David Olusegun

Hi 👋🏿

I’m David. I’m driven by faith and committed to purpose. My work is simple: build and invest in consumer brands that make lives better and leave a positive legacy.

For over a decade, I’ve worked across CPG, entertainment, and media with global players.

I'm also privileged to advise founders and corporations on building products that truly serve people and I speak on faith, entrepreneurship and brand leadership with a focus on real-world impact and integrity.

Honoured to be recognised by Powerful Media, Music Week, KPMG Entrepreneur of the Year, HSBC x Black Business Week Top Entrepreneur and the UK’s Top 100 African Business Leaders, but the mission stays the same: help brands serve people, do good with excellence and integrity and honour God.

Reach My Team👇🏾

📧 Speaking & Commercial: adam@howtobeiconic.co
📧 Press Enquiries: press@howtobeiconic.co

Co-Founder & Co-CEO

CCV is a venture builder that partners with purpose-driven creators to launch global CPG brands. We are a creative-led team with strong end-to-end commercial expertise that provides the complete infrastructure to launch, build and scale these pioneering brands.

Our goal is to give our clients the opportunity to build something bigger than their personal brand, receive ownership rather than just another endorsement deal and leverage their following into a long-term future through building impactful businesses.

Our operating model is to work together with the creator as a co-founding team and enable them with the right infrastructure, tools, support, and capital. We love working with creators to change the world, one brand at a time. We believe it’s time we build businesses that shift the power paradigm to the hands of the creators. It’s what gets us up in the morning, it’s in our DNA and we are irretrievably obsessed with collective success by working with CCV you’ll be working with vested partners committed to global success!

This is your reminder that Jesus loves you.
 
Not someday. Not when you’re perfect. Not when you surrender your life to Him.

He always has, and He always will.

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8

No throne is higher. No name is greater. No power is stronger.

Jesus is King forever.

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” ~ Philippians 2:10–11

The name of Jesus is more than a name; it’s salvation, it’s power, it’s life.

At the name of Jesus, chains break, sickness flees, and hope rises. There is no other name that saves like His.

Call on Him and find life, peace, and victory.

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” – Acts 4:12

I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but God will never walk away from you. 

Even in the moments when things feel quiet, confusing, or heavy, His presence has never left your side. 

When I was mourning my brother, there were moments I thought God was distant.

But remember what Jesus said in John 16:33 — “In this world you will have trouble.” Even in the middle of that pain, God carried me through that phase.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Hebrews 13:5

Building and Investing in Purpose-Driven Consumer Brands | Angel Investor | Keynote Speaker

I wrote my own obituary yesterday, and it made my skin crawl. 

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." - Psalm 90:12

I wrote it, not because I'm morbid and not because I'm planning to go anywhere. 

But because I needed to see what my life would look like if I died today, and what I want it to look like when I actually do.

Reading it made me feel sick. But it was honest.

Then I wrote the obituary I want. 
The one that reflects who I'm becoming, not who I've been. 
The one that makes my time on earth matter.

Today, you're going to do the same.

Your obituary is the ultimate business plan. It's the clearest possible statement of what actually matters. 

It's impossible to read without confronting the gap between who you are and who you could be.

When you truly accept that you're going to die, not someday, but definitely, you start making different decisions. 

Urgent decisions. Meaningful decisions.
You stop waiting for permission and start taking action.

Let me show you two obituaries. 

Both for the same person. Both are completely accurate. Both written by someone who knew them intimately themselves.

Click here to find it in the full issue of this week's newsletter: https://lnkd.in/edWMUN65

“African Designers are Greedy”
 
 I saw a viral video a few weeks ago where a lady called out the industry, claiming that designers living on the continent have no business charging $10,000 and above.

But here’s the reality: We are witnessing the birth of the African Luxury Renaissance. 

For too long, the world (and even our own) expected African craftsmanship to be cheap because it was "local." 

We celebrated European houses charging $50k for couture while expecting African artisans to work for peanuts.

The idea that African excellence should be "affordable" by default is a mindset we need to outgrow. 

African fashion is an investment in art, heritage, and a thriving economy. 

Swipe through to see the real numbers behind the African fashion industry and why the "greedy" narrative just doesn't hold up statistically.

Is African Fashion Too Expensive?

