Authenticity as an Advantage:

Building Values-Driven Brands

Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Geffen 490

12:45 p.m. Lunch Available
1 p.m. Fireside Chat
Register Here

As part of Leadership and Ethics Week 2025, join Ukonwa Kuzi-Orizu Ojo, Founder & CEO of Ada & Edith and Zaia Ventures, for an inspiring conversation on bold leadership in the consumer industry. As the former Global CMO of Amazon Prime Video & Studios, M·A·C Cosmetics, and Coty, Ukonwa has shaped some of the world’s most influential brands. Now, as an entrepreneur and investor, she is championing the next generation of consumer businesses. The discussion will be moderated by Misan Bolorunfe ’26.

Key Learning Objectives:

• Understand how personal identity influences leadership and innovation
• Learn strategies for building trust-driven brands and meaningful consumer connections
• Gain insights into values-driven entrepreneurship and industry leadership

Attending this session will provide credit towards the Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL), focusing on the DEI essential skills of Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking and Addressing Systemic Inequity.

This event is sponsored by The Paul M. Montrone Seminar Series on Ethics in partnership wtith Africa Business Club, Black Business Students Association, Marketing Association of Columbia, and Media Management Association. 

About Ukonwa Kuzi-Orizu Ojo

Ukonwa Ojo's remarkable career spans 27 years across diverse industries, with notable positions including Global Chief Marketing Officer and US General Manager at Amazon Prime Video & Studios, M.A.C Cosmetics, and Coty Consumer Beauty. Ukonwa has also served as Brand President at COVERGIRL and held brand and general management roles at Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser PLC, General Mills Corporation, and MeadWestvaco Corporation. Currently, she shines as the Founder/CEO of Zaia Ventures, a venture studio dedicated to building and scaling businesses that champion underrepresented and marginalized communities. Two notable launches from the Venture Studio include Zaia, a social networking platform on a mission to unite the global Christian community for good and Ada & Edith Inc, a pioneering luxury womenswear brand bringing a comfort revolution to fashion with handcrafted Italian pieces for the multi-faceted modern woman.

At Amazon, Ojo led a high-performing team to launch eight of the top ten shows in Prime Video's history, achieving its highest ever global customer subscription and engagement, including replacing Netflix as the #1 US Streamer. Her innovative marketing campaigns for Prime Video's blockbuster movies and series garnered numerous prestigious accolades, including Golden Globe, Oscar and Emmy nominations and wins, and Entertainment Clios.

Throughout her career, Ojo has earned over 60 awards and honors, including Forbes World's Most Influential CMOs and Black Enterprise 25 Women Changing the World. She is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, a Founding Member of the Black Executive CMO Alliance, and a Member of the Executive Leadership Council.

Ukonwa Ojo holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and is a graduate of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina. With her exceptional leadership, commitment to serving marginalized communities and passion for apparel design, she continues to make a lasting impact in business, technology, fashion and beyond.