Their destinations may differ, but they all began at the same place. A look at alumni stories of success that started at Ivey.
My name is Paul Omoregie Okundaye. I was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, where I lived until I was 14, before moving to Canada with my family. I completed my undergraduate degree at Western University and the Ivey Business School, graduating with an HBA in 2019.
While at Ivey, I founded my first company, Dine Easy, a social enterprise food delivery app. After graduating, I worked as a Management Consultant at Bain & Company's Toronto office and later had a short stint at Microsoft's headquarters as a Growth Strategy and Mergers and Acquisitions Manager.
Following these experiences, I pursued my MBA at Harvard Business School (MBA ’24), where I founded my current company, Gigbanc. Gigbanc is a FinTech company that empowers African freelancers and businesses to build economic prosperity through digitally enabled employment. Our primary focus is enabling them to earn and spend in foreign currency. Over time, we intend to develop it into a one-stop-shop neobanking platform.
What led you to your career and how has it evolved over time?
I decided to build a company that empowers African youth because it is deeply important to me. My parents sacrificed their careers, relationships, culture, and way of life to move to Canada, giving their children better opportunities. I know I was fortunate to win the birth lottery, born to parents who were able and willing to make that sacrifice. I know that if I were still in Nigeria, I would not have had access to this education or been able to build the career I have today.
This is why Gigbanc is so important to me. It is my way of helping young Africans access global opportunities – opportunities that I, too, might have been excluded from if I were still back home.
Who inspired you?
My parents are my greatest source of inspiration. Growing up in Nigeria, they were entrepreneurs in the truest sense, building businesses to solve whatever problems were present in our community. Whether running a restaurant, a bakery, a farm, a bar, or a fishery, my parents did it all – and they involved me from a young age. They instilled in me the value of working for myself and recognizing opportunities where others saw challenges.
How did Ivey play a role?
Ivey played a big role in shaping both my personal and professional growth. The case method taught me to think like a protagonist and put myself in the shoes of the decision-makers – an invaluable skill for an entrepreneur. I learned as much from my classmates as I did from my professors. It was inspiring to be surrounded by peers who were incredibly intelligent and ambitious. We pushed each other to be better and strive for more. Ivey also helped me to develop my leadership skills and apply them to causes I was passionate about.
At Ivey, I co-founded the Black Students at Ivey Collective, which serves not only as a community for Black students to congregate, but also as a mechanism to help dismantle systemic, anti-Black racism in and outside of the School. I also co-founded Ubuntu Impact, a student-led, pro-bono consulting organization that pairs Ivey students with students from African universities to help local African startups solve their biggest problems. By founding these two organizations, I connected my leadership to my purpose, laying the groundwork that eventually led me to start Gigbanc.
Why did you choose the HBA program specifically?
I chose the HBA program because it was the top undergraduate business program in Canada and a place where I thought I could develop both personally and professionally. I was attracted by the case method, the section experience, and the extracurricular community at the School.
What personal or professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
The personal accomplishment I am most proud of is making my parent's sacrifice worthwhile. They left everything they knew and took a chance on the great unknown for the sake of their children. We arrived in Canada in December 2010, and since then, I have attained an undergraduate education at Ivey and a graduate education at Harvard. I have launched my career in business – both an employee at Bain & Microsoft and as an entrepreneur. I am proud that their sacrifices were not in vain and I hope to continue proving that to them, every day.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
When I am not working, you can usually find me listening to music (Rap, Indie/Alternative, R&B), watching anime (I am a HUGE One Piece fan), or playing and watching soccer. Sadly, I am also a huge Manchester United fan – it has not been the best decade for us, but I continue to fight the good fight!
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
Something that might surprise people about me is that I speak Brazilian Portuguese. The summer after I graduated from Ivey, I lived in São Paulo, Brazil for a few months, volunteering at a non-profit. I really love to travel and have visited more than 40 countries – and counting! My favourite trips have been to Iceland, Peru, and Brazil.
What is your favourite memory from your time at Ivey?
My favourite memory from my time at Ivey was co-founding the Black Students at Ivey Collective. It was a grassroots effort led by me and two classmates, Sakariya Ahmed, HBA ’19, and Shoshauna Oryema, HBA ’20. Through our organization, we advocated for Ivey to commit to specific targets for Black representation among students, faculty, and staff. We also helped to create new pathways and scholarships to support young Black high school students in gaining access to the business school. It was not easy, but I will always look back on it with fond memories. I am proud of the work we did.
What is the most important takeaway from your Ivey experience?
The most important takeaway from my Ivey experience is to dare to be great and bet on yourself! Apply for that job or school program, even if you're not sure you'll get into. Start that business or non-profit you have been too scared to try. The worst case scenario is you fail, but in doing so, you gain a vital lesson about yourself and what doesn't work. The best case is you might just surprise yourself and knock it out of the park. So dare to be great and bet on yourself!
Are you still connected to the School in any way?
I am still connected to the School as an advisor for both the Black Students at Ivey Collective and Ubuntu Impact. I also serve as a mentor in the entrepreneurship community and volunteer my expertise at entrepreneurship-related events.
