This week on the podcast community builidng is a central theme. For twenty years, my guest, Bakajika Tshinanga, has operated at the exact intersection where culture generates economic value.

His journey started in 2004, when he founded a student-led program at the University of Georgia Atlanta. Georgia Daze still runs today and has improved enrollment yield conservatively valued at $150M+ in incremental revenue for the university. That experience shaped how he thinks about infrastructure: who builds it, who benefits, and who owns the upside.

He went on building hospitality programming delivering the cultural insight that prompted AT&T to sponsor Drake's inaugural headline tour and leading the campaign that introduced the Lyft ridesahre app to Atlanta. He’s produced work with cultural figures including Michael Jordan, and while an undergraduate he producing concerts featuring Outkast, Lauryn Hill, and Dave Chappelle. Also of note, he owns a publishing catalog featuring songs from Lil Wayne, The Neptunes, Sevyn Streeter, Pusha T, and Usher.

Coding since age 11, technology is lens he's always looking through. His latest endeavor, the lOlŌ's platform is the direct expression of technology deployed as infrastructure to close the gap between who creates cultural value and who captures it. He's lived the innovator's dilemma firsthand: operating at the riskiest part of the curve, where the work is undeniable but the capital isn't designed to find you. That experience is why lOlŌ exists—a collective ownership vehicle for cultural capital, community-capitalized, community-governed, designed to compound for generations.

Where to fine Bakajika?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Threads

What’s Bakajika reading?
The Science of Scaling by Dr. Benjamin Hardy adn Blake Erickson

What’s Bakajika watching?
Dreaming Whilst Black on Showtime

How’s Bakijika listening to?
Who is Joy Leone?

Other topics of interest:
Kinshasa, DRC
About Georgia Daze
University of Michigan Supreme Court Affirmative Action Case
Atlanta Influences Everything
Lɔlɔ̃ means love

Special Guest: Bakajika Tshinanga.

Kicking off February, we have a double-header in conversation with another Stanford Alum and fellow “Track Girl.” Born in Vietnam and raised in New York, Dana Weeks is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of MedTrans Go, a healthcare technology start-up based in Atlanta, GA. Prior to MedTrans Go, she co-founded the Black Angel Tech Foundation, created to support and increase the number of underrepresented minorities in technology. She has also held positions at AT&T, Pfizer, and in several innovative entrepreneurial ventures. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Westminster Schools of Atlanta, and has served as Treasurer of the Atlanta Chapter of Jack & Jill, a Board Member for Blue Owl Capital, and a Board Member for the Alliance Theater of Atlanta. She also serves on several Task Forces and Committees at both Stanford and Columbia Business School, including serving as a co-chair of the Stanford LEAD Council, a member of the Stanford Humanities & Sciences Council, and a founding member of the Women’s Circle at Columbia Business School. It was lovely catching up on the many paths Dana has walked since our days hop, skipping and jumping at the Stanford Stadium.

Where to find Dana?
https://www.medtransgo.com/
On LinkedIn
On Facebook

What’s Dana watching?
The Hallmark Channel

Other topics of interest:
About the Peace Corps
Lusophone Africa
Islands of Cape Verde
Who is Jodi Kantor?
iPhone's launch @ AT&T
Atlanta Influences Everything

Special Guest: Dana Weeks.

Kicking off February, we have a double-header in conversation with another Stanford Alum and fellow “Track Girl.” Born in Vietnam and raised in New York, Dana Weeks is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of MedTrans Go, a healthcare technology start-up based in Atlanta, GA. Prior to MedTrans Go, she co-founded the Black Angel Tech Foundation, created to support and increase the number of underrepresented minorities in technology. She has also held positions at AT&T, Pfizer, and in several innovative entrepreneurial ventures. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Westminster Schools of Atlanta, and has served as Treasurer of the Atlanta Chapter of Jack & Jill, a Board Member for Blue Owl Capital, and a Board Member for the Alliance Theater of Atlanta. She also serves on several Task Forces and Committees at both Stanford and Columbia Business School, including serving as a co-chair of the Stanford LEAD Council, a member of the Stanford Humanities & Sciences Council, and a founding member of the Women’s Circle at Columbia Business School. It was lovely catching up on the many paths Dana has walked since our days hop, skipping and jumping at the Stanford Stadium.

Where to find Dana?
https://www.medtransgo.com/
On LinkedIn
On Facebook

What’s Dana watching?
The Hallmark Channel

Other topics of interest:
About the Peace Corps
Lusophone Africa
Islands of Cape Verde
Who is Jodi Kantor?
iPhone's launch @ AT&T
Atlanta Influences Everything

Special Guest: Dana Weeks.

This week I have the pleasure getting to know a longtime friend even better from insights into his professional world. An internationally recognized recording artist, vocal coach, songwriter/writer, style influencer, and entrepreneur, Ghanaian-Cuban-American, Jeremiah Abiah inspires artists around the world to learn, love, and live their voice. His creative talents and expertise have made him a sought-after coach for national and international singers, actors, rappers, and public speakers. His influence and involvement have launched the careers of many musicians currently on the charts. As a singer, producer and writer, his recording contributions have been nominated for Grammy Awards, the Latin Grammys, the NAACP Image Awards and the 2020 Oscar Awards with Cynthia Erivo. He works with an array of celebrated artists such as Common, Brandy, Robert Glasper, Ro James and others.

He launched TheABIAHway, an artist development platform, to enlighten, inspire, and empower music artists globally and expanding his influence in the music industry. His work has launched the careers of many current music artists on the charts and on Broadway. Clients include Sony, RCA, Atlantic, Columbia Records as well as numerous Broadway and Opera Stars. This former Professor of Voice at Berklee College of Music can be seen on the stage at music festivals, concert halls and teaching Masterclasses worldwide.

In 2020, he debuted his popular new Facebook Live talk show, Inside the Singer’s Voice where each episode is an intimate conversation between great singers about great singing. As you’ll hear, there’s much, much more to Jeremiah’s own voice and story.

Where to find Jeremiah?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On X
On YouTube

Topics of interest:
About George Michael
Opera Greats William Warfield and Leontyne Price
Rochester School of the Arts
About Patricia Seymour Alexander
About the Art Song Repertoire
NAACP ACT-SO Acheivement Program
Eastman School of Music
New England Conservatory
About The Chi’s Ntare Mwine
Otter.ai
Ain’t Too Proud, The Musical
About Michael Swanson
Ron Simon’s SimonSays Entertainment
About Pamela Cooper’s, The Cooper Company
About Shanice
What is the “Whistle Tone?”
About Gospel Great, Yolanda Adams
Laylah Hathaway
Mint Condition’s Stokley Williams
Claude Kelly
R&B and Soul Legends Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross and Barry White
About Bill T. Jones

Special Guest: Jeremiah Abiah.