--- title: "How Kenza Traveled the World to Find Her Calling and Started an African VC Fund | Kenza Lahlou" url: https://seedstars.com/content-hub/life/how-kenza-traveled-world-find-her-calling-and-started-african-vc-fund-kenza-lahlou/ --- 1. [HOME](/) 2. [RESOURCES](/content-hub/) 3. [SEEDSTARS LIFE](/content-hub/life/) 4. HOW KENZA TRAVELED THE WORLD TO FIND HER CALLING AND STARTED AN AFRICAN VC FUND | KENZA LAHLOU ![How Kenza Traveled the World to Find Her Calling and Started an African VC Fund | Kenza Lahlou](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/P2hero-for-kenza.max-1500x500.jpg) MENA • INVESTMENT ## How Kenza Traveled the World to Find Her Calling and Started an African VC Fund | Kenza Lahlou Seedstars Global MARCH 15, 2020 Kenza was born in Morocco, but has quite a rich international experience: from France and Singapore, all the way to the USA. At some point, she found her calling and decided to go back to her home country. Kenza launched a regional fund to support entrepreneurs in Africa. She had some hesitations, but inspired by other entrepreneur stories, she managed to convince investors to contribute to her fund. Now, she is driven by the growth of entrepreneurship in Africa, investing in impactul startups from seed to pre-series A, that are aligned with the values that she and her team in [**Outlierz**](http://www.outlierz.co/) share. In this podcast, we discover those values and take a look into Kenza’s eye-opening journey, the motivations and challenges behind it. Kenza recommends reading [**Malcolm Gladwell: Outliers: The Story of Success**](https://amzn.to/2RBIyDO) **The podcast is also available in the video format:** PODCAST / VIDEOCAST SEEDSTARS PODCASTS SEEDSTARS WORLD 2019/20 MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA AFGHANISTAN INVESTMENT INVESTMENT TECH FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP ## More like this [ ![Fifteen Tech Startups from Latinamerica Advance to Regionals of Seedstars World Competition 2020](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/f.max-320x550.png) LATIN AMERICA • TECH Fifteen Tech Startups from Latinamerica Advance to Regionals of Seedstars World Competition 2020 Let’s take a closer look at some of the promising startups in the region that have made it to the LATAM Regional Finals of the Seedstars World Competition 2020/21. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/newsroom/fifteen-tech-startups-latinamerica-advance-regionals-seedstars-world-competition-2020/) [ ![Applications for Online Startup Competition](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Seedstars_Brings_Its_Startup_Competition_Onl.max-320x550.png) GLOBAL • INVESTMENT Seedstars Brings Its Startup Competition Online: 2020 Applications Are Open We are happy to announce that Seedstars World Competition 2020/21 will be held exclusively online and the call for startups is open until July 31st. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/newsroom/seedstars-brings-its-startup-competition-online-2020-applications-are-open/) [ ![None](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Celeste_Lupe_Solofa.max-320x550.png) OCEANIA • FINANCIAL SERVICES Bringing Online Payments to the Population with 3% Credit Card Penetration | Celeste (Lupe) Solofa __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/bringing-online-payments-population-3-credit-card-penetration-celeste-lupe-solofa/) [ ![Advancing Learning for Millions of Kids](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Kukua.max-320x550.png) AFRICA • EDUCATION & CONSULTING Advancing Learning for Millions of Kids Through Entertainment | Lucrezia Bisignani Lucrezia wanted to be an actress and started her entrepreneurial journey when she was 8 years old, selling crafts to give to those most in need. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/advancing-learning-millions-kids-through-entertainment-lucrezia-bisignani/) [ ![Ann Pichestapong](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/P5.max-320x550.png) LATIN AMERICA • TECHNOLOGY Three Continents, One Data-Driven eCommerce Startup and a Baby | Ann Pichestapong In this episode, we meet Ann, founder and CEO of DataCue, who not only launched her own company but did it with her husband as her co-founder whilst travelling across Central and South America for their honeymoon! __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/three-continents-one-data-driven-ecommerce-startup-and-baby-ann-pichestapong/) [ ![Monthly Revenue](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/podcast_thumbnail.max-320x550.png) CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE • EDUCATION & CONSULTING From $300 to $60K Monthly Revenue and Serving 400,000 Students Worldwide | Daria Kroshkina With a passion for learning, growth and continuous development, Dasha turned the knowledge she used herself to secure scholarships. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/300-60k-monthly-revenue-and-serving-400000-students-worldwide-daria-kroshkina/) [ ![Impact Investors](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Untitled_design_28.max-320x550.png) CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE • INVESTMENT Winning Marathons and Advising Billionaire Impact Investors | Tenke Zoltani From a Hungarian refugee family who emigrated to the United States, Tenke Zoltani is running fast as part of the Hungarian national running team. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/winning-marathons-and-advising-billionaire-impact-investors-tenke-zoltani/) [ ![Anastasia Hofmann](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/P6.max-320x550.png) CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE • FOOD & BEVERAGES What Gets Measured Gets Done: 200 000 Meals Saved and Counting | Anastasia Hofmann Anastasia went to the hospitality school in Lausanne, where she met her business partner, Noemi, and in 2017, they decided to launch Kitro, a startup that focuses on food waste management. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/what-gets-measured-gets-done-200-000-meals-saved-and-counting-anastasia-hofmann/) [ ![Education Sector in LATAM](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Untitled_design_34.max-320x550.png) LATIN AMERICA • OTHER Digitalizing the Education Sector in LATAM | Federico Hernandez One out of every two students in Latin America quits school before graduating, and Blended is trying to change these statistics. