Iram Designs

My name is Madjalia Seynou and I was born and raised in a typical village of the south western part of Burkina Faso in West Africa. Today, I run an online fashion company to promote fashions inspired by African culture. My journey to this destination was quite the ride and very different than a typical journey.

My parents had ten children, of which I am the youngest. While my life in West Africa was not always easy, it has made me who I am today. When I was nine years old my father passed away; this altered the path of my life and caused times where our family had to choose between payment for school or lifes luxuries. We all worked together to satisfy the needs of our family. I am extremely grateful that as a child I was able to receive a good education; because of my experiences, I have always understood the value of education through my inspirational siblings. My family made me aspire to be able to support them in the same way they supported me.

Growing up, I dreamed of becoming an attorney. However, when I graduated high school, I decided to pursue business school at the University of Ouagadougou instead. I knew that with a business degree I could find work no matter where I lived. Through my studies, I studied topics revolving around numbers and mathematics, which grew an interest in accounting. Business school made me more committed to hard work, which has been central to my achievement. Up until today, I would describe my journey as one of hardship and perseverance.

After graduating from the University of Ouagadougou with a bachelors degree in economics and Business management in 2008, I landed my very first job in a small organization that lent capital to promote women-owned small businesses. Even though I enjoyed being part of a great team, my goal was to become a Certified Public Accountant. I knew this aspiration would give me the power to help companies of all sizes limit their chances of failure and help reduce white collar crime. It was then I decided to move to the United States to pursue a Masters Degree.