How many of us can say we truly understand our purpose and have the courage to pursue it fully? For Dissi Obanda, that clarity came early. And with it, a deep responsibility to act.

A Lawyer by training and an “architect of social solutions” by calling, Dissi is the Team Lead at The Lawdown Africa, a digital platform under Jurabox Limited focused on mentorship and access to legal information. But her work goes far beyond titles, it is rooted in a relentless drive to identify gaps and fill them.

“Every corner that you will find me, I will be seeing gaps and unboxing them, creating programs or opportunities or resources or content to fill in those gaps.”

A leader shaped by purpose and practice

Dissi’s leadership journey didn’t begin in boardrooms it started early. From being a school prefect to a deputy school captain, to mentoring peers in moot courts and leading initiatives in university and beyond, leadership has been a constant thread in her life.

“It has been a lifetime of leadership, I have consistently been a leader.”

But what stands out is not just the positions she has held, it’s how she has led. Even as a student, she embodied the principle of “leave no one behind,” teaching others what she had just learned to ensure collective growth.

Today, that same philosophy fuels initiatives like the Kenya Law Career Fair, a platform she founded to bridge the mentorship gap between experienced lawyers and the next generation.

Bridging the gap between law and the people

At the heart of Dissi’s work is a bold and necessary question: Who really has access to justice?

Her experience and research have exposed a critical disconnect between the law as it exists, and the people it is meant to serve.

“The law is in tons and tons of books and 90% of the people do not know. They don’t know where to find it, and yet it applies to them,” she added.

Through The Lawdown Africa and her broader work at Jurabox, she is working to “unbox” the law making it accessible, understandable, and relevant both to young lawyers and to everyday citizens.

The shift that changed everything: ‘I am the product’

While Dissi has always leaned into servant leadership, one mindset shift has fundamentally changed how she shows up.

“It is the self-belief that I am what people are looking at. Not necessarily what I am selling but the way I carry myself, the conviction I have.”

Owning her voice, her presence, and her story has given her a new level of confidence, especially when mobilizing people, resources, and opportunities. Alongside this, her faith plays a central role in grounding her leadership.

Navigating self-doubt, burnout, and the weight of doing things differently

Dissi’s journey has not been without challenges. One of the most persistent has been self-doubt, especially as someone forging a non-linear path.

“I do not know someone who's gone ahead of me and done things exactly as I have done them, so there are times when I feel like I am swimming in the deep.”

Her career has spanned law, digital marketing leadership, pro bono justice work in underserved communities, and entrepreneurship often without clear templates to follow. Layered onto this is burnout, a reality she speaks about candidly.

Her response? A conscious shift toward focus, balance, and self-awareness through therapy, rest, movement, and intentional living.

What she would tell her younger self

Looking back, Dissi’s message to her 25-year-old self is both grounding and affirming: “Do not doubt yourself, you are a born leader, don’t put your crown aside.”

Give to gain

For Dissi, “give to gain” is her lived reality. From funding her own pro bono work in Turkana, to mentoring young women, to creating platforms for others to thrive, her leadership is deeply rooted in giving.

She is not waiting for systems to change, she is creating them.

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