Nathan Loyd Ndungu on Rebuilding After Losing Everything in Rwanda

Nathan Loyd Ndungu has worked across real estate, international trade, and agriculture for over 30 years, building businesses in Rwanda, Kenya, and the United States. After losing his real estate firm to economic shifts in the late 1990s, he founded an avocado export company that became one of Kenya’s top ten exporters to Europe and the Middle East.

Nathan Loyd Ndungu has spent three decades building businesses across continents. From real estate in Rwanda to avocado exports in Kenya, he has learned that the hardest moments often teach the most. His work now centers on ethical trade, sustainable agriculture, and helping entrepreneurs navigate international markets without losing their values.

Nathan Loyd Ndungu is the founder of Avoveg Health Kenya Ltd. and Avoveg Health LLC, an avocado export company that ranks among Kenya’s top ten exporters to Europe and the Middle East. He holds a business degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, and recently launched Loyd Global Consulting to advise entrepreneurs on global trade and ethical growth strategies.

How did you first get into international business?

I grew up around business and trade. That early exposure shaped how I think about commerce. After earning my degree from the University of Maryland, I worked in real estate, international trade, and agriculture. Each role gave me insight into global systems, what works, what doesn’t, and how small changes can ripple across an entire operation. I didn’t set out to build an international business. I just followed the work, and it took me across borders.

You launched DN International, a real estate firm in Rwanda, in the late 1990s. What did that teach you?

DN International worked with major clients like UNICEF, the U.S. Embassy, and Coca-Cola. The business grew fast. But economic shifts and project delays caused financial strain. At one point, I thought I had lost everything. That failure shaped me more than any success. It taught me that losing money doesn’t mean losing your mission. The setback forced me to rethink what I was building and why. It led me into agribusiness, which redefined my purpose entirely.

What do people consistently get wrong about your work?

They think exporting avocados is just logistics and pricing. But we’re not just moving product. We’re building a model that pays farmers fairly, protects the environment, and makes global trade more human. The numbers matter, but they’re not the story. The story is whether the people who grow the food can send their kids to school, whether the land is healthier in ten years, whether the trade benefits both ends of the supply chain. That’s what people miss.

I didn’t learn how to pivot from a textbook. I learned it from facing hard times and choosing not to quit.

How does Avoveg train small-scale farmers, and what changes when you pay above-market rates?

We train farmers on sustainable practices that improve long-term land health. That includes crop rotation, organic inputs, and water management. When you pay above-market rates, everything shifts. Farmers can invest in better tools, better seeds, better care. They’re not scrambling to survive the next season. They’re planning for the next five years. It’s a slow shift, but it’s powerful. You see it in the quality of the fruit, the stability of the supply, and the trust between the farmer and the buyer.

What was the biggest mistake you made in your first decade in business?

I thought growth alone was a sign of success. I chased scale without asking whether the foundation was solid. When the economy shifted, the whole structure fell apart. I should have built slower, with more attention to risk and resilience. But I also don’t regret it entirely. That mistake forced me to rebuild with better instincts. I now know what a sustainable business feels like, and it doesn’t feel like rushing.

Is there a mistake you’d let a newcomer make anyway?

Taking on a project that’s a little too ambitious. You learn more from stretching than from playing it safe. As long as the risk won’t destroy you, it’s worth it. The key is knowing the difference between a stretch and a gamble. A stretch teaches you what you’re capable of. A gamble just burns resources.

Failure is feedback. If you listen to it, it will make you better.

You wrote a book called My Successful Failures. What’s the most important lesson in it?

That failure is not final. It’s part of the process. The book doesn’t offer shortcuts or perfect answers. It offers stories about what it takes to build something meaningful. Every chapter comes from a real moment where I got it wrong, and then had to figure out what came next. The lesson is that you don’t have to have all the answers. You just have to keep moving forward with integrity.

What actually improved your work in the last five years?

Bringing in people who know more than I do in their areas. I used to think I had to control everything. Now I hire for expertise and trust them to lead. That shift freed me to focus on strategy and relationships instead of micromanaging operations. It also made the business more resilient. If I’m not the bottleneck, the whole system runs smoother.

What’s overrated in international trade right now?

Speed. Everyone wants faster turnaround, faster shipping, faster deals. But speed without trust breaks down. If you don’t take the time to build real relationships with your suppliers, your buyers, your logistics partners, you’ll hit a wall the moment something goes wrong. And something always goes wrong. The businesses that last are the ones that invest in trust, even when it’s slower.

How does faith shape the way you run your businesses?

Faith keeps me grounded. I’ve been through setbacks that would have broken me without God’s guidance. My favorite verse is Proverbs 3:5-6. It reminds me to trust in the bigger picture, especially when I can’t see the next step clearly. I bring that mindset into every decision. Business is not just a way to earn. It’s a way to serve. If my work doesn’t reflect that, I’m off course.

Business must be about impact. If it only serves your pocket, it won’t last. But if it serves people, it can change lives.

You recently launched Loyd Global Consulting. What gap are you trying to fill?

Too many businesses have potential but no strategy for international markets. They know their product, but they don’t know how to manage risk, navigate regulations, or build ethical partnerships across borders. I want to give them tools that actually work, because I’ve lived it. The consulting covers global trade, risk management, ethical growth strategies, and leadership development. It’s all based on firsthand experience, not theory.

What would you tell someone starting an export business in Africa today?

Know your farmers. Know your buyers. Don’t treat either as a transaction. The best deals come from relationships where both sides win. Also, plan for delays. Infrastructure, weather, and paperwork will all take longer than you expect. Build that into your timeline and your cash flow. And don’t chase every opportunity. Focus on one product, one region, one supply chain, and do it right before you expand.

What stays true in global trade ten years from now?

Relationships. Technology will change. Markets will shift. But the businesses that last are the ones built on trust. If you pay people fairly, deliver what you promise, and treat your partners like partners, you’ll still be in business. Everything else is just noise.