AMY IHEAKANWA - SHEKUDO

ON MOVING HALFWAY ACROSS THE WORLD TO AFRICA, TO BUILD A BRAND CLOSE TO HER HEART


In 2017, Amy Iheakanwa relocated from her hometown of Sydney to Lagos, Nigeria - taking with her a brand she’d established back in 2013 with her best friend.  

The direct-to-consumer label, Shekudo, is a sustainable and slow fashion footwear and accessories label that has been featured in mags like Vogue and Grazia.  

The brand collaborates with Nigerian artisans and craftsmen that honour traditional production and manufacturing techniques... some that are over 500 years old.  

As well as the desire to expand into apparel, Amy also aspires to up skill and employ Nigerian women that are unemployed or at risk. A move that will allow Shekudo to not only grow but also secure the financial future of women in Nigeria for generations to come.  

You'll learn:

  • Why Amy uprooted her Sydney life to move to Africa’s fastest growing city, Lagos

  • How she employs local Nigerian women to handmake every single item she sells

  • Why she turned down an order for 10,000 units that would have transformed her biz overnight

  • Getting into the pages of Vogue and Grazia mags

  • The deeper purpose behind the brand – to empower local women to learn skills they can actually be paid for ✌🏽

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THE BITS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

You can build things with love and integrity, and you can still grow and scale.
— On purpose and profit.
Many women of colour don’t have a blueprint for success in the same way that white women do.
— On the importance of sharing diverse stories of women, particularly those from underinvested backgrounds.

Learn more:   

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