John Imah’s journey from a computer-loving kid to a trailblazer in fashion technology is a testament to the power of fusing technical skill with creative vision. He is the charismatic Nigerian-American co-founder and CEO of SPREEAI – a retail AI startup marrying technology and fashion. But beyond the titles and numbers, Imah is anything but one-dimensional. He brings an effortless cool and hands-on creativity to every pursuit and is a self-described “jack of all trades” who might spend one evening debugging code and the next sketching a jacket design or crafting a custom piece of furniture. It’s this blend of technical prowess and artistic flair that makes his story so compelling.
Early Sparks of Creativity and Tech
Growing up in Dallas as the son of Nigerian immigrants, Imah was steered toward a “stable” career in law or medicine. It quickly became clear, however, that his calling lay elsewhere. He was a profoundly gifted and imaginative child who learned on his own terms—more inclined to take things apart and explore than to follow rote lessons. At age seven, young John famously dismantled the family computer out of sheer curiosity and then put it back together, astonishing his parents after an initial moment of panic. That fearless early act of tinkering proved to everyone that John’s mind worked in extraordinary ways. It wasn’t always easy. As a kid, he sometimes felt like an outsider for being the “nerd” who also loved art and fashion, enduring bullying for his unique blend of interests. Yet those very traits—tech talent, creativity, and resilience—became the foundation of his success.
By his teenage years, Imah’s unconventional learning style was yielding incredible results. Largely self-taught in programming, he launched two small tech companies by his mid-teens – one in mobile gaming and another in 3D design – and remarkably sold them both by age 16. These precocious accomplishments instilled a founder’s mindset well before college. Friends and family were amazed not only by his technical genius but also by his capacity to juggle multiple pursuits. In high school, when he wasn’t coding or studying, John might be found building his own custom PC rig or repurposing spare parts into a DIY project. He had an innate drive to create, whether in software or with his hands, hinting even then at the blend of tech and creativity that would define his future.
Big Tech Lessons and a Creative Vision
After college, Imah took his talents into the heart of the tech industry, quickly making his mark at major firms like Samsung Electronics, Amazon’s Twitch, Snap Inc., and Meta (Facebook). He became one of the youngest hires in his division at Samsung, and at Meta he even earned an “Employee of Impact” award from executive Dan Rose—early validation of his abilities. These roles gave him a firsthand look at how global tech businesses operate and taught him the power of storytelling and innovation at scale—lessons he would carry forward when building his own company. Yet even as he climbed the Silicon Valley ranks, Imah never forgot his other love: fashion. Co-workers might spot him at the office in an impeccably stylish outfit he’d assembled himself—a subtle nod to the creative side he kept alive outside of work. He had grown up with a mother who had impeccable taste in style, so for John, tech and fashion were both second nature. “Growing up with a mom who had impeccable taste, style became second nature – but I was also the kid tinkering with computers,” Imah later noted, reflecting that he always believed technology and fashion didn’t have to be mutually exclusive.
During these formative years in Big Tech, John honed not just his engineering and business skills, but also his vision of blending aesthetics with innovation. He became known for bringing creative ideas to the table—whether it was designing a more user-friendly app interface or organizing a quirky themed hackathon. This mix of experiences broadened his perspective and fueled his desire to build something of his own at tech’s intersection with style and design. Imah had seen what it took to scale technology, and he had felt the pull of entrepreneurship since his teen years; now he was ready to merge those experiences with his lifelong passion for style.
Blending Fashion and Technology: The Birth of SPREEAI
In 2022, trusting his instincts and creative vision, Imah left corporate life to co-found SPREEAI, finally realizing his long-time dream of merging technology with his love of style. The idea behind SPREEAI was bold yet simple: use artificial intelligence to make online clothes shopping more personal and confident by allowing people to virtually “try on” outfits. Under Imah’s guidance, SPREEAI developed a platform that lets shoppers upload a photo of themselves and see how different clothes would look on their own body with photorealistic detail and nearly 99% size accuracy. In other words, he set out to solve the nagging question of online shopping – “Will this actually fit and look good on me?” – by blending cutting-edge tech with a stylist’s eye. The concept proved that tech and fashion could combine to solve real-world problems in a novel way, removing the uncertainty of fit and style in e-commerce.
