London luxury watchmaker William Adoasi is supporting sub-Saharan African education with his time.
Since childhood, William Adoasi longed to leave one of London’s harshest council estates. His parents fled from Ghana to the UK before Adoasi was born, and as the first of seven children, he saw the turmoil on his estate in Peckham, South London.
UK council estates, social housing projects created by local government to offer shelter and facilities like schools and stores, have become renowned for social issues.
This led David Cameron and Tony Blair to call for renovating these estates, noting their tendency to entrench poverty and foster crime.
Adoasi’s parents promoted schooling to protect him from the estate’s negatives. Success in school earned Adoasi a scholarship and a relocation from the council estate to a midlands private boarding school.
I heard some of my friends call the other team’ council estate scam’ during a rugby game brawl, not knowing that I grew up on a council estate. It molded my desire because I constantly want to reject the notion of a council estate youngster who is nothing, says Adoasi.
His first motivation was to live a luxurious life apart from the poverty plaguing his boyhood. To succeed, he dropped out of university to create a sports school, which earned him six figures by 19.
“I [ran] that for two years until the government pulled the funding, which made it unviable,” Adoasi explains.
He then became an insurance broker and recruiter in London. He went back to school and completed his schooling, then started thinking outside of his nine-to-five work for ways to generate extra money.
Adoasi was always interested in watches, and by the time he was in the city, he was generating enough money to upgrade to Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. His bright bulb moment occurred then.
I want to create a watch with a premium appearance, high-end materials, and a reasonable pricing range. I spoke to numerous companies and negotiated rates until I polished my sample batch, adds Adoasi.
He founded and designed Vitae London at 26 after quitting his job.
“Working in the city was draining, and I needed to do something with a bigger purpose where I woke up every day and was motivated by more than money. Latin vitae means ‘lives.’ We always wanted to be the watch company that changed lives, adds Adoasi.
Richard Branson selected Vitae London for a £20,000 startup financing after establishing the firm.
Out of 10,000 candidates, $25,000 today. The brand has secured $190,000 from Backstage Capital, a US venture capital company, and has generated £1.3 million ($1.6 million) in sales.
Adoasi also keeps his pledge, donating 10% of profits to sub-Saharan African children’s education. He has given over 10,000 children school uniforms and money via House of Wells.
Top US shops Macy’s and Nordstrom carry Vitae London. The Branson collaboration attracted additional celebrities to the brand.
According to Adoasi, two things stick out. Firstly, entrepreneurship is producing something greater than oneself. Second, money motivates, but if it’s the only reason you wake up, you live an empty existence. His next goal is to inform his parents they no longer need to work, and time seems to be on his side.
