Black business - Women of Rubies

In Career Gems December 19, 2022 By Esther Ijewere

Jennaye Fennell And Her 3 Children Are All Successful Published Authors

Jennaye Fennell and her three children are all successful published authors. Combined, they have written 7 books in total, and most of their books are based on a series called Fennell Adventures that encourages young people to take an interest in traveling.

How It All Started

During a family trip to Hawaii, Jennaye’s 9-year old son, Jace, told her that he wanted to write a book to inspire other children to enjoy reading and traveling just as much as he does. After returning home, he got started immediately and soon after released his first book entitled Journey through Hawaii with Jace. He later wrote a second book, Journey through Cuba with Jace.

This made a huge impression on Jace’s younger brother, 8-year old Merl; He quickly became inspired to become an author just like his big brother. Merl said, “Mom, I go on these trips too. Can you help me write a book like Jace?” Soon after, Journey through Texas with Merl was added to the Fennell Adventure series. And since then, Merl has written another book entitled Journey through New Orleans with Merl.

But wait there’s more

The boys’ older sister, 15-year old Jiyah decided that she wanted to get in on the action as well. She had already been a professional face painter, and had taught both of her brothers and other children how to face paint.

So she decided to write a book based on that called Princess Jiyah’s Face Painting Fairytale, which teaches positive character traits. She too has written a second book about traveling that has been added to the series called Journey through Atlanta with Jiyah.

Inspiring mom

Their mom, Jennaye, was supportive and positive about her children’s new venture, but she was also very much inspired by them. It became a normal routine for people to inquire about where these children got their drive to become authors. This led to Jennaye writing her book, Hope and Happiness.

Most would think that the mother would inspire her children to write, but in this case, it was the complete opposite. Her book, therefore, is a guide for parents on how to raise and support young entrepreneurial children.

The family motto

All in all, the Fennell family aim to inspire and promote the motto of “Living life to the Fullest.” This means following your dreams and desires right now. Their series is very unique because the books are choose-your-own adventure books. This means that they can be read in over 28 different ways!

In Editor's Choice August 10, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

ENTREPRENEURS NEED ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE LEGAL SERVICES – FUNKOLA ODELEYE

Funkola is the Co-founder and CEO at DIYlaw – a legal technology company committed to empowering Nigerian entrepreneurs through the provision of accessible and affordable legal services and free legal and business resources, Funkola is also the Corporate-Commercial and Intellectual Property lead at The Longe Practice LP (TLP), an entrepreneur focused law practice. Funkola is able to identify with her clients having been involved in various entrepreneurial pursuits, including founding a grocery e-commerce business.

She has a background in commercial & corporate law firm practice with years of in-house counsel experience in investment banking. Funkola’s legal experience prior to founding TLP and DIYlaw cuts across capital markets, investment advisory, compliance and securities.

Funkola has a Masters in Finance and Financial Law from the School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London in addition to her LLB from the Lagos State University and BL from the Nigerian Law School.

In 2018, Funkola represented DIYLaw and Nigeria at Pitch@Palace Commonwealth which took place during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London. She pitched to an audience which included Prince Andrew, The Duke of York and various Heads of Government of Commonwealth countries and emerged one of the winners.

In May 2019, she led the DIYLaw team to the United Nations and presented and exhibited at several different forums during the Science, Technology and Innovation Forum. She is an Obama Leader, having been chosen as a 2019 Obama Africa Leader and also an Innovating Justice Fellow of The Hague Institute for the Innovation of Law (HiiL). In her words “Entrepreneurship is the most sustainable solution to unemployment”

She shares her inspiring story and some legal nuggets with me in this interview

Growing Up

I grew up with my 2 sisters in a family where both our parents are entrepreneurs. Transitioning from secondary school to university and during university holidays, we had to work for my parents. That was the only guarantee to getting a flight ticket for summer holidays.

This taught us discipline and the value of hard work and I will also say that it exposed me to entrepreneurship. I guess it’s not surprising that my sisters and I have various entrepreneurial pursuits.

Inspiration behind DIY Law

Our vibrant and hardworking youth demography in Nigeria is our biggest inspiration at DIYLaw. Things have really shifted and the youth are breaking away from parent-pleasing that makes them unhappy. We now see a lot of professionals who are in sports, entertainment, hospitality and are generally following their dreams. Even a lot of people with 9 to 5 jobs have “side-hustles”, vlogs, tech companies, you name it.

These are the people who need accessible and affordable legal services; they are constantly on-the-go building the next big thing and can’t be bugged down with complexities.

Why I am focusing on Entrepreneurs

My co-founder (Odun) and I realized in 2014 that the sector was underserved and that was really all we needed to quit our day jobs and start a law firm focused on entrepreneurs. Prior to that, we were both informally advising entrepreneurs in our circles like our family and friends and we had seen all kinds of missteps, bad decisions and lost opportunities because entrepreneurs didn’t have their legal affairs in order.

Knowing the contributions of entrepreneurs to job creation and the economy, it would have been a disservice to do nothing and so I have now made it my life’s mission.

Being an Obama fellow with ties to other notable Organizations

Being recognized by these various organisations validate the work that we do. Beyond money, it’s the fuel that I need to keep moving. Knowing that someone somewhere values the work that we do and believes in the changes that we are trying to spark, helps me keep head above water on the not-so-good days.

Also, some people don’t take you seriously enough until they realize that someone else or a notable organization does. I am grateful for these coattails I have been able to ride; they have opened some doors and given us access to other opportunities.

Women who Inspire me

There are too many women who inspire me. If I had to mention just one, it will be my mother – Oluyemisi Ani; even though she is 65, she still works extra hard. She is never satisfied with yesterday’s achievement; she sets new challenges for herself everytime and she just goes for it.

