For our One of One, Teejay…

“One of One” isn’t a title you use loosely. It’s reserved for that rare kind of person you know, deep down, you will never experience again.

That’s who Teejay was to us.

It has been one year since he left us. And while this team works every single day to carry his brilliant vision forward, today we just want to remember the man he was. We are sharing these pieces of him with the hope that you can catch a glimpse of the light he gave to all of us.

Gift

My first week at Bumpa… Teejay and I had a WhatsApp fight about the supremacy of Amala, and we did ‘couples therapy’ because he wouldn’t answer my questions on time 😂😂😂.

He’s a much calmer person than me, so whenever he was tired of me fretting or fussing over something, he’d say, “Miss Dahunsi… shey after all this your wahala now… will it solve the problem?”

My fondest memory of Teejay would probably be him being so scared of an injection when we had a company health check-up, and about four people had to intervene. It was hilarious.

The biggest thing I think I’ll always carry with me from Teejay is one of our major conversations before he passed, when he told me to try again. I’ll hold that close.

Dami

TJ was not just my boss; he was a big brother to me. The relationship we shared was something truly special. Every time I was around him, he made me feel secure and safe. We talked about life, about the future, and about what the future could hold for me. He was always supportive, always encouraging, always making me feel like I could be anything and do anything I wanted.

I did not work very much with TJ in a strictly professional sense, but whenever he was around, it was always a good time. Always. He carried himself like a big brother; protective, reassuring, and deeply caring.

I remember one particular time during my NYSC when I had to do my redeployment to another school. There were certain fees I needed to pay, and TJ took care of everything. That was the kind of person he was. That was how much of a big brother he was to me.

He has left a vacuum that I honestly don’t think anyone can fill.

One thing that made our relationship even more special was our shared love for philosophy. There’s really nobody else I’ve had philosophical conversations with the way I did with TJ. We would exchange ideas, discuss different perspectives, and I always loved hearing his thoughts. It was so typical of TJ; he seemed to know something about almost everything.

I always felt like there was nothing I couldn’t talk to him about. I remember one day I was very worried about something and went to him to talk about it. After I finished explaining everything, he simply looked at me and said, “Is that all? Is that what you were worried about?” And somehow, just like that, he made it seem so small, like it wasn’t worth all the anxiety I had carried.

Nero

I'd describe Teejay as kind, passionate, disciplined, and reserved. He cares about people genuinely, listens to understand, and not to object. I remember one of the very first conversations we had when I was new at Bumpa, where I had a complaint about a decision on how to build a certain feature. One call with Teejay, and I fully understood all sides and how the decision was made. He had a way of calming storms while still building the confidence to take on the challenge. I miss his technical leadership, the long debugging calls, and the fun times out of the office.

Favour

It’s funny how someone can be your CTO but the relationship never feels like that “boss and staff” thing. That was TeeJay for me. Every time I spoke with him, it just felt like gist. You know that feeling when you’re talking to a superior, and there’s usually that small tension or jitters? I never had that with him. He was so accommodating and so down to earth that conversations with him always felt easy.

I still laugh when I remember the day I attempted to carry him. Yes, I actually tried to carry him 😭, and he was teasing me about it like it was the most normal thing in the world. That was TeeJay. Calm, playful, and always ready to turn a moment into laughter.

I also remember during our EOY medical check-up. I was just there, scared and overthinking everything. TeeJay was the one gingering me, telling me nothing was going to happen. The way he said it was so reassuring.

Then, during our 2024 get-together, he looked at me and said, “Why didn’t they call you among the best dressed? You look really good.” TeeJay knew how to give the best compliments. The kind that comes so naturally and makes you smile instantly.

He was calm but somehow still so much fun to be around. The kind of person who makes people feel comfortable without even trying. I also remember when he randomly sent me a message two days after my birthday asking if this was my account number, and he sent me money. I just remember smiling because that was such a TeeJay thing to do.

The last time we met, he told me to send him my house address because he wanted to send me a gift. Thinking about that now still feels unreal. He promised me that he would never miss our EOY get-together because I was yabbing him for not coming the previous year 🥹😭.

His type is so rare. The kind of person you don’t come across often. And we really miss him. But I’m sure he is proud of us and everything we have achieved so far. And somehow it feels like he’s still rooting for us.

