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Position:Â Lecturer |
Personal Bio:
Dr. Linda Kimencu is an entrepreneurial educator with over fifteen years of experience in higher education in Africa and United States of America. She is a lecturer at Kenyatta University, School of Business, Economics and Tourism and the founder of Learning Gaps Consulting Center that aims at filling gaps in education through inculcating entrepreneurial education to learners from a young age, through her Learning Gaps Kidpreneur and ex-candidate Programs.
Dr. Linda is an experienced Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI- EA) facilitator having taught the Business and Entrepreneurship strand and the cross cutting (Inclusion and Diversity and Leadership and Communication) to young leaders across the East African region for the last 12cohorts (Cohort 43-Cohort 54). Â She has worked in various capacities as an entrepreneurial educator including being an innovation and entrepreneurial expert and providing business canvas support service at the medical innovation and acceleration hub at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research hospital. During the Year 2022, she guided 15 medical innovators in developing scalable business canvas models for their businesses.
She is also one of the main facilitators for training and mentorship under the project DIFFERENTIATE- place based entrepreneurial capacity building, a project funded by the British Council under the innovation for African Universities ( IAU) through the partnership between Kenyatta University, Lancester University ( UK), University of Benin, aimed at designing entrepreneurial capacity building across African research Institutions. Dr. Linda is also a program facilitator with the Youth4Biz initiative where she provides curriculum development and oversight roles in empowering young people through education, mentorship and skills training in entrepreneurship and life skills development.
Dr. Linda is an accomplished entrepreneurial researcher. In the year 2020/2021, she won a Vice Chancellor Research Grant to implement an entrepreneurial project within the Kenyan education systems. Through that initiative, she has published papers on the state of entrepreneurial education in Kenyan basic education level, developed entrepreneurial instructional guides to be used in entrepreneurial clubs within the basic education level, and is in the process of inculcating entrepreneurial skills among young learners through forming entrepreneurial clubs among young learners in public primary schools.  Dr. Linda is a seasoned educator with experience at all levels of education. An author, researcher, coach, and speaker. She believes education is the ultimate key to freedom and uses her educational platforms to transform the lives of young people for more fulfilling lives and livelihoods.
Conferences
- Kenya National Innovation Agency, Research to Commercialization (R2C)Boot Camp. Safari Park Hotel ( 28th February, 2022 – 1st March 2022)
- African Leadership Academy; Think Like a Parent, Act like a Coach. Entrepreneurship Training (22nd February, 1st March, 8th March, 2022).
- Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, YALI- PAN African Curriculum team Virtual Training (30th August, 2022).
- Design Thinking Workshop, Collaboration for Entrepreneurial Universities ( CEPU) workshop. Organized by Kenyatta University and Sponsored by DAAD and BMZ. ( 26th October- 4th November, 2020)
- African Centre for Transformative and Inclusive Leadership (ACTIL), Training of Trainers in Transformational Leadership, Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge (6th-18th January, 2020).
- School of Business, Kenyatta University International Business Research and Industrial Conference ( IBRIC) ( 20th-21st, June 2019)
- School of Hospitality, Kenyatta University. Presented a seminar of Qualitative and Quantitative Data Collection tools to the Post Graduate Students (8th may, 2019).
- Wadhwani Foundation Entrepreneurship Network, Training for Trainers in Entrepreneurship Program, Kenyatta University (August 13th-23rd, 2018)
- Wadhwani Foundation Entrepreneurship Network, Training for Trainers in Entrepreneurship Program, Kenyatta University (July 25th-27th, 2017)
- ESDA (Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development Africa); KU Next generation of researchers workshop (24th May, 2017)
- Sustainable Urban Development Workshop, Kenyatta University (June 6th, 2017) Presented a Research Paper: Enhancing Sustainable Urban Development through Agri- Based Ventures among Urban Based households: A theoretical Model.
- African Youth Entrepreneurship Forum, Nairobi Innovation Week (8th March, 2017); Catalysing the Next Generation for Africa’s Sustainable Industrialization; University of Nairobi
- TICAD Youth Entrepreneurship Workshop (August 25th -27th, 2016); Catalysing the Next Generation for Africa’s Sustainable Industrialization; KCB Leadership Centre, TICAD VI, Nairobi Kenya; chosen among the 25 under 40 researchers in Africa
- Doctoral Association of Eastern Africa (DAEA), 2nd Doctoral Colloquium; Developing a Research Proposal: August, 2015; United Kenya Club, Nairobi
- 1st Kenya Methodist University research conference; April 25-27 2012- Meru Main campus; Promoting Research and Innovation Towards attainment of Vision 2030 presented a research paper; Evaluating Blooms Taxonomy of Learning in Kenyan education Institutions.
- Association for the study of higher education, Indianapolis, United States, November, 2010; Higher Education Scholarship and Public Policy; presented a poster session;Â Leadership Orientations and Conflict Management Styles of Academic Deans in Masters Institutions.
