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.

I’m sure many of you remember the groundbreaking web series An African City. We’ve even hosted a panel featuring creator of the series Nicole Amarteifio in our writing as activism series. My guest this week launched her creative career as a cast member on the series and she hasn’t looked back since. Maame Adjei is a Ghanaian storyteller, producer, director, entrepreneur and cultural archivist.

As the founder of Sweet Roots Media, she leads a women-driven media hub dedicated to amplifying cultural narratives and preserving history through high-quality storytelling. Their work spans documentary scripted, brand storytelling, and immersive experiences, all crafted to resonate on a global scale.

Beyond media, she is the founder of Duruyeh, a bold jewelry brand celebrating heritage, beauty, and self-expression. Every piece tells a story, designed not just as an accessory but as a keepsake to be passed down.

Maame is also deeply invested in archival work and co-founded Korabea which focuses on preserving, protecting, and uplifting the stories of Ghanaian women, both past and present, through exhibitions, educational projects, and a forthcoming podcast. #NewPodcastAlert!

Where to find Maame?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On YouTube

What’s Maame listening to?
Devi Brown’s Deeply Well Podcast
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
The Myleik Teele Podcast
The Emotions

Other topics of interest:
NAFTI is now UniMAC-IFT
Who is GloRilla?
The Whites of Our Eyes Trailer
On Kenneth B. Clark's Doll Study
The Sunday Mirror today
Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings

Special Guest: Maame Adjei.

If it’s March then it’s that time again for a month of conversations centering women’s stories and experiences. This week, we’re also kicking off the series with the launch of our Glocal Citizens x Black Women in Real Estate collaboration--Borderless Building. Founded in 2019, Black Women in Real Estate (BWRE) is an organization that aims to bring together black women in property, creating opportunities for upcoming talent and organizing workshops for those already in the industry. Througout the year, we’re teaming up with BWRE to showcase the personal and professional journeys of Black women in the real estate industry; highlight how Black women in the industry invest and structure value in/around land/property across global markets; and offer valuable insight into the business/operational functions in the real estate industry to inspire a spirit of land stewardship. All ideas you’ll hear in this week's conversation.

Kicking off the series is BWRE Founder, Hanna Afolabi. A few years after founding BWRE, Hanna found herself furthering her entrepreneurial journey with Mood and Space (MAS), a development company supporting clients in embedding social value in their development vision and strategy as well as efficiently managing processes delivering community focused building and urban neighborhoods.

Prior to setting up MAS, Hanna was a Development Director for Balfour Beatty Investments seconded into East Wick and Sweetwater Ltd a joint venture with Places for People. She lead on the feasibility, business planning, budget, design, programming and planning of the mixed-use regeneration project of approx. 1,900 homes on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Her other notable projects in London, include Hallsville Quarter in Canning Town and Borough Triangle in Elephant and Castle.

Additionally, she is Vice Chair of the University of Greenwich’s Construction, Property and Surveying Practices Industry Advisory Board and is on Estates Gazette's Diversity & Inclusion Content Advisory Panel, advocating for diverse representation in property.

Where to find Hanna?
Black Women in Real Estate (BWRE) and get your tix to their International Women’s Day Gala
@ Mood and Space
On LinkedIn
On Instagram

What’s Hanna watching?
All her Fault
Bridgerton on Netflix
His & Hers on Netflix

Other topics of interest:
Oke-Ila in Osun State, Nigeria
About Hackney
Estates Gazette

Special Guest: Hanna Afolabi.

This week on the podcast, I was thrilled to have been able to take advantage of the fact that this week’s guest and I were on the same timezone because he’s literally moving and shaking across Africa and the Middle East full time. Since he last joined us in early 2020, Oswald Osaretin Guobadia has stepped into multiple new roles on top of being an entrepreneur. This includes more roles on boards, becoming a published author--his book In Pursuit - Journeys in African Entrepreneurship, chronicles the journeys of two friends whose experiences in America shaped their approach to starting their own businesses in Nigeria; and a tireless champion for African innovation. Today, Oswald is a senior policy advisor and digital strategy leader with over 25 years building infrastructure and shaping transformative policy across Africa. He is Managing Partner at DigitA, where, since 2023 he has guided projects and policy innovations that have created impact in countries across Africa, helping to set the pace for inclusive digital development and entrepreneurial growth. Oswald’s advisory reach includes serving presidential offices, leading government agencies, collaborating with multilateral partners, and forging public–private partnerships to help build resilient infrastructure and regulatory frameworks. As Senior Special Assistant on Digital Transformation to the President of Nigeria, he steered Nigeria’s largest startup policy rollout, including the acclaimed Nigeria Startup Act—widely recognized as a benchmark for digital economies.

He has shared his insights at TEDx, the United Nations General Assembly, BBC Africa, CNBC Africa, and the Wharton Africa Business Forum, and has graced numerous influential panels and stages globally. He believes, “the next startup to impact the world will start in an African village,” and in this conversation you’ll start to understand how this belief is daily practice.

