I don’t have pets at the moment, but if I ever got one, it’d be a dog for sure I love how loyal and playful they are

In 2018, I began my tech career as a UI/UX Designer after completing the Hotels.ng Online Internship in 2017. During my early days, I struggled a bit mostly learning on my own, navigating challenges without much support, and often too timid to ask for help or feedback. That changed when I began visiting Start Innovation Hub in my city to access light and internet. One day, there was a Facebook Developer Circle event there, and I volunteered to help with registration while also attending. That event opened my eyes to the power of community it was the first time I saw how much value could come from bringing people together to learn, share, and grow. Motivated by that experience, I searched for ways to connect with other designers. That led me to volunteer as a Figma Community Advocate, where I was given the tools and platform to build a local design community. What started small quickly grew into a vibrant network of creatives I didn’t even know existed in my city. That was where my confidence in community building really began to take shape and so did my journey into community management. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to expand this work. I partnered with Treford to shape their design learning tracks and bootcamps, then became a mentor at Designlab, where I guided over 15 design students from around the world and became one of the top mentors from Africa. In 2021, my role with Figma evolved into a Regional Lead position, where I managed all Figma communities across Africa. I worked closely with over 40 advocates, coordinated regional events, and ran our first virtual design bootcamp with over 3,000 registrants and 150 graduates. We capped that off with our first Regional Virtual Design Festival, which had over 300 attendees. Following that, I led the marketing and community efforts at Phase, a design and animation platform. I set up internal processes for both teams, launched user engagement activities, built influencer relationships, and managed our CRM tools. We scaled into Korea, Brazil, Nigeria, Portugal, and Latin America, with over 21,000 active users within 5 months. Beyond professional roles, I’ve also volunteered with organizations like Ingressive for Good and Google Women Techmakers creating safe spaces and opportunities for developers and women in tech through workshops, hackathons, and large-scale events.

One of the main challenges in my career has been access to remote jobs and job security, especially in the early days. You know that feeling when you just want to work for a company, add value and grow with them? Yeah. After my first volunteer role at Figma, there wasn’t a clear path or structure to follow. Even after I got promoted to a more senior and professional role, I didn’t have mentors immediately around me, and I was too timid to ask for feedback or help, so I had to navigate a lot of it on my own. That meant I was learning mostly on the job, constantly experimenting, and honestly doing it scared most of the time. Another big challenge was the lack of structured learning. Most of my growth came from being hands-on, trying things out, learning from what didn’t work, and just figuring things out as I went. It took longer for me to feel grounded and confident in my skills because I was building that foundation on the go, instead of through formal training or guidance. Also, I’ve worked with a few companies that didn’t fully understand what community or marketing really involved especially when you’re building from scratch. That lack of clarity made it difficult sometimes to advocate for the right resources or strategies. I had to spend extra time educating internal teams, defining roles, and building structures before I could even start the actual work - and in most cases the companies did not have that much patience to wait nor believed in the importance of putting these things in place. It was confusing and frustrating at times, but it taught me a lot about patience, alignment, and how to lead in uncertain environments. All of these challenges shaped me into someone who’s not just flexible but also deeply resourceful and empathetic especially toward others who are just starting out or finding their way in tech.

I would say it is a combination of intentional learning, real-world experience, and connecting with others that has really helped shape me as a community professional. First, attending events both in-person and virtual exposed me to how different communities are structured and run. I always paid attention to the small details: how people were welcomed, how engagement was facilitated, and how follow-up was handled. Every event was a chance to learn something new. I also spent a lot of time reading articles, case studies, and reports about community building, user engagement, and human-centered marketing. This helped me understand not just the “what” but the “why” behind certain strategies and a lot of those strategies have worked for me over the years. Another huge growth factor has been coffee chats and conversations with other community managers. I had to push my shyness to one side and book as many coffee chats as possible and through this, I’ve learned so much from those informal knowledge exchanges what has worked for them, what hasn’t, tools they’re using, and how they navigate challenges. It’s been really valuable to know that others have similar experiences and to learn from their journeys. And of course, research and experimentation played a big role. Since I started out without formal community training, I learned by doing. I tried different engagement strategies, structured programs from scratch, analyzed what worked, and adjusted as I went. That hands-on approach helped me become more adaptable and confident over time. Together, all of these have helped me grow not just in skill, but in mindset. I’ve learned that building community is part strategy, part empathy, and always evolving. That reminds me, I am currently curating a resource hub for Community Managers, you may want to check it out: https://github.com/mfonobongd/learn-community-management

It honestly depends on the goal, but if I had to choose, I’d say Discord and Circle are my top picks for deeper, real-time engagement. They’re great for building active, close-knit communities where conversations flow easily, and roles, channels, and bots can be customized to support everything from learning to fun engagement.

One strategy that has worked really well for me is empowering members through learning, confidence-building, and shared responsibility. I use a simple but effective model: "I do, We do, You do." I do – I lead by example, showing how something is done whether it’s organizing an event, starting a discussion, hosting a Twitter space or managing a task. We do – I then guide members through the process, working alongside them to build confidence and give them a sense of ownership. You do – Finally, I step back and allow them to take the lead, encouraging them to take on roles or responsibilities that align with their interests. This approach has not only helped me increase engagement in communities I have managed but has also helped my community members grow in their own capacities. It has helped me get my community members get to the point where they stop seeing themselves as just attendees or members and start seeing themselves as contributors and that shift makes all the difference.

I see community as a place where knowledge is shared, where support is given without hesitation, and where people find the courage to take their next steps whether it’s learning a new skill, building a project, or simply feeling like they belong. It played a huge role in my own journey, helping me build confidence, find clarity, and navigate an industry that often felt overwhelming. But beyond that, I also see community as a powerful form of marketing. When done right, it builds authentic relationships, creates strong word-of-mouth, drives user engagement, and builds genuine loyalty. People trust people, and a well-nurtured community turns members into advocates and users into believers. It becomes a sustainable way to grow impact, not just numbers.

Start small, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to learn as you go. Community management isn’t about having all the answers it’s about being a connector, a good listener, and someone who genuinely cares about people. Focus on creating value, even in the simplest ways: kickstart conversations even when it feels awkward, welcome new members personally, or host informal meetups. Every small action counts. Also, don't be scared to experiment. Most top community managers didn’t have a playbook when they started, I certainly didn’t. I learned a lot by trying things, seeing what worked, and adjusting along the way. That’s completely okay. Another big one: ask for help and talk to other community managers. You’ll be surprised how open and supportive the community management space is. Coffee chats, events, direct messages, articles etc. they all help. And remember, your community doesn't grow unless you do, so keep learning whether it's leadership, empathy, strategy, or communication. Finally, remember that community building takes time, it’s not an overnight success. If quick results come, that’s great, but if they don’t, it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. It simply means the community is taking its natural course. Be patient, stay consistent, and keep showing up. Don’t be afraid to tweak your approach if something isn’t working; adaptability is part of the process. And most importantly, never forget: in community, you’re building with people, not just for them.