Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nyechi Oleka. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Nyechi, thanks for joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

I’ve always been the person behind the scenes, pushing individuals to be great in their talents, skills and endeavors. I’m a big believer in people (especially MY people) and what they have to offer when they really want to make a difference, or are doing things they are passionate about. I’ll always be a front row member in their cheering section.

So when I decided to put myself out there in the front, and act on my ideas of Sneaker Ball Lex: A KOTD Affair and Sneakers With Everything Project Inc (SWEPI), I was hesitant because I didn’t know if my ideas would take. I didn’t know if I would be able to get them moving and convey to everyone why they should be interested and support. I was truly fearful, and had my doubts.

It never occurred to me that I already had a support base in place. Everyone close to me (family, friends, and fr-amily), even people I had worked with on projects, former and current coworkers, people I reached out to on Instagram who were experts in their various related industries, were my champions. They encouraged me, found ways to help me, connected me with other people to aid me, and comforted me through my tears of fear and those of gratitude (because I get weepy when people are genuinely kind to me, never fails).

The kindest thing anyone has ever done, was believe in my ideas and help me bring them to life. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Nyechi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am the Creative/Event Chair behind Sneaker Ball Lex: A KOTD Affair, and the Founder of a Lexington, KY 501c3 non-profit, Sneakers With Everything Project Inc (SWEPI).

SWEPI ran up on the creative heels of my first successful fundraising gala, Sneaker Ball Lex in 2021. I was thinking of ways I wanted to give back to the community of Lexington, but also keep sneaker culture involved. I started thinking about the youth here, and continued to ask myself the same question, “What can you give them that you didn’t have?”

Growing up, I ADORED sneakers. However, I was a second generation Nigerian teenager living in Kentucky with parents who were skeptical about spending money on “gym shoes”, so they didn’t. I’ll never forget when I started working at the local K-Mart, getting a couple paychecks in, and buying my own very first pair of “goldenrod” Nike Air Max 96 II’s. The confidence I had walking around in those had me feeling like I was great at anything and everything!

And that was it, that was what I wanted to give back to the under-served teens of color here–a supportive environment that uses sneaker culture as the foundation tool for personal growth and development, to help them find their own voices.

Since the teenage years are a crucial time for self-discovery, equipping them with core life skills, mental health awareness and wellness, and encouraging self-confidence is critical to their success in the real world after they graduate. My goal is to help foster this, and contribute to their overall well-being.

My give back to the community means being an advocate for youth development. As a sneaker enthusiast that knows kicks are a form of self expression, I’m ready to meet our youth in that space and create a life enhancing experience with a lasting impact.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

The funding for SWEPI came from the second year of Sneaker Ball Lex:A KOTD Affair which is a classy, stylish black-tie, sneaker culture filled evening, dedicated to young professionals, entrepreneurs, and creatives. It is an opportunity to pour back into local minority-owned, advocacy organizations, and change the lack of diverse cultural events here in the city of Lexington.

This fundraising gala was created in the pandemic 2020, debuted in 2021, has been gaining traction and thriving ever since. It is an event that now falls under the SWEPI umbrella, and its primary fundraising event.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Do I have a sole story to tell the resilience I’ve had through this journey? I absolutely do not.

The journey through both of these ventures IS the story of resilience. You often hear people talk about staying strong and staying the course of what new endeavor they set out to do, but don’t realize what that means exactly until you experience it yourself.

There have been immediate positives, and considerable challenges turned opportunities. All of these contribute to the resilience of myself and my teams that support both ideas. We have maneuvered through trials with event licensing, potential sponsors declining, non-profit organization status woes, the fleshing out of ideas from brainstorming, etc. The list could keep going. But so did we. We stuck through it all, and even gained knowledge along the way.

This is our resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sneakerswitheverything.com
• Other: SWEPI Email: [email protected] Sneaker Ball Lex Email: [email protected] www.akotdaffair.com
• Facebook page for SWEPI https://www.facebook.com/@sneakerswitheverythingproject

Image Credits
Muse Marketing NL Creative Quisha Rae Photography