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Ubong Eton MIE ’22 grew up in a small town in Nigeria but always dreamed of bigger things thanks to a picture frame his parents strategically placed in the dining room. A picture frame with the quote “small minds discuss people, average minds discuss things and great minds discuss ideas.” And Eton has a wealth of ideas for the world. 
 
When Eton first made the move to higher education, he started studying engineering, but soon fell in love with the craft of storytelling through film.  
 
He said: “Something spectacular happened when I transitioned from engineering to film; I really came alive when I saw the true power that storytelling held.” 
 
For Eton, the power of storytelling lies in its ability to inspire people and spark change.  The goal is not only to take people on the journey of the story itself but to also move them in a way that changes their mindset. 
 
Eventually, filmmaking brought Eton to the United States, where his love of film and digital storytelling continued to grow. He started wondering what else he could do to inspire change asking, “In addition to the story, how can I provide concrete pathways to be able to engage young people?” 
 
Change comes from sowing the seeds of possibility 
 
Eton’s first job in the Los Angeles area was one that shaped his worldview significantly. His employer chose to hire him due to the potential that he saw in Eton. 
 
“No matter what, he really believed in me. I would say that the way that he believed in me played a role in what I’m trying to achieve now. He was the person that sowed that seed of possibility, the person who found the potential in me and invested in it.” 
 
Sowing the seeds of possibility is just what Eton hopes to do with his Fanamiproject, which stands for “find a need and meet it.” 
 
The Fanamiproject is the vehicle of change that Eton hopes to bring back to his home country of Nigeria and Africa as a whole. He says that there are many challenges that people go through that need to be addressed and that he hopes to inspire change and cultivate hope through digital storytelling. Through this, he hopes that he can get communities to uplift themselves with the solutions that work best for them. 

Eton stated: “When you go into a community, especially one that has so many challenges, being able to relate to them and inspire them is something that speaks to me.” 
 
Currently, the Fanamiproject has two paths that are meant to bring people together and invest in local communities through outreach and digital storytelling: the Uppified League and Storytellers Camp. He said, “we want to build a community, not just train people and drop them afterward.” 
 
Recently, Eton decided that he would need to hone in on his entrepreneurial and innovative spirit in order to further the vision for Fanamiproject. This brought him to The Paul Merage School of Business and the Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MIE) program that he is now pursuing. 
 
“Originally, I was looking at MBA programs, but when I landed at the Merage School and learned about the Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship program, I immediately knew it was the option for me. It is everything I thought it would be—it’s amazing.” 
 
Eton is now using his experience in the MIE program to deepen the impact that he hopes to have with the Fanamiproject, thinking of new and advanced solutions for its implementation in Africa as well as taking advantage of the extensive resources at the Merage School’s disposal. 
 
He reflected on this connection between school and his professional life, stating: “It doesn’t feel like I’m in school per se. It feels like I have a community around me that is helping me cultivate my passion.”