This is the greatest comeback story in history:

At 12, This Man witnessed his father’s murder.

Later Lost his life savings on 3 failed startups.

Bet everything on one last idea.

Today, his company is worth $3 billion.

This is the story of Tope Awotona, the Nigerian-born tech. entrepreneur, founder of Calendly

and the 3 lessons his journey teaches us about failure, resilience, and success:

At just 12 years old, young Tope witnessed his father’s murder during a carjacking in Lagos.

That moment shattered his world.

But little did he know, this tragedy would ignite a fire within him,
a drive to build something extraordinary.

After his father’s death, Tope moved to America as a teenager.

He studied computer science at the University of Georgia but found himself drawn to sales roles.

Yet, something was missing.

He wanted to create something that mattered.

So, he took the leap into entrepreneurship.

His first venture? An e-commerce site selling projectors.

It failed

His second startup? A garden tools business.

It failed too

His third attempt? A dating website.

That also crashed and burned

Each failure cost him time, money, and confidence.

But each one also taught him something invaluable:

His first failure exposed the importance of supply chain management.

His second failure showed him the value of operational efficiency.

His third failure taught him about market timing and the need for proper funding.

By 2013, Tope was out of money, out of ideas, and out of options.

But he wasn’t out of the fight.

He had one last idea, and he went all in.

Invested his entire life savings, $200,000, into a scheduling tool called Calendly .

Friends thought he was crazy.

Investors called the idea "boring" and "unscalable."

But Tope had discovered a universal pain point: the endless back-and-forth emails just to schedule a single meeting.

He knew this wasn’t just an annoyance, it was a productivity killer.

With no external funding, Tope hired Ukrainian contractors to build the first version of Calendly.

He kept it simple:

A clean interface.

Easy functionality.

One core problem solved perfectly.

And it worked.

Calendly spread like wildfire.

Freelancers loved its simplicity.
Sales teams appreciated its efficiency.
Recruiters shared it with their networks.

By 2020, Calendly was generating over $70 million in annual recurring revenue.

Then, COVID hit.

The world shifted to remote work, and virtual meetings became the norm.

Calendly became essential.

In 2021, investors who once dismissed Tope’s idea poured in $350 million.

Calendly’s valuation skyrocketed to $3 billion.

Today, Tope Awotona is worth over $1 Billion dollars become the few Nigerian-born Entrepreneurs who has crossed the billionaire line

The boy who witnessed tragedy in Lagos had built a tech empire.

But His journey revealed three profound truths about success to Us:

- Rejection is redirection

Every failed startup taught Tope something critical.
The lessons from those failures became the foundation for Calendly’s success.

- Solve real problems

Calendly didn’t chase trends, it solved a pain point Tope experienced firsthand.
The best ideas come from personal frustration.

- Constraints breed creativity

With no funding, Tope focused on simplicity.
That constraint became Calendly’s greatest strength.

Tope Awotona’s story is proof that success isn’t about avoiding failure it’s about learning from it.

So, the next time you face rejection, remember Tope Awotona’’s journey.

Your greatest comeback could be just one idea away.

#TechStories
#calendly
#tope

Aside from Acrimony where Taraji P. Henson played a lead role, STRAW is another movie she played a lead role, which will make you emotional.

A fantastic movie, I must say, that explains the agony behind survival and motherhood.

If you are a movie lover, kindly check STRAW out on Netflix, It was released some hours ago.

"I am not Christian no more, I practice the religion of love, so again, to me, fornication is not a s!n" – Falz reacts to his tweet on fornication

This is what happened between me and my landlord. Understanding man. I love him.

Regina should steer clear of this drama.

Angela and Mercy go way back—about two decades, in fact. Regina was barely out of diapers when all this started, so it’s unlikely she can grasp the depth of whatever’s simmering between these two seasoned actresses.

Mercy’s career took flight in 2004 when eight of Nollywood’s top stars—names like Omotola, Genevieve, RMD, and Jim Iyke—were temporarily blacklisted for demanding higher pay. That one-year suspension gave rising talents like Mercy Johnson, Ini Edo, and Stephanie Okereke a golden opportunity to shine. Before that, they were mostly stuck playing side characters or friends of the lead.

