Funmi Moriah Odegbami
Encyclopedia
Funmi Odegbami is the Director and Senior Make-up Artist of MINK London, a member of the Black Women in Europe Power list 2011 , and a philanthropist
.
MINK London is an award winning make-up artist agency and make-up school. Funmi O also co-owns a successful event management
company called Endeavour and a web design
, graphic design
and branding
company called DezineKoncepts, where she works with entertainers and small and medium sized companies using brand strategies to achieve their strategic goals.
Funmi is very passionate about young people living in less than desirable circumstances. She supports SOS Children's Villages
, the world’s largest orphan
and abandoned children’s
charity. SOS Children has villages and community projects all around the world, helping some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
Funmi supports Facing Africa - Noma an organisation that provides funds for the visits of teams of voluntary surgeon
s from the UK, Germany
and Holland to Nigeria
and Ethiopia
to perform facial reconstruction surgery on the victims of the disease noma
, and the acquisition of related equipment for hospitals in Addis Ababa
(Ethiopia) and Sokoto
(Nigeria). Noma(cancrum oris) is an acute and ravaging gangrenous infection
affecting the face. The victims of Noma are mainly children under the age of 6, caught in a vicious circle of extreme poverty
and chronic malnutrition
.
Funmi is also involved with a UK based charity organisation called Girls in Gangs. Girls in Gangs provide personal development
programmes that aim to make a real change in the lives of young women in gangs.
to one of Nigeria
’s greatest football heroes, Chief Segun Odegbami
(MON) and mother Jumoke Tejumola an entrepreneur, philanthropist and ex athlete. At the age of 5, Funmi and the family, consisting of Jumoke Tejumola (mother), Segun Junior Odegbami (brother) and Yemisi Odegbami better known as May7ven
(sister), moved to the UK where they have remained ever since.
A strong academic, Funmi has 9 GSCEs, 3 A Levels, a BA in Business Administration and a MSC in Information Systems. Funmi pursued a career in Management Consultancy, a role she held for 5 years, earning herself a Prince 2 Practitioner qualification in that time. Despite her many achievements in the role, including but not limited to; setting up a Finance Service Centre at Brent Council, piloting the RSe- ROI model across 4 London
Boroughs, Reviewing Debt Management arrangements within a debt
ridden organisation, Funmi did not feel that she was operating at her full potential and ultimately did not feel fulfilled.
Consequently, Funmi enrolled on a number of creative courses before embarking on a short course in professional make-up artistry, a subject that satisfied her natural creativity
. This sowed the seed for what would turn out to be an exciting career in the glamorous world of high-fashion makeup artistry.
, Wembley
with her sister May7ven. FU-ME Artist Consultants was a creative agency that managed the careers of professional backing singers and dancers. The company provided performers for record companies to support some of the biggest names in music for shows including T4 Pop World, music festivals and awards shows. Young Alexandra Burke
who was Alex Bell at the time was brought by Paul Harris her then manager to audition for the agency in 2005.
Funmi and her sister May7ven again collaborated and founded a popular publication called Urban Links Magazine. The first edition of the magazine included interviews with Rev Run and Russell Simmons
, RZA
, Wu Tang Clan and Damon Dash
. The magazine also attracted advertisements from Baby Phat
and Nike
. The magazine was eventually sold.
In 2005 Funmi organised her first event, a single listening party at Volt Lounge in Belgravia
with Victor. This was followed up by a monthly club night at the same venue. After a successful spell at Volt Lounge, Funmi and Victor moved to Carbon Bar. A club night that was famous for its beautiful clientele and “ballers”. Friday Nights @ Carbon, as it was known was an overnight success becoming one of the most talked about events in London. The duo remained at Carbon for 3 years.
In 2005 Funmi set up MINK Cosmetics LLP, a makeup artist management company and a makeup school. MINK is the UKs leading makeup authority for women of colour, an award winning make-up school for aspiring make-up artists and a makeup agency that provides make-up services for the media, entertainment and bridal industries.
In the first few months of setting up the business Funmi and her pro-team of make-up artists provided the makeup for Nigeria's Next Top Model
pageant, worked behind the scenes of Channel 5’s “Make Me a Supermodel
” a Tiger Aspect
production alongside celebrity makeup artist Jo Sugar; worked on the music video
for May7ven’s debut single “Hands up”.
In 2008 Funmi and the Pro Make-up Team at MINK worked behind the scenes of May7ven’s second single “Take off my clothes” also known as “Bo Aso Lara Mi” in Nigeria.
Within the first year of business Funmi had developed the Beginners Course in Professional Make-up with make-up tutor Sonji Clayton and ran four courses back-to-back. All of the courses were fully booked and the Beginners Course in Professional Make-up remains a firm favourite for many aspiring make-up artists.
In 2010 Funmi divided up the company by location setting up MINK London, MINK California
, MINK Europe
and MINK Nigeria, with plans to expand into new markets in 2012. In 2010 Funmi also made history by bringing celebrity make-up artist Sam Fine to the UK to teach his first ever make-up master class and seminar to an audience of over 50 attendees. The event was called "The Beauty of Makeup Seminar with Sam Fine". Funmi collaborated with Illamasqua to host the seminar in their Beak Street store in the heart of London. The event was also sponsored by Iman Cosmetics and Ellis Faas
, it was a hugely successful event and it firmly put MINK as a major player in the UK makeup industry.
