The Power of Community: How GoalUP is transforming women’s mindset, visibility and growth through intentional connections

In a time when many high-achieving women are navigating success in isolation, GoalUP is making a bold case for community as the missing link in sustainable growth.

Founded in 2018 by Certified Growth Catalyst and entrepreneur Jumoke Michael-Ojo, GoalUP has grown from a coaching platform into a thriving women’s leadership and lifestyle ecosystem built on one central belief: ambition flourishes best in supportive, intentional environments.

This philosophy came to life at the recently concluded Maiden edition of Goal Up ACE Gala, where over 100 female founders, professionals, and leaders gathered in Lagos for an evening themed Power. Stillness. Grace. Celebration.

Unlike traditional networking events, the ACE Gala created space for honest conversations around leadership, financial decision-making, global opportunities, and the importance of staying centred while building ambitious lives. Attendees described the experience as refreshing, deeply empowering, and intentionally different.

“I’ve been to many networking events, but the ACE Gala was different,” one attendee shared. “The energy was electric, and it felt like I was in a room where women were genuinely supporting one another. I left feeling refuelled and ready for my next level.”

A key highlight of the evening was the official unveiling of the GoalUP Insider community, created to address the isolation and burnout many high-performing women experience as they scale their careers and businesses.

For Michael-Ojo, the moment reinforced a long-standing insight drawn from years of working with women across industries.

“Skill and ambition are important, but they are not enough. Women need community, clarity, and experiences that restore them. That is what GoalUP was created to provide.

“The Insider community is the space, I wished every woman had, a premium, intentional environment where support is constant, growth is structured, and well-being is prioritised through experiences like Pilates sessions, retreats, and centred gatherings.”

Built around five core pillars, Community, Clarity, Confidence, Well-being, and Elevation, the GoalUP Insider offers members access to accountability circles, clarity sessions, wellness-focused activities, and curated networking opportunities designed to support both personal and professional growth.

GoalUP’s approach reflects a broader shift in how women are redefining success.

Rather than pursuing growth at the expense of well-being, platforms like GoalUP are championing a more balanced model, one where rest, connection, and intentional living are recognised as essential to long-term impact.

The maiden ACE Gala was proudly powered by Providus Bank, with Regal by Providus Bank serving as Lead Sponsor, reflecting the bank’s ongoing support for women-led initiatives, growth and leadership development.

Additional support came from a collective of brand and service partners across wellness, lifestyle, and events, including, Ice Box, Innovate Media, Sweet Cravings, VIP FLEETS, Magna Rentals, Fame Lagos, Amazing Meal Kitchen, LO Studio, Sauce Factory, Piano Woman, Poshclick Portraiture, Ana B World, HUSH D, Black Knight Protection, Clickbooth, Cube 65 Clinics, InVyt, Mandies Cocktails and Mimi luxe Experential, who curated the event experience.

Looking ahead, GoalUP’s vision is expansive. Plans are underway to deepen the Insider community experience, expand wellness-driven gatherings and retreats, and create greater global access through both physical and digital programs.

At its core, the platform is building what Michael-Ojo describes as a continental sisterhood, a space where women rise together, supported and seen.

“Ultimately, GoalUP is about creating a movement that outlives me,” Michael-Ojo added. “A space where women feel connected, confident, and centred as they step into the lives they truly desire.”

Women interested in joining the GoalUP Insider community or learning more about upcoming programs can follow @goalup.ng on Instagram.

GoalUP is a women’s leadership and lifestyle platform dedicated to helping ambitious women grow with clarity, confidence, and well-being. Founded in 2018 by growth catalyst and entrepreneur Jumoke Michael-Ojo, the platform provides structured programs, community support, and curated experiences that empower women to reinvent themselves, expand their influence, and lead from a centred place. Through events, coaching, wellness activities, and its exclusive Insider community, GoalUP equips women with the tools, environments, and connections they need to thrive personally and professionally.

Jumoke Michael-Ojo is a certified growth catalyst, multi-enterprise entrepreneur, and women’s leadership strategist committed to helping women expand their identity, influence, and well-being. She is known for guiding female founders and professionals through reinvention, supporting them to gain clarity, build confidence, and step into bigger opportunities. She is the visionary founder of four thriving businesses;

Goal UP Network: transformative women’s leadership and growth community. ● Mandies Cocktails: A multiple award-winning premium cocktails catering company. ● So House Agency: A firm specializing in creative branding and content strategy, including personal branding. ● SO Social House: An industry-leading, state-of-the-art photoshoot and video shoot space. Beyond her professional endeavors, Mrs. Michael-Ojo is a dedicated mother to twin daughters and actively participates in philanthropic activities, further showcasing her commitment to community impact. Her work embodies her belief in blending ambition with well-being to achieve holistic success.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers.

She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay.

She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos.

As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender.

She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies.

Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category.

She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category.

She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations.

Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

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