What if funding constraints aren't a crisis — but a catalyst?

In this debut episode of Investing in Impact, host Moses Waweru sits down with Dr. Tonny Omwansa, Evelyn Gitau, and Yasmin Chandani at the IDIA Summit in Nairobi to explore a provocative idea: that the shift in donor funding may be exactly the pressure African health innovation needed to grow up.

Together, they unpack what it really means to innovate in today's landscape, moving beyond buzzwords to a grounded definition of innovation as "change that adds value." The conversation digs into how researchers and health innovators must rethink their role, not just as problem-solvers, but as architects of solutions designed for real-world demand, sustainable systems, and lasting adoption.

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

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

Recorded at the IDIA Summit, Nairobi.