Tech has a way of carrying curious people into places they never imagined. For Abimbola Omotayo, one of those places is the fast-moving world of fintech and Web3.

After building a career around internet-first content, brand communications and creative storytelling, the young marketing professional made a bold transition into the financial technology space as Community Marketing Manager at Cardtonic. Community marketing roles like hers have become a fixture of fintech teams, where user trust is often built through ongoing conversation, word of mouth and active communities rather than advertising alone.

“I’m endlessly curious about people, ideas, and the little things most people overlook. I enjoy connecting dots and turning everyday observations into ideas that spark meaningful conversations. That curiosity has taken me across different industries and now into fintech, where I help build meaningful connections between people and brands while continuing to learn, adapt, and grow with every new challenge,” she said.

Cardtonic, operated by The Tonic Technologies Limited, is a Nigerian fintech platform that enables users to buy, sell and manage gift cards, alongside other digital and financial services. Gift card trading has grown into a notable corner of Nigeria’s digital economy, and platforms like Cardtonic have formalised a market that previously ran largely on informal peer-to-peer exchanges. In her role, Abimbola works to build meaningful connections between the brand and the people who use its products, in an industry where trust, customer experience and community can make all the difference.

For her, joining Cardtonic has been one of the most transformative career moves she has made this year. Moving into the fast-paced fintech and Web3 space was a significant leap, but one she was ready to embrace. The experience has stretched her thinking and pushed her to raise her creative and strategic standards with every project.

Throughout the first half of the year, Abimbola says she has gained a deeper understanding of how strategy, product, customer experience and community must work together to build a brand that people genuinely trust. She also credits much of her growth to the teammates and leaders she has worked with — an experience that has reinforced her belief that the best ideas are rarely created alone.

Before joining Cardtonic, Abimbola worked as the Social Media and Brand Communications Lead at Careerbuddy and also served as a Creative Director at Tech Studio Academy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication, and her career journey has been shaped by creativity, communication and an interest in understanding how people think and connect.

That curiosity remains at the centre of everything she does. As the second half of the year unfolds, she remains grateful for how far she has come and excited about the possibilities still ahead.

In this edition of Tech Trivia — a recurring Technext interview series that profiles the people behind Nigeria’s tech and startup ecosystem — she shares her routines, tools and the ideas behind her work.

How her weekday mornings begin

“My weekday mornings usually begin with a quick mental juggle of where I left off the day before, followed by a cup of water, community check-ins, Notion, team catch-ups, and then I dive into strategy and audience research,” she says.

A deliberately minimal setup

Her gadget setup is minimal. She keeps her workspace as clutter-free as possible — usually just her laptop, phones, a glass of water and a vase of flowers.

“I’ve found that I do my best thinking in calm and intentional spaces. It keeps me present during strategy conversations and gives me the mental clarity to connect ideas, spot opportunities, and contribute more thoughtfully,” she says.

The tools she uses daily

“Notion and Google Workspace,” she says.

Where her ideas come from

“I rarely wait for inspiration to find me. I research instead. Curiosity is a big part of how I work, so I ask a lot of questions, study how people behave, and follow interesting rabbit holes online. Some of my strongest ideas have come from digging a little deeper than the obvious. In fact, one of my most viral campaigns started with a simple question I couldn’t stop exploring,” she says.

Her second brain

“Notion. It’s my second brain. My brain has far too many tabs open at once, so Notion helps me keep everything in one place. If it’s not in Notion, there’s a good chance I’ll forget it,” she says.

The tool she wishes existed

“I’d love a tool that could measure delayed influence. Sometimes a piece of content doesn’t make someone act immediately. In fact, they may not react to the information or content, but it changes how they think or what they remember weeks later. Current analytics don’t capture that kind of impact, yet I believe that’s where some of the most meaningful marketing happens,” she says.

If she had unlimited time and money

“I would solve the problem of untapped creative potential. I don’t think the world is short of brilliant people. I think it’s short of environments that help people think deeply enough to uncover what they’re capable of. If I could, I would build systems that encourage curiosity, challenge assumptions, and help people turn overlooked ideas into meaningful work,” she says.

The person she looks up to

Odunayo Eweniyi co-founded PiggyVest, one of Nigeria’s best-known digital savings and investment platforms.

“I would say Odunayo Eweniyi. Of course, what she’s built with PiggyVest is remarkable, but what I admire even more is how she’s helped shape conversations around fintech in Africa. She reminds me that building great products is only part of the job. Helping people understand them, trust them, and see the value they create is just as important. That’s something I think about a lot in my own work,” she says.

The phrase she works by

“‘One step at a time.’ It’s a simple reminder I come back to whenever I feel overwhelmed or hit a creative block. In fast-paced environments, it’s easy to feel like everything needs to happen at once, but that phrase reminds me to focus on the next right step. More often than not, that’s all I need to regain clarity and keep moving forward,” she says.

If she could have dinner with anyone

Odunayo Eweniyi, co-founder of PiggyVest.

“Beyond everything she has built, I would love to know more about the moments that shaped how she thinks, the decisions she almost didn’t make, and the lessons that never make it into headlines. I think there’s often as much value in the journey as there is in the success,” she says.

Related: Tech Trivia with Debbie Otuagomah, CEO of Pineway