Abiye Okwuokei

Abiye Okwuokei, PhD, is a Nigerian-born, British-raised entrepreneur and founder of LAVIYE, an African fashion and e-commerce brand established in the United Kingdom in 2012. Under her leadership, LAVIYE has grown from an independent start-up into an international direct-to-consumer business serving customers across 85 countries.

Abiye leads the company’s brand strategy, product development, marketing, customer experience, e-commerce, and international expansion. Before entering entrepreneurship, she earned a PhD in cancer research, which continues to shape her analytical and evidence-led approach to experimentation and decision-making. Her expertise spans culturally rooted brand building, cross-border commerce, customer experience, and the global growth of African brands.