A husband-and-wife team's brand just got acquired by Henkel for $693M 

➡️ The brand: Not Your Mother's Haircare 
➡️ The founders: Rocky and Bethany Pagliarulo
➡️ The journey: 2010 launch → 2019 PE investment → 2025 exit at $693M
➡️ The revenue: $210M (growing 40% annually)

They spotted a gap most legacy brands ignored: Young women wanted products that felt cool and modern, but still affordable.

Not clinical. Not luxury. Not boring.

So they built directly into that white space.

They leaned early into categories like dry shampoo, long before it became mainstream, and packaged it with bold branding that stood out on crowded shelves like Walmart and Target.

While legacy players were busy protecting their premium lines, Not Your Mother's Haircare quietly became the brand that younger consumers actually reached for.

Now here’s what makes this fascinating: the acquisition price was never disclosed. 

Barclays estimated $927M at 4.4x revenue. Industry sources said that was wrong.

Check my newsletter to see how I reverse-engineered the actual deal value.

Because buried in the math is a masterclass in how to build a mass-market consumer brand that trades at premium multiples whilst selling at Walmart for $5.99.

Link: https://lnkd.in/ezXf-D42

4 out of the 5 fastest-growing economies in the world right now are in Africa.

Yet Africa receives less than 3% of global private equity flow.

Why the disconnect?

Most global capital is still deployed based on 20th-century perceptions of volatility. 

But look closer at the "Value Drivers" behind these numbers:

✅ Resource Monetisation: Guinea isn't just growing; it's unlocking the Simandou iron ore deposit—the world's largest untapped high-grade reserve.

✅ Infrastructure Catalysts: In Uganda, growth is anchored by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), creating a massive regional multiplier effect.

✅ The "Base Effect" Rebound: While countries like South Sudan and Sudan are recovering from deep contractions, the speed of their return signals a resilient underlying economic pulse.

The Africa Risk Premium is often more about a lack of data and local expertise than it is about actual default probability.

The real alpha in the next decade won't be found in saturated Western markets. It will be found in the delta between perceived risk and actual expansion.

The engine of global growth has moved.

Follow me on X to see more African business and investment insights: https://lnkd.in/emaBdY_4

You need to hear this...Comfort Will Steal Your Greatness!!

At 5 AM, I was scrolling through my phone (bad habit, I know) when I came across a post by Victor Osimhen.

It started with four words that made my chest tight: "Nobody should know my name."

Then he told his story. 

Here's a man who grew up next to the biggest landfill in Africa. 

Who searched through toxic waste to find mismatched football boots. 

Who sold water bottles in Lagos traffic to help his family eat. 

Who slept in churches because his roof was caving in.

And he said nobody should know his name.

But I know his name. You know his name. Millions know his name because he refused to let his circumstances define his ceiling.

"But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." - Matthew 19:30

Click on this link to read of how Victor Osimhen came from the bottom to the top: https://lnkd.in/ecTuFfHa

The Business Idea You Dismissed as "Too Simple" Is Making Someone else Millions
 
"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." - 1 Corinthians 1:27

Three years ago, my friend had an idea.

"What if I just helped people clean their Airbnbs between guests? Like, that's it. Show up, clean, restock, leave."

I told him it was too simple. Too basic. 

"Anyone can clean. Where's the innovation? Where's the disruption? Where's the intellectual property?"

He shrugged and started anyway.

Last month, James sold his Airbnb cleaning business for £2.3 million.

You've been brainwashed into thinking business ideas need to be complicated to be valuable. 

That they need to involve AI, blockchain, or some revolutionary technology nobody's thought of yet.

So you dismiss the simple ideas.

Click on the link in my comments to read the full newsletter where I show you some "too simple" businesses that are making their owners wealthy.

Most celebrity brands fail within 18 months. Here's why.

Last week Masibu Manima and I hosted an event for talent managers on how celebrities and influencers should be structuring their brand deals, and how to build a celeb-led CPG brand with a long-term view, not just a quick launch.

We broke down what I call the 18-month cliff, the point where most celeb brands quietly die because the infrastructure, team, and deal structure weren't built to last.

I shared a framework on how to avoid it. How to build a brand that actually survives beyond the hype cycle.

If you want a link to the presentation, drop "CLIFF" in the comments. Must be following for me to send.

Someone HAS to tell you this: Aiming Small Is Keeping You Small.

Last month, I had coffee with two entrepreneurs. 

Both wanted to start businesses. Both had similar skills and resources.

