Woman to woman: more than an entrepreneur, a mentor

For Joy, her business success is not measured in just the profit she generates but more in being able to beam the light to illuminate the path of one girl, one woman at a time, to also run an enterprise that benefits people, communities, and the environment.

Asked how she forayed into the business of furniture making, Joy Igbodike, an impact driven entrepreneur and mother of three from Nigeria, shares, "my mother was a furniture maker, and from age 14, I spent most of my after-school time with her at the workshop. From a monotonous chore, a fire began to burn, and with an academic background in production engineering, it was a no brainer when I had to make a choice of business when the time came - Jaebee Furniture was birthed," says Joy.

Concerned about the carbon footprint of her business on the environment, Joy began to seek alternative models for achieving sustainability. A question gnawed at her - how can she balance her passion for creating aesthetically appealing furniture pieces with ensuring a healthy environment? With the support of Oxfam's partner, Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Joy learned from experts on how to integrate circular economy principles into her business.

"Discovering the circular economy was a lightbulb moment for me! Since I started treating waste as a design flaw, I have experienced incredible growth. I have created a business niche to swap furniture and drastically cut down on production excess through technology. My customers have become more responsible furniture users because they know they can easily swap used pieces for new ones at minimal cost. It feels great to know that I am creating value to my customers and the environment while doing a business I am passionate about," Joy says.

Besides being the go-to person for sustainable furniture businesses in Nigeria, Joy is building a strong community of women entrepreneurs who are following in her footsteps. Through her initiative, Girls’ Skill Up, a charity-based program, Joy has trained and mentored more than 200 girls and women on the art and business of sustainable furniture making.

Echoing the voices of more than 200 mentees, 16-year-old Adeshola, said, "I am learning upholstery and furniture making for free. My big dream is to be like Joy someday - build a that give girls like me the opportunity to horn a skill and be financially independent."

Aderonke Malomo, one of Joy’s trainees and mentees and an interior designer of seven years, shares her experience. "My struggles in dealing with clients was what drew me to Joy.  She is such a role model that I draw so much strength from her. She never ceases a chance to tell me, ‘Ronke, you can do it, you can scale up! If I did it, you too can.' I am regaining my confidence in running a successful business in the industry despite the challenges," Aderonke shares.

"Joy inspired me to turn my fashion trash into cash. I have created an entirely new fashion line by optimizing my waste. Beyond the mentoring that I enjoy from Joy, we support each other to grow. Most of her furniture upholstery comes from the waste that I have optimized. It's just a circle of women helping women," said Yetunde, a sustainable fashion designer.

Joy teaches us that when women support, inspire and encourage each other, they can overcome numerous challenges and multiply their impact. Joy and Yetunde have moved on to deepen their partnership. Jaebee furniture now makes use of fashion waste from Yetunde’s company to create unique and upcycled furniture pieces.

"I feel privileged to be part of the success stories of many women and girls, but it takes a community to achieve gender equality. We need more impact driven entrepreneurs, especially women, to rise in solidarity to handhold, mentor, and pull as many women as possible up until they realize their full potential," Joy said.

Visit Jaebee furniture's website to learn more about Joy's business.