Where to find Oswald?
On Glocal Citizens
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Medium

What’s Oswald reading?
Ths Four by Scott Galloway
Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
AI 2041 by Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan

Other topics of interest:
About the Benin Kingdom
UNDP Timbuktu Policy Approach
Digitization vs Digitalization
What is Zoho?
On Digital Estonia

Special Guest: Oswald Oseratin Guobadia.

I met this week’s guest, Derrick N. Ashong, earlier this year in Nairobi at the Charter Cities Institute, 2025 New Cities Summit. At the summit, we connected as storytellers that share Ghanaian heritage and formative years spent in Brooklyn, New York. In a glocal citizenship twist, we later came to find that we met virtually years prior through mutual connections in the media and arts spaces. Derrick’s work leverages his international upbringing which informs his company’s vision for Turning Culture into Currency for creators and fans worldwide. He does this as founder and CEO of TBTM, a media fintech that uses content to onboard global audiences to inclusive financial solutions, with partners like Mastercard. While still a student at Harvard, he played a supporting role in Steven Spielberg’s Amistad, and went on to top charts with his band, winning a Billboard Songwriting Award. As a host and producer, he pioneered multi-platform interactive content with Oprah Winfrey, and major media platforms including ABC-Disney and Univision, earning three Emmy nods and a Royal Television Society Award. His original Take Back the Mic television series has won seven major international awards and achieved 1.1 Billion media impressions worldwide. He has delivered electrifying speeches on issues of Youth Culture and Tech for UK Parliament, the United Nations, and the world’s most elite business schools, including Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Wharton, Cambridge and London School of Economics. He has interviewed celebrities and global luminaries ranging from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Kofi Annan, to Zoe Saldaña, Kevin Hart and Steven Wozniak, among others. Most recently, he has delivered keynote speeches for Mastercard, Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and Kigali, as well as SuperReturn Africa--the continent’s top investment forum. In this conversation we get to know even more about the next phase of Derrick’s vision for flipping the script on creative industry infrastructure in Africa. #Listenandlearn more!

Where to find Derrick?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On YouTube

What’s Derrick reading?
Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series
Lord of the Rings by J.J.R Tolkien

Other topics of interest:
About Larteh in Ghana
Where are Dansoman and Adabraka in Accra?
What was music streaming like in the early 2000’s?
Soulfege performs Sweet Remix
About Uechi-Ryū Martial Arts

Special Guest: Derrick N. Ashong.

As part of my thought gathering and as five years of storytelling with dynamic diasporans becomes six, this week's compilation is a reflection on visionary entrepreneurs doing essential work improving food systems, as stewards of earth’s abundant resources, and by building and delivering value to communities. Each of these guests - Luther Lawoyin, founder and CEO of Pricepally in Nigeria; Nana Opoku Ageyman-Prempeh, CEO of Grow For Me in Ghana; Wellington Baiden, CEO of Portal Forest Estates also in Ghana; and Asmeret Berhe-Lumax, founder of the One Love Community Fridge Project in the US, engages daily with the realities of the global challenges we are all facing - the availability and access to affordable, quality food; improving the livelihoods of those that deliver that food; and planning the land for the long haul.

The great thing about each of their entgerprises is that they are all growing and going strong with mission critical works, AND you can help ensure their continued success with your time, investment and/or donations.

Revist the full episodes with links to how to engage with each guest here:
A Revolution of Solutions with Luther Lawoyin
Crowdfunding African Agribusiness with Nana Opoku Ageyman-Prempeh
Portal into Agro-Forestry with Wellington Baiden
Connecting Communities with Asmeret Berhe-Lumax

Special Guests: Asmeret Berhe-Lumax, Luther Lawoyin, Nana Opuku Agyeman-Prempeh, and Wellington Baiden.

Last week, Ghana lost another living legend, the first lady of the 4th Republic, Madam Nana Konadu Ageyman Rawlings. As we mourn this loss, I can’t help but to take note of how 2025 has been a year punctuated with transitions of many of Ghana’s cultural icons as well as civic leaders--all passionate about not only their crafts, but forward movement, Ghana’s progress. I invited my guest this week to join me in conversation particularly because of how her craft, her passion and her lineage converge in a story that is and will continue to make an impact on arts, culture and economic development in Ghana and beyond.

Ghanaian-American, Aretha Amma Sarfo-Kantanka is an accomplished global branding professional who has been instrumental in driving retail sales via innovative retail marketing and branding campaigns juxtaposing the fashion and music industry.

In 1998, Aretha launched VISIONS Entertainment & Publicity in New York City with a client roster inclusive of: fashion brands, designers, actors, artists, publications and more. She has created and managed numerous cross-promotional marketing and branding campaigns, from concept to execution, for record labels such as: Interscope, DreamWorks, Sony/Columbia, Island/Def Jam, Arista and Atlantic Records.
A decade later in 2008 she founded Global Fusion Productions Inc. promoting African culture, tourism, entertainment and news. Aretha has served as the liaison and connector for local and global businesses looking to target the vast and underserved global African market with events and projects including being a member of the team who brought Ghanaian icon, living legend and Glocal Citizen, James Barnor’s photography for exhibition in Ghana for the first time in 2012.

