About Zeeoma
Seeing goodness. Turning talent into trade.
Zeeoma means “seeing goodness” in Igbo. We believe every young person carries a gift worth seeing — and that being seen changes everything.
Why
Too many young people — especially youth with special needs — grow up unseen, without a place to belong or a path to meaningful work. When young people belong, earn, and build, they gain more than income. They gain confidence, purpose, and hope. It’s trade, not charity.
How
An inclusive, affirming community with mentors and wellbeing support, designed for every ability.
Real skills — Price, Present, Pitch, Plan — and real markets where young people earn.
Capital, coaching, and pathways to careers and businesses that last.
What
Creative and workforce training, youth marketplaces, and seed funding for young entrepreneurs — plus Dinner, Dress & Dialogue, which brings people together around food, African fashion, and conversation.
See the ProgramsTwo cities, one corridor
St. Louis — where young entrepreneurs curate, sell, and run the marketplace.
Lagos — where talent is discovered through the Open Door and African makers partner in trade.
Mission
Zeeoma helps young people in St. Louis and Lagos, of every ability, belong to a community that sees their gift, earn through real skills and work, and build careers, businesses, and futures.
Vision
By 2036, a generation of young people in St. Louis and Lagos who belong, earn, and build: skilled, employed, enterprising, and connected across one corridor of opportunity.
Values
We see the gift in every young person first.
Inclusion is our design, not an add-on.
Earning brings income, ownership, and pride.
Thriving workers are whole people.
St. Louis and Lagos rise together as equals.
Made here, competitive anywhere.
10-Year Impact
| Goal by 2036 | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1,000 young entrepreneurs funded | Seed capital and coaching to launch and grow businesses |
| 100,000 young people educated | Creative, business, and work-readiness skills |
| Every ability included | Supported pathways for youth with special needs |
| Wellbeing grows with skills | Measured gains in belonging, confidence, and hope |
| A St. Louis–Lagos talent corridor | Youth train, trade, and mentor across borders |
Where it begins
Sunday, November 8, 2026 · The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis
It started at the Open Door in Nigeria, where we discovered talented young entrepreneurs. On November 8, St. Louis youth entrepreneurs — including youth with special needs — sell their products at our first youth marketplace from 2 to 6 PM. Both sides earn, learn, and grow. Each youth completes a Price, Present, Pitch, Plan bootcamp and earns a $2,000 stipend.
The gala launches a rolling marketplace held twice a year — the first step toward a permanent St. Louis–Africa youth marketplace, and toward 1,000 in 10.
| Your gift | What it makes possible |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | Trains youth entrepreneurs in Price, Present, Pitch, Plan |
| $10,000 | Opens the youth marketplace |
| $15,000 | Wellbeing Sponsor: mentor training, peer circles, wellbeing support |
| $25,000 | Funds earnings for youth and their African partner entrepreneurs |
| $50,000 | Powers the next rolling marketplace |
| $100,000 | Anchors the permanent marketplace — a lasting legacy |
Join Us
So we help them belong, earn, and build — turning talent into trade. On November 8, it begins.
Get in Touchhello@zeeoma.org