Entrepreneur & Author Empowers Other Women To Build Their Net Worth, Self Worth, And Network

Miracle Olatunji is an entrepreneur, professional speaker, and author of ​’Purpose: How To Live and Lead With Impact’.​ In high school, she founded OpportuniMe, an education startup that connects high school youth to summer experiential learning opportunities for passion, career, and self discovery. Through OpportuniMe, hundreds of youth have been able to find and secure opportunities.

Miracle believes that no aspect of someone’s identity (gender, age, where they were born, ​anything​) should be a hindrance to their access to opportunity and advancement.

She’s working to break down barriers for women in personal, financial, and professional wellness through an event series known as Women EmpowHERed.

And she’s only getting started.

What inspired your entrepreneurial spirit?

When I was in high school, I participated in an incredible youth entrepreneurship program called the Diamond Challenge. I credit this program for helping me to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and providing me with the amazing opportunity to make friends from all over the world. I was able to learn about many problems that were being solved in different parts of the world and meet the innovative people behind those solutions.

Before the program, I didn’t know much about business and entrepreneurship, but I was enthralled by the challenging and exciting process of solving problems, creating value, and making a difference. I was so inspired by many young entrepreneurs I had met who were working on ventures that made a significant impact on the lives of other people – in their communities and in society. Their energy and passion was contagious and I quickly caught it! A few months later, I decided to start ​OpportuniMe​ after I realized how time-consuming and stressful the process of searching for summer programs and opportunities was for me and thousands of young students. I’m building a solution that helps youth explore possible careers, build their network, and get a head start on finding and developing their passions before they head off to university.

What sparked your interest in finance and your work in financial literacy and empowerment, especially for women?

Currently, I am the Director of Innovation at ​Thrive​, a university-based organization that empowers college students through financial literacy education and funds student-led entrepreneurial ventures in personal finance and financial technology. My passion for finance began after attending an event where she learned about the gender investing and financial literacy gap. I believe that financial literacy has the power to ​empower ​people – both personally and professionally. The event I attended that first opened my eyes to the disparities is what inspired me to join the effort to make a change.

Just as that event had inspired me, this past semester, I hosted an event focused on educating women on building their: net worth, self worth, and network. Attendees learned and were given resources on how to become financially literate and leverage the power of investing. They developed strategies for enhancing their confidence and practicing positive self-talk. Studies show that there’s not a competence gap, there’s a confidence gap. For the network aspect of the event, attendees gained tactical advice on building strong personal and professional networks.

Tell us about your new (first) book, ​’Purpose: How To Live and Lead With Impact​’.

It’s a guide for current and aspiring leaders and innovators who want to leverage the power of their purpose to ​guide their career goals and aspirations. It also walks readers through ways to ​make a difference in not only their lives, but also how in the lives of others, their communities, companies and organizations, and the world. It’s full of inspiring stories and actionable insights and it’s for readers of all ages. It’s available for​ pre-order​ now and is releasing in July!

What are some career tips you have learned?

See yourself as a business. You are essentially the CEO of your life. The choices you make are important to getting you closer to your goals. Invest in yourself by reading, taking courses to sharpen your people and technical skills, prioritizing your health. You want your business (you) to grow, so one way to do that is to step out of your comfort zone. Do something that might scare you but is important for your career. For many people, that might be public speaking, taking on a challenging, unfamiliar project, or anything else that might feel uncomfortable ​initially​. Over time, you not only become more comfortable, but you will also experience personal and professional growth.

Also, a strong business also has a strong board of directors. Build your personal board of directors which consists of people who support and push you to be the best version of yourself possible. This may include family, friends, mentors, sponsors, coaches.

You were recently honored as one of ​The Root​’s 2019 Young Futurists which celebrates twenty-five young leaders who have excelled in their fields. What excites you most about this recognition?

It’s exciting to be in the company of fellow leaders who are passionate about making a difference – in business, science, social justice, healthcare, media, technology, and other fields! We have always heard that young people today will be the leaders of the future, but this list reminds me that we don’t have to wait until ‘the future’ to make a difference. We can start now!

You can learn more about Miracle Olatunji and the empowering work she is doing by heading to her website and purchasing her book.