Oluwaseyi Folayan
2022 IVLP Impact Award Project: Bezaleel Skills LabNigeria
Oluwaseyi David Folayan is a passionate entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Bezaleel Inspired Craft, a premium fashion brand for men. In addition to styling people across the globe and developing a global brand, Oluwaseyi's dream is to address the knowledge gap in building sustainable enterprises in the fashion industry and to promote a sustainable environment. Oluwaseyi studied at the Copenhagen Business School on strategic management. He has worked on projects including Nigeria Triumphs Polio, a United Nations Population Fund campaign against female genitalia mutilation, and Deepening Democracy in Nigeria 2 sponsored by the U.K. Department for International Development.
IVLP Impact Award Project: Bezaleel Skills Lab
The Bezaleel Skills Lab was an entrepreneurship upskilling program that supported entrepreneurs with innovative ideas in fashion to plug the industry’s value chain gaps and to democratize prosperity. The program supported participants to commercialize and develop their creations as well as to distribute their innovative fashion products and services. Forty-three participants from across the nation were selected based on criteria including innovativeness of their idea, the value chain gap to be plugged, and a clear sustainability plan. They received training on business modelling, customer acquisition, brand modeling, new trends in fashion industry, and business financing. Participants then pitched their ideas to potential investors and industry stakeholders.
"This has been a good experience. When I saw the opportunity, I had to tell some of our students in the university I work at to register for it. We are even looking for opportunities on how to make this part of the school curriculum." - Project participant
IVLP Exchange Experience
Oluwaseyi participated in the IVLP Project Promoting Economic Growth and Trade in the Fashion Industry, organized by the U.S. Department of State and FHI 360 in partnership with the U.S. Department of State Office of International Visitors program branch in New York City, Global Ties Alabama, Global Ties Akron and World Affairs Council - Seattle.
U.S. Communities Visited Virtually
Huntsville, AL; Washington, DC; New York City, NY; Akron, OH; Seattle, WA