Thunderbird at ASU grad brings global vision to the future of education
Anitah Murungi. Photo by Thunderbird School of Global Management
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2026 graduates.
Anitah Murungi will tell you that everything comes down to positioning.
“In business, it is about identifying a need and positioning yourself to provide solutions,” she said. “When that idea is clear, there is so much that can be achieved.”
It is a framework she arrived at back home in Rwanda, watching her country work to claim its place on the global stage after everything it had endured. This personal purpose has continued to guide her, and it's what brought her to Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.
The decision to pursue a Master of Global Management was easy.
“Thunderbird’s charter of bringing the world together did not feel like marketing,” she said. “It felt like a promise that I could study business without sacrificing my identity or worrying about belonging.”
During her time in the program, Murungi put that mission to work. As an AI innovation intern with the ASU AI Acceleration team, she helped institutions adopt emerging technologies. She also took on a leadership role in Thunderbird's Africa Business Club, building community and connection around the continent she calls home.
Her most personal contribution, however, may be the work she did with ASU SolarSPELL. The initiative — a solar-powered offline digital library that brings educational resources to communities without reliable internet access — operates in 16 regions globally and was named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2025. The device generates its own WiFi hot spot, allowing any smartphone, tablet or laptop to connect freely without data or electricity.
When SolarSPELL partnered with the Kula Project to bring libraries to female coffee farmers in Rwanda, Murungi was a natural fit for the project. Having worked with coffee farming communities in Rwanda before arriving at ASU, she understood the landscape, challenges and the relevant resources on the ground.
She helped develop a digital training course on the library to teach entrepreneurship skills, and she worked to ensure farmers had access to locally relevant content on regenerative agriculture and small business management.
“Anitah has taken on a role that goes well beyond what we typically expect from an intern,” said Rachel Nova, senior program manager for SolarSPELL. “She is successfully tackling the creative work of designing an interactive course for women coffee farmers in Rwanda, while simultaneously managing partner communications. Her ability to combine creativity, technical skill and project management, while drawing on her own lived context, makes her work especially impactful.”
Laura Hosman, co-founder and co-director of SolarSPELL and an associate professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, echoed that praise.
“We truly felt like we hit the jackpot when Anitah joined our team,” Hosman said. “Her diverse range of skills and uniquely relevant experience has made her a vital part of our work with Kula Project. Thanks to her, Rwandan coffee farmers will soon have access to high-quality digital courses to help them improve their cultivation and entrepreneurship skills — all offline.”
After graduation, Murungi looks to continue her work to uplift communities through technology and education.
"Don't put a cap on your definition of learning," Murungi said, passing along the advice a friend gave her when she first arrived, "and it will be the most amazing journey."
Here, she shares more about her ASU journey.
Question: What motivated you to choose Thunderbird?
Answer: The first reason was the diversity. Their charter of bringing the world together did not feel like marketing to me. It felt like a promise that I could study business without sacrificing my identity or worrying about belonging. Then when I saw the capstone, the Global Challenge Lab, it resonated with me because it reflected what a final project should be in practice, not just theory. I would do it all over again.
Q: What motivates or inspires you?
A: I am both inspired and motivated by the idea of shifting boundaries in the things I do. I am inspired by the idea of becoming someone who can create opportunities for others, especially through education and community impact. Being where I am today, with the opportunities I have had, I feel like that has to extend beyond me at some point. What motivates me is more internal and ongoing. It is this idea that there is a version of me tomorrow that will be thankful for what I choose to do today.
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At the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Anitah Murungi was part of the leadership of the Africa Business Club and had an opportunity to connect with students from her home continent.
Photo by Thunderbird School of Global Management
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Thunderbird classmates with Anitah Murungi at the end of one of their core strategy courses.
Photo by Thunderbird School of Global Management
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Anitah Murungi participated as a panelist for the "She Chose to Rise Anthology" event, sharing her perspective on empowerment of women.
Photo by Thunderbird School of Global Management
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The Africa Business Club celebrates Black History Month.
Photo by Thunderbird School of Global Management
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Anitah Murungi leads the AI innovation interns team for ASU AI Day.
Photo by Thunderbird School of Global Management
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Anitah Murungi with the Africa Business Club during a community-building event, one of the many events and activities during the school year.
Photo by Thunderbird School of Global Management
Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?
A: I would invest it in education infrastructure that actually works. I have seen the challenges surrounding education in developing countries, especially curricula that produce graduates who are not equipped for modern challenges while we continue expecting different results. I want to contribute to changing that narrative by bridging existing gaps and creating capable leaders for the future.
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