Redefining the Black entrepreneurial journey

In honour of Black History Month, the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship is proud to showcase Eniola Osabiya, Co-Founder of CreditCliq and a visionary student in the Faculty of Science. Eniola is proving that being a "trailblazer" is about more than personal success; it's about opening doors for everyone who follows.

Eniola's entrepreneurial journey didn't begin in a university lecture hall; it started with a childhood curiosity that often left his peers puzzled. 

"I've just always loved to build stuff," Eniola recalls, noting that while others were content with the status quo, he was always the one trying something "weird" or "doing too much". 

This early drive to innovate eventually led him to software engineering, where he embraced the beauty of rapid iteration, joking that he now has about 12 domain names from various side projects. 
 

Building Community

One of Eniola's most significant achievements is the creation of Jenzite Techies. The project was born from a personal need for connection. When he started his tech journey at age 14, he found himself surrounded only by people his father's age. 

Seeking a community of peers, Jenzite Techies started as a WhatsApp group that grew from 100 members to a Slack community now hosting 3,000 young tech enthusiasts. 

For Eniola, this community work is the heartbeat of his mission: "I have always done a lot of community work and giving back; it drives a lot of why I do what I do."

Despite his success, Eniola is candid about the unique hurdles faced by black entrepreneurs. He describes the "cringe" of sometimes being the only black person in a room and the imposter syndrome that can creep in.
 

To combat imposter syndrome, Eniola has adopted a powerful psychological shift. "I know I have to bring my A game no matter where I go," he explains. By accepting that he "can't just have it easy," he uses that pressure to fuel his confidence and ensure his work is beyond reproach.

Breaking the Echo Chamber

A key piece of advice Eniola offers to fellow black student entrepreneurs is to "break out of the echo chamber". While he acknowledges the natural "affinity bias" to stay within one's own community, he encourages entrepreneurs to network across different groups intentionally.

"Entrepreneurship is all about introductions," he says, noting that the best advice and doors often open when you step outside your comfort zone. 

By listening to the struggles and lessons of people from all backgrounds, Eniola believes entrepreneurs can see things differently and avoid mistakes others have already made.