Temitayo Ade-Oshifogun

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

“A problem solver made entrepreneur with a solid technical background and aim to impact others spiritually and financially.”

Hometown: Hard to choose one! I was born in London and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, but my true home is in Lagos, Nigeria where much of my family resides.

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve hosted several spiritual events for people to experience the heart of Jesus in unique ways and connect with other people of all backgrounds in more interpersonal ways. I’ve written over 60 poems that helped illuminate those experiences for attendees and have performed several of the poems in front of live audiences.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Electrical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Daplabs | NFT Research Analyst

When you think of Notre Dame, what are the first things that come to mind? How have your experiences with the Mendoza program thus far reinforced or upended these early impressions? The first things that come to mind when I think of Notre Dame are network, family, opportunity, and resilience. My experience with the Mendoza program has reinforced all of these early impressions. Notre Dame has a phenomenal network of highly distinguished alumni and affiliates. In many cases, the network at ND is synonymous with family.

When I came here in June 2021, I was bombarded with warm greetings and immediate opportunities to achieve whatever I wanted. My cohort has been like family to me. It affirmed the high value of the ND network from a business perspective and a community perspective. This opened a world of opportunities for myself and other students. I explored many companies, developed relationships quickly, and found myself with the resources to even launch a company with the help of the IDEA Center here. In a few months, I was overwhelmed with community, opportunities, and a high sense of belonging. However, I knew being a dual degree student pursuing an MBA and MS in Business Analytics would require a lot of resilience. The program is not easy, but it certainly is rewarding. I have learned a plethora of technical and soft skills in such a short time that is directly applicable to my desired career path. Knowing this early on, with the help of my classmates and career coaches, I have been able to remain resilient and prosperous thus far in the program.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the Mendoza MBA programming that led you to choose this business school, and why was it so important to you? The dual degree option of doing an MS in Business Analytics with the MBA program was the main contributor to my choice of attending Notre Dame. This was highly important because it is an influential differentiating factor for my skillset. It allows me to be better prepared to have an immediate impact in any organization, while deeply understanding the roles and responsibilities of technical team members. It was also important because it increased my understanding of using data to guide business strategy and decision-making.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Mendoza? It’s a tie between Technology Club and Black Graduates in Management (BGM) Club! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my experience in the Tech club due to the resources and opportunities that are constantly available to members and the learning opportunities for practical skills in product management specifically. However, the BGM club has been home and a safe space for me. They have been like family to me. It has dramatically impacted how comfortable I am in and out of the classroom. Additionally, I am incredibly excited to join Business on the Frontlines next year to have the opportunity to impact the world in innovative ways! (Hopefully crypto related)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Perseverance. After being laid off in July of 2020 due to COVID, I relied heavily on my relationship with God to get me through. At that time, I created my spiritual brand to help other people like myself get through that difficult time. I hosted 9 consecutive events for people to experience the heart of Christ while building a Godly community for attendees.

After months of trying to understand where he wanted me to take my next steps, I came across an opening at a crypto startup as a client manager in early 2021. With God’s approval and a leap of faith, I pivoted into this new space. It was there that I was able to accomplish something much bigger than myself. I created products and services that onboarded over 70 investors into digital assets and increased the number of investors by 200%. The phone calls of gratitude and tears of joy I encountered were irreplaceable. To assist in changing the lives of others both financially and spiritually during a year of uncertainty, doubt, and fear was the biggest accomplishment of my career to date and the most innovative. All glory be to God.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? So far, my biggest accomplishment as an MBA student is launching my own cryptocurrency startup that helps people create better investment strategies in the crypto space. It brings me so much joy seeing people learn about crypto and the many use cases of the technology driving the space. It’s only the beginning, and I am very grateful for the lives I have had the privilege and honor to positively affect!

Mendoza is known as a purpose-driven MBA program that asks students to “Grow the good in business.” What is your mission and how has Mendoza been helping you realize it? My mission is to never let the blessings that God gives me stop with me. Mendoza has a “pay it forward” attitude prevalent from the first day you step on campus. My cohort at Mendoza has been extremely helpful in my career in just these first six months. There is a family-like nature here that you simply cannot ignore. Mendoza helps me bless others as I am blessed by providing unique opportunities via career coaching, entrepreneurship support, funding, community, and, frankly, being seen. When I experience kindness on any given day or a connection from the Mendoza network, my first thought is, “who else may need this kindness or connection?” That environment isn’t built by luck. It’s built by intentionality by setting a tone of sincerity and love that can only be driven by establishing a tradition of growing the good in business. This is what Mendoza has done, and though the program is not perfect, it is progressive.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Mendoza MBA program? Be yourself!! I must be very candid right now, specifically for the minorities interested in the Mendoza MBA program. While the program may not seem like the place for you on paper, it is. You do not need to change anything about yourself or switch the context of your story or experience to gain admission. Again, it is not perfect and has its flaws, but there is no magic formula for Mendoza. They genuinely value self-expression and have made strides to increase the level of diversity here. Being yourself in this context simply means owning your strengths and addressing your weaknesses while leading with your passions. This program wants you to grow as a professional and as a person in general. I could tell you to get a high GMAT or make sure your experience is at a certain level, but the truth is that it is a holistic approach. The people who are the most authentic versions of themselves during the admission process and during their time in the program are the most successful.

You have a story to tell, and this program wants to hear it. You have a strength that will bless others, and your cohort wants to experience it. You may even have a weakness you want to hide, but this program will resolve it. Take it from someone who thought they weren’t enough just one year ago, your complete self is enough, and if you express that in your application, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you next year. Drinks on me.

DON’T MISS: MEET NOTRE DAME MENDOZA’S MBA CLASS OF 2023