Oluwapelumi Oguntade
- Founder/CEO, Oluomo Worldwide
- Age: 22
At 22, Oluwapelumi Oguntade can boast of more than just a bachelor's degree. The Marquette University marketing graduate is also the founder and CEO of an e-commerce fashion company, Oluomo Worldwide.
Nigerian-born Oguntade seized on her entrepreneurial vision after realizing that the clothes she wears, crafted by her mother, are sought after and ought to be shared.
According to a post Oguntade shared on Instagram, the U.S. is home to about 3 million African immigrants. Through her brand, immigrants can stay connected to their culture. She noted that she hopes her fashion brand can connect African designers to customers throughout the world.
"I had a deep longing to be surrounded by aspects of my culture that I love all the time, rather than occasionally," Oguntade told campus media outlet Marquette Today.
The young CEO thought up the idea in 2019 and received external recognition soon after. In 2022, her idea won first place in a "Shark Tank"-style competition hosted by Marquette's Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Initiative. The fashion brand was also one of six early-stage companies to receive $10,000 from a MKE Tech Hub Coalition startup incubator.
Oguntade plans to reinvest the money into website development and fabric for her Milwaukee business.
Oluomo is Yoruba for "one of a kind." Customers who order from Oluomo Worldwide can order dresses, blouses, jewelry and scarves. Buyers also have the choice to order custom designs. The brand emphasizes Nigerian fabrics, including Ankara, lace admire and guinea brocade.
The brand is on a mission to share African culture and also markets to customers outside the African diaspora. Eventually, Oguntade hopes to expand her company to include fashions from various different ethnicities. In her words, Oluomo Worldwide will be the "one-stop-shop for ethnic fashion."
Beyond fashion, Oguntade is also pursuing an interest in commercial real estate. Oguntade recently graduated from Marquette's nine-month Associates in Commercial Real Estate professional training program.
