Microsoft Mobile Devices and Services has announced that it will be working with three highly successful indigenous entrepreneurs to mentor eventual winners of the ongoing ‘From Passion to Empire’ campaign to ensure full attainment of the goals of the initiative.
The selected mentors include, top Nigerian beauty entrepreneur, Tara Fela-Durotoye, entertainment mogul and founder of the Chocolate City Group, Audu Maikori and founding partner of leading careers and jobs website, Jobberman, Opeyemi Awoyemi.
They are throwing their weights behind the ongoing Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual SIM activation ‘From Passion to Empire” and would be screening entries made to ensure that only worthy business ideas are picked for the next phase.
According to the organisers, entries for the competition remains open till March 31, 2015. ‘From Passion to Empire’ initiative is aimed at testing the viability of young entrepreneurs’ ideas, sharpening their skills and expanding their frontiers through intensive business coaching aimed at helping them transform their business ideas to empires.
Tara Fela-Durotoye is a trained lawyer who pursued her dream of becoming a successful make-up artist is the CEO of House of Tara International and designer of the Tara “Orekelewa” Beauty range, Inspired Perfume and the H.I.P Beauty range. She emphasizes the role of passion in attaining success in these words: “When you want to succeed as much as you want to breathe, that’s when you will be successful.”
Multi-talented Nigerian entrepreneur, Audu Maikori, is famous for his globally acclaimed record label, Chocolate City, which represents a number of international artistes. Also a trained lawyer, Maikori is an entrepreneur, social activist and poet. An example of one that has transformed his passion to a business empire. One of his abiding aspirations is to build the biggest entertainment empire in Africa.
Awoyemi is the co-founder of Nigeria’s leading job search-engine, Jobberman. The groundbreaking job search site began as the dream of young Awoyemi and a couple of friends. Dream turned to reality for him during the 2009 industrial action of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). An eloquent testimony to the empire Awoyemi has made of his passion is that the Forbes Magazine has listed Jobberman as one of the Top 20 Tech Startups in Africa.
According to the Senior Marketing Manager, Microsoft Devices and Services, Olumide Balogun, “Lumia is for inspired people who do not recognize boundaries in the quest to reaching for their goals. We know that such people abound in Nigeria and we are happy to work with established entrepreneurs and the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan Atlantic University to offer them the opportunity to soar through the ‘From Passion to Empire’ initiative.”
Lumia smartphones and tablets, including the Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual SIM, specifically, provide business tools every entrepreneur needs to achieve the extraordinary. The Lumia 535 Dual SIM offers five great integrated Microsoft experiences, a wide-angle 5 megapixel front facing camera, and a spacious 5 inch display protected with Gorilla Glass 3, unique selling propositions that make it a perfect device for entrepreneurs who want to do more on the go.
At the end of Passion to Empire, five people with the most brilliant business ideas would be awarded the sum of N3.5m each, in addition to being mentored by these successful entrepreneurs. They will also undergo three days of training at the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan Atlantic University.
To participate in the campaign, all you need is a great and innovative business idea, then log on to www.microsoft.com/mobile to pitch your entry.
