Meet Ify Ifebi: Event Producer & Founder + CEO at Vendorspace

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ify Ifebi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ify, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Every business person knows when to throw in the towel but it largely depends on what success looks like to you. We often get caught up in competition and comparison, but that shouldn’t be the determining factor of persistence with your goals. The more you fall in love with the journey/path to your goals the more determined you are to keep going. Unless your business is a financial burden, giving up shouldn’t be an option. For me, this journey has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, but what keeps me going is my confidence in the business; knowing we have a solution that our community needs and wants. Even if its baby steps, progress is success. 

Please tell us more about your business. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Vendorspace is an event matchmaking platform that connects vendors with event organizers. We help organizers create and monetize in-person and virtual events; and we help vendors find event opportunities and gigs. Our solution is unique to the event industry because we offer automated tools to help you simplify event planning. I’m most proud of our growth as a boot-strapped startup. Traditionally, tech startups are always urged to raise funding to scale their idea but we’ve been able to stay lean and still make progress without investors. It’s not easy at all; it’s the road less travelled because it’s slow growth but it feels more rewarding to see the results of our hard work. I never had savings from another job or any type of start up funding to launch. This was basically a recipe for disaster with a tech start-up because you need money to develop the product. Instead, I leaned on my event management skills and the power of partnership to grow the business. By leveraging these strengths, we’ve been able to keep pushing forward. This really taught me the power of resilience, being able to adapt in the midst of adversity. Funding is just one of many challenges in growing a company but through strategic networking, we’ve been able to acquire the resources we need to scale.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I still feel new to ATL but a few spots that have become favorites are: ATL Food Truck Park (love the variety of food trucks they offer, you can always find good, local eats there!); Piedmont Park (beautiful place to visit with the family and explore the outdoors); The Atlanta Beltline (very scenic and full of local art); Ponce City Market (for more local eats and shops); Atlanta Botanical Gardens and The Aquarium.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to my husband! Juggling motherhood, marriage and a business can be tough but it is only possible with a strong support system. I am so grateful for his love, support and encouragement each day.

Website: vendorspace.co
Instagram: instagram.com/joinvendorspace
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ify-ifebi-19507a4b/
Twitter: twitter.com/joinvendorspace
Facebook: facebook.com/joinvendorspace