Meet Omowunmi, 2015 TEF Alumni Who Got Funding for Smoothie Business
Get $5000 Funding for your smoothie business: Omowunmi Akande used to be a corporate worker until she felt the need for a change in her career path as she was not getting satisfaction from her job any longer. Omowunmi felt the need to do more and be more. She wanted to be at the forefront of fundamental change in an organization; she also wanted people to experience healthy living as a lifestyle, not a luxury.
Smoothie Express, her brand, was not only passion-fuelled but also a solution to a struggle she experienced, which was her driving force. She observed the accessibility gap as many companies were not offering healthy meals and beverages on a large scale; that was how her company was birthed. She says her goal is to be the pre-eminent health and wellness lifestyle company in Africa, and this includes a sustainable future.
The African Success Story of Smoothie Express
“I wanted to be at the forefront of real change and in a position to do so. Smoothie Express was not only passion-fuelled, but it was also relatable. This was my struggle as well and I knew I was not only the one facing this struggle. I wanted people to see healthy living as a lifestyle and not a luxury. This was my driving force.”
Smoothie Express has generated over $1M in revenue since its inception (2015) through its QSR outlets, B2B sales, subscriptions, and events. The business currently has over 30 direct and indirect employees.
“I always say that the TEF programme could not have come at a better time for Smoothie Express. We were selected in 2015 when we had just started operations. We were still fresh into the market and entrepreneurship as a whole and needed all the mentorship and support we could lay our hands on. The support, resources and recognition that TEF brought cannot be over emphasised and it has remained constant over the years. It moulded us into the super business savvy entrepreneurs we are today.”
The TEF program opened her business with a plethora of opportunities. Her business has been featured in different interviews and radio shows. Just recently, she got nominated as one of the 100 entrepreneurs by Seedstars in collaboration with SAFEEM, an accelerator program that gave the company additional 10,000 euros in grant funding.
About The Tony Elumelu Foundation
The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading philanthropy empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, driving poverty eradication, catalysing job creation across all 54 African countries, and ensuring inclusive economic empowerment. Since the launch of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, the Foundation has trained over 1.5 million young Africans on its digital hub, TEFConnect, and disbursed nearly USD$100 million in direct funding to 18,000 African women and men, who have collectively created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs. The Foundation’s mission is rooted in Africapitalism, which positions the private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the African continent.
