Ordrs

I’ve grown up most of my life in Lewisham. My parents came here from a place called Warri in Nigeria. Where they’re from, either you’re an entrepreneur or you’re living in poverty. Starting your own business is the only way to survive, and parents infuse that into their kids.

My dad was a taxi driver and my mum used to do casual jobs, but eventually my dad set up his own business. I always wanted to do something similar – create something for myself and do something positive in my community.

In 2018, I created an app-based delivery service for local stores in Lewisham. I thought: I’m a hard worker, and hard work equals entrepreneur. But there’s a lot more to it. I was pushing my app for a long time and not getting any customers. Then I realised I had to get on the street and actually find out what people wanted.

My co-founder and I launched Ordrs in 2019. Our vision is to connect the local high street and the online world in an ethical manner. We’re focusing on grocery stores; there are a lot of competitors, but I think my values are different. I want to support my local stores, many of which are run by Black and minority ethnic communities, and give them the same facilities as Amazon or Deliveroo.

Images: Elzbieta Piekacz