Afripreneur
Darlyn Okojie on entrepreneurship and building Memo Africa
Darlyn Okojie is a serial entrepreneur and business expansion expert. As the Co-Founder & COO of Memo Africa, Darlyn is responsible for the day to day operation process while building a team to create a Tech solution to People Management. She founded Memo Africa with Ademola Koledoye to create memorable moments across the world. Darlyn Okojie has a past experience of building a business spanning three countries, raising capital and ensuring that the word about the service reaches the right audience. Her First Business, Rugs and Floors Africa, currently operates in three countries, Nigeria, Ghana and Rwanda. In this exclusive interview with Alaba Ayinuola, Darlyn speaks on her entrepreneurship journey and vision is to make Memo Africa the go-to automated system for People Manager: “Future of Memo Africa”. Excerpts.
Alaba: To begin, could you briefly tell us about your background?
Darlyn: I spent the early part of my childhood up till my youth in Benin City. I attended all levels of education down to university where I studied Accounting at the University of Benin. My upbringing has made me extremely loyal to my city. After I completed my higher education in 2014, I got my first ever job at Lamudi (Popularly Known as Jumia House) in 2015. While at Lamudi, I worked as a key account manager in an online marketplace firm. A year later, I moved to Cars45 to spearhead the company’s efforts in building and maintaining relationships with strategic partners. Throughout my career, I have been involved in various aspects of people management, even through running Rugs and Floors from January 2020. At the moment, I’m focused on building Memo Africa.
Alaba: What inspired you to go into entrepreneurship and the problems you plan to solve?
Darlyn: An impactful model to me is my father. I didn’t realise he had that effect on my entrepreneurship life until I looked back on how much I have been able to achieve career-wise. He showed me the only way to gain success is through hard work and dedication. His tenacity and energy in delivering is extraordinary. There have been countless times where I’ve found myself wondering how he gets the energy to go even through obstacles. A quote from a book by Shakespeare, Macbeth, pops into my head whenever I think about my dad. “I am tied to a stake I cannot fly, but bear-like I must fight the cause.”
The life of an entrepreneur is quite fast-paced, there’s no time for breaks and no option to quit, you just have to keep going. It reminds me of something my mum always says, “Person, nor dey Live life go back”. Good or bad we need to keep moving forward in life or in business. I believe my motivation stems from the ability to keep going and building.
Alaba: Memo Africa is one of the startups you co-founded, what sparked the interest? How does the platform work and who are your target audience?
Darlyn: Memo Africa was birthed by various challenges both my co-founder and I faced throughout our work life. From my first job to my current ventures, I have seen how people managers handle welfare related issues in organizations and it inspired me to create a solution that makes their work seamless. We notice that people struggle to remember important dates when it comes to the lives of their employees and it is key because it makes the employees feel valued and appreciated. But dates like birthdays, onboarding and orientation processes, sendforths, and many others dates are lost in transition.
Memo Africa is a simple solution that people managers can use to automate welfare packages to be delivered to both remote and on-site teams across the world. We believe this technology solution will boost business productivity as the team members feel motivated and cared for while saving people managers time to focus on more critical issues.
Alaba: Since you launched, what are the challenges and successes?
Darlyn: It would be best if we start with the positive aspect of the business, the success. At the moment, we have acquired clients both from Nigeria and Ghana, and signed three companies into our system. We have achieved these while facing various economical challenges like Inflation, exchange rate and cross-border payments issues.
I also noticed that small business owners and other entrepreneurs face these challenges which is why I recently started recording my journey on my Medium account.
Alaba: What’s the future of people management? Do you see Memo Africa as part of the future?
Darlyn: The future is Tech! The world is evolving to become digital and automated. It is important to ensure that regardless of where people work from, they are treated with the same respect and dignity as they would be if they were working from a traditional office space. Memo Africa is the technology solution born to connect the people in an organization through our automated management system of celebrating them. Staying connected to and creating memorable moments for your team is the best way to keep them motivated while working.
Alaba: Where do you see Memo Africa in the next 5 years in terms of market and expansion?