Aretha also served as coordinator and panelist for the launch of Fashion Forum Africa’s talk series on the business of fashion in Africa. Aretha has written for publications such as: New York based Applause Africa, MIA Magazine and Berlin, Germany based - POP Magazine covering global pop music and culture.

In 2023, Aretha curated Culture Curators: Hip Hop 50 at the National Museum of Ghana, the first of its kind exhibition at the museum that celebrated Ghana’s Diaspora connection thru music in a series of talks, films and one of a kind memorabilia items and commissioned art, along with bringing A/R technology to the museum for the first time in collaboration with The San Diego African-American Museum of Fine Art. 2024 sets the stage to honor and tell the story of Ghana’s unique modern music of Hip Life in celebrating its 30th anniversary so there is much, much more to come for this dynamic diasporan!

Where to find Aretha?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram

What’s Aretha cooking?
Kontomire 101

Other topics of interest:
About Okomfo Anokye
Guan People of Ghana
About Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka
About KTA Mobile
About H.E. Nana Konadu Ageyman Rawlings
Capricorn Astrology
DollHouse Jeans
About the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre in Accra

Special Guest: Aretha Amma Sarfo-Kantanka.

This week we continue to reflect on GlocalCitizens@5 and we’re flashing back to our Womens' Herstory series in March 202. Ghana-based, London-born international award-winning journalist, playwright, global public speaker and entrepreneur, Esther Armah – a self-described ‘global black chick’ – has lived, worked, loved, and created across three cities in three countries on three continents – London, New York, and Accra. She is the Executive Director of the Esther Armah Institute of Emotional Justice and she leads a global team in Ghana, Chicago and London. Her most applauded work, which she describes as “more of a purpose than a profession” is centred on the concept of EMOTIONAL JUSTICE.

Pubilshed in 2022, her groundbreaking book Emotional Justice: A Roadmap for Racial Healing argues that the crucial missing piece to racial healing and sustainable equity is emotional justice—a new racial healing language to help us do our emotional work. She continues to build on this apparatus with complementary storytelling expressed via her breadth of creative media expertise. As part of EAIEJ’s third annual September event HEALING HARM | HEEDING HISTORY, themed WELLNESS in the face of WARFARE she’ll be hosting a screening and dialogue for her short film '...goodbye to the EMOTIONAL MAMMY' later this week.
Saturday, 20th September @ 6pm
African Film Society
East Legon, ACCRA
Tickets are SOLD OUT but be sure to follow and sign up for a screening near you!

Where to find Esther?
www.theaiej.com
On LinkedIn
On Facebook
On Instagram
On YouTube

Other topics of interest:
Million Women March
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
Steve Beko
Oliver Tambo
Women in the ANC
Truth and Reconciliation Commission South Africa
New Heritage Theatre Group
Danceworks London
www.iamadinkra.com
ICYMI - Nana Amoako-Anin's episodes - Part 1 and Part 2

Special Guest: Esther Armah.

This week on the podcast we have Part 1 of a two-part conversation centering a favorite topic of mine - education. The effectivenss of LinkedIn and it’s networkinng superpower facilitated our connection through common connects, Adja Maymouna Sakho and Laureen Adams.

My guest, fellow educator Kwame Sarfo-Mensah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Temple University. For nine years, he served as a middle school math teacher. Currently, he is the founder of Identity Talk Consulting, a global educational consulting firm that specializes in developing K-12 teachers into identity-affirming educators. Throughout his 17-year career as a classroom teacher, author, and consultant, Kwame has worked in the United States, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Zambia.

Additionally, Kwame has earned numerous accolades for this work, which include being honored as the 2019 National Member of the Year by Black Educators Rock, Inc. and being recognized as a Top Education Influencer by brightbeam, Inc. in 2021 and 2022.
His newest book, "Learning to Relearn: Supporting Identity in a Culturally Affirming Classroom", recently won the 2025 IPPY Award for Best Education Commentary Book and the 2024 Foreword INDIES Gold Book Award for Best Education Book.

Another dimension of Kwame’s glocal citizenship is the way that he, as a “trailing spouse” has forged forward despite the obvious challenges and has found success and expansion in his craft. I hope your listening will shed additional light on the ways that borderless mindsets are indeed manifesting a new world!

Where to find Kwame?
On Amazon
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On Youtube

What’s Kwame reading and watching?
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Untold Fall of Favre
Coach Prime

Other topics of interest:
About Mampong, Ghana
Where is Nsima, Ghana
About the Akwamu Empire
Lusaka, Zambia
A bit about Nyanja and other Zambian languages
Education past and present in Sierra Leone
Why Are All of the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum

Special Guest: Kwame Sarfo-Mensah.

This week on the podcast we have Part 1 of a two-part conversation centering a favorite topic of mine - education. The effectivenss of LinkedIn and it’s networkinng superpower facilitated our connection through common connects, Adja Maymouna Sakho and Laureen Adams.

