From Cincinnati to Nigeria: The EO Forum Retreat That Started With a House and Ended With Tears

Six entrepreneurs and one invitation to a homeland most of them had never imagined visiting. Three years of building a house, a dream and a bridge between two worlds. When Evans Nwankwo, president and CEO of Megan Construction Company and an 8-year member of EO Cincinnati, opened the doors of his Nigerian home to his forum group in 2024, nobody could have predicted what would happen a month after they returned to Cincinnati.

What Is an EO Forum Retreat? 

An EO forum retreat is a shared experience where a small group of Entrepreneurs' Organization members step outside their regular meetings to go deeper; personally and professionally. While most retreats stay domestic, international forum trips have become some of the most transformative experiences EO members report. When a native member opens the door to their home country, the forum doesn't just travel together. They see the world through each other's eyes.

For Evans Nwankwo's forum, that experience started not in Nigeria but in Spain, and it planted a seed that grew into something none of them planned.

How Does an EO Forum End Up in Nigeria? 

The path to Nigeria began poolside after a forum trip to Spain. Forum member Jay Mueller's wife is originally from Spain, and once the group decided to go, spouses joined and then families signed on. What started as a forum retreat became a full cultural immersion, and a masterclass in what happens when a native opens a door that tourism never could.

"We were able to get exposed to the way things are over there," Evans recalled. "Getting involved with the locals, closing some restaurants for us. These are just experiences you can't get anywhere else."

Evans came home from Spain knowing how to cook paella. More importantly, he brought back a deeper understanding of why travelling internationally with your forum changes everything. "I've probably done about a dozen rounds of entertainment since we went to Spain based on my learning how to cook this dish," he said. "It gives you an idea how exciting it is to take your forum international."

Back in Cincinnati, Evans and his wife had been quietly building something in Nigeria for three years: A home that would be a gathering place and a bridge. Sitting by the pool after Spain, the forum asked the obvious question: "If your house is done, why don't we go there next?"

And just like that, they were going to Nigeria.

Why Does His Forum Call Him "Uncle Evans"?

Evans Nwankwo has been a member of EO Cincinnati for nearly eight years. As president and CEO of Megan Construction Company, he leads a commercial construction firm that operates regionally and nationally. He is also, by his own description, the oldest member of his forum — a fact his group has celebrated with a nickname that says everything about how they see him.

"I am aka Uncle Evans because I'm the oldest one in the group," he said, laughing. "When I first was introduced to the group, I felt like, ‘What am I doing with these young people?’ But it has been a journey of learning, a journey of keeping things exciting and a lot of vigor and vitality."

That youthful energy, Evans says, is contagious. "You can't help but become affected by that."

What makes EO forum work, Evans believes, is the trust that comes from the vetting process. "There's an instant trust. It means the people that are members of that organization would have been somewhat vetted before they come in. So you're in a place where you can easily trust, and I have done that and I haven't been disappointed."

That trust is exactly what made the Nigeria trip possible.

The Experience: From Lagos to a Village

Nigeria delivered two completely different worlds inside one trip.

In Lagos, the group experienced the pulse of a major African city. Restaurants, beaches, music, and the food and energy that remind you that great cities share a universal language. One night, the group took a midnight cruise along the lagoon, watching stunning waterfront homes pass in the darkness.

"City life gives you the impression that cities are the same wherever you go," Evans said. "You have restaurants, you have nice beaches, you have food and drinks — things that bring joy to every person that is open to enjoyment. I just came back from France and it's the same type of ambiance."

Then they retreated to Evans' village: a community of approximately 5,000 people in southeastern Nigeria, his homeland. The contrast was immediate and profound.

"There's no zoning," Evans explained. "Everybody lives in a cluster of their family. You could have family members that are doing well — a huge mansion right there — and then next door may be somebody that is not so fortunate and they live in a hut."

The group did what Evans calls a "village walk" — leaving the compound on foot to talk to locals and simply observe. What they saw quietly rearranged something inside each of them.

"Most of these folks are very poor," Evans said. "My forum got to understand the privilege we all enjoy. What is luxury over there is what everybody has in this place. You don't think anything of people having a television, a cell phone, even a mode of transportation — but over there, it's a luxury."

