Hi there,
I’m Dr. Chris Wachira, an Improvement Scientist turned Founder, Enterprise Strategist, and the first Kenyan-born winemaker in the United States. My journey has taken me from hospital rooms to boardrooms, from immigrant beginnings to building an internationally recognized brand. Today, I help professionals and organizations at the intersection of business, culture, and impact.
My clinical career spanned almost two decades, most of it spent in Neurosciences at Stanford Healthcare and over six years in healthcare consulting. As a Global Health Strategist, I have served as the Executive Director of the Institute for Clinical Excellence – Africa, a nonprofit dedicated to improving healthcare delivery. I also served as a Fellow of the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health. In 2021, I transitioned from corporate healthcare to global health consulting and to running The Wachira Group of companies. The group houses verticals in manufacturing, import & export, distribution, and Direct to Consumer.
Wachira Wines – the first Kenyan-American winery in the US., was sparked by my love of science and borne of a passion for pairing fine Californian wines with Kenyan cuisine. Wachira Wines are multi-medalists having garnered thirty-three (33) medals from wine competitions across the U.S. which include double golds, silver and bronze medals at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition – the largest competition of wines in North America.
SOKO Distributors – a Tier 1 supplier, WBENC & MBE certified, and the first black-owned and woman-owned distributor, importer, exporter, of wine, beer, and liquor licensed in California. Founded to be a market disruptor of the alcohol industry structure by funneling high quality underrepresented small, medium and large-scale producers into markets and grow their market share across the United States, while leveraging our Californian in-state footprint. We have a broad reach having served Delta Airlines at both SFO and LAX airports and 38 Total Wines & More across California. We are currently East African Breweries Limited (EABL) contracted importers of Tusker Beer into the U.S.
KARIBU by Wachira – the first black-owned and woman-owned winery tasting room in Alameda County and the greater San Francisco Bay area; located in downtown Alameda, CA. KARIBU serves as the home of Wachira Wines and a selection of award-winning BIPOC, women-owned, and locally crafted small batch wines. We offer a curated community-based tasting room where a diversity of great but underserved wineries are highlighted and celebrated. Our commitment to fostering diversity and equity is demonstrated in a diverse range of community engagement programs available Thursday through Sunday.
Whether you’re pivoting into purpose-driven entrepreneurship or leading change inside a complex organization, I offer the tools and mindset shifts to support purpose-driven entrepreneurship and organizational change with integrity and intention.
THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY!
