The Most Influential Person On AIB This Week Is Tope Awotona

Tope Awotona is a Nigerian-American tech magnate. He is the visionary founder and CEO of Calendly, a well-known scheduling software company. His story has inspired many people, and he is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished Black entrepreneurs in the world. He is the first Nigerian American that become a billionaire in the United States.

He was born in Lagos, Nigeria on January 1, 1981. He showed interest in technology at a very young age. He moved to the United States at the age of 26, after completing his Primary and secondary education in Nigeria. In the United States, he attended the University of Georgia, where he studied computer science. After this, he worked for some corporate organizations, including IBM.

Due to his intention of becoming an entrepreneur, he joined Perceptive Software, a start-up company, as an Account Executive selling to over 50 colleges and universities. According to a report on AAE Speakers, from his experience at Perceptive Speakers, he learned that there is no straight path to success and that successful companies also face challenges, but they learn from their mistakes, keep persisting, and eventually get to the top.
In 2013, Tope founded Calendly. It is a scheduling software company, established to simplify the process of setting up meetings and appointments. According to him, he got the idea for Calendly when he realized that the process of scheduling meetings and appointments was time-consuming and frustrating. So, he created a tool that would make the process of scheduling meetings and appointments more easy and efficient for the organizers and the attendees

According to a report on Forbes, Tope used his life savings of $200,000 to start Caledly, and today, the company has 10 million users and counts.

Since its establishment, Calendly has been a tool regularly used by professionals and businesses of all sizes and has grown to become a leading player in the scheduling industry.

In addition, Tope has received awards and been featured in publications. In 2018, he was on the Forbes Under 30 list. He has also been featured in publications, like Inc. and TechCrunch.

Tope Awotona is also a sought-after speaker. He has spoken at events such as the Africa Tech Summit and the Africa CEO Forum.

Believe in yourself and go for your dreams. Your Creator has blessed you with all you need to accomplish them. #DreamBig. #YouCan.