➡️ Entrepreneur A: "I want to build a small consultancy. Maybe make £100K annually. Keep it realistic, you know?"

➡️ Entrepreneur B: "I want to dominate the UK market and expand globally. I'm thinking £10M revenue within five years."

Guess who attracted top talent? 
Guess who got investment meetings? 
Guess who the media wanted to interview?

Entrepreneur B. Every time.

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us..." - Ephesians 3:20

The Three Reasons People Choose Small Goals
❌ Reason 1: Fear of Embarrassment
"What if I say I want £10M and only make £1M? People will think I failed."
But £1M is still 10x more than the person who aimed for £100K and hit it perfectly.


❌ Reason 2: Imposter Syndrome
"Who am I to think I can build something massive?"
But who is anyone? Every massive success story started with someone who had no business succeeding at that level.


❌ Reason 3: Lack of Faith
"I don't really believe it's possible."
Then it isn't. Your goals are predictions of your future. If you can't believe it, you can't achieve it.

You think aiming small is safer. It's not. It's more dangerous.

Impossible goals are often easier to achieve than realistic ones.

Read the latest issue of my newsletter to learn the logic behind impossible goals and get the Impossible Goal Framework for yourself. 

Link: https://lnkd.in/ewUyVrNa

African beauty and personal care is currently a $10B+ market, and it is growing at an annual rate of 8%.

For a long time, there was a disconnect.

The market was dominated by global conglomerates that exported products designed for European winters or North American humidity.

Leaving African consumers to "make do" with formulations that didn't account for:
➡️ Melanin-rich skin and its specific relationship with hyperpigmentation and sun protection.
➡️ High-porosity, textured hair that requires intense moisture, not just "cleaning."
➡️ Sub-Saharan climates where dust, heat, and humidity demand entirely different chemistry.

The tide has officially shifted.

We are seeing the rise of A-Beauty: a new generation of African-built brands that aren't just "selling" to Africans, they are solving for them. 

These founders are merging ancestral wisdom with modern clinical science to create a new gold standard:

✅ Tailored Formulations: Brands like Uncover are fusing K-Beauty technology with African botanicals (like baobab and rooibos) to target acne and hyperpigmentation in tropical climates.

✅ Ingredient Sovereignty: We’ve moved past just exporting raw shea butter and marula oil. Brands like Suki Suki Naturals and 54 Thrones are processing these "miracle ingredients" on-soil, keeping the value and the efficacy within the continent.

✅ Inclusive Innovation: Products like "invisible" sunscreens that leave zero white cast on dark skin and scalp-care systems for braided hair are no longer "niche" requests. They are the market drivers.

The whitespace is enormous. The founders are here. The data is undeniable. 

I’m currently writing a whitepaper on this space. 
If you’d like me to send it once it’s out, let me know in the comments.

Why Nestlé just signed the biggest partnership in KitKat Chocolatory’s history. 

If you haven’t seen the news: KitKat is now the Official Chocolate Bar of Formula 1. 

To celebrate, Nestlé is launching a world-first: A chocolate KitKat shaped like an F1 racing car, alongside a new "marbled" Chunky Caramel bar.

At first glance, it’s a fun co-branding exercise for the 2026 season. 

But if you look closer at the UK market, it’s a masterclass in Regulatory Arbitrage. 

The Backdrop: On January 5, 2026, the UK officially banned HFSS (High Fat, Salt, Sugar) ads online and before 9 PM on TV. 

For most CPG brands, this is a crisis. For Nestlé, it is a tactical shift.

1️⃣ The Sponsorship Loophole: By becoming the Official Chocolate Bar of Formula 1, KitKat bypasses the digital ad ban. You can’t "boost" a post of a chocolate bar, but you can put a logo on a car viewed by 800 million people. If you can’t buy the ad slot, you buy the sport.

2️⃣ The Halo Strategy: Notice the rise of Yorkie Crème Desserts? They are HFSS-compliant. This means they can be advertised all day long. They keep the "Yorkie" brand relevant and visible, creating a "Halo Effect" that drives sales for the entire (non-compliant) chocolate range.

The Lesson for 2026: In a world of increasing regulation, the Chief Marketing Officer needs to think like a Chief Legal Officer.

Marketing is no longer just about "who has the best creative." It’s about who understands the rules well enough to play around them.

The FMCG playbook has changed: 
❌ Product Marketing 
✅ Lifestyle Association
✅ Brand Haloing.

