Zena Edosomwan wears many hats. The ivy leaguer is tech entrepreneur, app creator, speaker, advisor and consultant, and plays basketball overseas. He works with individuals and businesses helping guide them. He takes most pride in working with the youth helping guide and motivate them to be the best version of themselves. Having worked in the inner cities and internationally in China partnering with schools creating conferences to help empower and teach young people about college, creating goals, working together, and mental health. He has been invited by Harvard and Harvard President Drew Faust to speak at her retirement ceremony, created a top charades app called ‘Oooh Snap!’. With Edosomwans successes, its his humble beginnings that have helped paved the way for his work ethic and ambition. He gives all the credit to his parents and his nigerian roots for inspiring him to dream big.
“My parents are my heroes. They have sacrificed so much in order for me to have the best opportunities to succeed. They have really inspired and encouraged me to dream big and work hard.” Edosomwan speaks powerfully about how his parents, both immigrants from Nigeria who came to America during their early 20s looking to achieve the “American dream”. His mother worked three jobs. She would wake up at 4am and head to her job at jack in the box, then go to her job working at a local pub, after that she would take the bus finishing her night cleaning for a nearby bank. She did this 7 days a week in order to make sure her young son could attend the best school. His dad worked as a security guard, parking attendant, and a mental health counselor for the homeless.
“Their humility to do whatever it takes, coming here with no family or friends into a completely different culture and they just made the most of it. They really just inspire me to work hard.” His parents went from those early jobs to his mom owning her own salon for over 20 years now. His father ended up having success in real estate and starting multiple business. “My parents really believed in themselves and have taken the risk and bet on themselves. This has really helped me in entrepreneurship to keep going, keep creating, and keep trying to make an impact in the world. I’m forever grateful to my parents and my nigerian heritage for the values that have been instilled in me.” Edosomwan doesn’t take for granted the opportunities he’s been given due to his parents hard work, he wants to continue to spread these same life principles to others, especially young people.