Kene Iloenyosi

Born in Nigeria, Kene earned a B.Sc. in Botany from the University of Lagos. He will tell you that he’s not sure why he spent all those years in the sciences when his natural strength has always been in connecting and relating with people, and communication. His first business venture after college failed before it got off the ground. His second venture, a landscaping company did better than the first but had to be shut down as it started to grow. Always excited to meet new people and learn new cultures, Kene jumped at the opportunity to work as a missionary in the Southern African nation of Zambia from 1998 to 2001. His work included travel to the Eastern and South African nations of Kenya, South Africa and Swaziland. “It is amazing what you learn about yourself and life when exposed to and immersed in other cultures.” Valuable lessons in human relations, marketing, delegation, and leadership were learned through each of these life phases.

With this desire to see and learn about the world ignited, Kene moved to Atlanta in 2001. After an 8-month internship with Equip, a non-profit leadership development organization owned by John C. Maxwell, Kene started his first business in America, Forest & Green Moving, in 2003. “Although the moving industry came with a number of challenges, I treasure the lessons it taught me about marketing, customer relations, accounting and how good the IRS is. The IRS is your friend, regardless of what you think. In 2004, Kene joined his wife to build her company, NeatWorks Inc., into the web strategy company it has become today, helping small- to mid-size companies develop leads and generate revenue by harnessing the power of their websites.

Kene has served in many leadership roles in a number of volunteer organizations including:

• District Governor, 2011-2012, for District 14 Toastmasters (State of Georgia with close to 6500 members. One of the largest Districts in the world)
• Founding Member for Leadership Johns Creek
• Board Member, Board of Directors, Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce

“Working with volunteers has taught me how to lead without external leverage or the motivation of reward. The only way I can get a group working to achieve a goal is by motivating them to do it because they want to.”

From his diverse background in business, the non-profit world and living in different countries, Kene brings a wealth of knowledge and insight that will challenge and inspire any audience.

Originally found at Kene Iloenyosi’s