Alexis Cook
My Business Training
Bariya Yahaya Ahmad
Quick Facts
Bariya Yahaya Ahmad is a dedicated woman from Kofar Dumi in Bauchi State, Nigeria. A widow and mother to five children, Bariya started her provision shop two years ago after acting upon the need in her community.
She stopped formal schooling after the primary school level, and was mostly dependent on support from her husband; following his passing, support from her neighbor Ruqqaya and family enabled her to put all she had into supporting her children.
Bariya became quite skilled in providing everyday items to her friends and neighbours, turning it into a business which continues to grow.
Bariya Yahaya Ahmad
Business Goals
Bariya strives to create an environment where her customers feel confident in the products they purchase. She hopes to excite everyone that walks through the door with nostalgic feelings of a place that feels like home.
Catering to neighbors of all ages, she prioritizes a friendly, welcoming atmosphere that is affordable and dependable.
Everyday essentials will have a fixed price, but she hopes to increase her inventory to include more food items, detergents, diapers, and hygiene products.
For decoratory purposes, she pictures several banners and signs outside the shop, with a seating area and a large outdoor sign.
Bariya Yahaya Ahmad
Business Obstacles
Bariya maintains a consistent stock of goods, including spaghetti, biscuits, diapers, and detergent for her dependents.
To meet the local needs, she opens daily, with busy hours being in the early morning and in the evenings.
Despite the constant flow of work, her biggest challenge is the lack of consistent electricity; having a power generator will ensure much smoother operations.
Since the provision shop market is highly competitive, Bariya aims to distinguish her business through affordability and reliability.
Her smaller inventory makes that difficult, but having an expanded selection of goods will be essential to gaining that competitive edge.
Bariya Yahaya Ahmad
Vulnerabilities
Bariya seeks support from Leadership Initiatives to rebrand and expand her business, needing a small shop space, a freezer, a generator for power, shelves, and a counter. Additional startup money will help her to purchase more goods like noodles, macaroni, seasonings, coffee, drinks, and more.
With extra assistance, Bayari’s business will be a bright, welcoming area with large display windows, located near a residential area.
She desires the business to be a well organized, easily accessible area, where customers can not only buy goods for their families, but also come to and hear testimonials, product highlights and educational content.
My Business Proposal
Throughout the program, we worked closely with Bariya Yahaya Ahmad to develop a clear understanding of their business goals. Though they have leveraged their skills and years of experience to create their business, they face obstacles hindering the expansion of their work.
Guided by their vision, we created a proposal detailing the marketing materials necessary to support the growth of their business. We devised a plan that would allow Bariya Yahaya Ahmad to optimize their business through a new brand identity
Investments in a logo and marketing materials, such as signs and flyers, are vital for establishing a strong brand identity and expanding the customer base. These visual assets create a consistent and memorable image that builds trust and recognition among potential clients.
My Business Proposal Presentation
As part of the International Leadership and Business Internship, I collaborated with top development experts to strengthen my business partner’s brand.
At the conclusion of the program, my team presented our final proposal to a panel of judges from the Leadership Initiatives Grant Committee. This formal pitch allowed us to demonstrate our entrepreneurial skills, showcase our strategic plan, and advocate for meaningful change in our partner’s business.
Our team was awarded grant funding to support the implementation of our business partner’s plan, providing life-changing support that will expand operations, strengthen financial stability, and create new growth opportunities. Over the next year, this grant will help transform the future of their business and improve the quality of life for both the entrepreneur and their community.
Internship Highlights
- Business Partner Meeting
- Visit To The Embassy Of Norway
- Diplomacy Briefing At The Egyptian Embassy
- Professional Mentorship
Our business development journey began with a one-on-one Zoom meeting with our partner, Bariya Yahaya Ahmad, and our Nigerian project coordinator. This initial conversation laid the foundation for strong collaboration. It allowed us to better understand our partner's background, family, goals for the business, and the specific challenges they were facing.
Hearing directly from Bariya Yahaya Ahmad provided the insight we needed to begin brainstorming practical, personalized solutions. Each morning, our team held focused discussions to refine our ideas, reflect on expert advice from the day before, and adjust our timeline to move our plans forward efficiently.
Throughout the process, on-staff project coordinators and business development experts offered guidance, helping us ask the right questions and turn our ideas into meaningful, actionable strategies.
I had the unique opportunity to visit the Embassy of Norway, where I gained firsthand insight into the role of diplomacy in fostering strong relationships between Norway and the United States.
The embassy serves as a center for international collaboration, partnering with countries and global organizations to address pressing issues such as poverty, gender inequality, and climate change. Through this visit, I learned how diplomats engage in meaningful dialogue and policy development to create sustainable, people-focused solutions.
Officials from the Embassy of Norway shared how they collaborate with local communities to identify needs and implement programs that empower individuals and strengthen long-term development. This commitment to community-driven impact inspired my team and me as we worked to develop our own business proposal focused on creating lasting change.
During my visit to the Egyptian Embassy, I gained insight into how diplomacy shapes international cooperation and development. The experience deepened my understanding of the embassy’s role in promoting peace, fostering economic partnerships, and addressing shared global challenges.
Embassy representatives discussed how their work supports cross-cultural exchange, advances policy priorities, and strengthens relationships between the Egyptian people and the United States. I learned how embassies serve as bridges, connecting governments, communities, and organizations to create innovative solutions for global issues.
This visit broadened my perspective on international leadership and inspired me to think critically about how collaboration, cultural awareness, and strategic planning can drive meaningful progress- principles that our team applied while developing our business proposal.
Throughout the internship, our team had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with leading experts in business and economic development from Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. State Department, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
One of the highlights was a session with Carla Brooks, Business and Development Officer at the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.
My team also worked directly with a personal mentor. Our mentor provided us with career insights, project support, and feedback for our business ideas. The meetings we had throughout the week with our mentor provided critical insights from the initial business ideation phase through our project presentation.
With support from Ms. Brooks and other global leaders, including Eric Rosenstein, we refined our ideas, strengthened our strategy, and developed a powerful and polished pitch deck to present at the end of the week. Their guidance helped us take our business proposal to the next level, creating a plan designed not only to launch a venture, but to transform our business partner’s future.