Efe Fagbeja is a Speaker, Writer, and Coach, passionate about helping women discover themselves and take charge of their lives. She has been working with women since 2006. She is also a trainer who specializes in soft skills such as Emotional Intelligence, Leadership and Self-Discovery, and professional skills such as Supply Chain Management and Business Management.
She has a B.Sc in Economics from the University of Ibadan and an MA in International Business from the University of North London. She has over 20 years of professional experience spanning roles in Supply Chain Management, HR, Sales, Market Research, and Entrepreneurship, and ran her award-winning jewelry brand, Isura, for about a decade before pivoting fully into coaching and speaking.
She served on the board of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, Osun Chapter as Director of Training for two years, and currently sits on the board of 3 NGOs, including Grace Acts Female Support Initiative, where she is the Executive Director. She was part of the pioneer set of the mentorship program of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and has certification from the CBN-EDC Entrepreneurship program, as well as SMEDAN.
Efe is a Girls/Women Speak Ambassador under the Peace Ambassadors Advocacy Network. She is the convener of Behind Closed Doors, a transformational life seminar for women, the DBA Women’s Leadership Bootcamp for young pre-adult stage women, and the Valiant Women’s Network, a community for women to share and be coached. She is the Lead Consultant at DBA Consulting – a business training and consultancy firm, and has written and published four books to date.
Since 2006, Efe has been organizing small group events to share insights and coach women towards these goals. In 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, she expanded her efforts through the DBA Women’s Leadership Bootcamp for young women and the Behind Closed Doors transformational seminar for older women.
The DBA Women’s Leadership Bootcamp has trained 25 women from various African countries across two cohorts, while Behind Closed Doors has hosted five sessions with over 100 attendees in total. These platforms have facilitated significant personal growth and empowerment for the participants.
In addition to these group sessions, She has initiated peer-to-peer support within her network to assist women in need with school fees, startup capital, rent payment, training, and employment. In 2018, along with a friend, she organized a food and health outreach for widows under the Grace Acts Initiative, serving about150 women. This outreach has become an annual event, and in 2022, Grace Acts was formally registered as a non-profit organization.
In 2023, She and her partners expanded their efforts beyond the annual food outreach to include vocational training for women through their Accessories For Life Project. This project aims to grow into a social enterprise, providing consistent income for women, including widows, single mothers, victims of domestic violence, and others in need.
To date, Grace Acts has served approximately 1,000 women through food outreaches and trained 36 women in vocational skills, some of whom are now producing items for sale. She also plans to teach them basic investing and financial management skills to ensure financial independence for them and their families.
Efe’s passion for business growth and entrepreneurship led her to write a book in 2022, sharing lessons learned from starting her jewelry business in her living room and growing it to secure multinational contracts which so far has trained 55 youth in vocational skills and entrepreneurship, and provide them with the necessary equipment to start their businesses.
Efe is currently collaborating with partners to establish an SME Club. This club will help business owners access essential services that may be challenging to obtain individually, further supporting the growth and sustainability of their businesses.
In summary, her work addresses the critical need for women’s empowerment, entrepreneurial support, and economic development. Through targeted coaching, vocational training, and strategic initiatives. Efe aims to create a lasting impact by equipping women and SMEs with the skills and resources necessary for personal and economic growth.