My guest, fellow educator Kwame Sarfo-Mensah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Temple University. For nine years, he served as a middle school math teacher. Currently, he is the founder of Identity Talk Consulting, a global educational consulting firm that specializes in developing K-12 teachers into identity-affirming educators. Throughout his 17-year career as a classroom teacher, author, and consultant, Kwame has worked in the United States, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Zambia.

Additionally, Kwame has earned numerous accolades for this work, which include being honored as the 2019 National Member of the Year by Black Educators Rock, Inc. and being recognized as a Top Education Influencer by brightbeam, Inc. in 2021 and 2022.
His newest book, "Learning to Relearn: Supporting Identity in a Culturally Affirming Classroom", recently won the 2025 IPPY Award for Best Education Commentary Book and the 2024 Foreword INDIES Gold Book Award for Best Education Book.

Another dimension of Kwame’s glocal citizenship is the way that he, as a “trailing spouse” has forged forward despite the obvious challenges and has found success and expansion in his craft. I hope your listening will shed additional light on the ways that borderless mindsets are indeed manifesting a new world!

Where to find Kwame?
On Amazon
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On Youtube

What’s Kwame reading and watching?
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Untold Fall of Favre
Coach Prime

Other topics of interest:
About Mampong, Ghana
Where is Nsima, Ghana
About the Akwamu Empire
Lusaka, Zambia
A bit about Nyanja and other Zambian languages
Education past and present in Sierra Leone
Why Are All of the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum

Special Guest: Kwame Sarfo-Mensah.

The spirit of summers past visits with us this week; it’s another Glocal Citizens @‌5flashback forward episode. In 2023, my guest this week, Hawa Kombian joined us for a two part conversation while she was based in her adopted home country, Canada. Today she's back in Ghana spreading new wings as a leadership strategist, resilience coach, and organizational advisor dedicated to helping mission-driven organizations sustain their impact without sacrificing their people.

With 14+ years of experience in social impact leadership, public speaking, and organizational change, she has worked with leaders across North America, Africa, and Europe to prevent burnout, build resilient teams, and create lasting cultural shifts at both the individual and organizational levels.

And that’s where we’re picking up this week’s conversation. As a sought-after speaker and facilitator, she integrates mental resilience, emotional intelligence, and strategic leadership to help leaders navigate high-pressure environments without falling into unproductive burnout loops.

Where to find Hawa?
Hawa Kombian Consulting
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Soundcloud

What’s Hawa reading?
Dead Money by Jakob Kerr

Other topics of interest:
Gambaga, Ghana
About Najong #1
“Yaya hanya” and other beginning Hausa
P4 Pilates, Accra
Kukun Open Mic in Accra

Special Guest: Hawa Kombian.

This week’s guest, Tina Mbachu Obodozie first joined me in conversation in 2021, thanks fo the #BWiD Connect Whatsapp group. Since our first chat, she has shifted to a bi-continental lifestyle, based mostly in Nigeria as the new Exectuive Director of the Innovate Africa Foundation, while also managing her business activities in Canada. As a business and sustainable development expert specializing in business design, social impact assessment, and strategy development, her cross-sector career includes technology, natural resources, and the creative economy, where she has led teams, formed partnerships, and built development programs and incubators supporting market-creating innovations. Tina has worked with organizations like DMZ-a Toronto-based tech incubator and global startup ecosystem as well as Plan Canada, securing millions in funding and driving social and economic change. A recognized thought leader and ecosystem builder, she was named The Peak Emerging Leader 2024 in the Entrepreneurship category.

Where to find Tina?
@catalyst Venture
On LinkedIn
On Instagram

What’s Tina reading?
Conjure Women by Afia Atakora

Other topics of interest:
About World Product Day
What is Product Development all about?
More about Innovate Africa Foundation founder, Christian Idiodi
What is a susu?

Special Guest: Tina Mbachu Obodozie.

I had the pleasure of hosting this conversation late last year and it’s now right on time as my guest, Elizabeth Solaru and her team hosted their 2025 Diversity in Luxury Awards last week in London. Born and raised between the UK And Nigeria, Elizabeth is an author, international keynote speaker and award-winning entrepreneur. Formerly a scientist and headhunter, she honed her expertise in understanding luxury clients having successfully founded the world-renowned and multi-award-winning atelier Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium and the Luxury Business Emporium.
Author of the best-selling book, OPULENCIA, Elizabeth is the co-host of the Luxury Business Podcast and Luxury News Weekly Podcast, a humorous and informative news commentary podcast focusing on luxury news and the business of luxury. Creator of the first million-dollar cake NFT, she is considered to be a leading expert in the world of luxury selling.
As an international speaker, she has spoken in 30 cities around the world and her latest book, The LUXpreneur: How to start and build a successful luxury brand extends that global reach changing the narrative on how to build a luxury business by providing an in-depth analysis of luxury entrepreneurship and client psychology.

