(Photo credit: Instagram)
Kike Oniwinde has created an app, BYP network to connect black professionals and students all over the world for networking and career purposes.
The 25-year-old earned her a Masters degree in Management from The University of Florida, while on a full track and field scholarship. She also has a bachelors in Economics and has been named as a Future Leader in Technology by Sky Corp.
The idea of BYP Network came after Oniwinde studied abroad and met talented black students. Once back in London, the lack of diversity in the workplace coupled with low opportunities to meet others in the city prompted the idea. BYP Network has since hosted thousands of black professionals in the past year and a half in London, England with plans of international expansion.
“I grew up as an elite athlete and I only saw my value in my sport as the entertainment industry is where black people succeeded. It wasn’t until I met exceptional black students at UF that I realized we succeed in all industries. From this, I decided to create a platform to connect black professionals globally so that we can all see our excellence,” she told The Voice.
Oniwinde has been named as a Sky Woman in Technology Scholar gaining a $33,000 grant and full backing From Sky Corp. She also won the Founders Forum ‘F-Factor’ Competition beating 200 applicants along with winning the New Entrepreneurs Foundation pitch contest. She gained over $50k in funding and was featured in the Sunday Times (A national UK paper).
BYP Network App is a platform available on iOS, Android and web for users to network. New users can sign up using their Facebook profile or they can create a new account. Once they upload a picture and a profile about who they are and their interests they are able to choose who they can connect with or vice versa. A match is created when two users like each others profiles. Premium membership allows users to see who has liked them and who has viewed their profile.
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