Darlyn: We have a large vision set for Memo Africa and are ready to take the action to grow and scale up the Tech StartUp. Currently, our most viable product which is our website is up and running. We are planning on developing the Mobile App version to increase the accessibility and personalisation of the system. We expect to become the go-to platform for all people’s welfare across Africa and in the world. Our tentacles are set to expand into many African countries. We are open to acquiring more clients, partners and Investors.
Alaba: What fuels your passion and how do you relax?
Darlyn: Aside from the rush of the non-stop cycle of developing businesses, I find myself passionate about finding and implementing solutions to create value in people’s lives. You can find me locked on Netflix to unwind after a busy day or exploring the different countries in the world.
Darlyn Okojie (Photo: Supplied)
Alaba: Lastly, your advice to young women who want to launch into entrepreneurship?
Darlyn: My number one advice to young women who are launching or building their business is that your key to success lies within you. Everything you need to succeed is in you, your thoughts and action shapes your future. As long as you can think it, you can absolutely do it. You need to study and understand your potential, strength, weaknesses and limits. I believe self awareness is the most powerful tool to achieve anything in the world.
I would also say you shouldn’t believe you can only grow & scale up alone, it’s okay to have mentors and role models. These people have walked the mile. All you need to do is find someone who has successfully crossed the path you are hoping to pass. You would be surprised by the number of people ready to guide you or refer you to the next life challenger.
Aiesha Bailey is the Founder of OCIR, an app developed and designed to help special needs children in schools. OCIR is a shared APP for special needs children 4 + some adults, their primary carers and educators. This APP has been designed to help users navigate their life learning and education in a safe way that fits around the skills they have, rather than forcing them to interact in ways that do not suit them.
Her reason for developing this app was because her child was non-verbal in a mainstream school and his only communication was grinding his teeth. So, as a mother, she got anxious and decided to have coffee mornings with other families to feel if this is an app worth having and that they would pay for. To her surprise they loved it and Aisha has a few of them featured on her podcasts.
Aiesha also does workshops to encourage parents with their well-being so that they do not feel isolated. The lasting testimony of this app is her son who has gone from non-verbal to a confident, contented and clever child and student who excels in lessons and enjoys socialising with all ages. Essentially, OCIR is a communication tool to improve the emotional well-being and psychological mental health of youngsters with special needs. Aiesha believes a purchase of this app is a donation that goes back towards the school.
Users
The app supports children with autism, Aspergers, anxiety, ADHD and speech delay. It has therapists for parents and carers as they have anxiety, maybe mental health issues and/or need someone to talk to who faces similar challenges.
Requirements
When special needs youngsters, children and young adults are affected by their condition, it is not always easy for them to communicate what they are feeling. Equally the time, occasion or person may not approach nor make it safe for them to express their feelings. These are the people OCIR was created to support.
Functions
Visualisation is an important aspect of how special needs people communicate. OCIR’s strength is that it is visual and allows users to interact and express emotions and how they feel in the moment through pictures, symbols, images and different emojis.
Equipment
The OCIR app can be used on various electronic devices, desktop computers, tablets, smart mobile phones or smartwatches.
Statistics
The information gathered is personalised for individuals. The data can be collected for reports, for monitoring, identifying trends and evidential purposes. All data is kept confidential and presented clearly in a pie chart to help support the child.
Working together
When users engage with the OCIR app to express themselves, it is linked to the same platform as parents, teachers, guardians and carers, which allows communication in real time. Any issues can be observed and addressed immediately. Anyone responsible for users’ welfare can view any triggers and respond accordingly.
Shared experience
The real time interaction is one of OCIR’s best features because it can minimise the worry when children are outside the home and takes the pressure away from users having to remember the incident at a later time. The OCIR app also provides and maintains a bonded experience between users, educators and the responsible adult as required.
Features
The OCIR app has many features and links to pre-recorded therapy sessions, weather forecasts, sleep and activities for children/users and parents.
To find out more, can you please contact me at info@ocir.co.uk
Female Techpreneur today announced the second edition of the Female Founders’ Lounge – Lagos, an evening of in-depth discussions and networking taking place on Thursday 30th May 2024 at the GAIA House, V.I Lagos. Nigeria. Designed specifically for female Tech founders, experts, and ecosystem partners, this event is a unique opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together. Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur, a seasoned professional, or a rising star in the tech industry, you’ll find valuable insights and inspiration at this event.
