Innovation Under Pressure

Written By Tom Feeny

What if the pressure to innovate is actually the gift Africa needed?

As donor funding shifts, African health innovators face a critical question: adapt or disappear. In the first episode of Investing in Impact, recorded live at the IDIA Summit in Nairobi, host Moses Waweru sits down with Dr. Tonny Omwansa, Evelyn Gitau, and Yasmin Chandani to unpack how innovation is evolving under pressure.

The shift lies in creating solutions grounded in real-world demand, supported by sustainable systems, and designed for lasting adoption. From redefining innovation as “change that adds value,” to rethinking research as a pathway to market-ready solutions, the conversation challenges long-held assumptions.

The question was never where the funding comes from. It’s whether the value you create is compelling enough to attract it.

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In This Episode:

  • Why funding pressure may be Africa’s greatest innovation accelerator

  • How to reframe research as a pathway to market-ready solutions

  • What sustainable, demand-driven health innovation actually looks like

  • The mindset shifts separating innovators who adapt from those who disappear

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Meet the Guests

Tom Feeny
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