Folasadé Ogunmokun is the founder and CEO of Unskrypted. It is a shoppable streaming network that provides a platform for Black-owned businesses and Black-led content. The network offers a unique ecosystem that allows viewers to shop what they see on TV. Folasade has been working for years to establish herself as an innovative disruptor and build a legacy and reputation.
Being a Nigerian American, she has been able to leverage her multicultural background to connect with individuals across the African Diaspora, and she continues to explore innovative ways to do so. She pursued a degree in television production at Howard University and later pursued a Master’s in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University to further her education.
She is currently streaming on Peacock for the second season of “Founding in Color”, a three-part docuseries from Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs. The show spotlights eleven Black and Latino startup founders, who candidly discuss navigating race, family, identity, mental health, and more while building and scaling businesses in America today. She is a proud recipient of the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Foundation and was one of eight founders who pitched at the first-ever NBA Foundation Pitch competition during NBA All-Star Weekend in Utah. She is also launching the first-of-its-kind shoppable show called THE BAG on Unskrypted, which features three dynamic hosts and an array of black-owned businesses. She manages all of this while balancing being a mom to an innovative 11-year-old. Her goal is to use media and entertainment to help close cultural gaps and redefine the narrative in the Black community.
What was the inspiration behind your brand?
Unskrypted started as a response to my experience in the news. The Trayvon Martin verdict had just happened and while everyone was highlighting Arizona cans and Skittles, I couldn’t get over the way the story was being treated in the media. I left because I was a new mom and wanted to figure out how to share narratives and defend our community better. That helped me understand the correlation between the brands we buy and use and the media we consume. I would make commercials for businesses and learn their stories while also working with creatives who needed more access to capital and products and found a unique lane to bridge the two together where we can make our own authentic content while finding a way to recirculate the Black dollar.
Do you believe in work-life balance? If so, how do you maintain it?
NO! I do not believe in work-life balance I believe in harmony. Have you ever listened to a choir where the sopranos are carrying a note and then the tenors come in and then the altos? I feel that way with work and life, some days I have to be more of a mom, other days I have to be more of a boss, but all days I am a mom and a boss but this song just might not have as much alto- work as other songs and maybe some songs are solos just for tenor- life. I maintain this harmony by having other people be a part of the song. I have an amazing team for Unskrypted that plays certain roles that I can not and I have a great family that helps to step in and fill spaces when I am void. I think this breakdown is essential to success.
What makes your business unique?
My business is unique because everyone wants to sell items now, especially to the Black community, but no one has done it right. We don’t just have content for people to watch that’s uplifting, we also have an interactive feature where the audience can talk during the shows, buy products they see, and connect with the hosts and creators. We found a way to bring TV and social media and shopping all in one place.
What do you define as success?
First, I don’t see success as a one-stop, I see it as a forever-evolving experience. If a launch is what is supposed to happen and it does, I see that as success. So for me, I define success as going after my heart’s desires and doing everything within me to make it happen. For Unskrypted I see that as becoming a household name and redefining the narrative around how we see ourselves on TV and on shelves.
Continue to Connect with Folasadé Ogunmokun on Instagram.
Follow Us On Social Media!
