10 for TEN: Edward (Eddie) Osefo ‘06

By Ellie Geraghty

Are you an aspiring entrepreneur with an idea you’d like to put into action? Well Eddie Osefo ‘06 and the TKO Agency (@thetkoagency) are here to help! Osefo founded TKO when he realized that the next generation of changemakers and entrepreneurs were no longer going to fit into what we consider to be the traditional corporate environment. Read on to find out how this alumnus ensures that the new wave of entrepreneurs receive the specialized knowledge needed to transform their ideas and hobbies into scalable, monetized business enterprises. 

What is your Fearless Idea?

To be the one-stop-shop and trusted business advisor to creatives and entrepreneurs alike. I want to be the missing ingredient in my client’s recipe of success. As a self-proclaimed people-person, I want to connect and help dreamers and budding entrepreneurs reach their career goals and not be hindered by the thought of how to grow a business; rather, just focus on the dream, the building blocks and where they want their business to be in five or 15 years. 

Describe your startup's mission and why you launched it in 100 characters or less.

I launched The TKO Agency because I found that with the growing trend of social media entrepreneurs and creatives taking advantage of digital platforms such as Instagram, Tik Tok and SnapChat, the next wave of change makers and entrepreneurs no longer reside in traditional corporate environments. These creatives and influencers are now all over the world and with just one touch of a button, they can activate a movement. My mission is to ensure that this new wave of entrepreneurs receive the specialized knowledge that I have gained throughout the years and use it as a tool to navigate the obstacle-filled business environment and transform their ideas and hobbies into scalable, monetized business enterprises.

How do you define success or determine the impact of your venture?

The best way to determine success is whether my clients are able to grow and scale their business how they had envisioned. It's oftentimes difficult to go from conceptualizing to implementation. This is where I step in, as a conduit for my clients to unlock their full potential. 

What is the biggest problem or challenge you have had to overcome with your venture?

One word: Google. The information superhighway has everyone believing that they are an expert. In many ways they have the potential to be an expert, but who is vetting the information they read on the internet?  One thing I know for certain is that when a Google experiment leads my clients down a dead end road, they ultimately come to me to fix both the problem they created with Google’s expert advice and the problem they were originally seeking to solve.

What is the best piece of advice you've received?

“Rome was not built in a day.” As an entrepreneur myself, I know the journey and the gratification one wants to receive immediately, both financially and in business growth. Neither one of these metrics will occur overnight. It will take consistency, focus and a will to win that you cannot read about in a text book. As I like to say, “Keep applying pressure and you’ll soon create your diamond.”

What is one piece of advice you want to give to fellow Terps about launching a venture?

Stay focused. When launching a new venture you can sometimes get thrown off track because of investment capital, lack of immediate fulfillment and the amount of work that goes into your venture. To that I would quote an ancient Chinese proverb which says, "Failure is the mother of success." As long as you keep pressing forward, success is just over the horizon.

What is one book you're reading or a podcast you're listening to right now?

Daymond John’s “The Power of Broke.” It’s a great book and constant motivation to keep striving for greatness.

What do you do in your free time?

I love being active or outdoors. I can also be caught on the court schooling my two young boys about how their dad was the best basketball player to ever play the game. My wife likes to call it revisionist history, but I call it memories. 

What is your favorite alumni event or experience?

I am getting back into the mix of alumni experiences, but I hope to attend the Terp Entrepreneur Network annual conference when it comes back around as I’ve heard great things about it. Other than that, nothing tops Homecoming and seeing familiar faces from years past.

As a student, what was one of your favorite memories or spots on campus?

I have very fond memories of The Nyumburu Cultural Center and the Stamp Student Union. Those are probably my two favorite locations on campus because you’re in the middle of campus and can connect with friends on the other side of campus while still making it to your next class on time. During my time at UMD I spent a lot of time in the engineering building, so any chance I could get to explore the other parts of campus, connect with long lasting friends and be a part of the Terp experience I welcomed it.

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