DC: What is your name, major, and graduation year?
Djampa: Edwin Bright Djampa, I go by my middle name Bright. My major is Nutritional Food Science, Graduation May 2022.
DC: Which Dingman Center programs have you been involved with?
Djampa: I have been involved with the Pitch Dingman Competition in 2021.
DC: In two to three sentences, how would you describe your startup?
Djampa: At Omega 3, we aim to provide consumers with an easy, accessible, and delicious way to incorporate omega-3 fatty acids into their daily diets and reap the many health benefits of this essential, brain-boosting nutrient. We hope to empower people to take charge of their mental health through nutrition. We want the link between nutrition and brain function to be at the forefront of the dialogue surrounding mental health. We hope one day, you can walk into any local grocery store and find a section of food items dedicated to brain support.
DC: What updates or significant accomplishments can you share with us about your company from the last six months?
Djampa: In the last 6 months we’ve been able to get into all the retail locations and cafes on UMD campus. We have also been able to get on to Georgetown University retail locations. We have also been able to partner with NAMI to provide participants with granola bars. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives.
DC: Can you describe your typical day as a student business owner?
Djampa: My typical day is: I wake up at 6am and review all emails and all potential orders. I work to respond to emails and fulfill orders. Then around 7am I either run around and check up on stores in person or I ship the online orders. Around 8am I eat breakfast and begin my class work for the day. My classes typically end at 12pm. I then take a 1 hour break to relax. At 2pm I begin to work on social media and branding content to promote Omega 3 (this typically takes about an hour and a half). For the remainder of the day 4-8pm, I then work to find new gyms, stores, universities, and yoga studios to enter into. From 8 till about 12am I return to school work/class assignments.
DC: What’s the most important thing you are working on right now, and how are you making it happen?
Djampa: Currently at Omega 3 we are working on a huge rebranding effort. To make it more clear on our packaging and social media platforms that we are a brain-centric food company. The rebranding efforts will be completely done in Mid January 2022.
DC: As a business owner, how do you define success?
Djampa: It is honestly very hard to define success as a business owner because the marker for success is ever-evolving. I would say true success for most business owners is when the business is no longer running them, but instead, they are in a position where they are running the business.
DC: If you could give advice to any aspiring entrepreneurs, what would it be?
Djampa: Your internal compass is the only thing that will get you through this entire journey of entrepreneurship. Remain true to your internal compass. Also never ride the highs for too long and certainly don’t ride the lows. As hard as it may be, try and remain even-keel as much as possible.
To learn more about Omega 3, please visit the website here.