The Esorae Foundation was established by Ewaen and Iyobosa Sorae in 2020, To cultivate and propel the Sorae’s family’s evolving commitment to philanthropy and as a vehicle for adding their quota to nation building.
EWAEN SORAE
Chairman & Co-Founder
Ewaen Sorae
Ewaen Sorae, a dynamic and visionary leader, has carved an illustrious path marked by remarkable achievements in both the business and community development spheres. Born and bred in the vibrant city of Benin, Nigeria, Ewaen’s journey exemplifies the fusion of academic excellence, entrepreneurial acumen, and a fervent commitment to community development.
Ewaen Sorae, a seasoned entrepreneur with a successful track record, brings a unique blend of financial expertise and a passion for education to this initiative. A graduate of accounting from the University of Benin and a Masters in Marketing Management from the University of Bedfordshire, UK,
Ewaen Sorae is a highly motivated professional with a unique blend of accounting, finance, and marketing expertise. Possesses a strong understanding of financial markets and a passion for developing investment strategies. Proven success in managing credit teams and fostering strong client relationships having worked as a Development Manager at the Provident financial group UK, where has was in charge of credit / Risk assessment before he ventured into entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurial Ventures:
Esorae Home: Ewaen founded Esorae Home in 2010, a pioneering hospitality service business. Under his visionary leadership, Esorae Home burgeoned from a modest venture with two employees into a thriving enterprise, now boasting a workforce of over 60 individuals spanning 13 years and stores in multiple cities. Esorae Home is boosting local production and creating employment with its state of the art production facility serving the hospitality industry.
WhiteTree Retail: In 2020, Ewaen expanded his entrepreneurial footprint with the establishment of Whitetree Retail, aimed at revolutionizing the retail landscape and fostering backward integration to support the food and beverage industry. His astute business strategies caught the attention of South African retail giants, leading to the acquisition of Whitetree Retail by Pick and Pay in 2022.
Opes Venit: Ewaen also founded Opes Venit, a private equity fund focused on investing globally in various sectors. Opes Venit invests in all growth and development phases of a company with financial resources and strategic support, aiming to identify viable business opportunities for sustainable and long-term generational wealth.
Pershing Hills Elementary: Ewaen co-founded Pershing Hills Elementary in 2019, a school with a focus on Early Years and Elementary education, dedicated to building confident, creative thinkers. At inception, the school started with 5 children and has grown to over 120 today, with its own ultramodern learning facility.
Esorae Urban: Esorae Urban, the real estate arm of the business ecosystem, epitomizes sophistication and innovation. Operating under Opes Venit, Esorae Urban adopts a groundbreaking build and operate model, exemplifying excellence in every aspect.
Philanthropic Initiatives:
Driven by a profound commitment to social responsibility, Ewaen cofounded Esorae Foundation, which provides scholarships to destitute children and deserving children from poor backgrounds. Esorae Foundation empowers individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds through skill-building initiatives and providing employment opportunities.
Ewaen Sorae’s leadership ethos revolves around fostering inclusive growth, driving socioeconomic development, and uplifting marginalized communities. His strategic vision, coupled with his unwavering integrity, positions him as a transformative force poised to shape the future landscape of business in Nigeria. In essence, Ewaen Sorae epitomizes the epitome of a visionary leader who seamlessly integrates business acumen with a fervent commitment to community development.
IYOBOSA SORAE
Executive Vice-Chair & Co-Founder
Iyobosa Sorae
Iyobosa Sorae is a Strategic Business and Finance Leader with expertise in long-term business vision implementation, commercial development and planning, ethical finance strategy, and team leadership. She has over 16 years of experience in business planning across multiple sectors, revenue-boosting solutions, and ethical and impact investing.
Currently, She is the Managing Partner at Opes Venit Family Office. Here she works at the intersection of philanthropic endeavours and ethical investments where her background and interests as a social finance strategist and business leader help her identify investment strategies and diversify assets across profitable multi-sectoral businesses that bring about social change. Her drive is to create continuous value within communities by aligning investment objectives with sustainable practices, social equity, and philanthropic values across various sectors ranging from education, entrepreneurial and vocational development, hospitality, and real-estate development.
An example of such investments is the Pershing Hills Elementary School, established in 2019, which adopts the Montessori method, fostering adaptable learning environments geared towards personalized skill development and holistic child growth. She also oversees retail real-estate investments, strategically acquiring premium locations for their commercial viability and revenue-generating potential.
In addition to Opes Venit’s profit-driven investments, she is deeply passionate about giveback initiatives which stimulate the local economy.
Before her current role, She was the Head of the Global Wealth and Treasury department at Coronation Merchant Bank, Africa’s Premier Investment Bank, where she crafted robust strategies for sustainable financial profitability, fortifying the bank’s market position by moving the bank from 23rd to the top 7 in the FMDQ League Table within 3 years. Here she was focused on developing, leading and nurturing high-performing teams, having spearheaded the reestablishment of the treasury department which doubled the balance sheet in 2018. In this role she also executed the 1st multi-million FX transaction to facilitate international funding access, secured 7 major international brokers as offshore counterparties within 5 years and received the award for Best Leader in the Bank in 2021.
She has an MBA from Imperial College Business School and an MSc in Finance from IE Business School.