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How I Made It Happen
Mariam Jimoh, founder of OJA: on being a serial entrepreneur and finding opportunities to fund your ventures
In this weeks episode, I am joined by Mariam Jimoh the Founder and CEO of Oja which is a technology solution transforming access to cultural groceries and foods around the world. In simple words, she is making it easier for people to buy cultural foods by creating an app that allows you to order these goods and have them delivered directly to your door. She is building the UK's first venture-backed digital supermarket for cultural communities. She is 1 of the 16 black women in the UK who have raised venture capital, and currently, only 0.02% of the total VC funding has gone to black women founders.
Mariam is a serial entrepreneur and has started many ventures, some whilst in university, some whilst she was working. Whilst studying for an undergraduate degree she founded WCAN, a marketplace & network for the professional development of black women in the UK.
Since graduating from UCL, Mariam has gained experience as an M&A investment banker at Rothschild & Co. Combining her strategic insight with her business acumen, she founded Oja. During this time, she also co-founded Onwe an independent publishing house & lifestyle brand.
In this episode, we dive into how she has managed to raise funding through various ways such as brand partnerships to Venture capital to support her entrepreneurial ventures.
Mariam’s work has been recognised by the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 Technology list in which she shared that her mission is to unlock game-changing value in underrepresented groups through technology and community.
You can follow Mariam on social here: @theartofmariam
My new book, Side Hustle in Progress: A Practical Guide to Kickstarting Your Business is published by HarperCollins and available to buy online and in all book shops.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Side-Hustle-Progress-Practical-Kickstarting/dp/0008455007
Audible: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Side-Hustle-Progress-Practical-Kickstarting/dp/B08NXTC5ZC
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/side-hustle-in-progress/elizabeth-ogabi/9780008455002
You can find me on social: IG: @Forworkingladies @ElizabethOgabi Twitter: @Fwladies @ElizabethOgabi_
You can sign up for my newsletter "The Snippet" here.
How I Made it Happen is an independent podcast created and hosted by Elizabeth Ogabi and produced by Julie Banks.
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00:59|Welcome to How I made It Happen — the podcast bringing you interviews with phenomenal women sharing practical advice on how to build the career of your dreams or grow a business. This podcast is hosted by Elizabeth Ogabi, founder of For Working Ladies. For more inspiring content visit www.forworkingladies.com to read advice, stories and tips from likeminded women. You can find us on social: IG: @Forworkingladies @ElizabethOgabi Twitter: @Fwladies @ElizabethOgabi_
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03:24||Season 2After a lengthy pandemic and taking a few months to write and publish my first book, I am excited to share that How I Made it Happen is back for another season. Officially launching on October 6th, season two features a range of entrepreneurs who discuss in detail how they got started in making their business idea a reality. Here is a snippet of what to expect from season two and if you have not already, please do leave a review and rating so others can discover the podcast. My new book, Side Hustle in Progress: A Practical Guide to Kickstarting Your Business is published by HarperCollins and available to buy online and in all book shops.Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Side-Hustle-Progress-Practical-Kickstarting/dp/0008455007Audible: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Side-Hustle-Progress-Practical-Kickstarting/dp/B08NXTC5ZCWaterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/side-hustle-in-progress/elizabeth-ogabi/9780008455002You can find us on social: IG: @Forworkingladies @ElizabethOgabi Twitter: @Fwladies @ElizabethOgabi_You can sign up for my newsletter "The Snippet" here. How I Made it Happen is an independent podcast created and hosted by Elizabeth Ogabi and produced by Julie Banks.