Ladi Ayoola has witnessed many sides of life and business in his 32 years – experiences
that have shaped his relationship with money and his financial priorities.
Today Ladi, A Wharton School MBA, lives in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. with his wife Mosun
Ayoola, and he works at Visa, managing revenue optimization, marketing, cost
optimization, and operations for various clients. He and Mosun, both with steady jobs and
incomes, are growing roots in their new community and preparing to start a family together,
excited for the future.
Ladi has had a fascinating journey to stability, beginning with his humble childhood in a
simple neighborhood of Lagos, Nigeria in Africa. After the passing of his mother, he and his
five siblings were raised by his father in a modest apartment. As is often the practice in
Nigeria, Ladi’s father supported an extended family in the community – and Ladi’s
neighbors also helped to raise him.
While a lower-middle-class upbringing limited Ladi’s opportunities, his father’s strong work
ethic and the family’s belief in education were powerful motivators. He and his siblings
excelled academically, earning scholarships to attend university. Ladi graduated at the top
of his class from the University of Lagos with a degree in electrical engineering, and he also
discovered a passion for entrepreneurship.
Consumer product / Retail
Ladi first brought his entrepreneurial mindset to big business, joining Procter & Gamble’s
sales team as an analyst after college and working his way up to senior marketing manager.
He developed and implemented million-dollar advertising strategies for six consumergoods brands in sub-Saharan Africa – and he was hooked. Business was the best fit for this
success-driven engineer.
In 2020 Ladi was accepted into the MBA program at the Wharton School, where he was a
McNulty Leadership Fellow. McNulty Leadership fellowships provide intensive, year-long
experiences for students to develop through action and reflection in service roles at
Wharton, the surrounding community, and worldwide. He graduated in 2022 with dual
majors in operations, information and decisions, and entrepreneurship and innovation –
and new ideas about pursuing a career that balanced achievement with personal
fulfillment and giving back to his native Nigeria.
Inspired by a fascination with modeling (he participated in the Penn Charity Fashion Show
while at Wharton), Ladi and a friend identified a market need: it’s difficult to partner with
fashion brands when you’re not a big social media influencer. They have since co-founded
Plugtent, a platform that, in part, simplifies engagement between brands and influencers.
The venture has grown steadily since its January 2024 launch.
Ladi’s Financial Goals
“When I’m working or doing anything, I want to feel like I’m making an impact, either
directly or indirectly, in people’s lives.”
While Ladi’s mind grows through new experiences, his heart is often back home. His
financial priorities are increasingly impact-driven as he explores ways to invest in the lives
of Nigerian youth. Economic and infrastructure challenges and weak government support
hinder investment and development in his home country. Fortunate to have pushed past
these barriers with help, Ladi acknowledges that it truly takes a village to prosper – and he
aspires to be part of that support network for others.
Ladi considers his $100,000 investment a baseline to begin planning and hopes to generate
a return on the initial investment to achieve a larger vision. While he is focusing on family
and his job for the next five years, longer-term plans are beginning to take shape.
Ladi believes that stable housing is an important opportunity driver for Nigerian families.
With that in mind, he and his wife purchased property in Lugbe, Abuja, Nigeria for potential
real estate development. In addition to residential spaces, their vision involves building a
multi-use hub that will bring vibrancy to the region and, by extension, nurture and empower
Nigerian youth. This community will include affordable housing options for families, retail
and restaurant storefronts for small business owners, and the construction and operation
of a youth training and workforce development center.
Ladi is proposing the rollout of this plan in three phases. Phase One of property
development will require financing the construction of at least five modest-income housing
units by 2030. Ladi believes it will cost about $10,000 USD per housing unit; however,
material costs and market dynamics are always changing.
Phase Two will roll out in 2040 with the construction of one signature storefront and the
youth training and workforce development center at the heart of the community, estimated
to cost at least $50,000. Ladi’s budget plan also calls for supporting one year of operation
costs as the youth center hires staff and begins to develop job-skill and business-related
training. Operating the youth center for one year should cost at least a quarter of your
original $100,000 investment or more. How your team achieves these investment goals
depends on your financial analysis and customized guidance for Ladi.
Ladi anticipates that WGAM will generate enough return in the next 15 years to expand his
thriving multi-use hub in Phase Three. He is excited to learn more from your team about
what this could include.
Your Investment Challenge
Ladi is considering hiring WGAM to manage an investment portfolio of $100,000, which he
hopes will help him achieve his investment objectives. He has heard great things about the
creativity and investing knowledge of WGAM’s analyst teams. He told your portfolio
manager that WGAM has 10 weeks to develop a detailed portfolio analysis proposal. Your
portfolio manager recognizes that it will not be easy to land Ladi as a client. To make the
most convincing case for Ladi, everyone on your analyst team must contribute toward your
strategy, analysis, and prospective client pitch.
In the next several weeks, your team will develop and test an investment strategy to meet
Ladi’s stated financial goals. Please remember that Ladi already has a solid retirement plan
in place, so you need not consider this goal in your strategy.
Guided by your unique strategy, your team will analyze industries and companies to identify
appropriate stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and build a strong investment
portfolio that delivers long-term and shorter-term profitability for your prospective client.
You will test your investment strategy and get stock market experience using the Wharton
Investment Simulator (WInS). WInS allows you to apply the concepts of investing and
portfolio management in a hands-on learning environment, using real-world market data
without risking real money.
Remember, your 10 weeks on WInS can only accurately assess the performance of shortterm investments. So, while you must test your strategy and build your stock portfolio on
WInS, you need to embrace a longer-term investing mindset. You are not expected to buy
and sell intensely in hopes of improving your portfolio returns. Your strategy might,
however, include investing guidelines that influence your team’s decision to sell, even in
the short term.
Your team will start out with a portfolio of $100,000 in virtual cash and will compete against
other student teams worldwide who are trying to land the same client. At the end of the 10
weeks of active trading, you must submit a proposal detailing your recommended
investment strategy.
As you strive to win Ladi’s business, how will your team stand out against competing
teams? How will you create a compelling and clever pitch to convince Ladi to choose your
strategy? Judges will review your final investment reports and select top teams. Those
teams will be invited to present their strategies to a panel of experts.