Tête-à-tête with Nat Robinson, chief executive officer of Juhudi Kilimo

Nat Robinson at the Lelan Highlands site in Kenya. Photograph: Juhudi Kilimo

A Q&A with CEO of Kenyan microfinance company Juhiudi Kilimo, which provides loans to help farmers purchase productive agricultural assets

Juhudi Kilimo is a microfinance company based in Kenya that provides loan products to smallholder farmers for productive agricultural assets. Juhudi Kilimo is a Swahili phrase that is a combination of "Juhudi" which means "effort" and "kilimo" which is "agriculture."

The company provides financing to smallholder rural farmers organised in groups to purchase productive agricultural assets, such as dairy cows and other livestock, irrigation equipment, and greenhouse technology. By financing income-generating assets, paired with targeted business and agricultural training, Juhudi Kilimo helps to build and sustain rural enterprises that create jobs and deliver greater market access and new services to farm communities. Juhudi Kilimo has received numerous awards including the Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2011, the International Social Investment Pioneer Award from the UN Global Compact in 2013 and the 2013 CIO 100 Award for technology and innovation.

Nat Robinson joined Juhudi Kilimo in 2008 as part of the MBA Enterprise Corps and served as the interim CFO and general manager. In 2009, he was awarded sponsorship by the UNDP and IFC African Management Services Company (AMSCO) to continue working with Juhudi as the full time general manager and CFO. In 2010, Robinson became CEO of Juhudi Kilimo. He has a background in international financial consulting and holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

What was the impetus behind your BCtA initiative?

Juhudi Kilimo was started to help the 75% of the Kenyan workforce engaged in rural agriculture - since nearly 50% of them do not have access to formal financial services. None of the banks or microfinance institutions are helping the rural farmers so we decided to make a profitable business to help these farmers invest in their farms and increase their incomes.

What would you describe as the current state of business and development?  

We are in an expansive growth phase which requires a lot of new people and new capital to achieve our targets.  It is exciting but certainly taxing on our management and systems.

What was your ideal job before your current role?

I thought it would be fun to be an international business consultant and fly all over the world working with businesses.

What was the tipping point in getting into your current professional role?

After spending my first eight months in Kenya I was hooked. It is a beautiful country with so much opportunity.  The company I helped start is a profitable business that also addresses two major social problems in Kenya - poverty and food insecurity. We are trying to do good for society and do well financially at the same time.

What is the single most important thing to do in order to be successful?

Persistence with hard work helped us overcome every single obstacle in our path.

What qualities do you most admire in a person?

Integrity and passion.

Who would you describe as your International Business Hero or Villain?  

Hero would be Richard Branson.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery in either business or development?

When you run out of money and everyone is telling you your idea is stupid and will never work.

Who is your favorite author?    

Jim Collins.      

What is your personal motto?  

Take the road less traveled.

Content on this page is provided by Business Call to Action, and originally appeared on the The Guardian Business and the Sustainable Development Goals Hub