About me
I was born and raised in the Netherlands to Nigerian parents. I attended the IBMYP program in the Netherlands before moving to the United States at age 16, where I completed high school via the IBDP program. I returned to my country of birth when I was 19 to obtain my Bachelor's Degree in International Bachelor Economics and Business Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam and then to Denmark for my Master's Degree in Sports and Event Management, Economics and Business Administration.
It was during my Master's studies, and after reading Jason Saul's great book "The End of Fundraising: How to Raise More by Selling Your Impact", that I discovered my interest in economic empowerment and community development. These areas happened to be the perfect mixture between my interests and my academic expertise, which is why I decided to work in the nonprofit sector.
Languages
English: Mother Tongue
Dutch: Mother Tongue
Spanish: Fluent
Danish: Elementary proficiency
Education
Master's Degree MSc Economics and Business Administration — Sports and Event Management @ University of Southern Denmark, Campus Esbjerg.
Bachelor's Degree BSc International Bachelor Economics and Business Economics @ Erasmus University Rotterdam. Graduated Summa Cum Laude.
Exchange Program for 5 months at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in Madrid, Spain.
Experience
Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder of Demeter's Developments LLC (12/2020 - Present)
I'm the Chief Operating Officer (COO) & Co-founder of Demeter's Developments LLC, a real estate development company that I run together with my fiancée.
Our mission is to help low-income households achieve their dream of homeownership and reduce their housing cost burden.
We use our rent-to-own program, Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), and public-private partnerships to achieve this.
But above all, our mission is to prove that one can do well by doing good; that is, one can serve the best interests of the community and make money.
Research & Development Coordinator at The North End Community Improvement Collaborative (11/2018 - 03/2021)
After a year of being an AmeriCorps VISTA at NECIC, I transitioned into the role of Research and Development Coordinator.
I was responsible for researching innovative approaches, identifying best practices, and developing methods to improve the overall quality of our program and fiscal performance. I also taught the Microbusiness Development Course and was a Certified Business Advisor (CBA).
AmeriCorps VISTA at The North End Community Improvement Collaborative (11/2017 - 11/2018)
This experience was, of course, the inspiration for the book I wrote, so make sure to buy a copy of it!
Writer & Podcast Host at Black & White & Read All Over (01/2014 - Present)
I write articles for the "Black & White & Read All Over" website (BWRAO) about all things related to Juventus FC. I'm also a podcast host for the Old Lady Speaks Podcast. I started writing regular posts in 2016 but wrote various guest posts in 2014.
My biggest contribution is my monthly column called "Monthly Juventus Thoughts". In 2017, our blog received over 3 million page views.
Event Organizer for Techstars Startup Weekend Mansfield (03/2018 - 09/2018)
I was part of the Organizing Committee for the very first Startup Weekend Mansfield event. This is a 54-hour event in which participants pitch business ideas, work on them in teams over the weekend, and eventually present a prototype to a panel of judges in order to win prizes.
I helped arrange food, coffee, and drinks for the event. I also helped with marketing and outreach, including writing blog posts for local media and doing community outreach to encourage people to attend.