Samuel Kihara Kamau

I’m Samuel Kihara, a Product and Technology Leader with over 9 years of experience building impactful digital products across fintech, edtech, and SaaS. My career has been defined by a deep commitment to solving real-world problems through technology—whether enabling small businesses to access financing, streamlining digital payments, or improving learning outcomes in underserved communities.

I specialize in end-to-end product development, from strategy and research through to launch, iteration, and growth. I've successfully led cross-functional teams, worked across continents, and built systems used by thousands of customers. My approach is grounded in data, driven by empathy, and aligned with business goals. I bring a strong technical background (Python, AWS, infrastructure as code, React, CI/CD pipelines), which helps me effectively collaborate with engineering teams and ensure feasibility at every product stage.

At Powered by People, I led the development of a payments and credit platform that improved buyer repayment rates from 40% to 99% by integrating secure APIs, automation, and strategic UX improvements. At Aspira, I helped scale digital lending products, introduced customer onboarding flows, and delivered core features like M-Pesa checkout and real-time KYC validation.

Currently, I serve as CTO at Kuze, an AI-powered edtech startup serving students in low-resource settings. I’ve unified fragmented ML systems, built automated deployment pipelines, and launched the MVP for a platform designed to personalize learning for thousands of students across Kenya.

In addition to my product and engineering work, I co-founded Studio Facelift, a physical products company and maker community that pioneered Kenya’s first craft café. This entrepreneurial experience honed my operational, customer engagement, and team-building skills in a hands-on, design-driven environment.

I’m passionate about working with startups and mission-driven teams building bold, future-focused solutions. Whether it's redefining how financial services work for SMEs or using AI to support teachers and learners, I bring energy, ownership, and a can-do mindset to every project.

I’m currently open to freelance or contract opportunities in product management, technical product leadership, and platform strategy—especially where innovation, user impact, and systems thinking are key.

Let’s build something meaningful.