Since its inception in 2018, Female Techpreneur has been building a community of women with the goal to funnel more women into the tech ecosystem by creating opportunities for mentorship and networking. The all female evening event on the entrepreneurial scene is set to be the cornerstone of inspiration, empowerment, and connection for over 100 women-led business owners. Hosted by Tech entrepreneur and founder of Female Techpreneur Bukky Babajide, this one-day event will focus on the theme: “Navigating the evolving ecosystem to thrive”.
The event will feature an engaging keynote address from Mope Abudu, Managing Partner at AfriGloCal VC with over two decades of experience at the intersection of law, governance, and corporate leadership. The panel session and fireside chat will feature leading female founders and investors like Olatowun Candide-Johnson, Lexi Novitske, Bisi Akintayo, Chizor Malize, Oz-Omazino Eguh, Kemi Oyesola who will share their own entrepreneurial journeys. You will be motivated by how their hard work and resilience have helped them to push through the barriers and challenges of running a successful business.
Commenting Bukky Babajide Founder of Female Techpreneur said: “I am delighted that the Female Founders’ Lounge – Lagos is back and that we will be hosting another incredible lineup of speakers and entrepreneurs in the room. Female Techpreneur want to encourage female tech entrepreneurs to launch and scale their businesses, to challenge themselves and connect with others and are looking forward to welcoming female founders, and innovators to the lounge this May.”
The full event agenda promises a diverse range of topics catered to the evolving needs of female entrepreneurs. From innovative strategies to sustainable growth practices, attendees can expect a comprehensive programme aimed at enhancing their business acumen and personal growth.
To find out more about the event and to book your tickets visit Female Founders’ Lounge – Lagos.
Afripreneur
Africa’s Business Heroes takes 40 Entrepreneurs to China, extends 2024 Application Deadline
Africa’s Business Heroes (Image: Supplied).
Between April 20-27, the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition, a philanthropic initiative sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy, hosted 40 participants consisting of top 10 Heroes, other finalists and partners from across Africa in Hangzhou, China. Participants engaged in an immersive experience at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou and have returned to their home countries enriched with valuable insights to further enhance their entrepreneurial endeavors on the continent.
During their visit, the ABH Heroes (spanning cohorts from 2019 to 2023) participated in a wide range of activities. These included deep dives that explored various facets of the digital economy from cloud computing, AI-driven logistics to e-commerce villages. They participated in a series of workshops and site visits all designed to elevate entrepreneurs to a higher level of success. The Heroes also exchanged knowledge and explored opportunities for collaboration with business leaders from Alibaba and with each other. These activities provided the participants with new knowledge and perspectives that they can potentially apply to overcome challenges, seize opportunities and scale their businesses.
Diarra BOUSSO, Founder & Creative Director of Diarrablu and ABH 2020 top 10 Hero, who was among the participants in the trip to China, expresses her gratitude for the experience, stating: “This trip was so inspiring in so many ways. First, meeting all these entrepreneurs who are the top entrepreneurs on the African continent and spending a week together was an incredible experience. And second: being immersed in the world of Alibaba and all the companies Jack Ma and his team built over time and understanding the vision behind it was like a dream come true.”
In another exciting development, ABH is extending its deadline for 2024 entries from May 19 to June 9 to accommodate more entrepreneurs eager to participate in the competition. Candidates selected for the top 50 will gain access to a host of resources, including training, mentorship and networking opportunities, as well as a supportive network of fellow African business leaders. US$1.5 million in grant funding will be distributed among the top 10 finalists; the first prize winner will receive an award of US$300,000.
This year, ABH has also hosted information sessions and community events across the continent to facilitate the application process and nurture a vibrant entrepreneurial community. These events have taken place in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, with upcoming sessions scheduled for Egypt, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Senegal. These events are conducted in partnership with local entrepreneur organizations and key ABH stakeholders including judges, Heroes and partners.
To date, ABH has received applications from entrepreneurs spanning all 54 African countries. Entrepreneurs from across the continent – regardless of sector, age or gender – are invited to participate. Applications can be submitted in English or French HERE.
Individuals are also encouraged to nominate eligible entrepreneurs who they believe are creating impactful and sustainable solutions to challenging issues HERE.