Ayodele

Teejay, for me, was an exceptional person whose impact I felt outside work. A few weeks before my wedding, I asked him for his car, and he gladly gave it to me for two weeks for wedding run-arounds. He was so thoughtful and always welcoming. Just a few people call me by my full name all the time, and he's one of those people. What a man!

Felicity

It has been a year since we lost Teejay, and his absence is still deeply felt.

I didn’t know Teejay all my life, but the time I worked with him at Bumpa left a lasting impression on me. Teejay had a remarkable way of approaching problems. When something happened and everyone else panicked, he didn’t. He stayed calm and focused on solutions. His first response was always simple: what is the issue, and how can we solve it?

Beyond his brilliance as a CTO and co-founder, Teejay genuinely cared about people. Even though he was far ahead of many of us in his career, he was always approachable and willing to help.

When I think of Teejay, I remember the different ways he touched my life. I remember my birthday in 2024 when I was in Lagos at the company house. He asked what I wanted for my birthday and told me to pick something. I chose something almost casually, not expecting much, but he simply asked for the total and sent the money. It remains one of the most meaningful gifts I have received from someone who was not family.

I remember my first Christmas at Bumpa, when he sent me a jewelry box with a bracelet inside. And I remember a moment at work when a rule was supposed to change because my role had changed. It was logical for that benefit to go away, but Teejay stepped in and made an exception for me, ensuring it stayed. That quiet act of kindness meant a lot to me.

Teejay lived life with joy and courage. One thing he often said was to live your life as though the fear of death may not enter your heart. In remembering Teejay, I try to hold on to that lesson; to live fully, to pursue what matters, and not let the fear of death stop me from living.

Shoga

Teejay… A wonderful gentleman, an awesome and thoughtful boss, and truly an amazing friend.

Teejay wasn’t just my co-founder and boss at work. Somewhere along the line, we built a relationship beyond work and became real friends. I joined Bumpa in mid-2022 and sometime in December that year, he called me randomly to ask for my address. Not long after, I got a call that a package had arrived for my son—that was Teejay. And he didn’t stop there; he kept doing that every year until his passing. That was just the kind of person he was… thoughtful, kind, and intentional about people.

In December 2024 during the company’s end-of-year activities, Teejay was the ringleader of the Outside Crew. He made sure our December was dettyyyy 😄. He created those moments for us, the kind you don’t realize will mean so much later.

On January 24, 2025, we had plans to hang out. He had gotten home tired and had probably even slept off, but he still dragged himself out and showed up. Just to spend time. That was supposed to be one of many more hangouts we said we would have.

Teejay always showed up for me, even when he didn’t have to. That was just who he was.

Thank you, Teejay, for being an amazing leader and an even better friend. Till we meet again 🤍.

Mercy

If you asked ten different people to describe TeeJay in one word, I’d bet everything I have that across all ten responses, one word would be a constant: “kind”. Not the performative kind, not the kind people switch on for an audience or when they need something. TeeJay’s kindness was just who he was. Factory setting. Default mode. He didn’t need to know you to extend it to you, he didn’t need a reason; he just was.

He was also, without question, someone I considered a genius. One of the smartest people I’ve ever been around, and Bumpa is proof of that; the vision, the product, everything he poured himself into. But as brilliant as his mind was, what I’ll carry with me forever is his heart.

Some people make you feel seen in the quietest, most effortless ways. TeeJay was one of those people. I remember the little things, the random “👀 Hi hi” on Slack that could come out of nowhere on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon, the way he’d check in with a simple “it’s been a minute… wanted to check in with you.” In the middle of everything that came with building Bumpa, he’d pause to ask if you were okay. That was TeeJay.

He was also a big gifter. Not the “here’s some money, sort yourself out” kind, even though he did give money too, but TeeJay gave thoughtful gifts. The kind that told you he’d actually been thinking about you. In the last couple of weeks before he passed, he’d pop into my DMs multiple times with screenshots and updates on the chaos surrounding my Christmas gift delivery, and we would both be laughing through it all, “your Christmas gift have shown me shege… but thank God I finally got a delivery date”. And we’d just laugh. The delivery fought him every step of the way, but he never dropped it. He saw it through. That’s what his kindness looked like in practice; it wasn’t just a feeling, it was action. It showed up. It followed through.

What makes his loss so devastating, so deeply unfair, is that a man who moved through life leading with that level of kindness, who never needed a reason to show up for people, met his end at a moment when he needed just one person to show up for him.

That’s the part that breaks us, his loved ones.

