Bayo Adelaja

London Business School

“Visionary entrepreneur and founder advancing social mobility, financial inclusion, and Black-led innovation globally.”

Hometown: Ikoyi, Lagos

Fun fact about yourself: I was once terrified of public speaking, until a last-minute cancellation forced me on stage, and now I get paid to speak all over the world.

Undergraduate School and Degree:

English Literature, BA (Hons), Durham University

Culture and Society, MSc, London School of Economics

Health, Population and Society, MSc, London School of Economics

Masters in Business Administration (MBA), London Business School

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school?

Do it Now Now, Founder and CEO

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? I didn’t do a summer internship. Instead, I continued a role on Access – The Social Investment Foundation’s Investment Committee. In that role, I steward the government’s dormant asset allocation to social investment firms across the UK. In the past couple of years, I have helped determine where £100m is invested and through which social investors. My particular role is to ensure the products and services receiving government funding are fit for purpose for organisations that are historically underserved by such measures.

Where will you be working after graduation? I will continue to work at Do it Now Now, a racial justice organisation that provides funding and training to Black leaders running charities and social enterprises across the UK.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: As my work at Do it Now Now evolved, I found there was less time for extra curricular activities. I have, however, been involved in the Women in Business, Entrepreneurship, and Black in Business clubs and have found those engagements to be immensely enjoyable.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am really proud of the diversity of my course portfolio. I have really gone outside of my comfort zone and I have learned so much about myself in the process. I have significantly built my knowledge in subjects I would otherwise have remained uneducated on, for example, equity investment management, marketplace economics. and negotiation techniques. All of these have been immediately useful in my day-job as a non-profit CEO building an endowment. I learned about my own resilience, and learned to ask for help when needed. It has been liberating to know that everyone, from the faculty to the administrative staff and the other students, wants to see me win. I’m proud of myself and the community I have come to experience at LBS.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am proudest of the team that I have built in Do it Now Now. The fact that we have been able to attract such talented people who are just as passionate about the mission of our organisation as I am is a huge source of pride. It is through their commitment that we have been able to distribute over £3m in cash to over 200 charities and social enterprises in the UK over the past 5 years. We are also growing our capacity and will be distributing £2.5m this year alone. Considering that the first pot of money I ever gave away was £450 in 2019, it’s been amazing to grow our work together.

Why did you choose this business school? Diversity of the student group is what attracted me to London Business School. It is incredible to have the whole world at your fingertips, in your WhatsApp groups and now on LinkedIn as well. I know I’ll find a member of our cohort in any part of the world I choose to visit and I get to keep that global community for the rest of my life. That’s incredible.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Bukky Oyediji – She took time out to speak with me and other African students to ensure that we knew she was available to talk if we needed help or were finding it difficult to adjust for any reason. Her classes on Strategy were also really interesting and served as a fantastic foundation for the rest of the MBA. She is a quick-witted, “no nonsense” teacher, which made the lessons enjoyable as well.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favourite course was Pricing Strategy and Tactics taught by Marco Bertini. I really enjoyed the subject matter, especially since it is something I’d never done before. I gained new skills and found a real love for all things Economics. That’s a new discovery I couldn’t have predicted five years ago – or even two years ago.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? I actually think about this a lot and it was the class onboarding adventure. Going away together for a day in our first couple of days in the MBA was amazing! It forced quick bonding and a lot of the nervousness I was feeling about being in the space – including imposter syndrome – went away quickly. When everyone is just trying to learn the same games, walk the tightrope, climb the wall, and complete the obstacles in a team, you automatically have a group of people that will have your back no matter what.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I don’t think there is anything I would do differently right now. Maybe in a few years’ time, when I’m more removed from it, I will. For now, I feel as if I have taken advantage of every opportunity to be and do as much as I can. I perhaps wish I had been to more Sundowners. It is a longstanding, social tradition at London Business School, designed for students to network, unwind, and socialise, but I think that’s probably everyone’s sentiment.

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? We had a case study about the Founder of True Africa, Claude Grunitzky, on the subject of diversity and inclusion. The case study was used in The Science of People in Organisations course taught by Daniel Effron. That case study seriously changed the way I think about my day-to-day engagement as a professional and a leader. It highlighted the importance of networking as a connector and being a conduit on purpose.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? I absolutely love London. There are cities in the world that are coded into your DNA and London is that for me. Everything is in London, from culture to business: theatres, concert venues, museums, and globally-relevant conferences. Nothing is too far away either, whether Europe or Africa (which is where I mainly travel for business or pleasure). The city has everything I could ever want, in spades. Also, because the transport links are particularly good, meeting people in person is a breeze, making networking with classmates, study groups, and colleagues that much easier.

What business leader do you admire most? I admire Shonda Rhimes, the creator of multiple juggernaut television shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and Bridgerton. I love leaders who have a signature of excellence that can be seen across multiple vehicles. No matter what she is doing or where, that specific fingerprint is clear.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? We have been able to use it to create mock exam questions. That has been extremely helpful since there are only ever a couple of exam papers we get to practice with ahead of the big day. I get very nervous around exams, so the more I can practice, the better!

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I most admire Tebogo Seima. Her positive attitude and calm vibe is exceptional in every setting. I absolutely love that about her.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

Build a generationally relevant business.

Win an Oscar.

What made Bayo such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“Bayo’s entrepreneurial background is inspiring and through the racial justice organisation that she founded, ‘Do it Now Now’, she is tackling key disparities in the UK. She is a natural leader and has thrown herself into the MBA with enthusiasm, making sure she is getting as much value from her learning as possible whilst contributing to her colleagues at LBS. I really like how Bayo took a slightly different path, aligned with her vision and instead of a classic summer internship practically improving government spending on social organisations.

I am really excited about the future of ‘Do it Now Now’, which Bayo will continue to lead on completing her MBA. Seeing the huge disparity in access for minorities in London and globally, Bayo’s work will undoubtedly help to create opportunities that do not exist and make a huge impact in both the business and non-profit world.”

Oliver Ashby
MBA Programme Director

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