Kenes Rakishev: It’s an honourable obligation to support people in hard times

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Being a successful businessmen does not mean that earning money is a single top priority. Once you succeed in business and feel that some energy is still left then you can develop some other activities. The life of Kenes Rakishev, venture capitalist, philanthropist and innovator proves the point. He has a wide field of business interests including IT, telecom and venture projects.

Kenes Rakishev: it is a nation’s obligation to support vulnerable people

Businessmen are quite naturally good candidates for implementing the national-level social initiatives. They have good management skills, they have experience with human resources, business talks and organizing. Since 2014 Kenes Rakishev is the head of Council of development of young entrepreneurs. With help of the Council Kazakhstan’s startup companies get their funding. International reputation of Kazakhstan and social development depends on it. Sport is also an important direction. Kenes Rakishev’s holding company funds football and boxing championships. Kenes Rakishev was a president of Judo Federation of Kazakhstan. Now he is the head of Boxing Federation.

Saby fund – the charity founded by Kenes Rakishev and his wife Aselle Tasmagambetova

Aselle Tasmagambetova and Kenes Rakishev
Aselle Tasmagambetova and Kenes Rakishev

The oldest privately founded charity of Kazakhstan, Saby, has successfully a dozen of socially important projects. Kenes Rakishev and Aselle Tasmagambetova’s Saby fund, which begun operating in 2002, was initially focused on helping orphans and orphanages. Saby’s charity portfolio since then is growing. 18 years later Saby is a major charity in Kazakhstan. It supports disabled people, healthcare and many other activities.

Among the major projects of Aselle Tasmagambetova and Kenes Rakishev are:

  • Invataxi – a project in line with “Decent life for people with disabilities” direction. Twenty Kazakhstan cities got 62 disabled-friendly taxi cabs.
  • Constructing and fully equipping the centres for emergency paediatric surgery. The centres in Semey and Almaty were built. Aqtau centre is under construction. The modern equipment is set and healthcare workers got additional education.
  • “Build your business” is a contest of young entrepreneurs who compete for free financial support. All what is needed to get in is to make a 2-minute clip and post it with the appropriate hashtag. It is very popular challenge in Kazakhstan.
  • Saby fund built a gymnasium in Akzhar town for 1200 pupils
    Judo Academy in Almaty is world-class sporting centre. This is a national team training arena as well as free classes for children.
Kenes Rakishev, Aselle Tasmagambetova
Kenes Rakishev, Aselle Tasmagambetova, friends, partners and supporters

Kenes Rakishev considers socially important projects as a logical extension of the any responsible businessman in Kazakhstan. Businessmen have the expertise that is in great demand in the society.


By: Nicholas de Kramer

Nicholas de Krammer, а self-taught economic analytic with heave mathematical background. Math behind the economics (and economics behind math) is the strong side of the author. Contact him at nicholas.dekramer@economicinform.com

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