The Opportunity to Grow, an Ode to Ashley
22 September 2026
“When I met Ashley for the first time, she was looking to work for us at The Opportunity Factory when it was first created. My first impressions of Ashley? Young, funny and talented.” — Moshi, Operations Director, Sandstorm Kenya
As Sandstorm Kenya celebrates 24 years in business, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the people who have helped make the journey what it is.
Because behind every collection, every store, every customer and every story is a team of people who bring Sandstorm to life.
This month, we’re celebrating Ashley Jechumba.
Ashley’s Sandstorm story began with ambition.
She reached out directly to then-CEO Mark Stephenson, pitching herself a place within the team. She started her journey as a Marketing Assistant, bringing with her curiosity, determination and a clear sense that she wanted to learn, contribute and grow.
That opportunity became the beginning of a journey that continues to inspire us today.
From Marketing Assistant to Marketing Manager
Ashley has always been a student of business, pursuing her studies alongside her role at Sandstorm. Balancing work, education and everything that comes with being a young professional takes discipline, resilience and a tremendous amount of drive.
Ashley has managed to do exactly that, with grace and tenacity.
One year ago, she was promoted from Marketing Assistant to Marketing Manager, taking on greater responsibility within the business as part of the new Sandstorm led by CEO Shem Omondi.
It is a promotion that reflects not only the work she has delivered, but the growth we have watched in her over the years.
At Sandstorm, we believe that our people are our greatest opportunity. We believe in identifying talent, investing in it and creating space for people to develop their careers from within.
We want our people to know that if they have the ambition, the ideas and the commitment, there is an opportunity to grow.
Ashley is testament to that commitment.
Building The Opportunity Factory and Sandstorm
Ashley’s journey is deeply connected to The Opportunity Factory, Sandstorm’s commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for young people to learn, grow and build careers.
It was where Ashley began her Sandstorm journey, where she helped build the brand from the ground up, gaining the experience, confidence and exposure that would later help her step into the world of brand and marketing.
Her progression from The Opportunity Factory is a powerful reflection of what happens when ambition meets opportunity. It is also a reminder of what we hope to create for others: a place where young Kenyans can discover their potential, develop their skills and see a future they can build for themselves.
Over the years, she has helped build our digital presence and ultimately took full ownership of our digital marketing strategy.
She was also part of the team behind one of Sandstorm’s biggest and boldest print collaborations to date — the ENDO collection — helping bring an ambitious creative vision to life.
These are significant milestones for any marketer. For Ashley, they are chapters in a much bigger story.
There is something particularly special about watching someone grow alongside a business.
When Ashley first walked through our doors, she was a young woman with big dreams and the ambition to make something of herself.
Today, she is a Marketing Manager with years of experience behind her, a growing understanding of the business and an increasingly important voice in the future of the brand.
And yet, perhaps the most exciting part is that her story is still being written.
Sandstorm is a Kenyan company, born here and built over 24 years by people who care deeply about what we make and the community we are part of.
We handcraft quality leather and canvas bags here in Kenya. But what makes Sandstorm special goes beyond the products.
It is the people behind them.
There is a long-standing Sandstorm tradition of naming some of our bags after the people who have been part of our journey. It is a small but meaningful way of recognising the individuals who have helped shape the brand over the years.
And Ashley has her own place in that tradition: the Ashley Tote.
Having a bag carry her name is more than just a name on a product. It is a reminder that the people who build Sandstorm become part of its story — their ideas, their work and their journeys becoming woven into the brand itself.
Because what makes Sandstorm special goes beyond the products.
It is the opportunity.
The opportunity to learn.
The opportunity to take on responsibility.
The opportunity to pitch an idea.
The opportunity to grow into a role you may not have imagined for yourself when you first walked through the door.
Ashley was brave enough to create that opportunity for herself, and Sandstorm was proud to give her the space to pursue it.
24 years of Sandstorm, and the people behind it
As we celebrate 24 years of Sandstorm, we’re choosing to celebrate the people who have made those years possible.
People who have joined us at different stages of their careers.
People who have grown with us.
People who have challenged us.
People who have brought their ideas, energy and ambition to the business.
Ashley is one of those people.
We have watched her thrive, develop and blossom into the extraordinary young woman and marketing professional she is today.
So, Ashley, thank you.
Thank you for believing in yourself enough to knock on our door.
Thank you for the ambition you brought with you.
Thank you for the work you have put in.
And thank you for helping build the brands and stories that make Sandstorm what it is today.
Here’s to you, Ashley Jechumba, and to many more years of growing, leading, creating and making your MARK in MARKeting.
Happy 24 years of Sandstorm.
We’re celebrating our people. We’re celebrating their journeys. And most importantly, we’re celebrating the opportunities still to come.
Written by Yasmine @ Sandstorm
