an independent advisor specializing on the Digital Economy and Youth Employment. He most recently conducted two key first-of-a-kind research studies on the gig economy and online work in Kenya. Commissioned by Mercy Corps, “Towards a Digital Workforce: Understanding the Building Blocks of Kenya’s Gig Economy” and undertaken by Genesis Analytics, it provides insights that can be replicated across the continent. Another major study, which he co-authored and yet to be published, was commissioned by Kenya Private Sector Alliance in conjunction with the Ministry of ICT. It highlights the opportunities and risks for scaling online work in the country, and how to make it a hub by the year 2022.
Prior to this role, he coordinated Digital Jobs Africa, a $ 100 million initiative by The Rockefeller’s Foundation catalyzing job opportunities through enabling environment, private sector engagement and skills across six countries. He was also the Regional Business Engagement Manager at World Vision’s Eastern African Regional Office, responsible for the development and effective implementation of strategies to drive the effectiveness of offices across 9 countries Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan. In this latter role, he successfully initiated and spearheaded an Impact Sourcing center in Ghana under the support of World Vision Ghana.
He is a Fellow of The Rockefeller Foundation Global Fellowship on Social Innovation and a graduate of Kenyatta University in Bachelor of Education (Arts).