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How A Nigerian Student’s Bold Hustle Landed Him In Silicon Valley

Published

8 months ago

October 11, 2025

When Nigerian student Oluwapelumi Dada spotted Sam Parr, an entrepreneur and My First Million podcast host, jogging through San Francisco last year, he jumped on his bike, chased Parr down, and pitched him his idea.

This idea is an app that allows students to apply for multiple jobs at once. The pitch, which caught Parr’s attention and later went viral on social media, has been accepted into Y Combinator, one of the world’s most prestigious startup accelerators.

On account of the journey from Lagos to Silicon Valley, Dada’s story is one of grit and belief in possibility. After moving to the United States for university two years ago, he spent much of his time building apps and sharing his progress online.

Last year, he turned down internship offers from Tesla and Dell -two of the world’s top tech firms – to focus full-time on developing his idea, then called One Click Apply.

The app aimed to simplify how students navigated job applications, offering a single platform to apply to multiple opportunities with just one click.

While being unable to afford the summer without a job, Dada took a leap of faith and joined The Residency, a hacker house in San Francisco where young founders live and build startups together.

While there, he convinced fellow Nigerians, David Aladee and Damilola Ajayi, to leave their own pursuits and join him in building what would later become Sorce, described as the ‘Tinder for jobs.’

Their early hustle caught the attention of tech investor Hugo Thieblot and startup collective Founders Inc., who provided the first funding to grow the project. Dada later returned to school, continued refining the app, and officially launched it after graduation.

After missing Y Combinator’s application deadline, the team decided to apply anyway — a decision that would change their lives. Weeks later, Dada received a call from YC’s David Lieb confirming that Sorce had been accepted.

“We got a call that we got in,” Dada wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Dreams do come true.”

This marks a new chapter for African Innovation as with its acceptance into Y Combinator, Sorce joins the ranks of a growing number of African-founded startups making their mark in Silicon Valley.
The app aims to help students and young professionals streamline job applications, which is a pain point for millions worldwide.
For many in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, Dada’s story represents the bold, self-starting attitude driving the next wave of African founders who are competing globally.

The One Click Apply is a website that allows students/job applicants to apply to jobs in one click, with the hope of making the job application process easier for students. One Click Apply helps job applicants not worry about all the repetitive parts of applying for a job.

The end goal is to build the standard for applying to jobs on the internet, so that anyone, anywhere, won’t have to put in the same information on 10 different websites several times.

He hails from Oyo State, in Nigeria. Dada attended Rehoboth Peace Academy, Abuja, for his primary education; Middle School (JSS 1-3) at Salem Academy, Abuja, and the Government Science Secondary School, Abuja (SS1-3).

A student at Huston-Tillotson University from Austin, Texas, representing the Huston-Tillotson University class of 2025, Dada’s tech journey began at the tender age of 11.

He got a full tuition scholarship studying Computer Science at the Huston-Tillotson University and worked as a resident assistant (which gives him free housing).

He said that he got to know about tech at a young age. Temitayo Dada, his mum, brought in a computer when he was young, hence he naturally got an aptitude for computers because he could do a lot of things on it.

Kehinde Dada, his dad, was a graphic designer, whom he learned some graphic designs from. Dada also did some graphic design with Photoshop and CorelDRAW when he was younger.

He started coding late, according to him. However, he learned Java when he was 11, but only for that summer. “I stopped coding when I started secondary (high) school. When I got into SS 2 (11th grade), I started making websites with Wix, and learning HTML until I graduated (from secondary school),” he said in an interview with Africa Interviews.

General Board of Higher Education and Ministry(GBHEM) said in a release that Oluwapelumi Dada is on a mission to bridge the gap between technology and community service.

“With the help of General Board of Higher Education and Ministries Scholarships, Dada is pursuing a degree in computer science while actively giving back to the community that shaped him,” it noted.

Read also:How Venture Stack is advancing strategies for fashion entrepreneurs, creatives

GBHEM Scholarships offers financial aid to United Methodist students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees. Every year, an average of $4 million is awarded to help students in the United States and abroad to pursue their dreams through higher education.

“I am deeply honored to receive this scholarship. Your generous support has lightened my financial burden, allowing me to focus more on my studies and professional development,” Dada said.

“Attending college is crucial for me to gain the advanced knowledge in computer science that will allow me to innovate and solve complex problems,” Dada added. “Seminary education is also important to deepen my theological understanding and serve my community with informed spiritual leadership.”

He noted that his goal in the next five to 10 years is to completely reinvent what recruiting looks like. “Recruiting today is broken and is desperately begging to be fixed. In terms of recruitment, finding applicants is hard for companies and employers.

