Chris Folayan is a renowned and multi-award-winning serial entrepreneur, author and founder, celebrated for his exceptional ability to start and scale multi-million-dollar global companies. With an illustrious career spanning decades, Chris has demonstrated an extraordinary talent for investing, raising substantial capital, and building thriving businesses from the ground up.
His entrepreneurial journey began at the tender age of seven and a half when he started a profitable recycling business, and since then, he has become an expert across various fields, founding and exiting several successful companies globally.
Born and raised in Africa, Chris's relentless pursuit of knowledge led him to California, where he attended San Jose State University in the heart of Silicon Valley. Graduating with a degree in marketing, he discovered his passion for software development and embarked on a self-taught journey in mastering several programming and development languages. This impressive feat caught the attention of several Silicon Valley tech giants, including Quantum. At the young age of 19, Chris was recruited by Quantum, a cutting-edge hard drive manufacturing company.
During his time at Quantum, Chris immersed himself in cutting-edge software engineering which led him to work with the due diligence group for mergers and acquisition division. White at Quantum he worked on the development of numerous technical patents. Remarkably, he accomplished all of this while simultaneously pursuing a full-time college education. Chris's expertise garnered widespread recognition, and companies across Silicon Valley eagerly sought his technical and market-oriented insights.
Eventually, he left Quantum and co-founded NTM, a pioneering digital music label platform, revolutionizing the industry with the world's first indie music recording-to-digital rights and sales platform. Collaborating with artists from around the globe ensuring artists' music was safe while being encrypted and sold online. Chris dedicated his time to developing the patent for the encryption technology he developed used by NTM used by global artists.
Having successfully exited NTM, Chris founded his first of many companies, OCFX Inc. As the founder and CEO, he built OCFX into a renowned Silicon Valley brand, collaborating with prestigious Fortune 100 and 500 companies such as SONY, Quantum, LSI Logic, Accenture, Adobe, Cisco, EMC, Merrill Lynch, Elo, CapitalOne, History Channel and many others. Under Chris's leadership, OCFX built a reputation for turning clients' imaginative ideas into exceptional revenue-generating software products. Additionally, Chris spearheaded the development of several spin-off companies within the OCFX ecosystem, offering valuable tools and solutions that companies could purchase and license. Chris sold and exited several of OCFX spin-off companies to major brands.
While OCFX was growing globally with over 350 employees he had an idea and developed one of Africa’s largest eCommerce platforms MallforAfrica and MallfortheWorld. An idea he started to help people in Africa and the world who were unbanked shop on top USA and UK retailers. Starting the company from scratch wasn’t easy but Chris ended up building a multimillion-dollar monthly revenue business. And quickly became one of Africa and the world's leading eCommerce experts in emerging markets.
Completing his 4th exit after selling MallforAfrica and Mallfortheworld to a UK based business Chris wrote a book titled “From Pitch To Close: What Founders and CEOs Need to Know and Do Before An Investor Meeting” which has won him several prestigious book awards. A book written to help entrepreneurs build companies at the highest valuation possible. Chris has also written other books about entrepreneurship and investments.
Today Chris helps companies expand globally, consults, mentors, lectures, serves on several boards, invests and is an exciting public speaker with amazing motivational stories and lessons to share. Chris has spoken in over 50 countries and has a reputation for thinking outside the box and getting everyone to master the entrepreneurial mindset with his concept well known acronym P.I.N.K (Passion - Innovation - Network - Knowledge).
Reading his books, hoping on a call or listening to Chris speak is a treat. His witty comedic yet inspirational insights into building a business with passion while thinking outside the box is a masterpiece. Over 25+ years of ownership Chris still owns OCFX as a legacy brand he works under.
--
Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.
Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m
#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning
Episode 1298- LinkedIn Live Conversation with Author Didier Cossin
Episode - 1295- LinkedIn Live Conversation with Author Bob Burg
Episode 1294 - LinkedIn Live Conversation with Author Bill Flynn
Episode 1296 - LinkedIn Live Conversation with Author Mauro Guillen
Episode 1297 - LinkedIn Live Conversation with Author Darius Mirshahzadeh
Episode 1293 - LinkedIn Live Conversation with Author Mark Barden
Episode 1292 - Critical Mass Radio Show - September 1, 2020 Angelo Ponzi
Episode 1291 - Critical Mass Radio Show - June 4, 2020 Minda Brusse
Episode 1290 - Critical Mass Radio Show - June 4, 2020 Hernani Alves
Episode 1289 - Critical Mass Radio Show - June 4, 2020 Yuris Rubanik
Episode 1288 - Critical Mass Radio Show - May 21, 2020 Doug Wheeler
Episode 1287 - Critical Mass Radio Show - May 20, 2020 Jordan Goldrich
Episode 1285 - Critical Mass Radio Show - May 20, 2020 Mary Cravets
Episode 1286 - Critical Mass Radio Show - May 20, 2020 Manna Kadar
Episode 1284 - Critical Mass Radio Show - May 7, 2020 Emily Morgan
Episode 1283 - Critical Mass Radio Show - April 22, 2020 Troy Underwood
Episode 1282 - Critical Mass Radio Show - April 16, 2020 Wayne Titus
Episode 1281 - Critical Mass Radio Show - April 15, 2020 Captain Nesan Kisan
Episode 1280 - Critical Mass Radio Show - April 13, 2020 - Scharrell Jackson
Episode 1279 - Critical Mass Radio Show - April 12, 2020 - Sloan Dean
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
NABOR® TALKS
U.S Property Podcast
Aligned Money Show
The Ramsey Show
Planet Money