On delivering social impact beyond the workspace with Demilade Oluwasina ‘20

Here at ALU School of Business, we believe that entrepreneurial ventures play a vital role in Africa’s development. We actively encourage ALUSB students to explore entrepreneurship through courses like E&I, the Lion’s Den event and even through the V^3 Leadership Model, which has entrepreneurial elements at its core! 

Demilade Oluwasina ‘20 is someone that needed no introduction to the entrepreneurial spirit. Demie, as he’s more commonly referred to, is currently an ALU Rwanda Faculty member for Entrepreneurial Leadership and acts as the support for the design and delivery of other programmes including the Global Challenges Degree. His role at ALU is a testament to his passion for entrepreneurship and education. He is also a believer of lifelong learning – hence his decision to embark on an MBA journey with ALU School of Business.

He pursued this MBA with the hopes of achieving 3 things: new skills, great relationships and a broader perspective for impact. “I wanted to gain new skills through going through content, reflecting on that content and incorporating it in my daily work life and other projects. Secondly, I wanted to build great and lasting relationships that enable me to tap into even more resources with the diversity of colleagues, partners, and others in the ecosystem. And lastly, a broader perspective through conversations with the people and the different issues we discuss in class. These 3 things, I believe, will empower me to be a better leader and a change-maker with greater impact.”

At ALU Rwanda, he is known for being an enthusiastic faculty member who has played a huge role in mentoring students with different enterprises within the ALU space as well as supporting Global Challenges students in formulating value-oriented missions. But Demie often goes beyond his job description and his workspace to deliver social impact.

One example of this is his project with the EDD, a Rwandan organization that works to rehabilitate and empower street children. “I got involved with them through some of my colleagues at ALUSB During BUILD Lab.” The ALUSB MBA BUILD Lab is a 24-hour design challenge where students are paired with local partners in order to contribute to the optimization of their businesses while also learning important leadership, innovation, and teamwork skills. Through this process, ALUSB MBA students are able to identify some key problems and solutions to address them. 

“One of the biggest issues that EDD had, was the struggle to articulate a strong brand and marketing strategy in order to keep attracting the right kinds of shareholders, support and more to be sustainable. I have years of experience in design, branding, advertising and publishing. My friends asked if I was willing to help with the project and I decided to take it on.

“I saw that EDD’s work was needed and was indeed transformative and I wanted to be part of helping them reach their goals, succeed and be sustainable as an organization.” 

Demie is currently working on a strategy that will attract support and the right stakeholders to make the EDD a sustainable organization. At the same, he gets to be part of a programme that is empowering young children in Rwanda by providing them with a community that is supportive and concerned about their welfare.

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