The Warrior on Heels
Pubblicato il 05-08-2026 - Build with Her in Rosignano Marittimo
Back to the Magazine|Archive Issue 04
Career Journey
- Contributor
The Warrior on Heels
After nine years as a language educator and over a decade in customer-facing roles, Chioma Ekwelundu made an unconventional transition into cybersecurity — and discovered that her background in human behaviour, communication and adult learning was exactly what the industry was missing. This is the story of how she built The Cyber-Safe You from scratch, grew a newsletter to over 2,200 subscribers across five continents and became a voice for making cybersecurity accessible, practical and human.
CE
By
Chioma Ekwelundu
Published
July 7, 2026
Issue
04
Read
5 min
Submitted by Chioma Ekwelundu
- Build With Her Magazine
I did not start my journey in tech.
There was no clear plan.
No moment where everything suddenly made sense.
What I had was a quiet determination to become more than where I was.
The Beginning: When I Found My Voice
My purpose journey truly began during my NYSC year.
That was the first time I stood in front of people not just to exist, but to guide, teach, and impact.
Something shifted in me.
It wasn’t loud.
It wasn’t dramatic.
But it was undeniable.
I realized that I didn’t just enjoy teaching
I was called to it.
After NYSC; Turning Teaching Into Impact
After NYSC, I followed that calling.
I became a language tutor and translator, teaching French and helping people understand what once felt complex and distant.
In those moments, I saw transformation happen in real time:
Confusion turning into clarity.
Fear turning into confidence.
I wasn’t just teaching language.
I was building people.
But even then, I felt it…
A quiet, persistent pull toward something more.
The Transition; Structure, Responsibility, and Discovery
I moved into a customer service and administrative role.
It taught me structure.
It built my discipline.
It strengthened my communication.
But more than that, it opened a new door.
Because it was during this phase that I discovered makeup artistry.
Creating Beauty But Still Searching
By 2023, I stepped fully into makeup artistry and microblading.
This was my first expression as a creator.
I wasn’t just enhancing appearances; I was restoring confidence.
Helping people see themselves differently.
Helping them show up boldly.
And still, alongside all of this, I continued teaching and translating.
Because that part of me never left.
But deep down,
I knew I hadn’t reached the full extent of what I was capable of.
The Turning Point: Choosing Growth Again
In 2024, I made a defining decision.
I transitioned into cybersecurity.
Not because it was easy.
But because I had learned to trust that inner pull toward growth.
Starting over challenged me.
There were doubts.
Moments of uncertainty.
Moments I questioned if I was stretching too far.
But I stayed.
Because I Understood Something Powerful
Growth rarely feels comfortable but it is always necessary.
The Breakthrough: When Belief Became Real
Later in 2024, around November/December, I participated in the 3MTT Hackathon 2.0.
I had to build a team of 3 techies for the hackathon, and we were all ladies.
I entered as someone still learning.
Still evolving.
And then we won.
That moment did more than validate my effort.
It rewired my belief system.
For The First Time, I Fully Saw It
I belong here.
And I can do more.
Awareness Became a Mission
As I grew in cybersecurity, one reality became impossible to ignore.
I saw how people especially everyday Nigerians were being scammed:
Online.
Offline.
Through simple vulnerabilities they didn’t even know existed.
That awareness changed me.
Cybersecurity stopped being just a career.
It became a mission to protect people.
Taking Action: From Knowledge to Impact
In November 2025, I hosted my first cybersecurity webinar focused on cyber threats.
It was a defining moment.
Not because it was perfect
But because it was necessary.
And I didn’t stop there.
The webinars continued month after month, creating a growing space for awareness, education, and real conversations about digital safety.
Building for Others; A Bigger Vision
In January 2026, I took it further.
I founded the Angelique Signature Foundation.
A Platform Built On One Belief
Access should not determine who succeeds.
Through the foundation, people are trained in tech for free giving them real opportunities to learn, grow, and change their lives.
Because I know what it feels like to start without a clear path
Cyber-Safe You; Scaling Awareness
My mission to protect and educate expanded even further.
I built Cyber-Safe You, a platform dedicated to cybersecurity awareness through:
Monthly webinars
Educational content
Practical insights on cyber threats
And in May 2026, I launched the Cyber-Safe You newsletter on LinkedIn.
Today, it has grown to over 2,200 subscribers, people choosing to stay informed, protected, and empowered.
The Pattern I Now Understand
Looking back, everything connects.
NYSC gave me my voice.
Teaching gave me purpose.
Customer service gave me structure.
Makeup artistry gave me creativity.
Cybersecurity gave me direction.
And impact gave me meaning.
Nothing was wasted.
The Warrior on Heels
“The Warrior on Heels” is who I became through it all.
A woman who evolves.
Who rebuilds.
Who refuses to stay in one version of herself.
Soft enough to create.
Strong enough to lead.
Bold enough to start again.
What Drives Me
At the core of everything I do is one thing:
People.
If My Work Helps Someone
Gain a skill
Find direction
Protect themselves
Or move closer to their purpose
Then I have done something meaningful.
Because success, to me, is not just growth.
It is impact.
What Comes Next
I am still becoming.
Still building.
Still teaching.
Still protecting.
But now, I move with clarity.
Because I Know This
I am not just building a career.
I am building people.
I am building access.
I am building impact.
A Note From The Editors
Enjoying these stories?
Build With Her exists to document the journeys, lessons, challenges, and breakthroughs of women building in technology.
You do not need a perfect career.
You do not need a large audience.
You only need a story that might help another woman.
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