Where to find Elizabeth?
www.luxurybusinessemporium.com
On LinkedIn
On Facebook
On YouTube
On Instagram
On TikTok

What’s Elizabeth reading?
Clarity and books by James Clear

Other topics of interest:
About Pimlico, London
About Barnet, UK
Lady Elizabeth Anson
Bain’s Luxury in Transition Report
NFT 101
Chanakya School of Craft
Tea at The Dorchester
Tea at the Ritz
About Tea at sketch
Tea at the Shard
Tea at the Taj
Cedric Grolet at The Berkeley

Special Guest: Elizabeth Solaru.

As we bid 2024 farewell, we have another Glocal Citizen to thank for our connection with this weeks guest. This fall in Accra, Rita Kusi and her team hosted their Global Conference on Human Resources in Africa 2024 where this week's guest was a featured panelist sharing her expertise as a leading business leader in the technology space. Ghanaian born and raised, Deborah Asmah is a trailblazing expert in digital governance and fintech, whose contributions have significantly impacted Ghana's fintech landscape. Her innovative approaches have enabled seamless access to payment tools, promoted financial inclusion, and driven digital transformation in various sectors. She is co-founder of Npontu Technologies Ltd, a tech company specialising in the use of AI for the provision of financial solutions and digital transformation. As a Certified Information Privacy Manager with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), she is also an ardent activist for Public Policy. With extensive research experience at the intersection of technology and financial inclusion she is passionate about leveraging digital tools and platforms to bridge social divides and promote financially inclusive, sustainable societies.

Where to find Deborah?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On X

What’s Deborah listening to?
Jubilare Group

Other topics of interest:
Winneba, Ghana
Ghana Skills and Knowledge Bank
Ghana’s Ministry of Communications and Digitization
On the Digital Financial Landscaape in Ghana
About National Service in Ghana
What are WAEC and BECE?
Stanford Seed

Special Guest: Deborah Asmah.

We are nearing the end of our Writing As Activism series @ the 2024 Pa Gya! Literary Festival in Accra. This week, Ghanaian writer and editor winning acclaim as a children's author, poet, broadcaster and novelist, Nii Ayikwei Parkes joins the conversation. Winner of multiple international awards including the ACRAG (Arts Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana) award, his novel Tail of the Blue Bird won France's two major prizes for translated fiction – Prix Baudelaire and Prix Laure Bataillon – in 2014. Nii Ayikwei is the founder of flipped eye publishing, a leading small press; serves on the boards of World Literature Today and the AKO Caine Prize; and was chair of judges for the 2020 Commonwealth Prize. Translated in multiple languages, he has also written for National Geographic, Financial Times, the Guardian and Lonely Planet. His most recent books are The Ga Picture Alphabet and Azúcar, a novel. Currently Producer of Literature and Talks at Brighton Festival, he is also author of two collections of poetry The Makings of You (2010) and The Geez (2020), both published by Peepal Tree Press.

In this conversation, we journey with Nii Ayikwei through his works, his entreprenuership, his love for food and rum, and much more!
See Nii in converation at Pa Gya! here.

Where to find Nii Ayikwei?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On X
On YouTube
On Tik Tok
On BlueSky

What’s Nii Ayikwei listening to?
Gene Noble
Blues Man Robert Cray
The Roots
Cody Chesnutt + The Roots
and Headphone Masterpiece

Nii’s Pan-African Activism essential reading list:
Howard W. French, Born In Blackness
Mongo Beti’s, The Poor Christ of Bomba
Ama Atta Aidoo’s, No Sweetness Here
Franz Fanon, Black Skin, White Mask
You Can’t Get Lost in Cape Town, Zoë Wicomb
Kofi Awoonor, This Earth My Brother

Other topics of interest:
Historic Jamestown, Accra
Oto Blohum, Old Accra
North Kaneshie
Thornton Heath, UK
About Courttia Newland
Learn more about Nii’s uncle Frank Kobina Parkes
Nkyinkyim in the Adinkra
On Ghana’s Chop Bars
About Spanish-Caribbean Rum
About Rhum Agricole

Special Guest: Nii Ayikwei Parkes.

I met this week’s guest in Accra at a Women Wellness Africa breakfast early this year and was happy to be able sync our travel schedules to reconnect in one of the places she calls home, London. Marielle Legair is a speaker, certified NLP and hypnotherapy Coach, LinkedIn Top Voice, and LinkedIn Learning Instructor. She's leading career empowerment through cutting-edge neurological research and behavioural science. Her expertise goes beyond coaching, focusing on arming audiences with the tools to break barriers, overcome limiting beliefs, and thrive in their careers. With a background in corporate storytelling, executive visibility, and entrepreneurship, Marielle offers unmatched guidance to individuals and companies seeking to excel and leave a lasting impact. Global giants like Amazon, BP, Diageo, EY, LinkedIn, Macquarie, Microsoft, and Yale University have sought her for inspiring talks and workshops that drive transformative change.

Before founding her company, Marielle honed her skills on both sides of the Atlantic, spearheading impactful C-suite publicity campaigns in London and New York for corporate giants such as Deloitte Global, Grant Thornton, Experian, and Golin. Her strategic acumen in elevating CEOs and senior leaders has earned acclaim in top-tier media outlets like the BBC, CNBC, Forbes, Financial Times, and Glamour.