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/digitalizing-education-sector-latam-federico-hernandez/) [ ![One Woman’s Mission](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Untitled_design_41.max-320x550.png) AFRICA • URBAN DEVELOPMENT One Woman’s Mission to Bring Wealth to the African Continent | Hilda Moraa In our episode, you’ll learn what a ‘chimba’ is and how Hilda is burning a trail for women as entrepreneurs in Africa. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/one-womans-mission-to-bring-wealth-to-the-african-continent-hilda-moraa/) [ ![Latin America](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Untitled_design_-_2020-11-11T154121.635.max-320x550.png) LATIN AMERICA • HR Bringing 1 Million Jobs to Latin America | Jessica Hammer Ever since she can remember, Jessica has been walking the streets of Venezuela protesting with her family against various injustices Venezuelan people suffer. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/bringing-1-million-jobs-latin-america-jessica-hammer/) [ ![Save 500 million Trees per Year](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Untitled_design_32.max-320x550.png) AFRICA • TECHNOLOGY How to Save 500 million Trees per Year? | Bethlehem Dejene More than ever, environmentalists like Bethlehem are convinced that the government can, and must, take more drastic measures when it comes to sustaining our only planet. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/how-save-500-million-trees-year-bethlehem-dejene/) [ ![Women-Led Startups](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Untitled_design_1.max-320x550.png) GLOBAL • TECHNOLOGY 7 Women-Led Startups That Impact People’s Lives in Emerging Markets Women make vast contributions to economies across the world, whether that’s in businesses, on farms, as entrepreneurs, or by doing usually unpaid domestic work. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/7-women-led-startups-that-impact-peoples-lives-in-emerging-markets/) [ ![Rebecca Enonchong](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Rebecca2.max-320x550.png) AFRICA • ENTERPRISE Rebecca Enonchong: To Be an Entrepreneur You Have to Be Crazy “If a black African woman could succeed in America in 1999, then all the entrepreneurs across the world can succeed!”, Rebecca Enonchong, tech entrepreneur, founder and CEO of AppsTech and iospaces. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/rebecca-enonchong-be-entrepreneur-you-have-be-crazy/) [ ![Maanasa Mendu](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Maanasa.max-320x550.png) GLOBAL • ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES Maanasa Mendu: Access to Clean Affordable Energy Maanasa cares. She cares as much as you do about the well-being of our planet and its citizens. Inspired by her trip to India and seeing how many people don’t have access to energy, __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/maanasa-mendu-access-clean-affordable-energy/) [ ![Transforming Education](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Untitled_design_33.max-320x550.png) LATIN AMERICA • EDUCATION & CONSULTING Organising Secret Meetings with Guerilla Leaders and Transforming Education | Fabio Segura Fabio Segura has been awarded “outstanding young persons of the world” by TOYP (Japan, 2008). __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/organising-secret-meetings-guerilla-leaders-and-transforming-education-fabio-segura/) [ ![Tania Douglas](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Tania.max-320x550.png) GLOBAL • TECHNOLOGY Tania Douglas: HealthTech Is Not Only About Tech In her speech, she addresses the global health issues and how they can be tackled with the technology in a smart way. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/life/tania-douglas-healthtech-not-only-about-tech/) [ ![Startups Africa](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/10africanstartups.max-320x550.png) AFRICA • ECOSYSTEM ENABLER 10 Startups from Africa to Compete for 500,000 USD During Seedstars Summit Africa 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Seedstars selected 10 the most promising startups from the continent that proved their ideas to be innovative and scalable. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/newsroom/10-startups-africa-compete-500000-usd/) [ ![Seedstars Summit 2020 in Switzerland](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/C-9_Startups_that_Will_Represent_Latam_at_th.max-320x550.png) LATIN AMERICA • TECH 9 Startups that Will Represent Latam at the Seedstars Summit 2020 in Switzerland On November 29th, the 7th edition of the Seedstars World tour in Latin America wrapped up with the Seedstars Summit Latam in Medellin, Colombia. __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/newsroom/9-startups-will-represent-latam-seedstars-summit-2020-switzerland/) [ ![Seedstars Summit CEE](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/cee_summit1.max-320x550.png) CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE • ECOSYSTEM ENABLER Seedstars Summit CEE Will Gather 100+ Founders From 20 Countries Under One Roof Kazakhstan, November 22. You would probably ask why Kazakhstan was chosen as the final stop for the Seedstars World Competition 2019? __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/newsroom/seedstars-summit-cee-will-gather-100-founders-20-countries-under-one-roof/) [ ![Seedstars Summit 2019](https://seedstars-com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/C-Seedstars_Summit_2019_How_It_Was.max-320x550.png) GLOBAL • EDUCATION & CONSULTING Seedstars Summit 2019: How It Was “Who is Seedstars?” - with this question, Alisée de Tonnac, Co-Founder and CEO of Seedstars, opened the Seedstars Summit 2019. Who are we and what do we want to achieve? Where are we heading? __ ](https://www.seedstars.com/content-hub/newsroom/seedstars-summit-2019-how-it-was/) --- ## Sitemap - [Sitemap](https://seedstars.com/sitemap.md): every public page on this site - [llms.txt](https://seedstars.com/llms.txt): what Seedstars does and where to start