Reagan-Warner
Reagan Warner
My Jumpstart Training
Sunday Ejembi
About Sunday Ejembi
Sunday Ejembi, also known as Bright, is a passionate cobbler and aspiring entrepreneur from Yelwan Kagadama, Bauchi State, Nigeria.
With roots in craftsmanship passed down from his father and a background in Mass Communication, Sunday blends creativity and resilience in his work. His vision is to transform his small workshop into a thriving shoe factory that creates opportunities for himself and others in his community.
Deeply committed to family and legacy, he dreams of becoming one of Bauchi’s most respected shoemakers, building a business that offers income, pride, and lasting impact for those around him.
Sunday Ejembi
Business Goals
Sunday’s business is built on hard work, integrity, discipline, and consistency, values taught by his parents and strengthened through personal experience.
His goal is to create a business that sustains his livelihood while uplifting others through employment, mentorship, and pride in locally made shoes. Located in Yelwan Tudu, opposite Ambassador Hotel, his shop is already known for variety and reliability.
With a manual sewing machine, filling machine, and generator, Sunday envisions transforming the space into a full-scale shoe factory. He plans to upgrade tools, expand his workspace, and train others. He aspires to become a leading shoemaker in Bauchi and beyond.
Sunday Ejembi
Obstacles
Sunday began learning cobbling by assisting his father and later apprenticed under Charles from 2017 to 2022. Though skilled in crafting various footwear and known for reliability, he has faced significant obstacles.
Launching his business in 2020, Sunday saved diligently but still struggles with an unreliable power supply and recurring government charges that strain his finances. Limited funding slows his ability to buy essential tools and grow operations efficiently.
On top of this, he carries the heavy financial burden of supporting his family almost entirely on his own. Despite these challenges, Sunday remains deeply committed to building his business and solid reputation.
Sunday Ejembi
Our Partnership
Sunday is seeking support from Leadership Initiatives to acquire modern equipment like a post-bed industrial sewing machine, an advanced rotary toolbox, and a larger power generator.
Beyond tools, he wants mentorship, record-keeping skills, and access to a network of experienced collaborators to help build a more structured and sustainable business. He believes this partnership will help make his shop a hub for employment and innovation in his community.
Over the next five years, Sunday hopes to be a top shoemaker in Bauchi State and provide a comfortable home for his family while expanding into a shoe factory that empowers and uplifts his community.
My Jumpstart Proposal Presentation
During the Jumpstart Program, I worked directly with some of the world’s leading developmental experts in order to expand my partner’s business and brand identity.
At the conclusion of this internship, our team pitched the final proposal to Bill Stefan, Leadership Initiatives Board Member and Deputy for Enterprise Management for the Department of Defense. This formal pitch allowed our team to practice our skills and utilize our entrepreneurial toolkit, all while showcasing our efforts to transform the business we partnered with.
At the end of the pitch, we were able to receive feedback on our proposal for our business partner. Over the next year, Sunday will utilize our proposal to propel sustainable growth of their business.
My Jumpstart Proposal
Throughout the program, we worked closely with Sunday Ejembi to gain a clear understanding of their business goals. Though Sunday has leveraged their skills and years of experience to create their business, they face obstacles hindering the expansion of their work.
Guided by their vision, we crafted a proposal detailing the infrastructure and marketing materials that would support the growth of their business. We devised a plan that would allow Sunday to optimize their business through a new budget, financial tracking systems, and logo.
This new budget enables Sunday to allocate funds toward essential materials and equipment, supporting the optimization of their services. Effective financial tracking will be crucial for managing growing profits and preserving assets, ensuring the business’s long-term growth and stability. Investments in a logo and marketing materials, such as signs and flyers, are also vital for establishing a strong brand identity and expanding the customer base.
Career Exploration
Our team began the business development process by having a one-on-one Zoom call directly with our business partner, Sunday Ejembi, and our Nigerian project coordinator to ensure productive collaboration.
After discussing important considerations for our marketing materials including local populations, family situations, and prior experience, we began our exploration of the business industry.
We received briefings on marketing and branding tactics from Carla Brooks and Nikki Hendricks.
Outside of the classroom, we received a personalized tour of the Embassy of Austria where we learned about Austrian culture, US/Austria relations, and international business.
To begin our exploration of the medical field, we learned about patient histories and doctor-patient interactions from Dr. Zainab of the Kidney Center of Kano State, Nigeria.
We also got hands-on training for building plaster casts. After receiving this training, we had the opportunity to build model casts and practice assessing damages and breaks.
At the end of the week, we got to put our medical skills to the test through a demo EMT scene where we used triage and emergency response.
To explore the legal field, we received a briefing on legal advocacy from Professor Sarah Stiles, an experienced educator and leader in advocacy and leadership.
I also got to meet esteemed DC District Judge, Adam Hunter. Judge Hunter taught us about questioning, data analysis, and evidence collection.
I also received a personal tour of the University of Maryland Crime Lab where I learned about forensics science, evidence viability, and how to assess crime scenes.
We got the opportunity to learn about different aspects of the intelligence community from an active government investigator, Kesha Middleton. Ms. Middleton taught us about the role of investigators, how careers in government work, and the process for entering the government and intelligence fields.
Outside of the classroom, we took a tour of the International Spy Museum. Throughout this tour, we learned about intelligence and counterintelligence equipment.
We also got the opportunity to discuss topics related to global affairs and government relations through our meetings with the Austrian Embassy officials, government officials from the NSA and DoD, and through collaborations with representatives of universities including Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, American University, and more.