A graduate of Point Park University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts and Theatre and a graduate of the Empire Beauty School in North Hills, Ditumona says operating the combined retail and braiding salon provides her the opportunity to bring out her African heritage and cultural. “I consider myself international,” she says explaining that she was born in the Congo and lived in the United Kingdom before she came to Pittsburgh 11 years ago.
Originally established two years ago under different management and structure, Ditumona explained that the concept of the IFH is basically the same but her goal is to expand the merchandise and to cater to a broader clientele. “We now have clothing items for a mix of ages from younger to the mature person and sizes fitting small to plus sizes. And we sell women, men and children’s clothing,” she pointed out. “My hope is to inspire the younger generation and expose them to their heritage through the clothing we sell. To promote diversity and community inclusion between the immigrant community and local populations through the IFH,” said Ditumona.
She also plans to use the IFH as a teaching entity. “In Africa we are very festive and utilize our garb and accessories in creative and meaningful ways. She said as a way to demonstrate items sold in the boutique that they will host showcases on head wrapping, traditional tie dying and fashion shows with various clothing styles.
Excited about the braiding salon Ditumona identified catering to her clients and good customer service as her number one priority. “Each client is considered my guest, they are special.” Like the boutique she said customers include women, men and children.
A strong believer that entrepreneurs should be knowledgeable on the significance technology has on their business; Omeja identifies Gadget Masters as a business interested in their growth and development. “I want to use my business to communicate and open doors for them, to show small business owners how to maximize their profit.” In the near future he says he also has plans to conduct seminars on navigating the Internet and the basics of utilizing social media. The classes will be designed for students and senior citizens at affordable prices; he committed noting that everyone should at least know the basics.
In addition to the repair and maintenance side of Gadget Masters, which will also sell computer and cell phone accessories and the training component, Omeja says the business assists in hardware installation and Cloud based servers. Assisting businesses in their branding and image building they also design web sites and create logos.
Currently attending La Roche College, Omeja is a native of Central Africa where he grew up and received his education in Lagos, Nigeria. Throughout his career he has worked as an IT Director in Nigeria and in contract management and delivery in China.
In Pittsburgh since 2011, he says the city is full of opportunities. “When I came here I felt welcomed,” he pointed out. Once deciding to establish his business he acknowledged that the assistance he received from the Christian Evangelistic Economic Development group has been helpful. While providing assistance to his clients he confessed that he encourages them to utilize their services. “They were very encouraging and provide a great support base.”
A triple threat in the Bloomfield community Ditumona and Omeja are excited about the services their ventures offer. They concur that they not only are providing cultural fashions, hair care services and electronic and IT services, but they demonstrate that entrepreneurship is possible through hard work and commitment.
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