ABOUT ONTRA VENTURE STUDIO
Africa’s cultural capital
is the world's next frontier for innovation.
That belief is the heartbeat of Ontra Venture Studio — a bold platform built to co-create identity-led ventures with global ambition.
Our Story
Founded by Babajide Ipaye — a systems thinker, creative visionary, and serial entrepreneur — Ontra was created to build startups that aren’t just profitable. They’re purposeful, culturally resonant, and globally scalable.
Babajide’s journey began with over a decade in strategy, technology and innovation leadership, working with global powerhouses like Guinness (Diageo) and Tranter — West Africa’s first Microsoft Gold Partner — where he led consulting engagements for clients such as Total, Shell, and KPMG. These roles shaped his understanding of how organizations scale, lead teams, and execute at a global level.
But his entrepreneurial spirit led him to launch and lead multiple culture-forward ventures across Africa and the diaspora:
- Atinuda — A pioneering IT and telco infrastructure company + West Africa’s first fiber optic training school
- Business Minds — Nigeria’s original CEO Bootcamp, training 500+ business leaders
- KEEXS — Africa’s first innovative sneaker brand, launched via Kickstarter and retailed globally
- Swift X — A tech-powered prescription delivery platform, exited in just 14 months
Babajide also served as Business Development Partner at Las Gidi™, a culturally inspired beverage startup under Harmony Venture Labs — the venture studio founded by billionaire entrepreneur Shegun Otulana.
That experience gave him firsthand exposure to high-performance venture studio operations and planted the seed for what would become Ontra.
Today, Ontra combines all of that experience into a single bold mission:To build and scale ventures across media, fashion, storytelling, and tech-enabled consumer goods — powered by Africa’s creativity and connected to the world.
This isn’t just a studio. It’s the future of identity-led innovation.
And it’s just getting started.
Our Team
We are a collective of entrepreneurs, operators, creatives, and technologists aligned by one mission:
To shape culture through business.
Led by Babajide Ipaye, Ontra’s team spans Africa and the United States,combining local insight with global reach. Every venture is backed by our shared services in:
- 📦 Product & Venture Operations
- 🎨 Creative & Brand Development
- 📈 Growth & Marketing
- 💸 Capital & Investor Strategy
- 🔍 Research & Cultural Intelligence
Sophia Rodriguez
Editor-in-Chief
David Foster
Technology and Trends Analyst
Emma Williams
Analyst
Andre Thompson
Community Manager
Andre Thompson
Community Manager
Lila Chen
Entertainment Writer
Lila Chen
Entertainment Writer
Max Williams
Visual Content Curator
Max Williams
Visual Content Curator
Mission, Vision, Footprint & Approach
These values shape our ethos, propelling our team's identity, and influencing the quality of the products we deliver.
🎯 Our Mission
To co-create ventures that shape culture, shift narratives, and solve real problems — from Africa to the world.
🚀 Our Vision
To become Africa’s most influential venture studio, launching globally relevant, culturally-rooted startups that redefine success across:
- 🎬 Media
- 👟 Fashion
- 📱 Technology
🗣️ Storytelling
🌐 Our Global Footprint
We operate across two powerful hubs:
- 🌍 Africa — Our source of creativity, talent, and cultural power
🇺🇸 United States — Our gateway to capital, mentorship, and global distribution
🌍 Dual-market Approach
- Launch with African DNA
- Scale with international velocity
- Bridge creators, founders, and investors across the diaspora
🤝 Join Us
Whether you're a bold Founder, a visionary Creator, a sharp Operator, an early Investor, or an influential Culture-Shaper — there’s a place for you at Ontra.
You’re not just joining a venture — you’re helping build the future of African innovation.
Choose your path:
🔹 Become a Founder — Co-build with us from idea to exit
🔹 Join as a Creator — Design, write, or direct the culture
🔹 Join as an Operator — Lead systems, teams, and scale
🔹 Invest in Culture —Back ventures with high growth & impact
🔹 Amplify Culture — Use your platform to inspire change.
👉 [Join the Movemement]
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