In Ep. 153 of Earned, Conor Begley sits down with Ukonwa Ojo, CEO of Zaia Ventures—a company that builds and scales businesses for underrepresented and marginalized communities. To start, we dive into Ukonwa’s career as former Global Chief Marketing Officer for major brands like Cody Consumer Beauty, MAC Cosmetics, and Amazon Prime Video. Ukonwa shares how she shifted from the executive suite to establishing her own ventures, fueled by a family legacy of innovation. She introduces us to Zaia Ventures, a holding company that encompasses her unique platform, Zaia, and then Ada & Edith, a fashion brand dedicated to empowering modern women. Ukonwa reveals key themes in authentic creator partnerships, like thinking of creators like friends of your brand rather than an advertising channel. We learn about Ukonwa’s mission to create meaningful connections and bridge fragmented communities, demonstrating how fulfilling work can harmonize with personal priorities. To close the show, Ukonwa shares about her love of travel and her goals to continue seeing the world.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. How to embrace entrepreneurial risks that align professional endeavors with personal passions and values
2. How thinking of creators as friends of your brand rather than an advertising channel can lead to more authentic collaborations
3. Why transitioning from corporate roles to entrepreneurship involves embracing risk and adapting to new challenges

Connect with the Guest:

• Ukonwa’s LinkedIn - @ukonwa

Connect with Conor Begley & CreatorIQ:

• Conor’s LinkedIn - @conormbegley

• CreatorIQ LinkedIn - @creatoriq

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• CreatorIQ YouTube - @TribeDynamics

• CreatorIQ Instagram - @creatoriq

• CreatorIQ TikTok - @creator.iq

• CreatorIQ Twitter - @CreatorIQ