Imah poured both his technical expertise and his creative sensibility into SPREEAI’s development. He hand-picked a team that included not just engineers and data scientists, but also designers who understood aesthetics. In design meetings, John could switch from discussing machine-learning algorithms to debating color palettes and fabric drape. Colleagues often remark that one moment he’d be white-boarding system architecture, and the next he’d be sketching interface mockups or suggesting a tweak in a dress design shown on the platform – a true mix of left-brain and right-brain thinking. This all-hands, innovative approach created a product that wowed both investors and early users. By letting shoppers essentially become the model for any outfit, SPREEAI bridged the gap between Silicon Valley tech and the fashion world in a way that felt natural and needed.
A New Kind of Success Story
SPREEAI’s rise was nothing short of meteoric. Within just a few years, Imah’s startup attracted significant investor backing and achieved “unicorn” status (a valuation of over $1 billion) by 2025. The company’s success also boosted Imah’s personal wealth to roughly $400 million, though he’s the first to downplay those numbers and focus on innovation. Under his leadership, SPREEAI secured high-profile support from both tech and fashion luminaries. Notably, supermodel Naomi Campbell joined its board – reportedly the first time a supermodel has ever held a board seat at a tech startup – exemplifying the fusion of fashion and tech at the company’s core. This kind of crossover endorsement showed that Imah’s vision was resonating beyond Silicon Valley, making waves in the fashion industry as well.
As SPREEAI gained prominence, John Imah’s personal profile grew, but he maintained the same multidimensional charm he’d had all along. He became known not only as a savvy CEO, but as a charismatic trendsetter who could talk algorithms one minute and streetwear trends the next. In 2025, he even found himself on fashion’s biggest stage: the Met Gala. Invited as the first-ever fashion-tech startup CEO to attend the exclusive event, Imah embraced the moment as an opportunity to express his dual passions. He partnered with a designer friend to create a show-stopping custom outfit for the occasion – a sleek suit jacket that looked like a computer motherboard embellished with traditional Nigerian beads, nodding to both his tech roots and his heritage. Walking that red carpet in a self-designed tech-meets-couture ensemble, alongside Hollywood stars and style icons, was a pinch-me moment for Imah. It was a full-circle transformation: the kid who once worried about fitting in was now helping fashion’s elite embrace technology, on his own terms.
Throughout this whirlwind success, Imah has kept up his jack-of-all-trades lifestyle. Even as a busy CEO, he finds time for creative hobbies that have nothing to do with writing code or closing deals. On weekends, the same hands that debug software might be found holding a sketchpad as he brainstorms a new furniture design for his house and condo, or tweaking the cut of a prototype jacket he’s envisioning. Those close to him say these side projects aren’t just diversions – they’re a key part of what fuels John’s innovative thinking. By continually indulging his artistic side, he brings fresh perspectives back into his tech work. The fact that he can toggle between so many worlds with ease is part of what makes him a distinctive leader.
Staying Grounded and Giving Back
Despite the accolades and fast success, Imah remains grounded and focused on a bigger purpose. He often emphasizes that true success isn’t just measured in valuations or personal wealth, but in impact. “Giving back is non-negotiable,” he says, reflecting his belief that lifting others up is a fundamental part of his mission. To that end, he established a scholarship at his alma mater and supports STEM education initiatives in Nigeria to empower young innovators. He’s also active in mentorship programs, eager to inspire the next generation of makers and dreamers. (In fact, seeing a bit of himself in profoundly gifted kids who don’t fit the traditional mold, he makes a point to mentor those who learn differently and encourage their unique talents.)
Now in his 30s and currently a bachelor, John jokes that he’s “married to his work” – but in truth he’s married to a broader passion for creativity, technology, and community. He balances his thriving career with personal passions and community efforts, showing that a leader can be both successful and approachable. Whether he’s in a board meeting or building a custom coffee table in his garage, Imah brings the same zeal and curiosity to the task at hand. His story has earned him a spot on observer lists like Observer’s AI 100 and AfroTech’s Future 50 for tech disruptors, yet he doesn’t rest on laurels. John Imah’s rise from curious child to fashion-tech trailblazer demonstrates that defying expectations can spark groundbreaking innovation. More importantly, it shows that staying true to oneself – embracing all sides of one’s identity, the tech geek and the creative soul alike – is exactly what it takes to break the mold and build something truly new.
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