If I had to mention more though 😊, it will be Serena Williams for her determination and rising above her challenges with going back to work and giving her best after having a baby; Michelle Obama for everything that she stands for and Sara Blakely for being a constant reminder that being dogged, knocking on every door and having fun yields good results.

Nigerians and appreciation of female lawyers

I honestly don’t think we are treated any differently from our male counterparts. Law is such a prestigious profession and I think we are all accorded the level of respect we deserve whether male or female. I haven’t ever walked into a meeting or a courtroom and been silenced because I am female.

I think being female is a gift that all women should try to take advantage of. My co-founders and I never hesitate to tell people that we are “an all-female founded” tech company and we get people ooh-ing and aah-ing and showing more interest when we use that line.

That being said, I won’t deny that generally there is workplace harassment and that there are small-minded people who don’t take women seriously or show them respect.

Challenges

I can’t think of any. Just like I think that we get our due like our male colleagues, I think we equally face the same challenges but I can only speak from my own experiences and I won’t say that as a matter of fact.

On giving up

Too many times; it is really difficult being an entrepreneur.

The number of “no-s” that I have received, shut doors, emails that begin with “unfortunately…”, “we are sorry to inform you…” make me want to just pull the curtains and say “show is over”. Having a great support system such as co-founders who remind you why you are on the journey, family who let you cry on their shoulders and care about your welfare and employees who step up on your off days, keep me going.

There are too many things that make running a business very challenging in Nigeria, like epileptic internet service and stand-still traffic. Those little things that distract us from our focus also have the tendency to make us want to throw in the towel.

Being a woman of Rubies

I honestly don’t know what makes me one. I just strive daily to be an excellent leader, excellent co-worker, excellent wife, excellent mother, excellent daughter, excellent sister, excellent aunt and excellent friend. If I fail at any of it, it wouldn’t be from not trying.

Advice for Entrepreneurs, from a legal perspective

Getting it right from the beginning is very important. Put your books in order, file your tax returns, honor your agreements. Don’t wait until your big break is around the corner before you start scampering to do the right thing. The cost of non-compliance is more expensive than complying.

In Interviews&profile January 25, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

ENTREPRENEUR CREATES DOLL COLLECTION TO HELP BLACK GIRLS OVERCOME DEPRESSION

TiffanyJ, an artist and entrepreneur, suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts when she was young. So, in hopes of helping young Black girls that are battling depression, she has created an avenue to boost their confidence and self-esteem through a new superhero doll called “Super Beauty”.

At 12-years old, TiffanyJ started to experience depression that is considered common to young Black girls. At 14-years old, she realized that she can share her feelings through songwriting. But by the age of 24, she became self-employed and became the author of her first published book titled It All Starts With Me: An Interactive Guide To Discovering Self and Loving.

Through her book, she shared her own experiences and gave some advice to those who have been battling depression like how she used to be. She also held an annual Beauty, You Are Boot Camp. It was such a great advocacy and she saw that she can do more to reach more.

“For a while, I had been on a mission with self-esteem advocacy, but that book did not reach the audience and mentees I had that were young girls,” she told Black Enterprise.

Now, she has created Super Beauty Pep Talker, a speaking doll that says positive and inspiring messages such as “Nobody Do Me Better Than Me.” She hopes to let young Black girls know that they are unique and beautiful.

TiffanyJ hopes to sell the Super Beauty Pep Talker in Wal-Mart and other retail store chains.

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In Interviews&profile December 28, 2018 By Esther Ijewere

22-YEAR OLD BLACK ENTREPRENEUR LAUNCHES RESTAURANT WHERE CUSTOMERS ONLY PAY WHAT THEY CAN AFFORD

Francesca Chaney, already a successful Black business owner at the young age of 22, has great taste for food and a big heart for underserved people. Her Brooklyn-based vegan restaurant called Sol Sips, is not only famous for its healthy food but is also recognized for letting patronizers pay what they can afford – even if it cuts into her profits!

Chaney developed an interest in healthy eating when she was just a child. She was inspired by her mother, who is a vegan, and became a vegan herself when she was 18-years old. Since then, she began dreaming about opening up her own restaurant that offers nutritious, plant-based foods.

Initially, she started Sol Sips as a pop-up shop in the neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn. However, in April earlier this year, Chaney made the location permanent. Her and her staff serve plant-based beverages and plant-based “bites” made with only four ingredients or fewer that are soy-free and with low acidity. One of the best-sellers is a plant-based dish that is an alternative to the New York staple — eggs are made of chickpeas, bacon is tempeh, and the cheese is dairy-free.

More than introducing a unique and healthy food alternative, Chaney wanted more people, especially those who are in underserved communities, to be able to come and eat at Sol Sips. So she decided to create a brunch menu with a sliding-scale pricing — which means people can enjoy their dishes for a price that’s anywhere between $7 to $15. That way, she hoped everyone can take part in the dishes.

“We started that initiative,” Chaney told the Rachel Ray Show, “because we wanted to make sure that everyone that lives here can get more foods that help us to get our nutrients in.”

Since it’s already a given that she couldn’t make much money with such altruism, there are people and organizations who wanted to help Chaney with her cause. Dairy-free brand So Delicious — which Chaney herself uses in her dishes — donated $5,000 to help her continue her advocacy.

Also, earlier this year, Chaney started a GoFundMe campaign to help her with the expenses to further expand Sol Sips. So far, it has raised over $5,500 and contributions from $5 to some hundred dollars keep coming in.

For more information about Sol Sips, follow her on Instagram at @solsipsnyc

Source: Blackbusiness.org