- 2011 Live Text Assessment and Collaboration Conference, Chicago, United States, 2011; attended as a Live text Assessment Coordinator at West Virginia University, USA
Consultancies
- YALI (Young African Leadership Initiative) Facilitator, YALI Training Business and Entrepreneurship Track- July- September, 2021- December, 2023.
- Facilitator, DIFFERENTIATE- place based entrepreneurial capacity building ( September, 2022).
- Business Canvas Model Strategist, Kenyatta University Referral Hospital (7th June- 14th June, 2022).
- Entrepreneurial facilitator, CITAM Kangundo Road Ex- Candidates program ( May 2022-Current).
- Entrepreneurial and Money Matters Facilitator, Affecto Foundation- Watoto Wasome ( April, 23rd- 26th, 2022).
Research and Publications to include
Local Publications
- Kimencu, L.N. ( 2022). Inculcating an Entrepreneurial Mindset in Young Learners to Enhance the Delivery of Goals for the Competency-Based Curricular in Public Primary Schools in Kenya (Unpublished Policy); Department of Business Administration. Kenyatta University
- Linda Kimencu, (2021). Alignment of Entrepreneurial Education within the Kenyan Competency Based Curriculum: Review of the Basic Education Curriculum Framework.  European Journal of Training and Development Studies. Vol. 8. No. 2. PP. 35-48. https://www.eajournals.org/journals/european-journal-of-training-and-development-studies-ejtds/vol-8-issue-2-2012/alignment-of-entrepreneurial-education-within-the-kenyan-competency-based-curriculum-review-of-the-basic-education-curriculum-framework/
- Namusonge, M., Kimencu, L.N., Wanyoike, R., ( 2018). Introduction to     Entrepreneurship. Open Educational Resource Module. Published by Kenyatta University, SPHEIR, PEBL, and ACU.
- Kimencu, L.N. (20th February, 2017). Kenya’s new education plan hinges on state funding, Business Daily. Available:https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/analysis/Kenyas-new-education-plan-hinges-State-funding/539548-3820904-o41q04z/index.html
- Kilika, J.M., Kimencu, L.N., & Muthimi, J., (June 6th, 2017). Enhancing      Sustainable Urban Development through Agri- Based Ventures among Urban Based households: A Theoretical Model. Paper presented at  ESDA- NGR Workshop, Kenyatta University
- Kimencu, L. ( 2017). Little Reminders for My Soul- Inspirational Book. B-Creations Designs Enterprise.ISBN: 9789966105158
- Kimencu, L.N. (2012, April). Evaluating Blooms Taxonomy of Learning in Kenyan education Institutions.Paper presented at 1st KeMU Research Conference, Meru, Kenya.
- Kimencu, L.N. ( 2014). Introduction to Research Methods. Distant Learning Module, Kenya Methodist University ISBN: 9788393311927.
- Kimencu, L.N. (2011). Leadership Orientations and Conflict Management Styles of Academic Deans in Masters Institutions. Ann Arbor, MI. ( ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 533131).
- Kimencu, L.N. ( 2010, Nov). Leadership Orientations and Conflict Management Styles of Academic Deans in Masters Institutions. PosterSession Presented at the meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, In.
Book Chapter:
- Irungu, J & Kimencu, L.N ( 2016). Trends in Private Higher Education: The Case of Kenya. In Shar, M &Â Â Nair, C.S ( Ed.). A Global Perspective on Private Higher Education 1st Edition. Chandos Publishing
 Grants Applications.
- Kimencu, L. (2020). Inculcating Entrepreneurial Skills and Attributes among learners in Public Primary Schools in Nairobi County. Kenyatta University, Vice Chancellors Research Grant. 2019/2020. (Awarded in March, 2021)
- Kimencu, L.N & Ragui, M., (May, 2020). Post Covid Change Management Practices in Universities in Kenya. Social Science Research Council (SSRC) Rapid Response Research Grant 2020
Community Outreach
- Head of Department, Social Action and Advocacy- CITAM (Christ is the Answer Ministries) Kangundo Road- January, 2022- Present.
- Curriculum Developer and Trainer, Youth4 Biz, January, 2023- Present
- Volunteer at Compassion hands children’s home; Ruai, Nairobi, 2018- Current
- Parents and Students seminars on the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) curriculum
- Church training on Entrepreneurship Skills and competencies.
- Sunday school Volunteer at Chest nut Ridge Church, WV, USA, 2008-2011;
- Mamlaka Hill Chapel, 2014- 2015; Trinity Chapel, 2016-2018; CITAM Kangundo Road: 2020- Current.
Membership in Professional Bodies
- Member of African Youth Entrepreneurs Society ( AYES)
- Member of Kenya Institute of Management
- Member of the ESDA- Next Generation of Researchers ( NGR) Kenyatta University
