Balikis Balogun: The Ikorodu Entrepreneur Juggling Foodstuffs, Education and Remote U.S Work
At 7:30am on a school day , Balikis Balogun Adejoke is doing two things at once: reviewing lesson plans for Holy Rose of Sharon Nursery & Primary School, and checking client emails for her remote role with U.S.-based Health Radar LLC. It’s a schedule she built herself, after walking away from paid work in 2014 to start her own business.
Balikis, an Oyo State indigene based in Ikorodu, began her career as a secretary at Sweetco Company and later as a sales representative at Liberty Pool Company in Mushin. But she said she wanted “room for innovation and responsibility.” In 2014 she launched _Adejoke Foodstuffs and Supermarket_ at Dominion Plaza, Ijede Road. For five years she managed inventory, negotiated with suppliers, and grew a loyal customer base in Ikorodu — her first test as CEO.
The supermarket closed in 2019, but Balikis pivoted rather than quit. Drawing on her interpersonal and leadership skills, she opened Holy Rose of Sharon Nursery & Primary School in 2020. The school now serves Ikorodu families, and Balikis teaches there herself. “I enjoy working in a challenging environment and meeting expectations without compromising quality,” she says in her profile. That mindset also landed her a 2023 remote role as Client Management & Communication Specialist with Health Radar LLC in Maryland.
The shift hasn’t been easy. Moving from retail to education meant learning school administration, compliance, and teaching — while also adapting to U.S. work hours. But her background in teamwork, active listening and analytical thinking, built across 13 years of work, helped her bridge the gap. She now balances three roles: school owner, teacher, and remote client manager.
*It ok but lets add this write up to it because of the course shes going for Early childhood education*
Parallel to her corporate engagement, Adejoke is deeply invested in foundational human development. As a dedicated Early Childhood Educator at Holy Rose of Sharon School in Lagos, she specializes in nurturing young minds during their most critical developmental years. She leverages active listening, patience, and child psychology insights to create safe, creative, and innovative learning environments that foster both cognitive and social growth. Her entrepreneurial acumen is equally robust; as the former C.E.O. of Adejoke Foodstuffs and Supermarket, she successfully managed retail operations, supply chains, and customer satisfaction for five years, gaining firsthand expertise in business resilience and financial discipline. Her foundational years as a Secretary and Sales Representative further solidified her core competencies in administration, structured collaboration, and relationship building.
Today Balikis is focused on expanding Holy Rose of Sharon and mentoring young women in Ikorodu who want to start small businesses. Her advice: “Be a quick learner, don’t fear new skills, and exceed expectations.” Outside work she unwinds through dancing, cooking, and traveling — the same creativity she brings to her classrooms and client calls.
