Name: Niki Dawda
Job title: Omega Pressery
Company: Chief avocado officer & co-founder
What was your first job? My first professional role was in strategy consulting in the UK, but my very first job, aged 18, was in a biscuit factory in Kenya! During my gap year before university, I spent 12 months learning the business from the ground up – from recipe development and production on the factory floor to travelling across Kenya with the sales team, selling biscuits to everyone from roadside kiosks to bigger shops.
What’s been your worst job interview? Definitely my very first graduate job interview, for a grad scheme at one of the UK’s largest coffee chains at their HQ. It was the final assessment day, and I was so nervous! Midway through a group case study, I somehow managed to knock an entire cup of hot coffee all over the interviewer, while the other candidates giggled as I frantically cleaned up.
To make matters worse, I then had my one-to-one interview with the very same person, now sporting a lovely coffee stain on his crisp white shirt. He wasn’t impressed! My nerves got the better of me, and the rest was history. I didn’t get the job, but I certainly made a lasting impression – just not the one I’d hoped for.
“Being ambitious also comes at a cost and scaling quickly often means you put business first over personal occasions many times”
What was the first music single you bought? Growing up in Kenya in an Indian household, buying music singles wasn’t really a thing. But I went through a massive rock music phase as a teenager, and I’m pretty sure my first music purchase was Linkin Park. Quite the contrast to the Bollywood music playing at home…
How do you describe your job to your friends? I’m turning wonky avocados from Kenya into world-class, healthy avocado cooking oils! All while transforming a supply chain traditionally known to be unsustainable into one that’s sustainable and better for people and the planet.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? There are a few, but the biggest is seeing the impact we’re making on smallholder farmers back home in Kenya. Knowing we’re creating value from avocados they would otherwise struggle to sell or that would go to waste, turning them into high-quality, healthy cooking oils that are better for consumers, reduces food waste in the value chain and improves farmer livelihoods, is incredibly rewarding.
Every new customer we win creates a ripple effect of the impact that compounds as we grow, and knowing that even a small contribution from us can make a real difference to people – farmers and consumers, makes it all feel like very real and worthwhile.
What is the least rewarding part? The personal sacrifices that come with building a fast-growing startup with a small team – no one sees that.
Being ambitious also comes at a cost and scaling quickly often means you put business first over personal occasions many times – postponing our honeymoon, missing close friends’ birthdays and precious family moments. Even whenever I go back to Kenya, most days are spent on the job, developing our supply chain rather than quality time with friends and family.
It’s the part of entrepreneurship people don’t always see, and probably the hardest trade-off as not everyone in your circle understands this. Therefore, when I get these moments with friends and family, I never take them for granted.
What is your motto in life? Don’t settle for less. Live life wholesomely and to the fullest, make an impact, always stay humble and leave no room for regrets.
If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? The freedom to travel anywhere, whenever I want – so I can take quick travel trips to visit family or discover breathtaking corners of the world whilst building my dream business.
Do you have any phobias? Spiders! Growing up in Africa, you come across some pretty terrifying ones, and that childhood fear has never quite left me.
If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? More shelf space to natural ingredient products and subsiding healthy, natural and organic food to make it affordable for everyone, not a luxury! Clean-label, organic products often come with a hefty premium, while ultra-processed alternatives are cheaper. Eating well shouldn’t be a privilege.
What luxury would you have on a desert island? An endless supply of sparkling water and good wine. Because who doesn’t love a glass of wine while watching the sunset by the sea?
What animal most reflects your personality? A lioness! Fun fact: there’s actually one in Botswana called Nikki (featured in Netflix’s Predators documentary). I am obsessed with her and how she navigates the savannah, fearless, fiercely ambitious, protective of her pride and unafraid to take risks.
Pretty much how I like to move in life and business!
What’s your favourite film and why? The Harry Potter series. There’s something about escaping into a world of magic, where anything feels possible, that never stops captivating my imagination. No matter how many times I’ve seen it, it never gets old.
What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? During junior high, I took part in a school-wide debate on colonialism, only to freeze on stage with terrible stage fright. I struggled to even pronounce “colonialism” while the audience laughed. My attempt at conquering my fear of public speaking didn’t quite go to plan!
Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why? Steven Bartlett and Emma Grede. Their journeys inspired me to go on mine and to believe that I could build a successful, impactful global business even far away from home. I just had to start somewhere, take risks and persevere. I’d love to work with people who don’t see anything as impossible to achieve, push the boundaries of what’s possible and are unapologetically ambitious.
What would your death row meal be? Chicken tikka with naan and a generous side of mint chutney.
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