AI expert Chioma Ukpabi, has emerged the winner of the second season of the Channels TV entrepreneurial show, ‘Fund it Forward.’
Ukpabi, the founder of Leads SUWK, an edtech venture offering vocational training, won the entrepreneurial contest at the grand finale after emerging in the top four.
Ukpabi emerged tops in the last four finalists that included 22-year-old Favour Adeleke, Israel Kehinde, and Amidu Mohammed.
The contest, organised by Channels Television, aims to empower young entrepreneurs and promote social development.
Ukpabi and other finalists were tasked with various challenges, including enterprise pitch, supply side validation, product improvement, and branding for seven weeks.
The four young entrepreneurs also participated in two-week masterclass sessions with facilitators, including economic expert Bismack Rewane.
The programme’s grand finale was held on Sunday, December 29, 2024, and hosted by Mojibade Sosanya and Kayode Okikiolu, Channels TV presenters.
The organisers, in a statement, described the event as “a night of tension and triumph, inspiration, celebration”.
“This season has showcased the bold resilience and innovative prowess of 12 dynamic entrepreneurs striving to redefine Nigeria’s socio-economic landscape,” the statement reads.
“From sustainable agriculture to cutting-edge technology, our finalists have defied the odds to remain in the running.”
On her part, Zemmy Momoh, the executive producer of the programme, said: “It is designed to help promising social startups by equipping the founders through rigorous training and experiment mentorships.
“We want them to succeed beyond the show. But it is only proper for us to offer such help on the off-spin because of the brilliant groups of experts we managed to assemble. And these people are also passionate young changemakers.”
Ukpabi has participated in Mastercard EdTech Fellowship Accelerator, Orange Corners Incubation Program Cohort 10 (2024), Standard Chartered WITI Incubator, Seedstars Zecathon Accelerator, TiE Global Accelerator.