As you’ll hear, Marielle’s roots are in St. Vincent and the Grenadines which was hard hit by Hurricane Beryl last summer. Follow the links below to connect with Marielle about continuing efforts to support those impacted.

Where to fine Marielle?
marielelegair.com
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On YouTube

What’s Marielle reading?
Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Dr. Joe Dispenza
Steal the Show: From Speeches to Job Interviews to Deal-Closing Pitches, How to Guarantee a Standing Ovation for All the Performances in Your Life by Micheal Port

Other topics of interest:
About Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
About Nottingham, home of Robin Hood
Historic Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
30 Rock aka 30 Rockerfeller Plaza
Toastmasters
About Neuro-Linguistic Programming
Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejidé

Special Guest: Marielle Legair.

This week we're back in East Africa in conversation with Kenyan, Farhan Guled, coming to you in two parts. Farhan takes us with him from his native homeland to Europe and back to East Africa where he is currently Executive Director of Salaam Bank Limited in Kampala, Uganda; he has been instrumental is building the bank's start-up operation in the country. Born and raised in Kenya he began his entreprenuearship journey as founder of Maisha Fitness Center in Nairobi. Wearing many professional hats, Farhan is a "Multipotentialite Creative Thinker" offering an off the shelf business growth consultancy. As a visionary strategist, he helps businesses with the right intuitive and informative strategies that guarantee transformational growth. In his service endeavors, he is a board member of The Young Leaders of Finance (Le Club des Jeunes Dirigeants Financiers), which gathers young and mid-level professionals with various backgrounds who work with or within the financial sector taken in the broad sense. Some highlights of our conversation are Farhan's in depth tutorial on the links between Islamic finance and sustainable development goals as well as his delight with the sites and sounds of Uganda. Like me, I think you'll be ready to book your visit straight away!

Where to find Farhan?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On X

What’s Farhan Reading?
Burn the Boats: Toss Plan B Overboard and Unleash Your Full Potential by Matt Higgins

Other topics of interest:
On Islamic Banking and Finance
Salaam African Bank
Jinja, Uganda
Fort Portal, Uganda and traditions of the Tooro Kingdom
Kabale, Uganda: City of Peace
About Merck HQ Germany
Afrika Kommt

Special Guest: Farhan Guled.

This week we're back in East Africa in conversation with Kenyan, Farhan Guled, coming to you in two parts. Farhan takes us with him from his native homeland to Europe and back to East Africa where he is currently Executive Director of Salaam Bank Limited in Kampala, Uganda; he has been instrumental is building the bank's start-up operation in the country. Born and raised in Kenya he began his entreprenuearship journey as founder of Maisha Fitness Center in Nairobi. Wearing many professional hats, Farhan is a "Multipotentialite Creative Thinker" offering an off the shelf business growth consultancy. As a visionary strategist, he helps businesses with the right intuitive and informative strategies that guarantee transformational growth. In his service endeavors, he is a board member of The Young Leaders of Finance (Le Club des Jeunes Dirigeants Financiers), which gathers young and mid-level professionals with various backgrounds who work with or within the financial sector taken in the broad sense. Some highlights of our conversation are Farhan's in depth tutorial on the links between Islamic finance and sustainable development goals as well as his delight with the sites and sounds of Uganda. Like me, I think you'll be ready to book your visit straight away!

Where to find Farhan?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On X

What’s Farhan Reading?
Burn the Boats: Toss Plan B Overboard and Unleash Your Full Potential by Matt Higgins

Other topics of interest:
On Islamic Banking and Finance
Salaam African Bank
Jinja, Uganda
Fort Portal, Uganda and traditions of the Tooro Kingdom
Kabale, Uganda: City of Peace
About Merck HQ Germany
Afrika Kommt

Special Guest: Farhan Guled.

This week on the podcast it’s flashback February. Inspired by last year’s Black History Month compilation episode, for this week, also dedicated to Black History Month, I’ve selected glocally speaking, mindset hacking and solution-scaping excerpts from conversations over the past year. Starting with the Science Mercenary, Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi on how reconceptualizing our ideas on time and how the evolutionary continuum of human intelligence need not be as complicated as we think. Cognitive-Behavioral Research Scientist, Dr. Juleen Christopher reinforces his thoughts by introducing us to her mindset hack, a technique called positive intelligence and how a commitment to telling ourselves and living a story contrary to those embedded in social injustice are at the bedrock of her activism. Cultural practitioner, Kobby Graham furthers the story as he elaborates on his mindset hack - collaboration and how its revival in the African psyche is critical to progress. Communication specialist and cultural curator, Samba Yonga then illustrates how our African histories reinforce this collaborative ethic and is using her museum as the narrative activism necessary to reinform a new now. Finally, glocally speaking, the Money Maker, Eric Collins, puts his money where his mouth is investing in the change that he and his partners at Impact X Capital intend to see in black communities across Europe.

