MY STORY

Hi there, My name is Wonuola Okoye and I help startups build business models that are scaleable and repeatable.

My journey as an entrepreneur was born out of my need to be thrifty!! I loved vintage clothes so I started sourcing them from all over the world to resell in Lagos-I started my first business – a super cool vintage retailer called Lagos Look. However, the retail industry was very informal and reaching customers was challenging. After selling from home for some time-, I realized that I needed  a more professional low cost, high impact platform to reach my customers. This inspired the launch of my second business – Le Petit Marche (LPM) – Nigeria’s premier monthly retail platform. LPM was a great success for 5 years and launched and propelled numerous Fashion Designers and beauty entrepreneurs into the industry. Unfortunately I didn’t differentiate LPM from other similar platforms so younger, better and more exciting “LPM”s popped up – I had failed to grow with my audience.

As an entrepreneur it is important to know when to pivot and reinvent your idea while listening to your target market. I’ve since then been co founder of 2 multi brand retail platforms one of which – MeiDei Retail Group – has become Nigeria’s foremost Department store.

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I LOVE startups, I really do. I love new businesses and I enjoy the excitement and enthusiasm that entrepreneurs bring when they discover a new idea or product; This is why I started Big StartUp in 2015. Having been an entrepreneur for 9 years people naturally gravitated towards me for business strategy and advice. Identifying that there was an opportunity to coach other entrepreneurs, it became intuitive to formalize my passion for new business.

I started the Big StartUp with the aim of sharing business experiences, developing strategy and designing business models so that entrepreneurs can GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME – You’ll hear this a lot. My vision is to assist entrepreneurs build business models that are scaleable and repeatable. To inspire, support, innovate and to be the driver that puts the right resources into the hands of entrepreneurs so their businesses can go from startup to success.

PRINCIPAL COACH

RESUME

Wonuola is a seasoned startup and business coach having being an entrepreneur for 9 years and set up several successful start ups. She started her career as an investment banker for HSBC in the UK on the derivatives and fixed income desk followed immediately by CITI bank working extensively in the sub- prime markets for 2 years.

She proceeded to Ocean and Oil holdings, Lagos for 3 years gaining further experience in investment banking at Agrentil Capital and Management Consultancy from Avaizon consulting. While in these roles she was engaged with clients in tech, advertising, design, aviation, engineering, FMCG, retail and beverage industries.

Wonuola also crafted media strategy at 1music and is currently a business director at Rosabel Limited.Wonuola is co-founder of fashion retail platforms L’Espace & LPM, and co-founder of MeiDei, a multi-brand fashion and beauty store. Meidei retail group, a successful department store opened 2 stores within its 1st year of launch.

Wonuola holds a BEng in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nottingham and an MSC in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Birmingham. She sits on the board of various organizations including MeiDei Retail, New 3 Old 6 Limited, Liquid Logistics Limited, Smash Media, Haute Fashion Africa and Light Design Limited.