Welcome to an exciting week!

Eddie Madaki, a digital strategist and marketing communications specialist is RISE NETWORKS Youth of the week.

“Success is never ending, failure is never final” – Robert Schuler

For me this means there is always a silver lining in whatever situation you find yourself, as long as you don’t give up hope.

And Hope is what Eddie exudes with iBlend. An Integrated Marketing Communications company operating since 2005, with a mixture of high ranking expertise communications professionals that includes market research, design, messaging and project management, working together to build strong brands and discern an organizations true strength and effort and present them to the market place creatively and up to standard. With clients like Pepsi, Unilever, Silverbird Group, EIE, BBC World Service Trust, Medicaid Cancer Foundation, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Chocolate City Music Group, among others. iBlend Services has proven their mettle in today’s business world by developing a process which works for both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) companies with a key to carrying out an in-depth, deep-dive research that assesses internal and external perspectives of the organizations in a bid to formulate creative strategies.

A big man with a big dream, Edward Agbo-Madaki, AKA Eddie Madaki, from Benue state, Nigeria, Idoma to be precise, is a graduate of the University Of Jos, Nigeria from the department of Architecture,  a seasoned vet in the Nigerian entertainment industry, and a voice to be reckoned with in the business and entrepreneurship world, Eddie Madaki, is both the man and the brand.

Black Hulk as Eddie is popular for was known as a man of many talents, with a strong architectural background that saw him bagging several awards for free hand drawing and painting back in high-school before taking a deep dive into the corporate World; One of the best things to happen to him in his words.

Eddie claimed Youth service posted him to the banking sector and that was one of the best things that ever happened to him because while there, he found a structure that helped shaped and build him into the man and the brand he is today. “I wanted to be part of the structure that had to do with corporate marketing and it has become one of the best things to happen to me.”

During his University days, Eddie got together with a few friends and started a movement called “The Black Collar Project”. They realized they all had common interests in arts, film, music, dance and writing etc. yet they were all stuck in a rat race studying professional courses that had no bearing on their passion.

The idea behind the black collar project was already set for them – study what your parents want (White collar) but don’t let what drives you, the gifts you have suffer (Black collar). They began started hosting boutique events where talent were drawn from different departments and given a platform to channel their gifts and shine and in the end, their movement grew in popularity.

After graduation and facing insurmountable odds while trying to carve a career in the creative space, Eddie was firm in his resolve to make it work and so moving to Abuja, and closely following personalities like Dan Maria Jos, Sadiq Daba, Zakky Azze , Audu Maikori, Eugenia Abu and host of media personalities that had attained national and recognition in Abuja, the seed which blossomed to iBlend began to take root. Initially called “The Blender Network” iBlend conceptualized basically as a network of young talented individuals, with various skills all working together towards one common goal, a collective professional progress and empowerment, saw iBlend getting incorporated as a business in early 2010.

On this basis, Eddie Madaki is our Youth of the Week because he encompasses all that the present and future generation needs to be to make it in a world that doesn’t give handouts but rewards hard work and determination with crowning success. A beacon of hope and courage to youths everywhere, Eddie Madaki is fearless in the face obstacles which he sees as temporary setbacks that could be overcome with the right approach.

Eddie Madaki is an inspiration and a voice to be heard and his greatest joy is being able to see his work create jobs, and solve problems. The opportunity to be able to use his voice and skill set to inspire, inform and add value to society is his greatest source of happiness.

Follow the Black Hulk on twitter and instagram @eddiemadaki, @i_blend