Volunteering Led To My Successful Business Venture
It’s Volunteers Week 1-7 June. So, we invited multi award winning entrepreneur Grace Olugbodi of www.easymathskills.com, to tell us how volunteering led to her latest business venture.
‘I became interested in Maths when I was about 10 years old. My dad encouraged me and I started doing well in the subject. I went on to win the end of year school prizes. This really increased my self belief and confidence, and brought offers my way that I could otherwise only have dreamt of.
I did a BSc Computing degree and achieved a 1st Class Honours result through choosing the most Maths-like units wherever there was a choice. I then worked in Investment banks in London for 8 years as a programmer and did an MSc in Financial Markets.
It was during my time at University that I first started volunteering. Initially I helped fellow students studying all types of degrees with the Maths that they needed to help pass their courses. Then I saw an advert to help young pupils in the local community learn and enjoy Maths, and I volunteered my time with a charity called the Sir John Cass Foundation. This helped children look creatively at Maths. I went into primary and secondary schools using games to help children transform their Maths skills and attitude. This was a pivotal point. Within just a couple of months I saw that the children were having fun and as a result their Maths anxiety reduced, they had an improved attitude towards Maths and this resulted in them doing better in their Maths exams. After that experience I constantly had this nagging feeling that there was more I could do to help youngsters and make sure they weren't missing out on the enjoyment of Maths.
It was when I was pregnant with my son that I really had the space and time to look at what my input could be and how I'd go about it, and I’ve been in the creative Maths space since. I do this, alongside running a business that distributes healthy kitchen equipment. This enables people to cook without water and oil and so retain the nutrition in the foods.
It’s taken years to get right, but I have now created and am selling internationally, a fun Maths Game called ‘Race To Infinity’. It's an educational game, and unlike other Maths games, has excellent play value and covers the fundamentals of Key Stages 1 and 2. It is a game that both adults and children find fun to play and which improves children's Maths skills tremendously and reduces Maths anxiety. The game also develops decision making, social skills, problem solving, creative thinking, critical thinking and analytical thinking skills and spatial ability. The game is available to buy on Amazon and Amazon also asked to partner with us and become a distributor of the game, so they now buy wholesale and sell retail. I’ve learned so much to enable me to sell my game in many countries globally, including the UK, USA, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Norway, Australia, Canada and African countries. I’m also looking to sell it to retailers through distributors. I’d be really keen to speak to investors too for our upcoming augmented reality App. Race To Infinity has been endorsed by many, including:- The Good Toy Guide, National Numeracy, Explore Learning Tuition Centres and Professor Chris Imafidon- of Britain’s Brainiest Family.
I want to make a difference to society and impact children across the world, just as I have done with my own children who are 15 and 10. They have become excellent at maths.
From my experience as a mum and a school volunteer, I've realised there are some key problems. Too many children hate Maths, don't see the point in doing it, cannot relate it to real life, or find it a boring chore. They don't believe they can get good at it and do not have effective, creative, fun methods of doing maths. I believe every child and everyone can improve their Maths skills. I also believe that talent is overrated - there is no such thing as a "Maths person." Maths is simply a skill, and any skill just needs deliberate practice to get good at it.
Many parents are afraid of Maths themselves and don't know how to help their children. The world is a lot more competitive and demanding now, and this generation are finding it harder to do well or get good jobs without Maths.
Government statistics show that half of the adults in the UK have numeracy levels no greater than that of an 11-year old and this is costing our economy £20 billion a year.
I still volunteer too. I’m currently a National Numeracy Challenge Champion, a speaker for Inspiring the Future, Inspiring Woman and Primary Futures. I was also part of the Education BP for London Borough of Tower Hamlets for quite a while. . I’m currently Chair of a Board of Governors, Chair of the Finance Committee and also in charge of Creative Curriculum for the Phoenix school in Basildon as well as a Trustee and Director on one of the Boards of a Central London University.
You can gain so many skills and lots of knowledge through volunteering. I’d have never created a Maths Game if I hadn’t done the volunteering, but it’s about more than that too: - it’s about using our time and skills to give something back. I encourage all entrepreneurs to give it a try. There are many opportunities available in schools and with lots of other organisations and charities. Plus, you can meet lots of fabulous people who might be future customers, can connect you with others and give you great advice and feedback. .
Maths will always be my first love: - I'm addicted to helping children fall in love with mathematics!’
EDITORS NOTES
Grace E Olugbodi, 40 is the creator of the Race To Infinity™ maths game, and the founder of BeGenio™ and Easy Maths Skills (www.racetoinfinity.com and www.easymathsskills.com). She lives in Purfleet and her business premises are in Woolwich.
Grace’s company, BeGenio™ creates fun maths games, runs online courses, a members’ hub and live workshops and retreats for parents to help their children build more confidence, make maths fun, enjoy maths more, increase grades, raise attainment levels, reduce mathematical anxiety and build more opportunities for a successful future. They also empower, teach and help parents to be able to confidently and effectively support their children with maths.
• 1st Class Honours BSc in Computing and an MSc in Financial Markets with Information Systems from London Universities, UK.
• Ex-Investment Banker in a few different Investment Banks in the City of London and London Wall
• Worked several years as a Java Software Programmer on trading systems.
• She is the founder of Easy Maths Skills, which comprises teaching methodologies in creative, fun and easily accessible ways to help children raise achievement levels in maths, and fun tools to help children practise maths and learn without realising they are learning.
• Creator and Inventor of Race To Infinity™ - a fun and entertaining maths board game aimed at children aged 6 to 13 years.
• Close to 20 years experience in the maths games arena and increasing children’s confidence through creative ways.
• Co-founder of a multi award-winning Health and Nutrition company, aimed at helping families get enough nutrition, look better and feel better.
• Voted #1 in the Women Inspiring Women National Awards for two years in a row (Business category).
• Co-author of a book, Get In The Game, that hit #1 BestSeller on Amazon in 7 different categories,
• An accomplished Speaker and a Speaker for Inspiring the Future, a not-for-profit company that aims to connect children’s learning to their future and to widen their horizons.
• A National Numeracy Challenge Champion advocating to raise numeracy levels amongst both adults and children in the UK.
• Quoted on various international media channels including NBC, FOX, ABC, and CBS News.
• Chair of the Board of School Governors and Chair of the Finance Committee of a UK Primary School. Also the Governor in charge of Creative Curriculum for the School.
• Trustee and Director of a Central London University’s SU Board.
• A passionate STEM Advocate for girls, and a Child Maths Champion
• Former number partner at a not-for-profit Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership initiative in UK for a Charity, to help increase maths confidence and numeracy skills for children in Primary School (Elementary School) and Secondary School (Middle School), struggling with maths or that need to be challenged more.
• Her invention, the Race To Infinity™ board game has been awarded the prestigious Amazon CHOICE BADGE and Amazon BestSeller BADGE by Amazon.Co.Uk and Amazon.Com itself several times over. The Race To Infinity™ maths game has also been endorsed by several maths celebrities and large, reputable companies like National Numeracy and has been making waves both nationally and internationally; selling in 10 different countries around the World.
• Child Confidence Expert and Parenting Expert specialising in Child Confidence Building.
For more information, images, or to arrange to interview Grace, please contact:- Susan Brookes-Morris at Positive Publicity on 07890 051638 or email susan@positivepublicity.biz