Young Entrepreneur From Lewisham Short Listed for O2 X Awards

O2 reveals the best of London's emerging business talent

 

 

04 September 2009

 

O2 today announced that a young woman from Lewisham has been short listed for the prestigious O2 X Awards 2009.  A hotly contested title, this up and coming businesswoman has been identified as one of the most inspirational young people in her field, showing business acumen beyond her years and thriving in challenging economic conditions.  

 

Abenaa Pokuaa's business, Ohema Ohene, is a British based boutique clothing brand which uses reclaimed and recycled Batik prints, and her creativity and imagination sees her nominated for this year's O2 Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

 

The finalists from the Young Entrepreneur category will be invited to attend the national finals for the O2 X Awards in London in October of this year, where the O2 X Female and Male Entrepreneur of the Year will also be announced.

 

The O2 Young Entrepreneur of the Year is a new category for business owners aged 25 and under. It has been set up to recognise the increasing influence of young entrepreneurs on the UK's small business community. The winner from each category will receive a winners' package of £5,000, PR support and mentoring from a business expert.

 

Simon Devonshire, Head of Small Business Marketing at O2, comments: "The level of business talent, innovation and creativity evident in the entries we have received reveals a whole new generation of young entrepreneurs emerging from London. It's fantastic to see and integral to the continued success of the UKs small business community as a whole and we are delighted to be able to recognise the contribution and success of these young business men and women through this new X Award's category."

 

Now in their 6^th year, the O2 X Awards are a celebration of entrepreneurial talent across the UK and aim to recognise and reward the men and women who are responsible for doing business in a creative and innovative way. The new generation of small businesses are responsible for driving forward business development in an increasingly tough economic climate.

 

Launched in 2003, The O2 X Awards provide a valuable platform for small businesses to highlight their achievements at a grass roots level through to national awareness.  Selection criteria focus on cutting edge innovation, creative vision and a drive to succeed.

 

Abenaa Pokuaa, Ohema Ohene

Ohema Ohene, meaning King and Queen in the Ghanaian language of Twi, is a new London based British boutique brand specialising in chic trendy clothing with a cultural edge. This brand has been running since November 2008 and is truly a green shot born out of the recession. The brand has two lines Ohema Ohene mainline which is a higher priced pointed range using originally sourced Batik prints; as well as the diffusion line OH! By Ohema Ohene, OH! is a sustainable line using vintage, recycled and reclaimed Batik prints accessibly priced. The brand is currently working on a capsule collection for Menswear as well as continuing to develop our footwear using vintage, recycled and reclaimed batik.

 

ohemaohene.com/Home.html

 

For more information please contact:

 

Mai Amin Talk PR mai.amin@talkpr.com 020 7544 3686

Nathan Kemp Talk PR nathank@talkpr.com 0207 543 4670

 

All O2 news release can be accessed at our website: http://mediacentre.o2.co.uk/

 

About O2

•    Telefónica O2 UK Limited is a leading communications company for consumers and businesses in the UK, with 20.8 million mobile customers and over 404,000 fixed broadband customers as at 31 March 2009. 

•    Telefónica O2 UK Limited is part of Telefónica Europe plc which is a business division of Telefónica S.A. and which owns O2 in the UK, Ireland, Slovakia, Germany and the Czech Republic, and has 46 million customers.

•    In 2006 Telefónica Europe acquired Be*, the UK fixed broadband provider, and in October 2007 O2 launched its broadband service using the Be* network.

•    O2 is the naming rights partner of The O2, the world-class entertainment venue.

•    O2 was ranked highest in customer satisfaction for both UK mobile and fixed broadband customers according to the J.D. Power and Associates UK Mobile and Fixed Broadband Studies 2009..

•    In February 2009 O2 became the first UK mobile operator to be officially certified with the Carbon Trust Standard in recognition of O2's commitment to reduce its carbon footprint and the 15% reduction in energy consumption achieved over the past three years.

•    O2 was launched on 1 May 2002 and now has more customers than any other UK mobile network. 

•    O2's UK mobile network covers 99% of the UK's population.  O2's 3G network covers over 80% of the UK population and is fully HSDPA-enabled, providing speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps for customers with an HSDPA-enabled device.

•    Telefónica Europe also owns 50% of the Tesco Mobile and Tchibo Mobilfunk joint venture businesses in the UK and Germany. 

•    For further press information about O2 go to http://mediacentre.o2.co.uk