At Koa Academy Kenya, our team is focused on creating an academically robust, engaging and supportive online school experience – to give your child an education that sets them up for a successful future.
Meet the people who help make that possible.
Lauren co-founded Koa Academy in South Africa and leads our work across both countries. She has led Koa to be one of South Africa’s most trusted online schools, known for strong academics, supportive teachers, and a real sense of community. She brings this same commitment to Kenya, ensuring that Koa Kenya delivers a high-quality, internationally recognised education that is personalised and connected.
Mark leads academics at Koa Academy and oversees our teaching staff. With extensive experience in education – in both physical and online schools – he ensures that learning at Koa is rigorous and purpose-built for the online environment. Mark guides our approach to future-ready learning, helping students build the skills they need for university and life beyond school.
Catherine is a Kenyan local based in Nairobi. She supports families through every step of the journey – from exploring Koa Academy and understanding our academic offering to learning how online schooling works.
As an experienced educator, she helps ensure that Koa’s model fits well in the Kenyan context. She works closely with our teaching and operations teams to create a smooth, supportive experience for both students and parents.
Faure is the Head of Merchandising, Promotions, & Catalogue at Takealot. He is responsible for onsite marketing, product merchandising, and promotional campaigns, ensuring customers have a seamless and engaging shopping experience. He has been at Takealot for over six years, helping bring e-commerce to millions of South Africans.
Before that, he worked at a tech start-up developing proof-of-concept grocery shopping and payment apps and began his career as an investment analyst, gaining a strong foundation in business understanding and financial modelling.
Sandras is the founder and CEO of Pranary. With his expertise in entrepreneurship, innovation, and tech education, he helps business leaders unlock new potential with AI. He is building a pan-African institute for practical tech and business education.
With global experience across 50+ countries, he has worked with entrepreneurs, led gender-lens investing initiatives, and lectured at top universities. Sandras has also shared stages with tech leaders, including Facebook and Asana co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and YouTube co-founder Steve Chen.
Sasha Knott, an EY winning woman, is the Global CEO of Crystal AI and the CEO of Job Crystal. A visionary in the recruitment space, she is revolutionising hiring by integrating AI and technology to make recruitment faster, smarter and more effective. She co-founded Job Crystal to help businesses find top talent efficiently and led the development of Crystal AI, an AI-driven recruiter transforming the hiring landscape.
Majozi, Koa’s Head of Arts and Culture, is an award-winning South African musician. He rose to prominence in 2013 when he released his first EP, ‘Marvelous Light’. The track went to number 9 on the South African iTunes chart and resulted in him being signed with Universal Music South Africa. He has worked with internationally acclaimed artists such as The Lumineers and Mango Groove.
