Today we’d like to introduce you to Emmanuel Ifeanyi Ifediba.
Hi Emmanuel, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Back in 2003, my mother, older brother, and I left Nigeria to start a new life in the U.S. Growing up in the U.S. presented its challenges. My father worked tirelessly, often holding two jobs for 16 hours a day to make ends meet. To save money, my family frequently shopped at the 99-cent store, bought oversized clothes, and practiced careful food rationing. We resided in Inglewood, one of the most crime-ridden areas in Los Angeles, where gang activity and gun violence were prevalent. Living right next to the 405 freeway, I became accustomed to the constant noise of cars, ambulances, and ”fireworks,” what I later realized were gunshots, all as I slept. But what struck me even more was the spirit of resilience, unity, and determination in the people of Inglewood, which reminded me of the Nigerian people and our shared determination to overcome obstacles. This was in stark contrast to the negative portrayals of Inglewood in the media as a “ghetto” filled with criminals. Like Nigeria, it was evident that the city lacked the funding and government support needed to thrive.
Being an immigrant from Nigeria, my first language was Igbo, which made it a challenge for me to learn and communicate in English. My accent, dark skin, and traditional Nigerian lunches made me the target of ridicule and bullying. Financial insecurity plagued my parents as they struggled to secure capital from banks. Additionally, my two younger siblings were born, adding to the financial pressure. At the start of my 8th grade year, we moved to Gardena, California, a suburb in Los Angeles County. While I am grateful for my parent’s decision to move us to a safer neighborhood, I wish the Black community in Inglewood had received better resources from the beginning. This realization fueled my desire to see Black people and businesses thrive in their existing communities without having to relocate.
Nevertheless, I persevered and refused to let the challenges of moving to America hinder my academic success. I remembered my father’s encouraging words to “Jisike” as I worked towards achieving straight A’s in middle school. This determination earned me a full-tuition Jesuit Ignatian Award to attend Santa Clara University, a private Catholic institution in Silicon Valley. Transitioning from Inglewood to Santa Clara University, where only 1.3% of the student body was Black, was a stark contrast. Despite the circumstances, I excelled academically with an average GPA of 3.60 out of 4.0 and held leadership roles, including President of the Black Business Association, Diversity & Inclusion Senator, Junior and Senior representative for the Associate Student Government, National Society of Black Engineers Executive Board Member, and President of the Inclusive Excellence Student Advisory Council. My experiences in Inglewood drove me to focus on ensuring that Black students at Santa Clara University received the resources they needed to thrive in a predominantly white institution.
My proudest achievement during my time at Santa Clara was the transformation of the Black Business Association (BBA). Under my leadership, the BBA went from a small, underfunded club with four members and a lack of vision to an organization with over $5000 in funding, 30+ members, 30 Management Leaders for Tomorrow fellows, and over 20 students attending Afrotech. As a result of my leadership impact, I was honored with two prestigious awards at graduation: the Peters Hans Kolvenbach Award and the Leavey School of Business Leadership Award. These awards recognized my commitment to the ideals of Jesuit education and my dedication to exhibiting leadership in both curricular and co-curricular endeavors.
After graduating, I was admitted to the Berkeley Haas Advanced Access Program, which is ranked as the #4 MBA program in the United States. I plan to leverage my MBA to continue to “Jisike” and ensure that I positively impact marginalized communities by making affordable housing, professional opportunities, and financial capital accessible to all. My MBA from Berkeley Haas will enable me to create a more significant impact and accelerate my attainment of senior corporate leadership roles that will allow me to champion diversity and inclusion effectively. Lately, I have gotten into listening to audiobooks (over 30+ read), playing basketball at Crosscourt, surfing and dancing. Today, I am a consultant, Airbnb Superhost, Social Media Influencer, Comedian, and Actor. I’ve been loving the bizarre adventure of life and have been fortunate to be able to do what I love in my free time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been smooth. The biggest struggle I’ve faced is depression and the “imposter” syndrome of success. As a Nigerian aa struggle, I face is the need to constantly validate my success or to prove that I am going somewhere. While yes it is important to succeed, it has caused the anxiety of always having to do something amazing or create something amazing. I felt stuck in the rat wheel of success and struggled with just relaxing and having a relaxing day. Additionally, my car was totaled by a drunk driver, and I struggled with coming up with the funds to purchase a new car; it was a severe, unexpected cost that set me back financially as I had to take out loans to cover the additional cost.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am most proud of my social media growth! I started making comedy reels in October 2023 and have amassed 1500 followers and a total of 1.5 million reel views! I have additionally gained 12k followers on TikTok with 1 million views on their as well. I am grateful that people find me funny and the support in which people have given my platforms. Additionally, I am proud of my Airbnb business and being able to become an Airbnb Superhost for the second year in a row. Even through the ups and downs, we’ve been blessed to host hundreds of people, and it has truly honed my business skills.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Shoutout to my family, friends, and everyone who has supported me throughout the years forever grateful for the continual love and support
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifeanyiifediba/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ifeanyiifediba/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqIlgwLCvaNEnwwFBsHoxFQ