The common thread in my selections is activism which is the why of Black History Month. Waking each morning in parts of the world rife with injustice is itself an act of courageous resistance. We must challenge ourselves to uplift untold stories and unheard voices, so that by valuing global Black histories, we can collectively build, simply put, a better today. That is the definition of Glocal Citizenship.

Visit the links above for full episodes and extended show notes.

Special Guests: Eric Collins, Hakeem Oluseyi , Juleen Christopher, Kobina Ankomah Graham, and Samba Yonga.

This week on we’re moving into the new year with some wise words and insights in Part 2 of my conversation with Ghanaian investor and developer of new businesses, Eric Osiakwan. With 25 years of experience spanning 32 countries in Africa gained through a number of successful tech start-ups, Eric is a leading pioneer of internet in Africa. Having worked in multiple countries building internet service providers (“ISP”) and ICT businesses, some of his successful exits include iBurst in South Africa, One2Net in Uganda, and BusyInternet in Ghana, to name a few. Eric also founded and ran the Africa ISP Association for eight years, during which the ISP industry grew by almost 120 percent. He then moved on to leading efforts to build submarine cables on the continent. Eric was part of a public-private partnership in Kenya that built and launched the TEAMS submarine fibre cable, the first to connect East Africa to the rest of the world. He subsequently contributed to the building of terrestrial fibre networks in Ghana and Nigeria. As we learned in Part 1 of the conversation, he Co-Founded Angel Africa List, Angel Fair Africa and currently heads Chanzo Capital, a venture and growth capital firm, investing capital, capacity and community in high-tech startups and scaleups in Kenya, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.

Where to find Eric?
ericosiakwan.com
On LinkedIn
On [Facebook](Eric Osiakwan)
On [Instagram](Instagram (@eosiakwan))
On X

What’s Eric reading?
Works by Cheikh Anta Diop

Other topics of interest:
How Greater Accra (Tema) is the geographical center of the Earth
About Panafest and Kojo Yankah
On Ghana’s Joseph Project
Year of Return
Full Circle Africa Economic Conference
Stripe Payments Platform
Safaricom and the roots of Mobile Money
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa: African Information Society Initiative(AISI)
UNDP Internet Initiative for Africa
What are Internet Exchange Points?
The African Internet Service Providers Association
ICANN and Esther Dyson
About TEAMS
Bongo Hive
About the BenBen App
On Eric’s book KINGS of Africa’s Digital Economy

Special Guest: Eric Osiakwan.

This week, we interrupt our scheduled Part 2 conversation with Suki Fuller to give some shine to a milestone event taking place in Cape Town, South Africa. Co-founded by my guest, Ghanaian, Eric Osiakwan, Angel Fair Africa, happening November 28th - December 1st, brings selected and curated entrepreneurs to pitch to a room of angel investors with the intent of doing deals. Eric is an entrepreneur and investor with 25 years of ICT industry leadership across Africa and the world, He has worked in 32 African countries setting up ISPs, ISPAs, IXPs and high-tech startups. He Co-Founded Angel Africa List, in addition to Angel Fair Africa and Chanzo Capital, he also currently serves on the board of Farmerline – some of which are his investments. While we made the connection in Cape Town, a funny thing happened on the streets of Brooklyn with another Glocal Citizen, Chinedu Echeruo (EP79) last summer that put an Aha! smile on our faces. #BorderlessMindset in action!
This week our conversation is centered on all things Angel-Investing-Meets-Entrpreneurship as Eric and his team kick off Angel Fair Africa @10. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our conversation where we’ll get t o know more about Eric’s Glocal Citizenship journey.

Where to find Eric?
www.angelfairafrica.com
On LinkedIn
On Facebook
On Instagram
On X

Special Guest: Eric Osiakwan.

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.

This week on the podcast I have the pleasure of hosting the gentleman who opened the invitation to what is now Glocal Citizens. As you listen to the episode, you’ll understand more about how my guest’s investment ethic and a particular investment in a start-up podcasting network four years ago are at the intersection of our collective coming to being on this page.

Born into multiracial family in Trinidad & Tobago, now based in Southern California, my guest is investor, influencer and friend, Garnet Heraman. With over 25 years experience at the intersection of innovation, diversity and technology, Garnet is a frequent speaker at events around the world; his portfolio has been featured in Time Magazine, BuzzFeed, Forbes, Bloomberg, HuffPost, Thrillist, WSJ, Institutional Investor, Inc., Entrepreneur, GMA, Travel+ Leisure + O, Oprah Magazine.

He is co-founder and managing partner of Aperture VC, the US’s largest fintech fund backed by multiple Fortune 500 companies. He is also co-founder of FUEL OZ.Capital, an opportunity zone sponsor of innovation hubs to drive inclusive development. Previously, he was co-founder of Aegis Investment Partners, a private equity boutique specializing in growth capital for corpvc backed companies.

He is an investor or board member at numerous ventures and is co-owner of the sustainable apparel brand, Karina Dresses.

