WELCOME

I am NJI MBITAOWNU

Entrepreneurship and Startup Consultant

Are you looking to scale your startup or have an idea
but don’t know where to begin? Let me help you
find your startup’s market fit and economic engine.

ABOUT ME

I am an independent Entrepreneurship and Startup consultant with vast experience as an educator and as an entrepreneur, passionate about helping startups and organizations supporting entrepreneurs build effective systems and programs that help them thrive in today’s and tomorrow’s marketplace.

As an educator, I work as the Entrepreneurship Manager and Faculty at the African Leadership University. My work focuses on building and implementing programs and curricula that expose and equip students and entrepreneurs with the entrepreneurial competencies they need to navigate their entrepreneurial journey successfully. Some projects I have led include the university’s Student Ventures Program, its Conservation-focused incubator and the Entrepreneurship Lab.

As a consultant, I have experience consulting for organizations such as the African Blockchain Institute, the African Leadership University School of Business (Graduate Program), TechStars Startup Weekend Kigali, E4Impact (Afriplastic Challenge) and the African Impact Initiative.

Apart from my work with entrepreneurs and startups, I enjoy occasional good reads on business, economics, development, and life, which I post as book reviews and summaries on my Social Media and blog. As a result of my love for Jazz Music, I have also taken a fancy toward learning how to play the saxophone.

Competencies

Entrepreneurial Finance

Want to find out how to place a value on your business and how to find and allocate resources like money to commercialize your idea or business? I have experience in helping startups come up with the right pricing strategy for their products and services, financial projections and startup valuation. Let’s work together

New Venture Development

Do you have an amazing business idea or already running a startup but want to focus on scaling it and make it a successful venture? I can help you build systems that allow you tap into the full potential of your idea.

Incubator and Accelerator Management

Does your organization have an incubator or Accelerator programme and is looking for an innovative mind to bring all startup resources together? My expertise focuses on designing and managing such programs to ensure that entrepreneurs and startups are provided the competencies and structures needed to succeed .

Design Sprint Facilitator

Does your team or organization have a complex problem it is trying to solve? A design sprint is a design thinking method used to solve complex problems throughout co-creation, rapid prototyping, and qualitative testing with targeted users.

With experience as an educator and
Entreprneur

I Have Worked With

Testimonials

Dr Stanley Mukasa Senior Manager Entrepreneurship & Industry Partnerships

I have worked with Nji for close to 3 years at ALU through the Student Ventures Program and the Entrepreneurship Degree. I have known Nji for his dedication to supporting entrepreneurs at ALU with the tools required to get their ventures off the ground. Through our close interactions, I have seen Nji train and coach entrepreneurs to clearly define, execute and articulate their market and financial goals. His expertise in entrepreneurial finances always trickles down to the ventures he supports in the form of achieved fundraising and revenue generation targets.

Kevine Shema Co-Founder & CEO, UMUTI Packaging

A massive thank you for all of your help in building Umuti Packaging from an idea to a real business. Nji is absolutely the best mentor I know. He not only coaches you, but he is also there for real-life advice, understands you and spends time understanding your business. Staying late for him isn't a problem, and he also sacrificed his time during the weekend when we needed him. He is someone who would try anything and everything to make sure you succeed and grow both as a person and in business. Thank you for the opportunity and trust in our business; one of the biggest achievements we credit his support for has been raising a $50,000 investment, creating a detailed business plan and finetuning our idea to serve the market. It has been an honour to work with someone of his calibre and highly recommended!

Oluwaseun David Adepoju Head of Research Co-creation Hub & African Blockchain Institute

Nji is a sound business thinker with an unrivalled passion for the expansion of new ventures and innovative financing schemes. He has coached, mentored, and supported a number of young business owners in numerous industries. Nji possesses a rare yet thorough understanding of business incubation and acceleration, scaling resources, and scaling techniques. He has produced, imparted, and disseminated effective business education modules spanning from financial accounting to business leadership modules in both academia and the broader business ecosystem as an entrepreneurial thought leader. He is a highly sought-after public speaker in the fields of business and entrepreneurship with a history of value creation and organizational transformation.

Damilade Oluwasina Entrepreneurship, Future of Work and Learning Innovation Consultant.

I have worked with Nji across a variety of roles in Entrepreneurship Program Development and Delivery for more than 3 years. Nji brings solid execution expertise and a pragmatic approach to designing and delivering Entrepreneurship Programming and support for Entrepreneurs across a variety of levels. On programs where we have served together as coaches for entrepreneurs, I have seen him apply a keen eye for excellence and practical implementation for results to help entrepreneurs and founders cut through the clutter and assumptions to reach real-world, applicable ideas which are grounded in reality and have a chance at success in the marketplace. He does not only do the one-on-one work of coaching and supporting entrepreneurs but has also thrived in building successful incubation initiatives and programs including the African Leadership University School of Wildlife Incubation Program where he serves as Manager. He takes a methodical approach to helping new and existing businesses clarify and build out important components for their business’s survival including their business model. As a financial expert, he brings an edge to helping business owners understand the numbers and engage in realistic business planning for success. It is my pleasure to recommend Nji as an outstanding Entrepreneurship Program Designer and Implementer.

Nnadozie Ebere Co-Founder & Chief Designer | Tori Branding

Nji was our first mentor at TORI. During our early days he helped us build a team of 3 and understand how to negotiate our first contract and manage our finances. That foundation has shaped where we are today. His continuous mentorship has transformed a small social media company that was started by two third-year students at ALU into a reputable content solutions company that manages international brands such as BK Arena, Nynadungu Eco-Park and QA Venue Solutions, has earned multiple recognitions as a market-creating innovation in Rwanda, and provides stable part-time and fulltime jobs for young people. I will always recommend Nji as the ideal mentor for anyone to kickstart their entrepreneurial journey and efficiently navigate business development space.

Charles Nana Kwarteng Co-founder & CEO - Bailport

I would not be where I am today without the help of Nji. The level of knowledge, insight, motivation, and support from him is simply astounding! Nji was always there to help at every step of the journey. Right from ideation through prototyping & testing to building MVPS and launching. Believe me when I say you've struck gold when you discover Nji's Mentorship as it’s the zero-risk startup advisor relation I was looking for, with tons of value and amazing opportunities. My venture BailPort, built under the mentorship of Nji, is now a Techstars company, a Google black founders fund start-up and a VC backed company serving 10,000+ users in four countries. BailPort has become a prestigious brand in the Fintech industry locally and internationally. All thanks to Nji's Mentorship