Nike and adidas Lost 3% of Global Market Share to "Niche" Specialists (On, HOKA) In Just 5 Years.

Why is Nike struggling while SHEIN and Hermès are winning? 

It’s called the Barbell Economy. 

The "Bell Curve" of the 20th century has snapped in half.

The data is clear:
 ✅ Utility wins on Algorithm: If it’s a commodity, I want it at the floor price, delivered yesterday.
 ✅ Luxury wins on Friction: If it’s a dream, I want the heritage, the scarcity, and the "hard-to-get" factor.

The brands currently "collapsing" are the ones stuck in the centre, the ones that rely on a middle-class disposable income that is being squeezed out of existence.

Average is now the most expensive strategy you can have.

The Collapse of The Middle Brand

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a dinner hosted by the Black British Initiative with Darren Miller and Lord Dr Michael Hastings CBE, and the conversation left a real mark on me.

Hearing more about what they're building with MBA 30 alongside SOAS University of London was truly inspiring. But it also brought a hard truth into sharp focus.

The majority of Black founders in the UK hit a revenue ceiling of just £25k per year. Let that sink in.

Coutts published a study showing that if Black founders had the same access to capital, networks, and opportunities as everyone else, they would contribute an additional £75 billion to the UK economy.

This isn't just a statistic. This is a call to action.

We need to come together. We need to work more intentionally to support one another, building up our community, strengthening our businesses, and creating the conditions for Black founders to not just survive, but thrive.

The potential is there. The talent is there. What's missing is the infrastructure of support, access, and belief.

Let's change that.

#BlackFounders #BlackBritishInitiative #MBA30 #SOAS #UKBusiness #Entrepreneurship #CommunityBuilding #EconomicEmpowerment

The $769M Popcorn Deal: How The Hershey Company Quietly Made One of the Smartest Acquisitions of 2025.

So whilst everyone was obsessing over Mars buying Kellanova for $36 billion and Nestlé snapping up Vital Proteins, The Hershey Company quietly closed a deal that might be the actual sleeper hit of 2025.

➡️ The acquisition: LesserEvil Brand Snack Co. (organic popcorn brand)

➡️ The price: $769 million cash upfront + up to $200 million earnout

➡️ The headline multiple: 3.2x revenue (or 4.0x, if earn-out hits)

For context: This is the 27th largest consumer M&A deal of 2025 according to Iris data.

Hershey bought a $242 million revenue organic snack brand at 3.2x sales in a market where “better-for-you” brands were trading at 5-8x revenue just two years ago.

Hershey structured the deal so brilliantly that they’re only assigning a 25% probability to paying the full earnout—meaning they got premium downside protection whilst giving sellers upside optionality.

Check out my newsletter to see what the SEC filings actually reveal—and why LesserEvil Brand Snack Co. might be the most underrated acquisition of the year.

Link: https://lnkd.in/eaG8zNuq

The Beauty Industry’s Global Growth Is Slowing Down Really Fast But Not the Way You Think.

We’ve moved from the post-pandemic 8% growth spikes to a more sober 4% through 2030. 

But if you look closer, people aren't spending less on their appearance; they are just spending differently.

The shift? 

The Mainstreaming of Aesthetic Treatments.

Non-surgical procedures like Botox, dermal fillers and laser treatments are now becoming a core part of modern beauty routines.

Here is why the $441B beauty market is shifting its weight:

✅ The Trade Down to Trade Up Strategy: Consumers are becoming value-first, not just price-conscious. People are swapping their $80 luxury face creams for $15 drugstore staples. 
Why? To save that "found money" for a $600 skin booster or Polynucleotide treatment.

✅ The Instagram Face (overfilled, frozen, identical) is officially dead. In 2026, the trend is High-Fidelity Aesthetics.
• The Goal: Undetectability.
• The Tech: Bio-stimulators and exosomes that tell your cells to work harder, rather than just filling a gap with volume. 

✅ Aesthetic clinics aren't just for the 45+ demographic anymore. Gen Z and Millennials are entering the market earlier, but with a different mindset: Prevention. They view skin health as a long-term asset to be managed, not a problem to be fixed once it breaks.

As the hype of celebrity brands and viral TikTok products fades, the winners will be the brands offering proven efficacy.

How David Beckham and a DNA Testing Company Just Disrupted the Entire Wellness Industry

David Beckham and a Hong Kong health-tech company quietly built something that went from zero to $100 million in annualized recurring revenue in 11 months.