“So, there’s a lot of work to be done in making the experience easier on both the employers and applicants. For my life goals, I want to build really cool stuff and create a lot of value for the world.”
(BUSINESSDAY)

News

Shatta Wale Bailed Burna Boy From Ghana Prison After Arrest For Smoking Weed – Captan

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

Ghanian singer, Captan, has claimed that his former record label boss, Shatta Wale, once bailed Nigerian singer Burna Boy out of prison in Ghana after he was allegedly arrested for smoking weed.

Speaking in a recent podcast interview, Captan claimed that Shatta Wale sent him and others to free Burna Boy from police custody.

He also claimed that Shatta Wale and his group once accommodated Burna Boy when he was being hunted by some dangerous men.

Captan said, “I once bailed Burna Boy out of prison in Ghana when he was arrested for smoking weed. Shatta Wale sent me and some guys to go and free him from police custody.

“There was a time we also accommodated him when some people were after his life. We helped him settle the case.”

He added that he and Burna Boy are no longer in good terms after the Nigerian artist’s fallout with his mentor, Shatta Wale.

He, however, said he and Shatta Wale are open to reconciling with Burna Boy if he asks for it.

Watch the video here

News

Children’s Day: Chaos At Ogbe Stadium As Dozens Faint

Published

18 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

Chaos erupted on Wednesday during the Children’s Day celebration as dozens of students reportedly collapsed following a stampede triggered by the use of pepper spray.

The event,
organised by the Edo State Ministry of Education at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was disrupted after some male students of Ihogbe College allegedly made uncompromising advances towards female students at the venue.
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‎ A parent who identified himself as Oboh Emmanuel said, “the behaviour of those uncultured students attracted the attention of bouncers stationed at the stadium as they rebuked the male students.”
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‎Oboh said the affected students later regrouped and attacked the bouncers, leading to a confrontation within the crowded arena.

READ ALSO:Children’s Day: Edo Commits To Child Protection
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It was gathered that in the ensuing confusion, the bouncers were reported to have deployed pepper spray in an area occupied by a large number of students.
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‎Several students, particularly female students, reportedly fainted after inhaling the substance, while others sustained injuries after being stepped on during the ensuing melee.
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‎The panic was said to have spread across the stadium as students, teachers and parents scampered for safety.
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‎Many of the affected students were reportedly rushed to the Edo Specialist Hospital for medical attention.

Reacting to the incident, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Dr Patrick Ebojele, said the security personnel that fired the tear gas had been detained.

He said all the students, except two, that were rushed to the hospital have been discharged.

Ebojele stated that doctors wanted to observe the students till tomorrow before allowing them to go home.

“The two students are not seriously injured. Doctors want to observe them overnight. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education is still at the hospital. The man who used pepper spray has been detained.

“The incident did not happen the way it is being exaggerated. All modalities were put in place to ensure the children enjoyed their day.”
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News

Okpebholo Salutes Edo Muslims, Seeks Continued Support, Prayers

Published

19 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has urged Muslims and all Nigerians to continue to pray for peace, unity and progress in the country even as they celebrate the annual Eid-al-Adha

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, stated this during the annual Eid-al-Adha celebration with Muslim faithfuls held at Government House in Benin City.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to fairness, inclusivity and equal opportunities for all citizens irrespective of religion and tribe.

According to him, the present administration remains determined to building a government that reflects the diversity of Edo State, noting that competent and qualified Muslims have continued to play vital roles in his government because of their capacity, integrity and commitment to service.

“As a government, we remain committed to fairness, inclusivity and equal opportunity for every Edo citizen, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or political affiliation. This is why quality and competent Muslims are serving in key positions in our administration.”

Okpebholo appreciated the Muslim community in Edo State for their unwavering support and continuous prayers for his administration, noting that such prayers and support have contributed immensely to the peace and steady development being witnessed across the state.

He then called on all Nigerians to use the occasion of Eid-al-Adha to pray for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that the country needs collective prayers, unity and cooperation to overcome its present economic and security challenges.

“I urge all Muslims and indeed all Nigerians to use this occasion to pray for our dear nation and for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Nigeria needs our collective prayers, unity and support as we strive to overcome our challenges and build a more prosperous future for all.”

In his remarks, the Chief Imam of Edo State, Abdulfatai Enabulele, applauded the governor for what he described as remarkable developmental strides recorded in less than two years in office.

The cleric commended the administration for ongoing infrastructural development and efforts geared towards improving governance in the state, but appealed to the government to revisit and complete some abandoned projects inherited from the previous administration for the benefit of the people.