HARNESSING EQUITY AND TECHNOLOGY - WUNMI AKINSOLA

The International Women's Day campaign aims to share the stories of hidden female figures in the digital fashion world.

A CONVERSATION WITH WUNMI AKINSOLA

Wunmi Akinsola is a Nigerian fashion entrepreneur and the founder of Fashtraker, a prominent fashion company that is building an online community to link reputable and sustainable fashion brands with their customers.

Fashtracker is a three-way wholesale platform that links brands, buyers, and producers to ensure a smooth trade cycle. The e-commerce platform is establishing a network for brands, buyers, and manufacturers, allowing for frictionless wholesale transactions. Additionally, Fashtracker provides value-added services along the supply chain, allowing for a successful trade cycle.

Can you tell us about your journey in the digital fashion space?

My journey has been an extremely experimental one. I’ve tried out different ideas and pivoted several times. Finding product market fit has been my priority, and it's been an insightful and exciting learning curve. We have finally landed on a product we are confident solves a challenging problem, and look forward to the full execution of our work.

What inspires you every day?

Seeing African women become financially empowered by cross-border trade inspires me. I look forward to a time when it’s easier for the average Nigerian maker or entrepreneur to export her products with ease. Doing this at scale eventually motivates me.

Have you ever faced discrimination because of your gender, and how did you overcome it?

Most certainly - raising money was a challenge and being a woman means its automatically harder to get into the door or into the right conversations. Men make 90% of decisions when it comes to the finance sector, and it’s largely network-based - So they tend to fund themselves. This leaves women out of the conversation, but I love that there are a lot more initiatives which help to reduce this.

How do you empower women in your line of work?

Most of our clients are women. We empower them by giving them access to global markets, assisting with supply chain issues, and financing wholesale purchase orders. Solving these challenges enable them economically, and helps them to create value within their communities.

What is your advice to young women who want to be successful in your field?

1. Start with what you have, and go for opportunities and spaces that welcome you with open arms.
2. Create value, and those who matter will come knocking.