87 Millennium - Twenty-first Edition BUSINESS, FINANCE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP Ifeoma Clyopatra Onyia is an entrepreneur celebrating a career marked by success across several diverse ventures. Since 2023, her primary focus has been Clyopatra Winery and Vineyard, which operates proudly as the first African-owned winery in the United States. Born in Nigeria, she studied in London, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1994, and immigrated to the United States to continue her career in 2000. For more than three decades, Ms. Onyia worked in the health care industry in a variety of sectors, including home care, nursing, medical supply and assisted living. In 2013, after the sudden loss of two of her brothers, she recognized that she needed to step away from the industry to heal and began to explore other options. The result was Clyopatra Couture Fashion, an atelier and wholesale operation that built on her background in bridal fashion. In 2019, she returned to health care as the owner of MISO Medical Center, a Baltimore-based clinic dedicated to helping underserved families and youth navigate behavioral health challenges. Ms. Onyia hopes to expand Clyopatra Winery and Vineyard into a destination resort and major economic driver for the region within five years. She is a member of the Maryland Wineries Association and has been celebrated for her entrepreneurial success with an award presented by former President Joe Biden, among other honors. Ms. Onyia attributes her achievements to her faith and to the values taught to her by her family, and she strives to balance her status as a business leader with being a supportive parent and community member. IFEOMA CLYOPATRA ONYIA FOUNDER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Clyopatra Winery and Vineyard Laural, MD
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