Meet Wunnam Ahmed | Entrepreneur

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

Hi Wunnam, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Hi, my name is Wunnam Ahmed, but everybody calls me Maryam. I was born and raised in Lawrenceville, Georgia. I am a child of immigrants that were born and raised in Ghana. Since I was a little kid, I have always been a hustler. I have sold everything from phone cases to bracelets. In middle school, I sold yarn bracelets to my classmates, inspiring me to start my jewelry business. My love for generosity made my business a way for me to give to the world. I opened my jewelry business in June 2017 called Girls Jewelry 101. I was into making baked clay charms, but gradually, my business evolved. In 2019, I decided to revamp my business with a unique name that conveyed meaning and character. Ultimately, it led me to choose the name Seini Seidu Fashions. The business name originated from my mother’s father, Seidu Seini. As a teacher in Tamale, Ghana, he believed education was crucial to every child’s development for their future. More than anything, he always lived by what he said while trying to mold the youth. My grandfather’s passing in February 2021 taught me that my business was bigger than myself.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Before I even started making jewelry, I had many other passions: drawing and painting. With these hobbies, I found ways to incorporate them into my business while also making jewelry. My skills in drawing and painting have allowed me to create pieces and collections unlike any other while staying true to my roots. As a child of immigrants, my Ghanaian heritage has always been a crucial part of my life. As I got older, I wanted to incorporate my background alongside my love for art. Drawing allows me to sketch any ideas I have roaming around in my brain and bring them to life. While painting empowers me to mix colors and create accessories, I hope somebody else will love it just as much as I do. These hobbies have played a tremendous role in my business and have allowed me to express myself through my work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take my best friend to Davinci’s Pizzeria. My brother started going there after his classes at Georgia State, then later began to bring my siblings and me there too. I love their cheese pizza with chicken sausage and ground beef. I don’t know any place in Atlanta that makes that combo, so it’s a treat whenever I get a chance to go there. Next, we would take a trip to Ponce City Market. There are several shops, food halls, restaurants, and more. A specific place I would visit while I’m there is The Village Market. All their products are handmade by black-owned entrepreneurs. It’s one of those things unique to Atlanta that you don’t see very often. Finally, as an end-of-the-day treat, I would take them to Kilwins. I love it because everything is handmade from scratch. The taste of their products is just too good to pass up. My ‘go-to’ treat is a caramel apple with peanuts or a scoop of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. All these places are close to my heart because there places I’ve shared with family and friends in my time living in Georgia, so sharing them with my best friend would just make it even better.

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?
I would like to thank my family for investing in an idea they helped make come to life. Next, I would like to thank my friends and teachers for always being there and supporting me in any way shape, or form. The biggest shoutout to my bosses from Nana’s House Company, Shonda and Andre, for giving me a job that I love that’s helped me grow as a person and a business owner. Lastly, I thank my grandfather for inspiring something that I hope gets to touch others around the world.

Website: www.etsy.com/shop/SeiniSeiduFashions?ref

Instagram: @seini_fashions

Other: Tiktok: @seini_fashions Email: seini.fashions@gmail.com

Image Credits
Nicky Nguyen | Ig: @nyckeeeee Carol Lee Rose | Ig: @carolleerose