Tech Entrepreneur & Innovation Leader; Founder of TheraNest & Therapy Brands; CEO at Harmony Venture Labs

Birmingham, AL, USA

Shegun Otulana Biography

Shegun Otulana is a Nigerian-American entrepreneur recognized for founding TheraNest and its parent company, Therapy Brands, a software platform serving mental health, behavioral health, substance use, and physical rehabilitation providers and organizations. Otulana led Therapy Brands to a $1.25 billion exit, marking the largest software exit on record in Alabama. His entrepreneurial journey included overcoming financial challenges such as credit card debt, loans, and borrowing from retirement accounts before achieving one of the Southeast's most significant technology exits.

After earning a degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Otulana initially launched Zertis, a startup focused on evaluating the long-term success of technological products. He transitioned to developing management software platforms after identifying an underserved market, leading to the creation of "TheraNest." The company achieved profitability within its second year, reflecting Otulana's disciplined and capital-efficient approach to business growth.

Having immigrated to the United States from Nigeria as a teenager, Otulana has spoken about his experiences as a Black, non-U.S.-born founder. He frequently shares insights with startup leaders, business associations, academic institutions, and other organizations, aiming to empower future entrepreneurs. Otulana and his wife established an endowed scholarship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to support first-generation and international students pursuing degrees in science or engineering.

Otulana is the founder and CEO of Harmony Venture Labs, an idea and growth studio that owns and operates technology companies, including Copysmith AI, which offers generative artificial intelligence content creation tools such as Describely, Rytr.me, and Frase.io. He has outlined a vision to establish multiple startups in Birmingham with significant aggregate valuation. Otulana has received awards including EY's Entrepreneur of the Year and the Henry Crown Fellowship at the Aspen Institute. He serves on the boards of Venture for America, Landing, and the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/30/2026.

Shegun Otulana Speaking Topics

  • Building a Billion Dollar Business: What it Takes

    How do you go from zero to a billion dollar exit in under a decade?

    Shegun Otulana’s entrepreneurial story went from credit card debt, loans, and borrowing from 401ks to realizing one of the largest exits in the Southeast U.S. In 2021, after just eight years of building TheraNest and its parent company, Therapy Brands, Shegun’s determination and resourcefulness resulted in an exit of north of 1.25 billion dollars.

    Entrepreneurs, CEOs, and students alike will be inspired by how Shegun leveraged the power of hard work, continuous learning, and resilience. After attending a session with Shegun, attendees will walk away with practical principles, strategies, and the growth mindset needed to accelerate their personal and professional growth.

  • Thinking Like an Entrepreneur: Compressing Time and Accelerating Growth

    Are you frustrated with the pace of decision making at your organization? Are you ready to enter a stage of hypergrowth, but aren’t sure how to start?

    The entrepreneurial mindset isn’t just for startups – it continues on through every stage of a company’s evolution. In this energizing workshop, Shegun shares what business leaders need to focus on to optimize for high growth.

    Drawing from decades of experience building startups and advising pre-launch companies to large-scale corporations, Shegun provides the knowledge and knowhow needed to build a growth engine that fuels your business for years to come.

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Shegun Otulana Videos

Shegun Otulana: Sloss Tech 2023

Shegun Otulana: Sloss Tech 2023

Highlights from Shegun's Panel at Sloss Tech 2023: The Breakdown: Moving Mountains and Breaking Barriers.

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  • What topics does Shegun Otulana speak about?

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Shegun Otulana is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Building a Billion Dollar Business: What it Takes, Thinking Like an Entrepreneur: Compressing Time and Accelerating Growth, A Winning Mindset for Minority Founders, Secrets to Building a Successful Startup Outside of Silicon Valley and Opportunities and Trends in AI. The estimated speaking fee range to book Shegun Otulana for your event is $50,000 - $100,000. Shegun Otulana generally travels from Birmingham, AL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Zack Kass, Allie K. Miller, Adam Cheyer, Daymond John and Joanna Peña-Bickley. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Shegun Otulana for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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