Executive leaders often build their reputations on public stages, but the mechanics of running cross-border enterprises usually come from people working out of public view. When Janet Cherono stepped back from more than a decade in executive support at USAID to cofound AfriqueU, she carried those operational fundamentals directly into executive leadership. Now helping scale a pan-African sports and education venture, she argues that moving into cross-border leadership is less about leaving basic administrative work behind and more about applying operational discipline to higher-level strategy.
The Operational Roots of Strategic Leadership
Early in her career, Cherono focused on logistics, records management, travel protocol, and stakeholder communications across various African markets. That behind-the-scenes perspective gave her a clear look at how large international development initiatives functioned, along with their persistent shortcomings. While development aid brought substantial resources, funding cycles frequently expired, leaving local communities without durable local systems. As Cherono explains, “I was learning how organizations function, how systems succeed, why they fail, and how much meaningful change depends on the people working behind the scenes.”
Working alongside initiatives like Prosper Africa and Power Africa shifted her view on how economic growth takes root. Instead of viewing development through the lens of ongoing assistance, she began focusing on the role of trade, local enterprise, and institutional capacity. The administrative tasks she handled daily turned out to be the direct preparation needed for building an early-stage company. “Logistics taught me how to solve problems under pressure,” Cherono recalls. “Records management taught me the discipline of systems and accountability, and supporting human resources taught me that institutions are built by people, not policies.”
Dismantling Mindset Barriers in Executive Roles
Making the shift to building AfriqueU forced Cherono to rethink traditional assumptions about who makes critical business decisions. In many corporate environments, people in support roles assume strategic direction belongs strictly to those holding senior titles. Overcoming that perception required recognizing that operational fluency provides the exact context needed for sound commercial choices. On this shift, Cherono notes, “I had to change my mindset to know that, from behind my desk starting from the operational level, I see what it actually takes to make the big decisions in organizations.”
Rather than treating her transition as a break from her past, she treats execution skills as the bedrock of cross-border expansion. Handling budgets, drafting partnership agreements, and setting up internal controls all draw directly on her background in administration. She points out that the real challenge was stepping into accountability while keeping her focus on detail intact. “I do not disconnect from where I started at the operational level,” Cherono says. “I just bring a different mindset, knowing that what I do is important, and it is what will lead to achieving the results that need to be achieved.”
Ground Realities Versus Policy on Paper
Managing a multi-country organization across Africa presents practical obstacles that established government systems rarely account for. While regional agreements like the African Continental Free Trade Area exist to simplify trade between countries, daily operations on the ground tell a different story. Cherono notes that crossing borders and establishing trust requires direct community involvement rather than reliance on high-level treaties alone. “Nothing is as it appears on paper most of the time,” Cherono explains. “If I go to a village in Africa within our communities here, people don’t necessarily know what AfCFTA is, so there is that aspect of really being inclusive, going there with a listening ear, and incorporating the local communities.”
This gap between policy and practice means early-stage leaders must remain adaptable rather than rigid. At AfriqueU, expanding into countries like Senegal requires researching local preferences and developing agreements that respect existing community customs. Without that local buy-in, even well-funded initiatives struggle to gain traction across borders. Cherono emphasizes that succeeding across borders requires listening to people on the ground and building partnerships as you go, rather than assuming an open door based on formal trade pacts.
Building Enduring Systems for Regional Growth
AfriqueU uses athletic development not merely for entertainment, but as an entry point for education, mentorship, and local economic progress. Raw athletic talent is widely available across the continent, yet structured pathways to develop that talent remain scarce. By establishing operational frameworks and governance across borders, Cherono aims to link sports with long-term commercial sustainability. “Business does not exist in opposition to systems and social development,” Cherono says. “Business can be social development.”
That long-term view also extends to supporting women who run grassroots businesses, who often handle trade across borders with minimal formal backing. For Cherono, the goal is to build self-sustaining African institutions that connect talent, education, and investment without requiring young people to leave their home countries. Sustainable progress ultimately depends on systems that keep operating well after the original founders step aside. “Africa’s greatest resource is its people, and among those people are millions of entrepreneurs creating solutions every single day,” Cherono concludes. “Do not underestimate the value of your experience, because the woman taking notes in the meeting may eventually help shape the agenda.”
Follow Janet Cherono on LinkedIn for more insights on pan-African business operations, cross-border leadership, and scaling sports and education ventures across Africa.