Adding to Mercy’s luck, Genevieve didn’t return to acting until 2006 when she starred in *Girls Cot*. By that time, Mercy had already stolen the spotlight. She wasn’t just skilled—she had the figure and on-screen charm that fit the era’s favorite roles: queens, village belles, university girls, and the dangerous beauty with secrets.

However, with more fame came more friction. Her first public altercation was in 2010 with Patience Ozokwor. Witnesses claimed Patience criticized a costume and threw subtle shade, saying she wasn’t about to wear something “Mercy-style.” Mercy heard and went off.

The following year, she reportedly butted heads with Mike Ezuruonye. She’d arrived late to a shoot, and Mike called her out on it, reminding her of the humility she once had. That didn’t sit well with Mercy, who allegedly refused to rehearse lines with him afterward.

2011 was also the year she married Prince Odianosen Okojie, even though he was still legally married to someone else at the time. That marriage added more fuel to the bad-girl image that followed her.

Soon after, Mercy made headlines again for allegedly smashing a crew member’s phone. The story goes that the young woman had been recording a romantic scene, and Mercy suspected the footage was meant for gossip blogs as “proof” of infidelity.

(Back then, I was on Mercy’s side. Nigerian gossip bloggers were wild. They made life hell for stars like Tonto, Ini, and Genevieve.)

As Mercy began having kids, she slowly withdrew from the spotlight—but her old controversies kept resurfacing. In 2019, Sonia Ogiri spoke up about how Mercy had allegedly blocked her from landing acting roles. Sonia said she even had to beg Mercy for forgiveness. But by then, Mercy had rebranded and was loved by the public, so Sonia got dragged online for daring to speak out.

In 2020, Davido dropped a cryptic but cutting comment under Eniola Badmus’ congratulatory post for Mercy and her husband’s new baby. “Wicked people… congrats though,” he wrote. When asked about it, he added, “Nothing. Just evil set of people.” Neither Mercy nor her husband addressed the remarks, though he did later deny the baby news.

Then in 2021, Mercy’s daughter, Purity, was allegedly targeted by a teacher who confessed that her grudge was with Mercy, not the child. No one ever disclosed what sparked that resentment.

Now in 2025, Mercy is visibly slimmer, and fans are beginning to question if her weight loss is really by choice. On June 3rd, Angela Okorie went live on Instagram and claimed that Mercy is seriously ill. She urged her to seek forgiveness from those she’d wronged.

Today, Regina Daniels has jumped into the fray to defend Mercy, whom she calls her godmother. She’s dragging Angela left and right online. But Angela is unmoved—she maintains her advice stands and says Mercy needs to make peace with her past.

Honestly, Regina should sit this one out.

Angela may be controversial, but she’s been around long enough to know things Regina doesn’t. It would be wiser for Regina to focus on her own journey—especially with a baby on the way (yes, Ned said so in his anniversary post)—and let the veterans handle their unresolved issues.

This isn't her fight.

The whole situation is complicated and layered, which is why those who witnessed the beginning of it all are keeping quiet and watching from the sidelines.

Dear Innoson, this is more like it.
I love this.
This is how you showcase a car.
Imagine this on the road.

Beast.

If I had the money, I’d definitely lay my hands on this one.
Invest in Alaigbo.

I honestly wish every South East politician would just go and buy this machine.

I also love that the motion picture was taken right here in the South East.
It’s now or never.
Let’s patronize our own.

Innoson and Nord are doing great things in Nigeria.

They say wear what you love right?

#talktechafrica

Davido endorses his bestie, Cubana Chiefpriest for 2027 Election; (CP 2027)

Cubana's recent moves shows he has an eye for a political seat.He met the president, vice president and Senate President of nigeria within 24 hours and he said his love for Tinubu is so strong.

I saw a video of Veekee James making a wedding dress few hours to a wedding party simply because the one she had initially planned to wear didn’t come out as expected.

It was an orange lovely dress.

I had to watch the video thrice to see what was actually wrong with that dress she rejected for the other.

