GBENGA OGUNJIMI
Gbenga is a West African name meaning "Elevate." As a social entrepreneur and business storytelling expert, He leverages his extensive experience in social enterprise to elevate leaders seeking to make a global impact.
As the Chief Storyteller at GO Global, Gbenga has provided coaching to hundreds of leaders at organizations including American Express, Verizon, and the UN Foundation. Additionally, Gbenga serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of the District of Columbia, teaching courses in business storytelling and microentrepreneurship.
Gbenga is also the author of "Borderless Voice: The Power of Telling Your Story and Defining Your Identity" and the Executive Producer of "Good to Great Stories: A Small Business Documentary." His storytelling efforts have been recognized by Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who proclaimed February 21st as "Business Story Day" in the city.
Throughout his career, Gbenga has collaborated with the governments of the United States and several emerging countries to empower profit and nonprofit leaders. He has received numerous global recognitions for his work, including being a proud Global Leaders - African Descent Social Entrepreneurship Program Fellow (U.S.), Global Young Social Entrepreneurs Fellow (Malaysia), and Cordes/Opportunity Collaboration Fellow (Mexico). Gbenga is also the founder of the Nigerian Center, the first Nigerian-American immigrant and cultural center in the United States.
sPEAKING TOPICS:
Tell Your Story
Everyone has a story to tell, and this is true for every corporation. However, often when we hear storytelling what comes to mind is once upon a time. In this talk, Gbenga introduces the audience to a different perspective, and this is one that is forward-looking, future-oriented, and even aspirational. Gbenga believes storytelling is not only everyone’s greatest asset but is also a conduit to all of life’s highest aspirations.
Find Your Core
After helping thought leaders and corporations around the world tell their story, Gbenga discovered that multi-talented people are often the most conflicted. They struggle to give themselves permission to be the architect of their brand identity. The same problem applies to businesses and nonprofit organizations; they struggle to tell a story that captures the many facets of what they do. In this talk, Gbenga speaks to the solution, which is when in need of clarity, it’s not about the right idea but instead it’s time to find their core - brand essence.
Points of Commonality
Storytelling is the new marketing, it is the tried-and-true way to monetize your idea, message, and product. While defining moments of our stories are personal, the themes are always universal. Whether you are leading a team or building a community of supporters, clients and investors, in this talk, Gbenga shows you first-hand how the power of telling one’s story can be leveraged for purposes that include leadership, collaboration, and co-creation.