Success Story: Creating a Fashion Company with African Roots
Success stories usually follow a general theme. For an entrepreneur,Ìýsuccess is the result of endless hours of gritÌýand a moment of brilliance. This year, theÌýCU Â鶹ӰԺ New Venture Challenge kickoff night featured six exciting lightning talks from variousÌýentrepreneurs. OneÌýLighting Talk that stood outÌýwas Garmai Matthew who spoke about her .Ìý SheÌýsharedÌýabout her journey to become a micro-entreprenuer through embracing her native culture and pushing through the traditional barriers entrepreneurs haveÌýto overcome.
Garmai went to a pitch event at the behest of her sister when she was 20, with just a glimpse of a business idea incorporating her native African roots into a fashion brand. She talked about the nervousness she felt when she looked around the room and saw technocrats and scientists ready to make their pitch for the next 'breakthrough' that will revolutionize the world. Instead of being intimidated, she decided to embrace her vision and its utility to her future customers.ÌýThat spirit has kept her going on her journey to become a successful creator and entrepreneur.
To all other entrepreneurs out there who believe that maybe their idea is not going to change the world- well, it doesn't need to. The important part is having faith in your vision and pitching your product to an audience in a way that explains its usefulness. Just like Garmai did!