Being an entrepreneur is about passion, willingness to take risks —Kehinde Odulana 

Kehinde Odulana, an entrepreneur whose passion, dedication and willingness to take risks propelled her to chart a new course in entrepreneurship, is the Chief Executive Officer of Celebration E-Cards Limited. She speaks with YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE, on life as an entrepreneur, challenges, building her business around her knowledge on digital technology, green environment and pollution among other issues.

How will you describe life as a female entrepreneur?

Being an entrepreneur is about passion, dedication and the willingness to take risks. I believe anyone can succeed in entrepreneurship as long as they have a strong drive and passion for what they do. As a female entrepreneur, my passion for technology has played a significant role in helping me run my business. With a broad knowledge of digital technology, I’ve been able to oversee my business from inception to launch. Building my business around my love for digital technology has not only made my work incredibly fulfilling, but it has also provided me with the knowledge and insight necessary to build impactful solutions.

You operate a digital connection hub, what is the significance of this and how does it affect the average person?

Celebration E-Cards is more than just a platform for sending digital greeting cards, it serves as a digital connection hub that simplifies and enhances the way individuals celebrate and connect and with each other. It offers convenience, personalisation, and sustainable approach to staying in touch with loved ones, no matter the distance. In today’s fast-paced digital world, our platform plays a crucial role in strengthening relationships, helping people connect in meaningful ways even when they are apart.

How does inflation affect your business and how do you navigate that rough terrain?

Unlike traditional cards, digital greeting cards don’t incur the costs associated with printing, shipping, or delivery as our greeting cards are delivered via email. However, while digital greeting cards avoid the costs associated with physical products, they are not completely protected from the effects of inflation, as our product infrastructure relies on cloud services, and software subscriptions, which may experience price increases as inflation drives up costs in the tech sector. To navigate this challenge, we continuously evaluate our operational expenses and explore partnerships or service providers that offer more cost-effective solutions and also by focusing on efficiency and maintaining a strong value proposition, we aim to keep costs manageable and continue providing high-quality products to our customers.

What inspired your passion for environmental sustainability and reducing pollution?

My passion for environmental sustainability and reducing pollution stemmed from a Step Up program organised by Girls Talk Corporation. In collaboration with my team, we worked on creating a business idea focused on developing a technological solution to help countries and societies achieve sustainability goals, particularly the net-zero targets outlined in the Paris Agreement for 2050. Our idea, Carbon Capture Technology, gave me valuable into the impacts of climate change on public and individual health, as well as the broader environmental challenges we face. The project involved extensive research, reading numerous articles on how climate change has severely affected our planet. We focused on best practices for capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere at its point of emission, preventing it from reaching the ground level and storing it within the natural environment.

Through this research, I gained a deeper understanding of the delicate balance between technological advancement and environmental responsibility. While carbon capture technology holds great potential, I realised that true sustainability requires a holistic approach; one that addresses energy consumption, production methods, waste management, and overall consumption habits. This understanding motivated me to create a green business with a singular mission: to provide innovative products that not only support but accelerate society’s transition to a more sustainable future.

How capital intensive is it to set up your kind of business? 

Setting up a digital greeting card solution is capital intensive, mainly because it requires significant financial investment in technology and design. However, the beauty of a digital product like our digital greeting cards is that it is highly scalable, and once the platform is set up, expanding the business becomes much more efficient and cost-effective, compared to traditional businesses.

As demand grows, continuous investment in marketing, improving platform features, and increasing e-card designs will be necessary to sustain growth and stay competitive in the market. But overall, the scalability of a digital greeting card solution makes it a promising business model for long-term success.

What inspired you to pursue this line of business?

Celebrating others has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Growing up, making people feel valued and appreciated brought me endless joy. As life progressed, my circle of friends stretched across continents and time zones. The joy of seeing my friends thrive in different parts of the world was often mixed with the sadness of not being able to celebrate their milestones in person. I vividly remember the birthday of a dear friend who relocated. The distance made it impossible for me to deliver a heartfelt gift or even a hug. I felt helpless and emotional, wishing there was a way to bridge the gap. That was when the idea struck me: why not create a way for people to share in the joy of celebrating together, regardless of distance.

Do you face any challenges and how do you tackle them?

Yes, challenges are the norm when building any solution. I was very keen on creating an interface that is seamless, intuitive, and visually appealing to users, as the success of a digital solution relies heavily on user satisfaction. Our initial project timeline was set for 3 months, which we eventually extended to 6 months due to iterations on UI/UX design, functionality testing, and bug fixing. To address these challenges, we conducted continuous usability testing to gather feedback and pain points. This iterative process allowed us to refine the solution until we were confident that our digital greeting card solution was ready for launch.

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