Every big business started somewhere.

Sometimes, it starts in an office with a fancy desk, a business plan, and a very serious-looking excel sheet that probably took all night to do.

And sometimes, it starts with a woman sitting on her bed saying, “hmm, okay… “what if I actually start selling this to people in my hostel or around my area?” That little idea is where Project Fund a Baby CEO comes in.

Project Fund a Baby CEO was created to support women at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey, whether they already have a business, are still trying to get it off the ground, or are simply in those very delicate first stages where the business is basically surviving on prayers, urgent 2k and pure determination. Because if we're being real, starting a business isn't easy at all. There’s the product, the branding, the social media page with 17 followers, 12 of whom are your family members and close friends (tough times, fr), the endless “I’ll order next week” customers (those liars!) and, of course, the toughest question: “Where will I get the money to do all of this?”. Because it's not every time it's “you got this”; sometimes, a little support, a little push, and funding would go a long way. The beautiful thing about Project Fund a Baby CEO is that there is no single definition of what a “CEO” looks like. She could be a nail tech, a baker, a photographer, a tailor, a makeup artist, a crochet artist, a student running a side hustle, or a woman who just started turning an idea in her head into something people can actually buy. She could be 19. She could be 25. She could be 48. Dreams do not have an expiry date, and if women had a superpower, it would be how crazily ambitious we are. And honestly, that is what makes the project so special, because at the heart of it is something that has always been central to Wandé Esan’s work, Girl Power. Not the type that exists for the gram, the real kind, the one that says babes, I've been there before, make I show you road (you should totally check out our Follow Who Know Road Cami too).

There were pitches. There were business ideas. There were women passionately explaining what they do, why they started, and what they would do with the funding if they got it. And honestly, choosing wasn't easy. Because when you have a lot of women showing up with genuine businesses and genuine dreams, how exactly are you supposed to say, “hmm, sorry, next!” But choices had to be made.

From all those incredible pitches, the pool was eventually narrowed down to four finalists. Wandé herself described the selection as a difficult one because there were so many brilliant entries.

After the applications, the videos, the pitches, the campaigning, and the Instagram polls that had everybody refreshing their screens like their lives depended on it, we finally had our winner: Izmat Lawal emerged the winner of Project Fund a Baby CEO, taking home the sum of ₦700,000 to put into her business. She’s a university student who owns a baby company that produces eco-friendly bags sourced from fabrics and recyclable materials. She received mentorship sessions from three amazing women.

Renike Olusanya, a visual artist, illustrator, co-founder and CMO of Shop Bawsty came in for founder mentorship, giving insights from her experience of actually building a business. Allysyn Audu, a content creator, vlogger, and reality TV star, focused on online visibility, helping Izmat understand how to position her business, show up online, and get more attention on what she does.

Tomisin Ayibiowu, a financial expert and accounting pro, took on financial literacy, helping her understand how to manage her finances and make smarter decisions with her money.

Toluwanimi Olayeni, a university student and founder of Luxura, a perfume brand, emerged as our first runner-up and received a ₦100,000 encouragement fund. One thing we weren't going to do was make a woman go through all that campaigning, put her business out there, survive the Instagram polls, and then tell her, “Okay bye, thanks for participating.” The whole point of Project Fund a Baby CEO was to pour into women, and that means celebrating the woman who came first while still recognizing the woman who came incredibly close.

And just like that, we’re done! Or are we?? (plays suspiciously dramatic music). To us, this marks the end of Project Fund a Baby CEO 2026, but for these women, this is only the beginning. To every girl who participated, we are rooting for you like mad. You put yourself out there, you shared your story, your business, and your dreams with us, and that alone is something worth celebrating. So, the stage is yours: go build, go grow, go make noise, go make money, and please, for the love of everything, don't forget to send us the updates! As for Project Fund a Baby CEO, we’ll say goodbye…for now. 👀

Because who knows? Tolu Esan might just decide that one Baby CEO was not enough and come back next year with another round. And if she does? Well… you heard nothing from us.

Until then, girls, go forth and CEO!