He Lost His Business to COVID. Then Built a Global Fashion Brand | Samuel Ade | Founder- ILANA

Samuel Ade built Ilana after watching his mother's dream of selling her fashion designs globally never come true. Today, Ilana is a luxury e-commerce store and free mentorship community for black fashion designers from sketch to finished collection to global sale. In this episode, Samuel talks about losing a co-working marketplace overnight when COVID hit, starting over from a single tweet, and building something that was never just about the money. What we cover: How Samuel's mother inspired the name and mission of Ilana The co-working startup that COVID killed — and what he took from it Why Ilana's mentorship community is completely free and how it works The 20% commission model and the path to profitability How West African designers use WhatsApp as their primary business tool What it means to be a purpose-led founder The 4 Cs of entrepreneurship: Competency, Consistency, Community, Character Why it takes 10 years to be an overnight success Samuel Ade is the founder of Ilana (ilana.uk), a luxury fashion platform and designer community built specifically to create pathways for black fashion designers who the industry routinely overlooks. If you're a fashion designer looking for mentorship — especially in West Africa head to ilana.uk to join the community for free. Subscribe to ChaiNet for weekly conversations with founders building at the intersection of AI, commerce, and culture. Drop a comment below what part of Samuel's story resonated with you most? Connect with CHAINET: Website: https://chainet.xyz/ YouTube:    / @rachitmagon   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachitmagon... X\ Twitter: https://x.com/rachitmagon Threads: https://www.threads.com/@rachitmagon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachitmag... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7gaI7YV... #fashionstartup #blackfashionblogger #ChaiNet #founderstory #FashionDesigner #entrepreneurship #fashionbusinessvoices #startuppodcast #africanfashion #luxuryfashion #EcommerceAfrica #DesignerCommunity #blackownedbusiness #fashiontech #PurposeLedBusiness