MINK London is the official and exclusive make-up provider for the Luxury Network international, Mahogany Bridal, Top Model of Colour, Fashions Finest, Africa Fashion Week and the Screen Nation Awards amongst others.
In 2011 Funmi setup the first Makeup Artist Network (MAN). MAN is a networking forum focused on creating an environment solely aimed at make-up artists, photographers, stylists, models, fashion/beauty editors, cosmetics brands, and production companies.
Funmi has just started writing a beauty and makeup blog on http://thisismink.tumblr.com/.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
MINK London is an award winning make-up artist agency and make-up school. Funmi O also co-owns a successful event management
Event management
Event management is the application of project management to the creation and development of festivals, events and conferences.Event management involves studying the intricacies of the brand, identifying the target audience, devising the event concept, planning the logistics and coordinating the...
company called Endeavour and a web design
Web design
Web design is the process of planning and creating a website. Text, images, digital media and interactive elements are used by web designers to produce the page seen on the web browser...
, graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
and branding
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
company called DezineKoncepts, where she works with entertainers and small and medium sized companies using brand strategies to achieve their strategic goals.
Funmi is very passionate about young people living in less than desirable circumstances. She supports SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental international development organisation which has been working to meet the needs and protect the interests and rights of children since 1949. It was founded by Hermann Gmeiner in Imst, Austria...
, the world’s largest orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
and abandoned children’s
Child abandonment
Child abandonment is the practice of relinquishing interests and claims over one's offspring with the intent of never again resuming or reasserting them. Causes include many social and cultural factors as well as mental illness. An abandoned child is called a foundling .-Causes:Poverty is often a...
charity. SOS Children has villages and community projects all around the world, helping some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
Funmi supports Facing Africa - Noma an organisation that provides funds for the visits of teams of voluntary surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
s from the UK, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Holland to Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
to perform facial reconstruction surgery on the victims of the disease noma
Noma (disease)
Noma also known as cancrum oris or gangrenous stomatitis, is a gangrenous disease leading to tissue destruction of the face, especially the mouth and cheek.-Causes:...
, and the acquisition of related equipment for hospitals in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
(Ethiopia) and Sokoto
Sokoto
Sokoto is a city located in the extreme northwest of Nigeria, near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2006 it has a population of 427,760...
(Nigeria). Noma(cancrum oris) is an acute and ravaging gangrenous infection
Gangrene
Gangrene is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies . This may occur after an injury or infection, or in people suffering from any chronic health problem affecting blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is reduced blood...
affecting the face. The victims of Noma are mainly children under the age of 6, caught in a vicious circle of extreme poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and chronic malnutrition
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess , or in the wrong proportions....
.
Funmi is also involved with a UK based charity organisation called Girls in Gangs. Girls in Gangs provide personal development
Personal development
Personal development includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitates employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations...
programmes that aim to make a real change in the lives of young women in gangs.
Early life
Funmi was born in IbadanIbadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
to one of Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
’s greatest football heroes, Chief Segun Odegbami
Segun Odegbami
Patrick Olusegun Odegbami, often shortened to Segun Odegbami is a retired Nigerian footballer who played as a forward....
(MON) and mother Jumoke Tejumola an entrepreneur, philanthropist and ex athlete. At the age of 5, Funmi and the family, consisting of Jumoke Tejumola (mother), Segun Junior Odegbami (brother) and Yemisi Odegbami better known as May7ven
May7ven
Yemisi May Odegbami, known professionally as May7ven, is a singer, songwriter, dancer, producer, actress, model, entrepreneure and creator of Afr&b music Mixing contemporary RnB with Afrobeats. Which can be categorised as Afrobeats. May7ven was born in Ibadan, Nigeria...
(sister), moved to the UK where they have remained ever since.
A strong academic, Funmi has 9 GSCEs, 3 A Levels, a BA in Business Administration and a MSC in Information Systems. Funmi pursued a career in Management Consultancy, a role she held for 5 years, earning herself a Prince 2 Practitioner qualification in that time. Despite her many achievements in the role, including but not limited to; setting up a Finance Service Centre at Brent Council, piloting the RSe- ROI model across 4 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Boroughs, Reviewing Debt Management arrangements within a debt
Debt
A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...
ridden organisation, Funmi did not feel that she was operating at her full potential and ultimately did not feel fulfilled.
Consequently, Funmi enrolled on a number of creative courses before embarking on a short course in professional make-up artistry, a subject that satisfied her natural creativity
Creativity
Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs...
. This sowed the seed for what would turn out to be an exciting career in the glamorous world of high-fashion makeup artistry.
Entrepreneurial Ambitions
Funmi co-founded FU-ME Artist Consultants based at 1 Olympic WayOlympic Way
Olympic Highway is a New South Wales trunk road that links Cowra and Albury at a distance of 318 kilometres. It is designated National Route 41 and was formerly known simply as the Olympic Way...
, Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
with her sister May7ven. FU-ME Artist Consultants was a creative agency that managed the careers of professional backing singers and dancers. The company provided performers for record companies to support some of the biggest names in music for shows including T4 Pop World, music festivals and awards shows. Young Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
who was Alex Bell at the time was brought by Paul Harris her then manager to audition for the agency in 2005.
Funmi and her sister May7ven again collaborated and founded a popular publication called Urban Links Magazine. The first edition of the magazine included interviews with Rev Run and Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons
-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
, RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
, Wu Tang Clan and Damon Dash
Damon Dash
__NOINDEX__...
. The magazine also attracted advertisements from Baby Phat
Baby Phat
Baby Phat is an urban fashion line of clothing and other items for women and girls. Besides clothing, the brand also includes accessories for phones, jewelry, shoes and fragrances. It is the corporate "sibling" of the clothing brand Phat Farm created by Russell Simmons. Baby Phat uses a sleek cat...
and Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
. The magazine was eventually sold.
In 2005 Funmi organised her first event, a single listening party at Volt Lounge in Belgravia
Belgravia
Belgravia is a district of central London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Noted for its immensely expensive residential properties, it is one of the wealthiest districts in the world...
with Victor. This was followed up by a monthly club night at the same venue. After a successful spell at Volt Lounge, Funmi and Victor moved to Carbon Bar. A club night that was famous for its beautiful clientele and “ballers”. Friday Nights @ Carbon, as it was known was an overnight success becoming one of the most talked about events in London. The duo remained at Carbon for 3 years.
In 2005 Funmi set up MINK Cosmetics LLP, a makeup artist management company and a makeup school. MINK is the UKs leading makeup authority for women of colour, an award winning make-up school for aspiring make-up artists and a makeup agency that provides make-up services for the media, entertainment and bridal industries.
In the first few months of setting up the business Funmi and her pro-team of make-up artists provided the makeup for Nigeria's Next Top Model
Nigeria's Next Top Model
Nigeria’s Top Model 2007 was a television event in Nigeria. It took place on April 27, 2007. After Top Model Ghana it was the second African Top Model show and the first that included one episode only...
pageant, worked behind the scenes of Channel 5’s “Make Me a Supermodel
Make Me a Supermodel (UK TV series)
Make Me a Supermodel is a British reality television modeling competition hosted and judged by New Zealander model Rachel Hunter, airing on the television channel Five. A U.S...
” a Tiger Aspect
Tiger Aspect Productions
Tiger Aspect Productions is a British television production company, particularly noted for its situation comedies. Co-founded by producer Peter Bennett-Jones, its productions have included popular hits such as The Vicar of Dibley and Mr. Bean...
production alongside celebrity makeup artist Jo Sugar; worked on the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for May7ven’s debut single “Hands up”.
In 2008 Funmi and the Pro Make-up Team at MINK worked behind the scenes of May7ven’s second single “Take off my clothes” also known as “Bo Aso Lara Mi” in Nigeria.
Within the first year of business Funmi had developed the Beginners Course in Professional Make-up with make-up tutor Sonji Clayton and ran four courses back-to-back. All of the courses were fully booked and the Beginners Course in Professional Make-up remains a firm favourite for many aspiring make-up artists.
In 2010 Funmi divided up the company by location setting up MINK London, MINK California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, MINK Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and MINK Nigeria, with plans to expand into new markets in 2012. In 2010 Funmi also made history by bringing celebrity make-up artist Sam Fine to the UK to teach his first ever make-up master class and seminar to an audience of over 50 attendees. The event was called "The Beauty of Makeup Seminar with Sam Fine". Funmi collaborated with Illamasqua to host the seminar in their Beak Street store in the heart of London. The event was also sponsored by Iman Cosmetics and Ellis Faas
Ellis Faas
Vogue Paris called Ellis Faas "one of the most influential make-up artists of her generation".After her graduation from high-school, Faas did a professional course in photography, and always used herself as her model. In order to look different each and every time, she discovered the versatility of...
, it was a hugely successful event and it firmly put MINK as a major player in the UK makeup industry.
Present
In 2011 Funmi has partnered with Mahogany international in an exclusive one year deal which will see her pro-team providing the makeup services for Mahogany’s three major UK shows, Mahogany Brides, Top Model of Colour and Fashion Diversity. Funmi has also partnered with Africa Fashion Week London for the first ever Africa Fashion Week London event in 2011.MINK London is the official and exclusive make-up provider for the Luxury Network international, Mahogany Bridal, Top Model of Colour, Fashions Finest, Africa Fashion Week and the Screen Nation Awards amongst others.
In 2011 Funmi setup the first Makeup Artist Network (MAN). MAN is a networking forum focused on creating an environment solely aimed at make-up artists, photographers, stylists, models, fashion/beauty editors, cosmetics brands, and production companies.
Funmi has just started writing a beauty and makeup blog on http://thisismink.tumblr.com/.
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Institution | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Fashions Finest | Make-up artist of the year Nominee |
| 2011 | BEFFTA | Make-up artist of the year Award Winner |
| 2011 | NUBAA | Young Business Nominee |