..puffed up space at the lower zip region and an uneven stitch in a slit….

I eventually saw what she was unsatisfied about.

Now, any normal Nigerian lady would have said in that lovely dress, “It’s not that bad.” And family and friends would have concurred, “It’s not even visible, unless the person comes close. Wear your thing jare.”

BUT THEN! This was VEE KEE JAMES.

Not the Ajegunle VeeKee — the Forbes VJ Brand.

When it comes to fashion, she knows now that it is no longer only about her, but now about the BRAND.

She had an image to protect and a brand to represent. It had to be excellence or nothing. And excellence never goes for better when there can be best. Never condones “manage it” when there can be perfection.

Anyone could have easily walked up to her in the party and seen that — it would have been sore. And we all know how life happens, the day you decide to manage a thing is the day it gets out unashamedly.

So, that was a beautiful value displayed there.

That video alone gained lots of tractions. It just gave people more reason to trust in that brand — if she can choose perfection in the last minute and beat it hands down, then I can trust her with my look and fit for I know now that VeeKee would do anything to make sure it fits!

You see that value?

That’s what every one should bring to the table when they are called.

In your business…in your life…in every area your prioritize .

It should be excellence or nothing.

Nollywood Actress Mercy Johnson Okojie new look wow guys show her some love

Jony Ive, the legendary designer behind the iPhone, is officially teaming up with OpenAI. The company plans to acquire Ive’s design firm, LoveFrom, in a deal valued at around $6.5 billion. Ive will take on a broad role at OpenAI, helping shape the look and feel of future AI devices and tools.⁠
⁠
He’s working closely with CEO Sam Altman to develop a new kind of consumer hardware centered on artificial intelligence. While specifics are still under wraps, the goal is to create products that feel as natural and intuitive as the iPod or iPhone once did, now powered by advanced AI.⁠
⁠
The partnership has been in the works for months and marks one of OpenAI’s biggest steps toward building physical products. With Ive’s design vision and Altman’s AI focus, this collaboration could help define the next era of tech.⁠
⁠
(via The Wall Street Journal)

Many people are letting emotions cloud their judgment when it comes to the recent drama surrounding Veekee James and a designer allegedly copying her work. While it’s natural to defend someone you admire, business—especially in today’s social media age—operates on strategy, not sentiment.

Here’s the truth: in fashion, smaller brands that mimic successful designers can pose a serious threat, no matter how established the original brand is. It’s not just about who came first or who is more “original.” Sometimes, the imitator uses the attention from that comparison to launch themselves into the spotlight.

That seems to be what’s happening here. The emerging designer may appear less skilled or less known, but he’s cleverly positioning himself to benefit from the controversy. He’s using Veekee’s fame as a springboard, and honestly, it’s a smart—if risky—move.

It only takes one celebrity endorsement to change everything. If a major name decides to give him a shot, and he delivers a bold, fresh design, the internet will explode. People will forget about who copied whom. Instead, they’ll say, “Wow, look what he did!” And unfortunately, Veekee could still catch criticism in the fallout.

That’s why I believe Veekee should’ve played it differently. Publicly reacting gave him the validation he needed. If she had stayed silent and let her legal team quietly handle things, he would’ve had less momentum. Instead, now he gets to be “the guy who copied Veekee”—and that alone could drive his visibility and sales.

In public relations, some individuals act like leeches. They latch onto bigger names, hoping to gain relevance by association. This designer might seem harmless now, but his entire strategy relies on the Veekee brand to boost his own.

And let’s be honest, the internet is emotional and unpredictable. The designer seems to know this—and he’s aimed his strategy squarely at a Nigerian audience that loves an underdog story. If he pulls off one standout piece for a celebrity, the same fans who supported Veekee could turn around and say, “See? He’s even better.”

Bottom line: don’t underestimate a small brand just because they look like they’re copying. Sometimes, that’s exactly the plan. In this game, staying calm, strategic, and legally smart is the best defense.

Veekee didn’t need to respond with emotion. She needed to respond with silence and strength. That alone would have disrupted his plan entirely.