Born into a Nigerian family, Obi knew he had to become one of three things – a doctor, lawyer, or businessman. Growing up he excelled in academics as well as sports, receiving a track scholarship to Boston College where he studied Finance, Management, and Leadership.
“When I first got to school, I told everyone that I wanted to break every record that the university held…” a promise he would keep. Obi went on to breaking seven different school records at the 300- 400 meter events.
After graduating, Obi began training for the Olympics, when he was hit with a tough decision- to either follow his dreams as an athlete or continue as a consultant at Ernst & Young. After his time at EY, Obi began to consult with Accenture- Boston. It was his during this time he decided to dabble in modeling and sent headshots to multiple agencies- landing an advertisement assignment with ESPN.
After a few more successes, Obi requested a transfer to Accenture- Los Angeles, where he can consult as well as gain more exposure as a model and actor. Turning down a campaign with Nike forced Obi to decide once again- to continue as a consultant or pursue modeling full time. He chose modelling – a decision he would not regret.
From there, his career skyrocketed- Obi Nwankwo was featured in multiple campaigns for high-end brands such as: Puma, Gucci, Bose, Microsoft, New Balance and Nautica. He also had an array of projects within the entertainment industry: “Kings of Style with Asap Rocky and Dapper Dan, a visual actor in Justin Timberlake’s “Man of the Woods Your”, and Tyler the Creator’s Grammy Performance.
Appearing in many cameo and guest roles in Netflix originals such as “Dear White People” and “Family Time”, Obi’s acting career has taken off.
Despite his growing success in Hollywood, Obi did not want to part ways with the corporate world. He now owns a thriving private consultancy and agency”
“My true talent lies in my ability to scale companies… I have always enjoyed entrepreneurship”
With no time to rest, Obi is now working on writing a book called “From Corporate Handcuffs to Hollywood Freedom”. A book that is a combination of autobiographical narratives and self-growth lessons to help readers achieve their goals.
“I am crafting my dreams into reality and I want to show others that anything is possible, I want to give people hope.”
