Adaora Mbelu is a passion driven Creative Industrialist and Entrepreneur, and Blogger at Ahdora.com who took a keen passion for entrepreneurship with the view to create viable business strategies for organizations to adopt. With her company Innovation Factory which she founded in 2011, she has been able to positively affect the business growth of her clients by developing successful branding strategies based on an extensive feasibility studies.
Adaora is a young Creator. Born into a diverse family background, a Nigerian Father and a Sri Lankan Mother, she considers herself a world citizen. She was born in Colombo, Srilanka, and raised in Lagos.
Adaora’s journey in creativity and leadership started as a child, when she represented her primary school at the Lagos State Debate competition in the early 90’s and often appeared on the then popular children’s TV program “Speak Out” and “Children’s Variety”. Adaora was also vice president of the music club and health prefect of her primary school, where she coordinated the music band, and represented the school at various music competitions.
In 1997, she was admitted into the prestigious Queens College Secondary School, where she excelled academically and socially. At the age of 16, Adaora represented the future of Nigeria at the Global Young Leaders Conference in Washington DC and Newyork, she was among 350 outstanding scholars from various countries to attend the program.
Adora attended Northern Kentucky University, USA, where she studied Economics and Entrepreneurship, and was drafted into the National Honors Scholars Society as well as the Entrepreneurship Institute Honors Committee.
Adaora Mbelu started her career as a credit risk analyst at Citigroup, USA, before moving back to Nigeria in 2008. At 23 years old, Adaora was the Corporate Communications manager for OSMI, and managed the company’s marketing communications for the 2010 World Cup.
She then became the Assistant Project Manager for Nigerian Idol, and Project Manager for the Television show, Nigeria’s Got Talent where she was responsible for managing all aspects of the show – business and production. Since then Adaora has worked on projects across various industries, either as a Project Manager, Media Manager, or Content Director/Developer.
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Some of these projects include: Copa Lagos, X Factor Nigeria, The United Nations World Tourism Organization conference, Nigeria Centenary Awards 2014, Presidential Democracy Day event with former President Goodluck Jonathan, and International Conference on Peace and Security (with 28 World Leaders in attendance).
Aside from her academic and professional accomplishments, Adaora has a passion for learning and teaching, as well as nurturing and building dreams. She was part of the team that co-ordinated the Athletes in Diaspora Community Interventions project, a foundation led by NFL players of Nigerian descent giving back to the community. She has also worked with the Non Profit Organization, Volunteers of America as a supported living specialist for people with Developmental Disabilities. Adaora is also the Co-founder of ‘The Amalgamation Project’– a platform for promoting social causes.
Adaora has held leadership positions as far back as college where she was President of the African Students Association, and Vice President of the International Students union at her campus. In 2011 she was named ‘Promising Young Entrepreneur’ in the MTV/MTN Meets Project, she was also named in the ‘Top 30 Under 30’ list by FAB Magazine. Adaora was nominated in the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ category at the 2012 Future Awards, Nigeria among others.
