Emil Ekiyor was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and came to the US at 15 years old with a suitcase and a one-way ticket. Since then, he has become a catalyst for change in his community. Emil played football at the University of Central Florida, where he was a three-year letter winner, followed by a seven-year career in the NFL. After his football career, he settled in Indianapolis, where he served as an administrator for public schools, became a business owner, and emerged as a nonprofit leader. He is actively involved in the community, sitting on the board of three nonprofits.

As the CEO of Innopower, Emil and his team use seed-stage impact investing to drive innovation and accelerate economic prosperity in Black communities in Indiana and sub-Saharan Africa. In our conversation, Emil shares his insights on identifying opportunities and capitalizing on them, how sports can build a framework for business success, and opportunities for underrepresented founders to achieve entrepreneurial success.