Uduimoh Umolu is a first-generation West African American. He carries an interestingly colorful background, having lived crucial years of his life in both America and West Africa. Born and raised on the Northside of Chicago, Uduimoh graduated from the University of Illinois, but not before starting a business in the spirits industry.
Umolu is the Co-Founder of Jon Basil Tequila, one of the first minority millennial-owned and operated spirits companies in Chicago. He founded the brand in 2018 with his business partner Belall Taher setting out to become some of the youngest creators of a premium liquor brand and launching in December 2018-named after Umolu’s grandfather- following an inspirational visit to Jalisco, Mexico. While their brand amassed a loyal customer base of 15,000 in Illinois, the pair shortly started distributing in other states after securing deals with Walmart, Binny’s, and Mariano’s.
N’DIGO is excited to share this Q&A with our readers and discuss with Uduimoh Umolu, what inspired him to create Jon Basil Tequila.
N’DIGO: Tell me a bit about your background and how you got your start in the liquor industry?
Uduimoh Umolu: I was born and raised in Chicago, IL. My parents are of West African descent. Growing up, I had a broad view of the world due to my background and having family worldwide. I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign for college. This is where I first jumped into Entrepreneurship. My goal was always to build a global brand.
Initially, I was in the tech space and had launched a mobile application. While in University, I met my very good friend and Co-Founder Belall Taher whose father owned the liquor store we used to frequent on our way to U of I. We used to joke about starting our own brand while we were both RAs at the University. I began in Spirits at first, just facilitating tastings for larger companies. From there, I was doing MultiCultural Marketing for some very well-known global spirit brands, all while learning more about the industry.
What inspired the creation of Jon Basil Tequila?
Growing up, I was always very heavily involved with music, film, and the arts. Whether it be sponsoring concerts I had organized or musicians I worked with, I constantly saw how spirits played a significant role in that world.
There were always moments and experiences that we were sharing as a community, and I began to feel strongly that it was time for us to have some ownership in the brands that we were sharing those moments with. It was important to have a brand that could relate to the moments and truly understood the generation, the experiences, and the people we were creating for.
What makes Jon Basil Tequila unique?
Jon Basil Tequila is one of the first multicultural millennial owned and operated Tequila brands in the world. It’s smooth finish and complex notes is a result of a blend of 100% blue weber agave plants from the high and low lands of Tequila Jalisco.
What was the moment when you really knew you had something the public wanted?
There was a spring when Jon Basil first got placement in a major retail chain on a Wednesday and we had sold out by the end of the weekend. That’s when I knew.
Describe some of the specific hurdles and obstacles that you had to overcome when you were entering the scene.
Being some of the first multicultural and youngest creators of a spirits brand presented a number of challenges. Finding major distribution, and launching in one of the most competitive spirit markets (Illinois) was tough. Every placement was a harder sell. Because not only did we have to convince people the product was good. We had to convince them that we actually knew what we were doing as well.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those looking to enter the spirits industry?
Be persistent with your goals. Know that you will have to learn many things as you go, so know that things WILL go wrong. But you have to push through those things. Learn your industry. The spirits industry is multi-leveled and channeled. You need to understand all of it. Spend time learning and researching so that you build enough knowledge to know where to take your business.
Best advice you were given?
Don’t worry about how you’re going to get there. Just focus on moving forward.
Any affirmations or words you live by?
I can do all things by the grace of God.
Who inspires you, and what drives your passion for being successful?
I am inspired by everyone who came before me and sacrificed to leave me in the position and the opportunities I am afforded today. I stay passionate because I know I now have a role to play. But, in the grand scheme of things, this moment will pass, and there will be people coming after me that I, too, need to leave in a better position and with more opportunities.
Where do you hope to see Jon Basil Tequila as a company five years from now? In what areas are you hoping to grow and expand?
I would like to see it as a global brand operating in countries and cultures worldwide with people who share the same core values. I hope to expand the platform to communicate the true meaning and essence of the brand. It’s imperative for me to use it as a vehicle of storytelling and a platform to highlight the voices of creators and doers in our generation.
What projects are next for you?
So many that sometimes it seems impossible to accomplish it all. But in the immediate future, with Jon Basil, I am excited to launch our Anejo expression.
