I have always believed that business is more than numbers on a balance sheet. For me, enterprise has always been about people, about community, and about creating something that lasts. That belief is what drives me every single day.
My journey as an entrepreneur began in 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown. I was just a young girl who noticed something simple: people were tired of being confined to their homes. They wanted a different space, a safe place where they could breathe, even if just for a few days. That observation sparked my first steps into real estate, creating spaces where people could retreat, reconnect, and feel at ease again.
From there, my desire to give back grew stronger. What started as a business soon turned into a responsibility. That sense of responsibility birthed the Aduro Foundation, a platform through which I began investing in people rebuilding health centers, hosting medical outreaches, and engaging young people through sports. I discovered that business means little if it doesn’t serve the community around it.
It was this same spirit of service that led me into agriculture. I realized that food security and farmer empowerment are at the heart of community growth. What began with a modest poultry and fish farm has grown into Aduro Farms, now spanning cassava, piggery, snail farming, and a plantain plantation. Agriculture became more than a business for me it became a mission to prove that farming can be modern, inclusive, and transformative.
As I built, I also saw the struggles of entrepreneurs like me, people with dreams, but without the right tools to scale. That inspired me to co-found Zirro, a technology platform designed to equip businesses with what they need to grow: digital storefronts, payments, analytics, and more. For me, technology is not about innovation for its own sake, it’s about giving everyday entrepreneurs a fair chance to thrive.
Today, all my ventures converge under Miore, my master brand that reflects the values I hold closest, innovation, sustainability, and growth. Through BloomHer, I focus on women-led production and investment, while The Circle with Michelle creates spaces for dialogue, partnership, and community building.
My journey has taken me beyond Nigeria, with global exposure in the United States, Malaysia, Thailand and South Africa, and continuous learning through Lagos Business School’s Agribusiness programme. These experiences have broadened my view but also reaffirmed a simple truth: Africa’s future will be built by us, and it must be built to last.
At 26, I am still at the beginning. But every venture, every community project, every platform I create is rooted in the same conviction: profit, purpose, and posterity belong together. I am building not only for today, but for the generations that will rise tomorrow.
Michelle Aduro
