LBS student and fashion designer named pioneering MBA

Dolapo Adeyemi is showcased in Poets and Quants’ pioneering class of 2019

London Business School (LBS) student Dolapo Adeyemi has been highlighted as one of Poets and Quants’ pioneering MBAs from the class of 2019.

The designer and CEO of original fashion brand OYSBY London, was selected for her gritty resolve and unique attitude.

Adeyemi showed determination at the point of application. “I wrote the GMAT exam whilst 37.5 weeks pregnant with my second daughter,” she laughed. “They worried I would have the baby before finishing the exam!” 

Prior to joining LBS, the mother of two switched careers from project engineer in the oil and gas industry to business owner working in the world of fashion and tech. Despite having wide-ranging professional experience, the key to her successful MBA application was staying true to her creative identity, she said.

“Even my fashion brand is an acronym for being yourself: ‘Own Your Style, Be Yourself’,” said Adeyemi. “I remember being worried about competing with consultants and investment bankers during the application process. But I sounded less rehearsed when I talked about the aspects of my professional and entrepreneurial life that made me who I am.”

Adeyemi is committed to creating imaginative designs, such as solar bags capable of charging mobile devices on the move. “At my [LBS] interview I wore shoes I had designed and demonstrated how the solar bags worked.” Her shoe designs have been recognised by the best in the industry as she was shortlisted as a finalist at the 2017 Drapers Footwear Awards. 

Passion for entrepreneurship and creativity saw Adeyemi, who was born in Nigeria and moved to London in 2012, receive a full scholarship from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

Adeyemi said: “As a mum with parental responsibilities, the full-tuition scholarship has significantly eased off the financial pressures of childcare. It has also given me the opportunity to focus on my entrepreneurial aspirations. This has positively impacted my LBS experience as I’m able to make the most of my MBA.” 

Scholarships such as the one Adeyemi received create a long-term positive impact, she said. “It’s important for donors to support scholarships, particularly in business schools where future leaders are made. The impact never ends with the recipient alone. The knock-on effect is felt within family units, communities, organisations and, eventually, at a global level.”