As part of the African Women Investing in Healthcare (AWIIH) program at Villgro Africa, founders are given the opportunity to be mentored by key players in the sector who can guide and encourage their business growth and impact.
The healthcare business mentorship relationship between Dr. Millicent Wanjeri, Africa Breast Cancer Ambition (ABCA) Digital & Data Lead at Roche, and Judith Oketch, founder of Ambulex, shows how this type of relationship can spark growth, clarity, and impact in Kenya’s health innovation space.
Dr. Millicent first heard about Villgro Africa around 2014 when a startup she volunteered with received a grant from the organization. She admired Villgro’s commitment to supporting women founders and early-stage health innovations. Years later, after speaking at a conference about women accelerator programs, she reconnected with the Villgro team and eventually joined its mentorship pool, a role that perfectly aligned with her expertise and passion for nurturing African startups.
Although trained as a medical doctor, Dr. Millicent has built her career at the intersection of medicine, business, and technology. Since 2014, she has worked with tech companies to digitize healthcare systems and expand access to care. Now at Roche, she leads work on digital health and data-driven access to care for breast cancer patients across Africa, exploring how technology can improve patient journeys and attract investment into the healthcare space. Her experience made her an invaluable mentor for Ambulex, a women-led startup providing emergency medical services across Kenya.
For Judith, the vision for Ambulex was born from a painful personal experience. “I witnessed a woman who had been stabbed, and I couldn’t get an ambulance in time,” she recalls. “That moment made me realize how fragile our emergency response systems are.” Today, Ambulex works with more than 400 hospitals and 240 ambulances, connecting hospital, county, and private providers to make emergency care more accessible, especially for low-income families.
Judith first connected with Villgro in 2021 and later joined the African Women Innovating in Healthcare (AWIIH) incubation program in 2023, where she met Dr. Millicent. “When we met, she listened to me, saw my vision, identified my needs, and guided me to come up with a plan,” Judith says. That meeting marked the start of a mentorship grounded in curiosity and collaboration.
“Dr. Millicent is very hands-on,” Judith explains. “She never did things for me; she guided me. I had the vision but struggled to put it on paper. With her help, I was finally able to turn that vision into a clear strategy.” Together, they refined Ambulex’s 2025 strategy and strengthened the alignment between Judith, her team, and the board. One of the most significant outcomes, Dr. Millicent notes, was helping Judith build a capable team to support her as CEO and lead implementation.
The results came quickly. “She helped me look at Ambulex from a 360-degree view,” Judith says. “We’ve since expanded our community health strategy to 12 counties. Once we finalize our MOUs, we’ll engage community health providers, reaching about 2.8 million households. The mentorship helped us plan and execute that expansion.”
For Dr. Millicent, mentoring Judith was also personally rewarding. “Mentoring often mirrors your own journey. I saw parts of myself in Judith, and it reminded me how far I’ve come and how much more we can do.”
Both believe mentorship is indispensable for innovation. “Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation,” says Dr. Millicent. “Mentorship opens doors, provides perspective, and connects founders to the networks they need. It helps them build businesses that balance impact and sustainability.” Judith adds, “You need someone who understands the journey, who prepares you for anything. Failing just means you learned something.”
Their partnership shows how healthcare business mentorship multiplies impact. As Judith and Ambulex expand access to emergency care, Dr. Millicent continues to empower founders, ensuring that knowledge and inspiration flow beyond a single conversation. “Seeing people move from point A to point B, seeing ideas turn into action, that’s the most rewarding part of mentorship,” says Dr. Millicent. Judith smiles and agrees, “She wants us to succeed as much as I do. That makes all the difference.”