I am Kike Oniwinde Agoro, I'm a former international javelin thrower and the founder of BYP Network. I had previously interned at several financial institutions and realised that not many people in the company looked like me, which was also a personal awakening. I started BYP Network in 2016 in the wake the Black Lives Matter movement, as I realised the importance of having a voice and representation. BYP Network has since grown to 150,000 members that serve to represent the community and ensure that companies are active participants in changing the narrative.

We have our BYP Leadership Conference annually, which coincided with Black History Month - we were able to meet the community in person again since the pandemic began.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?

I believe most entrepreneurs would say the importance of having the right people? You need the right people on your team to help grow your company. Hiring the wrong people will have the opposite effect and it is the reality that your team is your strength and also your weakness. I’m happy to say at BYP Network, we have the right people and it’s just game changing.

What inspired you to launch your business and what is the end goal?

Prior to BYP, I was a top student academically and was interested in working in the finance sector. I did a Masters at the University of Florida, and previously gained some work experience in investment banking before working in fin-tech. I was quick to realise that for me, tech is the future, and I wanted to be at the heart of innovation. However, the lack of diversity in the workplace and the difficulties in meeting other Black professionals in the city was stark. I thought, where were all the talented Black students that I had met during my studies? Why weren’t they in these top corporations? It was troubling to see the lack of role model visibility.

I saw a problem that needed to be solved (in the workplace) and I started from there. I realised that my view, and that of many other people, was that successful Black people are either musicians or athletes. If you enter the world of work and don’t see any other Black people there, it reaffirms the idea that the only routes to success are through entertainment and sports. It became clear early on that the standard for entry for a Black person into the corporate world is much higher. I was able to navigate the system because I achieved exceptional grades in multiple degrees and was an international athlete; deemed acceptable. But we know the majority in the room didn’t have to achieve the same standard. In the Black community, we know we have to be excellent to get an opportunity, which I don’t think is fair.  

We shouldn’t have to be saying Black Lives Matter, quoting stats like 58 cents to the dollar, leaving workplaces, not getting funding, Black professionals not getting jobs… I’ve always said that the BYP Network exists, not to exist. We would close the business if all these companies were diverse and Black professionals got opportunities, but clearly there’s more work to be done. 

What keeps you motivated as an entrepreneur when you hit bumps in the road?

It’s the fact that each bump in the road is at a higher level than the previous one. Even though it’s hard, we’ve improved and we are better than before. Look how far we’ve come in 6 years. What’s year 7 and 8 going to be like? I have to keep going through those bumps in order to keep elevating BYP Network as a company. 

How well versed were you in the planning and strategic growth of your business? Did this come easy to you?

To be honest, I started the company and took each day as it came. I had a vision, I was proactive and I had the people I needed. Everything has been a journey for myself, my team, my clients and community. With the help of my team, I was able to grow my business. We are a sum of all our parts.

What plans do you have for BYP Network over the next two years?

Over the next two years, we expect to expand internationally. We’ve been actively doing our BYPeers programme which has seen us run events in the likes of Dubai, Lagos, Nairobi and New York. For us we want to have events in every major city across the globe and we are actively pursuing that. We want to have a strong foothold in the USA, perhaps in Atlanta or New York to provide our services to the people and businesses there.  We want to continue improving our platforms and grow our member community.

Any new launches we should know about?

We had our annual BYP Leadership Conference on Oct 6 & 7 recently which had over 600 attendees and we are looking forward to running this event again next year. We are also working closely with our partners to connect them to our members through our mentorship programme and through our  BYPeers initiative. We have our Black Experience course which aims to educate our clients to help them engage and attract Black talent. We are always on the lookout for ways we can be better and serve our community and partners better.

How does BYP Network help the community where you’re located in?

We’re very proud to have now amassed over 150,000 community members across the globe, and to have worked with 1,000 leading corporate clients - the likes of Sky, TikTok, Meta, and Morgan Stanley. Over 15,000 of our members have been up-skilled through mentorship, thought-leadership events and industry specific insight, with all our members boasting an enhanced network and some even being hired through the mentorship programme. While 2020 was a tough year due to Covid-19, we were fortunate to launch a successful multimillion crowdfund with over 1,200 investors, and were able to grow the company tenfold. 

We’ve had positive feedback from the communities saying things like ‘All my opportunities have come through BYP Network’ or ‘I got a job off the network’ or ‘I met someone who became a mentor to me and it’s changed my life.’ For us we are making a difference daily by connecting them with mentors and opportunities.

How important is company culture and what is your top tip to get it right?

Company culture is super important. It’s all about the people. One wrong person can completely change the culture for the worse, but having the right culture with people who are collaborative and agile, who have a growth mindset - people learn from one another. My top tip is to always keep trying in terms of company culture, don’t rest on your laurels as there can always be improvements. It is always important to reset culture where necessary - be it in terms of diversity or just general workplace culture, the current culture is not the be-all and end-all of the company. Things can always change for the better.

Thinking about the future, do you have any strategic partnerships or upgrades in the pipeline?

We want to go deeper with our clients. This year for example at the conference, we’ve had sponsors like Sky, Morgan Stanley, Meta, Farfetch and Sainsburys. We want to make sure that they are really getting value for money and to ensure that our communities are happy working in these companies as well. We want to scale that up and by working with our main partners we can drive change across industries for Black professionals. 

Why do you think your business has had such a positive impact across your industry?

I think it’s the authenticity of BYP Network. From the get go, we’ve always been a young fun brand on a mission. We listen to our clients and communities, and we’ve been an effective middleman to bridge the gap between each party, especially in times where there is mistrust between each other. People have learnt to trust BYP Network as a reliable and trustworthy organisation that exists to serve its communities and partners. 

Describe your business in three words.

Authentic, community first, growth mindset.