Sinat Giwa

I started out taking on the majority of the operational tasks across the brands OKP and OKA, and eventually started working on the commerce team (coordinating shoots, designing t-shirts, setting up pop-ups and selling opportunities).

For the first year and a half whenever I was asked what I did at Okay, I would respond with “everything but write.” Across the company, it was rarely noted all of the different roles employees were asked to play. I chalked it up to startup culture.

After a big leadership exodus of 2017, when four C-level people left in the span of a couple of months, I filled in the gaps, supporting merch, managed all events across brands, and programmed at Okay Space.

Around review time in 2017 that extended to 2018, when I had made the argument that I should get fairly compensated for the two main positions I was undertaking, event producer and gallery director for programming the space

I was told by the CEO, Abiola, that there was no way I was doing both of those jobs full time, so I couldn’t ask for that type of salary. Even though I was. Anyone who’s been to any Okay events between the 2018 to January of 2020, knows I led those events.

I spent the last few years investing in what I thought would eventually be a company that I could have ownership in. It was mentioned a lot by Abiola as something we, as employees, could look forward to.

Though it was challenging to work against internal skepticism from leadership, which would turn into public praise and eventually ended up being part of our value proposition, I did it with the belief that equity was a real possibility

It was not until last year when I had made the decision to transition out of full time employment at Okay that we entered the realm of actually talking ownership. Sadly, the conversation continued to regress into the same loop of rhetoric that I heard back in 2018.

That’s when I knew things would not change and my decision to leave was affirmed. I really hope formal talks are happening for those who have stuck it out until now.

When joining in 2016, I was honestly just very happy to be in such a Black space (Black run, majority Black women employees). I was excited to be one of a number of newly hired Black women that could contribute by putting the capital A in Africa and reviving Okayplayer.

I was aware that OkayAfrica was both White-owned and run prior to me joining. But with Abiola at the helm, I was told it was now partially Black-owned and run.

Reflecting on everything now, I think that the opportunity to work in such a precious space, a Black media company, was leveraged a lot to convince people to comply with a toxic work environment.

I’m proud of the work that I did at Okayplayer and OkayAfrica. Those spaces hold history, meaning and value for so many.