Not 11 quarters. Not 11 years. Eleven months.

➡️ The product: IM8 a red octagonal container with 92 ingredients in one powder that replaces your entire supplement cabinet.

➡️ The company: Prenetics, a publicly-traded health sciences company (NASDAQ: PRE) that pivoted from COVID testing to consumer wellness.

➡️ The result: One of the fastest-growing consumer health brands in history, now sold in 30+ countries, with Aryna Sabalenka (world #1 tennis player) as an investor-partner after becoming a fan of the product.

In February 2026, Prenetics sold its remaining non-IM8 assets (including a $70 million stake in Insighta Limited to Tencent) to go all-in on IM8 with $171 million in liquidity and zero debt.

A company that was doing COVID testing 18 months ago just raised more cash than most supplement brands will see in their lifetime and they’re using it to come after AG1, Ritual, and every other premium supplement brand.

Check out my newsletter to see what’s actually happening here because buried in this story is the blueprint for how to launch a premium consumable brand in 2026, and why the supplement industry is about to have its “Netflix vs. Blockbuster” moment.

Link in comments⬇️

What an evening. This week I had the privilege of attending a private Nigerian Diaspora reception at the Institute of Directors (IoD)  hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ahead of President Tinubu's historic state visit to the UK, the first by a Nigerian president in 37 years.

It was an honour to be in the room with the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, alongside diaspora business leaders, diplomats, and community builders shaping the UK-Nigeria corridor.

The Nigerian diaspora isn't just a community. It's a distribution channel. A talent pipeline. A cultural bridge. And increasingly, an economic engine that both Nigeria and the UK must take seriously.

President Tinubu's 4D Doctrine: Demography, Development, Diaspora, and Democracy, puts this front and centre. 

The opportunity for those of us building at this intersection has never been greater.

Grateful for the evening. Energised for what's ahead.

#NigerianDiaspora #UKNigeria #StateVisit #Consumer #Investment #AiyeGrowthVentures

Joyned Capital

We empower athletes to take control of their financial future instead of relying on the opinions of others.

We learn and invest together, as a community

Founder & CEO

KÄÄPÄ Biotech

Investor

UNIT 1

TMPL® (previously Temple)

Plantiga

Rewire Fitness

Autonomy

Investor (via syndicate)

Chiper

The Natural Nipple

Whym

Please add a message to your invite if you want to connect.

Founders: please apply for funding at https://joyned.capital/for-startups ✌🏾

Jason Esseboom

From athlete to investor.

I had the opportunity to share my perspective on the Inform Performance Podcast, hosted by Nicola.

Wonderfully curious host, which doesn’t come as a surprise given her experience as a physiotherapist, (exited-)founder, and fellow investor. 

😁

Founder @ Joyned Capital | Transforming athletes into smart investors

In this episode of Accelerate, host Nicola Graham is joined by Jason Esseboom — Founder of Joyned Capital, former semi-professional footballer and investor working at the intersection of sport, technology, and venture capital.
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Jason’s career path spans elite sport, corporate banking, startup leadership, and two years designing and running the Qatar SportsTech accelerator programme. Having experienced both the athlete and investor worlds firsthand, he is on a mission to reshape the narrative around athletes in business — and redefine how investors show up within the sports tech ecosystem.
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Drawing on a high-performance mindset built through sport, Jason explores how growth, curiosity, relentlessness, and grit translate directly into entrepreneurship and investing. He breaks down the different types of capital available to founders, what investors are really looking for in early conversations, and why relationship-building remains the foundation of long-term success.
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Across the conversation, we unpack the realities of venture funding in sport and tech, the evolving role of the athlete-investor, and how founders can approach capital with greater clarity and strategy.
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Topics Discussed:
▪️ Career journey from semi-pro footballer to founder and investor
▪️ Designing and leading the Qatar SportsTech accelerator
▪️ High-performance mindset in business
▪️ Types of capital founders can pursue
▪️ The role of the athlete investor and cultivating strong relationships
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🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts https://lnkd.in/e37KWchH 

🎧 Listen on Spotify https://lnkd.in/eT-3R4aP

Sponsors
VALD Performance
Hytro_
Gameplan Performance

#AcceleratePodcast #SportsTech #VentureCapital #AthleteInvestor #FounderJourney #StartupEcosystem #HumanPerformance #Entrepreneurship

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