Rest well, TeeJay. You were one of a kind, and we knew it. And if anything, I’m grateful I got to plan your last birthday surprise party. I’m grateful we got to celebrate you while you were here.

Keep resting, champ. 🤍

Petra

Teejay made kindness seem so easy. Always had the sweetest words. Always wanted to be sure you were comfortable and okay. And he moved with such grace and never made anything feel like it was too much. That’s not a trait you find easily in the world. I don’t even think he knew how special this made him.

My fondest memory of Teejay was spending the day at an arcade with the team and later constituting a nuisance in the movie theatre (we spent the entire time gisting instead of watching the movie, until Kelvin turned and asked us why we were holding our own podcast instead of watching the movie😂😂).

But the one thing that’s stuck with me from that day was going on an escalator (I’m deathly terrified of them). He said, ‘There’s a hack to it. I’ll show you how,’ and he did. We got off the escalator, and he was grinning so happily, like I’d just done something so major, and he said, ‘It wasn’t that hard, was it? It’s okay to be scared, but you also need to live a little”.

I will.

Cole

Teejay was my boss, I’d known him for about 5 years, but from the moment I joined Bumpa, he became much more than that to me. He was a mentor, a close friend, and someone I knew I could always count on or turn to.

Right from my early days at the company, he was a constant listening ear. Whether it was work challenges, ideas I was trying to figure out, or just moments when I felt overwhelmed, he always made time to listen. What stood out about him was how comfortable he made people feel. With Teejay, you never felt like a disturbance. I could say what was on my mind, ask questions, share ideas, share my thoughts freely, and he would meet me with patience, curiosity, and genuine respect. He was incredibly brilliant, but he never made people feel small because of it. Never condescending, always humble.

I remember a time my team and I had spent hours trying to solve an issue. Out of frustration, I called Teejay while he was at the gym. Within less than 5 minutes, he calmly suggested what the problem might be. I was about to deliver the feedback to my team when they saw the issue themselves, and it was exactly what Teejay had said.

Moments like that were so typical of him. But what made Teejay truly special wasn’t just his brilliance; it was his heart. He genuinely cared about people. I can’t emphasise this enough. He checked in often, noticed when I or anyone wasn’t okay, and always tried to lift people up. He believed deeply in me, and he was never shy about showing it. He was also a very playful person, extremely; he really liked the chill vibe.

One thing I’ll always remember is how intentional he was about the little things. Every December, we worked together on gifts for the children of the team's fathers. He took it seriously, thinking through what each child might like, discussing ideas, and reviewing options. It wasn’t just a task for him; it was another way he showed care for the people around him. Personally, he made me feel like someone always had my back. He believed in me, supported my ideas, and introduced me to others in ways that always spoke so highly of me. There was a genuine mutual respect between us, and I’m grateful that he trusted me enough to share his dreams, thoughts, and ideas with me as well.

Even his last message to me, on the day he passed, was simply checking if I was okay. That was Teejay. Thoughtful. Kind. Always looking out for others. I still reach for my phone sometimes. I think I always will. One year. I'm grateful I knew him. I'm grateful he let me. Knowing him was truly an honor, and his kindness, brilliance, and generosity continue to live on in the many lives he touched.

Adedoyin

Hi Teejay,

I never had the chance to meet you. But whenever I speak with anyone at Bumpa, your name always finds its way into the conversation. Not a day goes by without at least one person sharing a story, a lesson, or a memory about you. In many ways, I feel like I’ve come to know you through the people here, through the warmth in their voices whenever they talk about you. That alone says so much about the kind of soul you were.

People have shared many beautiful things about you, but one truth that stands out above all is the impact you left behind. Even after your passing, your presence still lives within this company, in the culture you helped shape, and in the people who continue to carry your vision forward. It’s a rare thing for someone’s influence to echo this strongly long after they’re gone, and it speaks volumes about the life you lived and the way you showed up for others.

From someone who never got the chance to meet you, I hope that wherever you are, you’re still lighting up every room and carving paths where none existed before. The stories I hear make it clear that this is the kind of person you were. Thank you for the mark you left on Bumpa and on the people who continue to honor you every day. Your legacy is being lived out, one conversation, one action, and one person at a time. 💚

Putting these words together wasn't easy for any of us. But we all agreed on one thing: the world deserves to know the Teejay we knew. It breaks our hearts to think of everything the world missed out on by losing him so soon.

To everyone who continues to celebrate him, say his name, and keep his story alive alongside us; thank you.