Experiencing a Leader’s Roots

Taking his forum to Nigeria was deeply intentional for Evans: He wanted his forum to understand him.

"I think when you can understand a person from their root, you really know that person well," he says. "I thought that taking them there and giving them a taste of where I grew up — it will help them understand me as an individual."

The group visited local schools and a hospital, where they witnessed resourcefulness operating with almost nothing. They attended cultural celebrations, watched masquerades and connected with community members who were as curious about the visitors as the visitors were about them.

"It also reminded them how fortunate we all are to live in abundance where we live," Evans reflected. "They felt fortunate in some sense to live in the States. They also felt guilty that so many people are suffering and yet we live in such abundance."

But Evans wasn't done. He wanted his forum to leave with something tangible, handmade and irreplaceable.

The group visited an open-air market. Each person wandered the stalls and chose their own fabric. Then they went to a local tailor who measured every member and crafted a custom African outfit from scratch.

"Everybody brought home an outfit that they can now wear to whichever function — especially if that function has Afrocentric written all over it," Evans said.

Echoes of the Experience

The EO Forum members flew home to Cincinnati. Life resumed and business continued. Then, about a month after the trip, Evans' forum gathered again. He didn't know what was coming.

Unsolicited and unannounced, his forum members had pooled their own money and purchased everything on the wish list that the local school had shared during their visit. They presented it to Evans without fanfare. "It just brought tears down my cheeks," Evans said quietly. "I'm not sure how you can get that experience. You cannot duplicate that."

That moment, when a group of Cincinnati business leaders chose to give to a village school half a world away, is what Evans calls the real proof of what his forum has become.

The Takeaway Every Entrepreneur in EO Should Hear

The best business relationships are built on knowing each other – really knowing each other, beyond titles, revenue numbers and growth goals. Evans Nwankwo modeled something powerful for his forum: the courage to be fully known. To open a door that had nothing to do with business and everything to do with being human. His forum walked through it and came home changed.

"To him who much is given, much is also expected," Evans said. That's not a business lesson:  That's a life lesson, and the best forums deliver both.

At BigOrange Marketing, we are proud to work alongside Cincinnati entrepreneurs who lead with purpose, push their peers to grow and remind us that the most powerful marketing any of us can do is simply telling our authentic story.

Are you an EO Cincinnati member with a story worth sharing? We would love to feature you. Reach out to the BigOrange team.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an EO Forum retreat?

An EO Forum retreat is a shared experience where a small group of Entrepreneurs' Organization members — typically six to eight business leaders — travel together outside of their regular forum meetings. The goal is to deepen relationships, build trust and grow personally and professionally through shared experiences. International retreats, especially those led by a native member, often produce the most lasting impact.

What is EO Cincinnati?

EO Cincinnati is the local chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization, a global peer network for business owners and entrepreneurs. Members are organized into small forum groups that meet regularly for confidential peer learning and support. EO vets all applicants before acceptance and requires members to meet specific annual revenue thresholds.

Why do EO Forum groups travel internationally?

International forum trips allow EO members to step outside their business environments and connect on a deeper human level. Traveling to unfamiliar places — especially a member's home country — builds empathy and trust in ways that scheduled meetings simply cannot replicate. Members consistently report that international retreats are among the most impactful experiences of their EO journey.

Who is Evans Nwankwo?

Evans Nwankwo is the President and CEO of Megan Construction Company, a commercial construction firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that operates regionally and nationally. He is an 8-year member of EO Cincinnati and organized his forum's 2024 trip to Nigeria, his homeland in West Africa.

What is Megan Construction Company?

Megan Construction Company is a Cincinnati-based commercial construction firm led by Evans Nwankwo. The company operates regionally and nationally and is an active member of the Cincinnati business community.

About the Author: Margee Moore is the CEO and founder of BigOrange Marketing, a Cincinnati-based digital marketing agency and award-winning certified StoryBrand Guide. BigOrange Marketing helps manufacturers, MSPs, home builders and landscaping companies grow through strategic content marketing, SEO and web design. Learn more at bigorange.marketing.