Tara Fela-Durotoye

Tara Fela-Durotoye (born 6 March 1977) is a Nigerian beauty entrepreneur and lawyer. A pioneer in the bridal makeup profession in Nigeria, she launched the first bridal directory in 1999, set up international standard makeup studios and established the first makeup school in Nigeria.

She is the founder and CEO of House of Tara International and creator of the Tara Orekelewa Beauty range, Inspired Perfume and the H.I.P Beauty range.She is considered a major force in the Nigerian female entrepreneurship community having created an impact business that has empowered tens of thousands of beauty entrepreneurs through the "Tara Beauty Entrepreneur" initiative. She continues to be a thought leader and major influencer through several in classroom and on line courses that focus on sharing her 20+ year experience with other budding entrepreneurs.

She has received several national and international Awards for her contribution to the industry and active role in Entrepreneurship and Empowerment; the Most Outstanding Business Woman of the Year 2018 by the African Economy Builders Awards Abidjan. Also in 2018, Tara received the African Makeup Icon by Ghana Makeup Awards as well as the Leadership Award for Entrepreneurship by Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria, and the most recent in 2019 the award of excellence for Social Impact and Job Creation, a National Recognition by the Vice President of Nigeria.

In 2007, Tara Fela-Durotoye was awarded the Africa SMME Award and the Entrepreneur award in South Africa and in 2013, Forbes listed her as one 20 Young Power Women In Africa

She is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School Chief Executive Programme, INSEAD Abu Dhabi, Yale University, The Stanford SEED Transformation Programme, and the Harvard Kennedy School having completed the Global Leadership and Public Policy in the 21st century, She is a member of the France/Nigeria Investment club which was incorporated in 2018 by the French President Emmanuel Macron.

Tara Fela-Durotoye was born at St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos to John Ejegi Sagay, a commissioner at the Federal Civil Service, Nigeria and Felicia Omaghomi. The couple separated when she was eight months old; and being a polygamous home, she was brought up by her stepmother, Modupe Agnes Sagay. She started her education at Command Children School, Victoria Island and proceeded to Nigeria Navy Secondary School, Ojo, where she was a boarder. In form 5, she was made the Sanitary and Welfare Prefect.She graduated from the Lagos State University, with a degree in Law and proceeded to establish the House of Tara International.

Personal life

Tara is married to Fela Durotoye, a business strategist and corporate activator, chief executive officer of Visible Impact. He made his intention to run for presidency on February 22, 2018, under the political party Alliance for new Nigeria. They have three sons, Mobolurin, Demilade & Morolaoluwa.