By: Stephanie Scott
Photo by Deniece Griffin
Kofo Durojaiye is an Interdisciplinary Science major with a concentration in Media Entrepreneurship, expecting to graduate in 2020. The Nigerian fashionista landed her internship with FinTech startup, Qoins, simply by being authentically and unapologetically herself; showing Christian Zimmerman, the co-founder of Qoins, that her positive mentality and innovative thinking would be a great asset to their startup company.
“Entrepreneurship is taking charge and writing your own destiny– not allowing any person or societal standard to say what you can or cannot do.”
-Kofo Durojaiye
How did you hear about Students2Startups?
One of my professors posted about the Student2Startups program in the announcements section of iCollege for the class. I initially discouraged myself from applying because I felt I had too much on my plate and I knew it was a very competitive program. I felt like there were other internships that I might be more qualified for. I ended up submitting my application the day before the deadline. I don’t like to rush things and I wanted to make sure my application was just right when I submitted it. I hoped for the best, but I didn’t hear anything from Invest Atlanta for a while before Christian Zimmerman, from Qoins, emailed me. It came at the perfect time, because I was losing hope in getting an internship for the summer.
What is Qoins?
Qoins is a financial technology company that helps people pay off their debts using their spare change. The app rounds up your purchases to the nearest dollar, and the spare change goes towards your debts. People don’t often account for their spare change, so it doesn’t hurt to put it to good use and pay towards their debts. We find that people who use Qoins accumulate an average of $50 in spare change from their purchases per month to put towards their debt.
What have you learned from working with Qoins?
I learned a lot about the nature of credit and the importance of financial management. As a marketing promotion this summer, we are speaking with users to learn more about their Qoins experiences. We spoke with a lady who was very knowledgeable about financial management and wealth building. She paid off $20,000 worth of student loans in 5 months. She was a great person to be able to talk with. I learned from her and from Qoins that it’s never too early to start actively managing your finances. Money is a tool, people often forget that it can be used to build wealth.
What are your duties as an intern with Qoins?
I primarily do email and affiliate marketing, content creation and social media management. This summer, I’ve been contacting users to hear about their experience with Qoins and feature them on our social media platforms. I’ve also been reaching out to influencers on social media to inquire about having them promote Qoins via direct influencer marketing.
What entrepreneurial experiences have you had for yourself?
My sister, Karo, and I are a media and modeling duo. Our Instagram has a few thousand followers. We create multifaceted art-directed content. We put a lot of thought and planning into our set design, outfits, hair and makeup, and the entire creative direction of all of our photoshoots. Ultimately, we want to build a media distribution company. However, we really enjoy being in front of the camera. We have a good understanding of what goes on in front of the camera but also behind the scenes. We see the value of having artistic personas. We’re very focused on uplifting the youth and spreading messages of self-love and worthiness by creating photos and videos with a positive social message. We highlight our creativity and individuality in hopes to inspire people to do the same.
Why do you think you were chosen to intern for Qoins?
In my interview, I really communicated that I’m a divergent thinker and that I’m really passionate. I always seek to expand my skillset and I was very interested in learning about the startup culture. Since I am knowledgeable about many things, I came off as well-rounded. I was myself, and I expressed to him that I like to uplift other people.
What three words do you think encompass being an entrepreneur?
Ambition, passion, and consistency. Having ambition means that you will push yourself to do things that feed your passion and your business. Your ambition is your potential for greatness, that weighs on your shoulders. It doesn’t allow you to rest, and you will not feel complete until you accomplish what you set out to do!
Passion, because I think it is the force behind entrepreneurship. Passion is what keeps you waking up in the morning. Even when things may not go as expected, it’s my passion that allows me to continue working on my business.
Consistency, because with passion and ambition, you will actively do the things necessary to push your business forward.
What does entrepreneurship mean to you?
Entrepreneurship is taking charge and writing your own destiny– not allowing any person or societal standard to say what you can or cannot do.