Meet Jackie Senkandwa

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jackie Senkandwa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jackie, how does your business help the community?
Africana Star contributes to the community and generates social impact by transforming high-quality technical artistry into formal, scalable business ownership.

Our impact is structured around the following pillars:

-Professionalization of Industry: We professionalize the hair artistry industry, specifically through our expert color and braiding services, to provide clear, scalable pathways to business ownership for our braiding camp graduates.

-Creating a Safe Space: We offer a dedicated safe space where community members receive professional care, fostering an environment of trust, stability, and authentic community engagement.

-Systemic Economic Empowerment: By integrating our professional hair services with the Financial Liberation Training Academy (FLTA), we provide a structured pipeline that transitions individuals—including women transitioning back into society from the prison system—from technical skill-readiness to long-term economic sovereignty

-Building Professional Infrastructure: Through our 10-Step Business Building Curriculum, we empower marginalized entrepreneurs with the professional tools and educational blueprint necessary to build sustainable wealth and generational change.

-Diversified Economic Pathways: We have expanded our business model to include e-commerce through the sale of apparel at africanastar.com, which provides further pathways for community members to engage with our brand and helps ensure the financial sustainability of our social mission.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Africana Star is a visionary organizational model committed to shifting communities from cultural expression to economic power. We operate at the intersection of professional hair artistry—specifically expert braiding and color services—and structural financial education, ensuring that talent is backed by the formal business infrastructure needed to scale.
What Sets Us Apart: We distinguish ourselves by rejecting traditional corporate metrics that prioritize short-term profit over people. Instead, we provide a “one-of-its-kind” incubator where our proprietary 10-Step Business Building Curriculum transforms high-level creative skills into formal, scalable business entities. By offering these services within a curated “safe space,” we foster a foundation of trust and stability that enables authentic community engagement—something traditional corporate advertising cannot replicate.
Our Journey and Overcoming Challenges: The road to where I am today was not easy, but it was deeply purposeful. Africana Star was born from my foundational work teaching financial literacy to women preparing for parole through the Financial Liberation Training Academy (FLTA). The Challenge: I quickly realized that teaching financial literacy alone was insufficient; our students lacked the professional pathways to apply that knowledge. The Solution: I overcame this by building a structured institutional pipeline that bridges the critical gap between incarceration and long-term business ownership. I turned these testing times into the character-building foundation of my leadership style, proving that resilience is a greater asset than traditional credentials.
Key Achievements and Growth: Over the past year, we have transitioned from early-stage professional memberships to high-impact institutional traction:
Partnerships: We are proud of our collaborations with ClassPass, Licensed to Grow, and our role as an official Airbnb hair service provider.
Expansion: We have successfully integrated retail, selling apparel at africanastar.com to further diversify our revenue and brand presence.
Lessons Learned and Our Message to the World: The most vital lesson I have learned is that you cannot simply teach literacy; you must build the economic sovereignty and structural pathways that allow that literacy to flourish. I want the world to know that Africana Star is not just a service business; it is a movement. We are proof that when you provide talented individuals with an educational blueprint and a safe space to grow, you don’t just create employees—you cultivate entrepreneurs who build sustainable community wealth for generations. I am most proud of my foundational work with FLTA in the prison system, as it remains the heart of why I started this business and the primary driver behind every service we offer today.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend is visiting, here is a curated itinerary showcasing five essential places in LA that balance relaxation, iconic history, and the heart of what I do:
-Africana Star: Of course, the visit isn’t complete without a hair spa day here. We specialize in professional color and braiding services, providing a calm, safe space that transforms technical artistry into a rejuvenating professional experience.
-La Brea Tar Pits and Museum: This is an absolute must-visit for a unique piece of Los Angeles history. It’s fascinating to see the active excavation sites in the middle of the city and explore the museum to learn about the prehistoric animals that once roamed our landscape.
-Santa Monica State Beach: The California coastline is deeply refreshing and calming. Taking a walk along this iconic stretch of beach is the best way to soak in the Pacific breeze and reset.
-Griffith Observatory: For the best views of the city and the Hollywood Sign, this is non-negotiable. It’s an iconic spot that captures the expansive, vibrant energy of Los Angeles.
-Grand Central Market: This is the best place to eat in the city. It brings together the culinary landscape of LA in one historic, bustling venue, making it the perfect spot to experience our city’s incredible food diversity.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
In sharing my story, I want to dedicate a special shoutout to the partners who have been instrumental in our growth, connection, and the professionalization of our services. These organizations have been vital to our journey of empowering the community:
Financial Liberation Training Academy (FLTA): I am deeply grateful for our partnership with FLTA, which has been the structural backbone of our mission. Together, we are bridging the gap between vocational skill-readiness and long-term economic sovereignty for women in transition with any proceeds from Africanastar.
ClassPass: I want to recognize ClassPass for providing a platform that has helped us reach a wider audience and validate our professional service model on a broader scale.
Licensed to Grow: We credit Licensed to Grow for their partnership, which has been essential in supporting our growth and professional development as a service-based business.
Airbnb: I am grateful for our collaboration with Airbnb, which has allowed us to serve as an official hair service provider and has been key to our operational traction and visibility. Each of these partners has played a crucial role in helping us move Africana Star from a vision into a repeatable, impactful model for community wealth. Their support allows us to continue providing our expert braiding and coloring services within a safe, professional space for our community members.

Website: https://africanastar.glossgenius.com/services

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africana_star?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-senkandwa-4140512b4/

Twitter: https://x.com/africanastar101

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587667176438&mibextid=wwXIfr

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/africana-star-los-angeles-3

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AfricanaStar

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@africana.star?_r=1&_t=ZT-92MZJqKvnDL

Image Credits
Africanastar Sola Salon