Meet Edo Odozor, founder of Naij Hair Company Inc and recipient of Founders Fund’s Start Up Stage, $3,000 fund:
Who is Edo Odozor?
Edo Odozor is a fourth year nursing student at Ryerson University and the founder of NAIJ Hair, an online hair extensions brand that connects their clients to a stylist near them. She is passionate about investing in Black womxn and empowering them to step into their highest potential.
What is the ultimate vision that you have for Naij Hair Company Inc?
The ultimate vision for Naij Hair Company Inc is to partner with thousands of stylists from across the globe, increasing their bottom line, to provide customers with premium quality hair extensions and to provide employment opportunity for underrepresented youth. Edo also wants this business to be a vehicle for social good. To use its reach to better the lives of marginalized groups.
When asked “What are things about yourself or your business that you were told has to change in order to fit into the traditional mould of a successful entrepreneur? How have you begun to overcome them?” Edo responded:
I was told that I couldn't do school and be an entrepreneur at the same time. I also under the impression that you have to raise large seed rounds. I started this business in my second year of university and have hired a team, trained them, built processes, raised a non-dilutive seed round and I am planning for strategic growth. I did this all while being a full time student in one of the hardest undergraduate programs. Anything is possible with willpower, planning, direction and resilience.
Why did you decide to join the Founders Fund?
I joined the founders fund for the great information that they share through workshops, the community and for the possibility for funding. Also, there are so many hardworking people in the group, who have done incredible things, are sharing their stories and making it easier to go through the entrepreneurial process.
