Judy Ojewia is On to Entreprenuership

Secondhand K-pop vinyls can be sold online for a surprisingly high price. Each step in the marketing process must be taken with care. The pictures must be perfect: Every shot with a consistent background, with natural light angled in just the right way to make the image look warm and friendly. 

Next is exposure to potential customers. An instagram account might do the trick, but even more important are the keywords.

An effective vendor should know the ins and outs of any website they use to optimize their products’ position in the algorithm. It helps to be particular about the key search terms used, and even add customer gifts.

That’s how Judy Ojewia turned her older sister’s dusty stack of vinyls into a hot stack of cash. It’s not the first time she’s worked her magic, and it sure won’t be the last. 

Ojewia is always busy. Whether she’s designing a website, sketching a new virtual planner, or creating art to sell on her digital platform, she’ll still have more ideas she’s waiting to try. 

“When she has [a] passion or an idea, she just goes for it,” said Grace Ojewia, Ojewia’s sister. “And maybe someone will list ten reasons why it won’t work, and she’ll have 100 reasons why it will. Plus answers for the ten that won’t work.”

Even though she’s graduating high school with 11 AP classes and 32 credit hours of concurrent enrollment at the University of Utah under her belt, she’s had more than enough time for a side hustle or two. 

Perhaps most notable is the art shop where Ojewia sells photography and drawings on a website she created. She’s made about 64 designs that can be printed on stickers, posters and T-shirts. Although she’s had a few sales, Ojewia says it’s mostly just a way for her to practice her skills. Learning how to work with customers, adjust her marketing techniques, and use outlets like Photoshop and Google Analytics will come in handy down the line.

“I remember watching her, really just out of passion and desire, going through website after website, just scrolling, looking up what she could,” said Grace. “She really went deep, looking at procreate and photoshop tutorials.”

Entrepreneurship is very complex. On top of expert knowledge about product design and leadership skills, business owners must navigate taxes, laws, economics, customer service, and numerous other responsibilities that nobody really teaches entrepreneurs to do. It requires an exceptional amount of curiosity, self-direction and grit. But with her varied interests and dedication to gaining new experiences, there’s no doubt that Ojewia has what it takes. The only question is where she’ll go with it.

“I’ve always been interested in the brain and other vital organs,” said Ojewia. “So I was super excited to learn about brain implants and other implantable electronics (made by companies like Blackrock Neurotech) that allow users to regain oral and motor skills.”

A few of her pet projects include using custom 3-D printed pieces and old computer parts to build a bluetooth speaker and prototyping a digital planner. As the established “Tech Savvy” person in her family, Ojewia is the go-to problem solver for any technical difficulty in the household.

She also volunteers at Zooniverse, an online platform where volunteers help professional researchers collect and analyze data on various projects. Through projects she found on their website, Ojewia has helped monitor wildlife in Kenya, search for black holes and classify different types of galaxies. 

But when her family and friends say she “reaches for the stars,” they’re usually not talking about her passion for assisting outer-space research. Ojewia has ambitious plans for the future that start with a college major of computer science, and lead toward the role of an entrepreneur where she can turn her abundant ideas into reality. She hopes to get into the tech world, mixing computer science with medicine.

“I’d definitely love to work with startups and other companies,” she said. “Whether that be creating my own or joining a startup.” 

Part and parcel to Ojewia’s dreams, though, is an air of benevolence when embracing the power of capitalism. What Grace finds inspirational about Ojewia’s ambitions is her optimism when approaching any problem, and her drive to make a positive difference.

“For her, it’s like ‘how can we use business and a lot of economic principles to fit currently unmet needs or just improve people’s lives?’ I think that’s a big mission and drive behind why she got interested in this,” said Grace.

It’s often said that an entrepreneur wears “a whole lot of hats.” Ojewia is no different. While juggling all her projects and volunteer work, she still manages to be a supportive friend, outstanding student and compassionate sister.

“I think if we were twins, or the same age, I wouldn’t even be close to her level,” said Grace. “She has a really big heart.”