Our Founder and CEO, Melvin Muna, was invited to facilitate an Innovation Lab during the Mastercard Foundation Baobab Summit, held in Nairobi from October 17–19. Below, he shares his reflections from this inspiring event.
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On October 18, I had the incredible honor of facilitating an Innovation Lab at the 2025 Baobab Summit.
The theme for the day was “Rise to the Challenge”, and my lab focused on Leadership in Uncertainty and Peer Coaching Circles … a topic that resonates deeply with me.
I’ve faced several uncertain moments in my life … times when I wasn’t sure that the decisions I was about to make would turn out well or lead me where I hoped. Looking back, I realize those moments became the foundation of my personal leadership.
They taught me the importance of committing to a cause and pushed me to grow and develop myself in the right ways.
That realization guided my purpose for the lab — to help Mastercard Foundation Scholars attending the Summit make that same discovery for themselves.
My session began at 11:15 AM, and I opened by sharing my own story … the uncertainties I’ve faced, what they taught me, and how they shaped my leadership journey.
After laying out the purpose of the lab and each participant’s role in it, we moved into the first reflective activity.
I invited the participants to think about one uncertainty they were facing at that moment and write it down. A few brave participants volunteered to share theirs aloud, setting the tone for openness and reflection.
Next, I introduced the peer coaching activity, outlining the key guidelines:
➞ The coachee shares their uncertainty.
➞ The peer coach listens deeply and asks reflective questions — no advice, no fixing.
The goal was simple but profound: through thoughtful questioning, the peer coach would help the coachee reflect more deeply and uncover their own solutions.
Each pair then switched roles, allowing everyone to experience both sides of the exchange.
Afterward, we came together for a group reflection. I asked:
➞ What did it feel like to be listened to?
➞ What did you discover about yourself from this exchange?
➞ What surprised you the most?
One participant shared that she felt truly seen, heard, and valued … that it reminded her she matters.
Another participant said he was surprised to discover that the solution to his uncertainty was already within him, but he hadn’t been able to see it clearly because of all the “noise.”
That “noise” … the fear, doubt, and overthinking that cloud our judgment during uncertain times often blinds us from recognizing the answers we already carry inside.
The group nodded in agreement. Many shared that through the exercise, they realized they do have the solutions they need. The reflection helped them see more clearly what had always been there.
That’s when I reminded them that what they had just discovered is that they are leaders because leaders are people who have solutions. I also reminded them that the uncertainties their communities face are not so different from their own. If they can rise to the challenge in their personal lives, they can rise to the challenge in their community too.
In one accord, we stood together and made a powerful declaration:
” 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙖 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧. 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. 𝙄 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮.”
We then logged onto the Baobab Platform and shared our declarations publicly using the hashtag #BaobabDeclaration2025 … turning a moment of discovery into a movement of shared purpose.
My session was scheduled to end at 12:30 PM so we could all go for lunch… but we lost track of time completely. The energy was so high that we had to be gently reminded (and chased out!) to make our way to the dining hall.
I also had the joy of doing the peer coaching exercise with Ineza Karangwa Joseph, where I served as his peer coach. Joe, I’m rooting for you as you commit to the steps you identified to navigate your uncertainty. You’ve got this.
Finally, it was such a joy to meet the Baobab Platform team in person. Kuda, Angella, Precious, and David. Thank you for your warmth and the meaningful conversations we shared.
A big thank you as well to the Baobab Summit planning committee for the invitation to facilitate this lab and for your thoughtful care and support throughout.
This one was truly special.