Garnet’s non-profit work includes the Brookings Institute (advisor); the Columbia Venture Community; TiE New York, where he was a founding board member; The CORO Foundation, which named him to their prestigious Leadership New York Program in the 2000-1 cohort and; Rhizome.org, the world's first digital art space on the web.

Where to find Garnet?
ApertureVC.com
On LinkedIn

What’s Garnet reading?
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Other topics of interest:
About the Woolworth Building
About Aperture’s William Crowder
Carla Harris
Fred Wilson
Joanne Solomon Wilson
Union Square Ventures
Digitial NYC: Wired to the World Program
Philip McKenzie
Comcast Catalyst Fund

Special Guest: Garnet Heraman.

We’re traveling from Canada to the north of Ghana and back again in this two part conversation with Ghanaian-Canadian, Hawa Kombian. As an intentional, passionate and creative leader who enables organizational founders’ and their teams to achieve operational sustainability and social vibrancy by building results-driven cultures of connection, Hawa is squarely focused on bridges all the dimensions of leadership toward more impact and sustainable presents for her clients.

Having a background in communications, and humanitarian pursuits with organizations leading in innovative technology and social change, her experience spans education, digital health, and leadership development across government, non-profit, and social enterprise sectors.

She is an empathetic systems-builder, which means she seamlessly flows between cultivating authentic relationships with people to draw out their strengths, and creating strategic processes that allow teams to collaborate and achieve success together.

You can find her public speaking at events and podcasts on people and organizational management; blogging about personal, and professional strategy; and coaching leaders on how to strategically make an impact in their organizations and communities. Work with her via Hawa Kombian Consulting

Where to find Hawa?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Soundcloud
On Twitter

What’s Hawa watching?
BoJack Horseman
SpongeBob SquarePants

Other topics of interest:
Gambaga in Northeast Ghana
Bunkpurugu in Northern Ghana
About the new International Tamale Airport
Youth Alive Ghana
African Leadership Group
eHealth Africa

Special Guest: Hawa Kombian.

We’re traveling from Canada to the north of Ghana and back again in this two part conversation with Ghanaian-Canadian, Hawa Kombian. As an intentional, passionate and creative leader who enables organizational founders’ and their teams to achieve operational sustainability and social vibrancy by building results-driven cultures of connection, Hawa is squarely focused on bridges all the dimensions of leadership toward more impact and sustainable presents for her clients.

Having a background in communications, and humanitarian pursuits with organizations leading in innovative technology and social change, her experience spans education, digital health, and leadership development across government, non-profit, and social enterprise sectors.

She is an empathetic systems-builder, which means she seamlessly flows between cultivating authentic relationships with people to draw out their strengths, and creating strategic processes that allow teams to collaborate and achieve success together.

You can find her public speaking at events and podcasts on people and organizational management; blogging about personal, and professional strategy; and coaching leaders on how to strategically make an impact in their organizations and communities. Work with her via Hawa Kombian Consulting

Where to find Hawa?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Soundcloud
On Twitter

What’s Hawa watching?
BoJack Horseman
SpongeBob SquarePants

Other topics of interest:
Gambaga in Northeast Ghana
Bunkpurugu in Northern Ghana
About the new International Tamale Airport
Youth Alive Ghana
African Leadership Group
eHealth Africa

Special Guest: Hawa Kombian.

If you like the idea of being bold, you’ll love the idea of “Beaming Bold”after listening in on thes conversation with my guest, Aurda Gordon. Audra’s journey began in the beautiful islands of St.Vincent and the Grenadines where she was born and Brooklyn, New York where she was raised. She is now now an expat living in Hong Kong for almost 12 years.

As a Wealth Management and Business Development Professional with extensive experience in retail banking and retail fashion, she is a self-starter who has excelled in senior roles in customer experience, relationship management, and strategy consulting in Hong Kong, New York, and Ghana. She has a proven track record of spearheading initiatives that strengthen the mission, brand, and financial position of enterprises; including those which were self-founded.  A serial entrepreneur, she is the founder of Beam Bold – a vibrant resort wear brand focused on size inclusion and reducing textile waste. She is also founder of Global Identity Partners – a coaching and retail business consultancy.

Another stamped and sealed Glocal Citizen, her passion for travel has taken her to 76 countries across six continents. Although she enjoys seeing much of the world, she has a strong connection to the African continent having visited 26 countries and frequently travels there. As she puts it, on her Audraverse platform, this probably explains why her ideal meal would be; jollof rice wrapped in a roti with some dim sum on the side.

Where to find Audra?
audraverse.com
beambold.com
On LinkedIn
On [Instagram]([https://www.instagram.com/audraverse/?hl=en)
On Facebook
On X
On YouTube

What’s Audra reading?
The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks
Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listenby Donald Miller

Other topics of interest:
About the Wan Chai neighborhood
Causeway Bay in Hong Kong
Sham Shui Po Garment District
Fashion Connect Africa

Special Guest: Audra Gordon.

This week we’re visiting the US’s Golden State in a back-to-the-future kind of moment. A New York native, my guest, Kaigani Turner and I both honed our “tech cred” during our years on the Stanford University campus somehow laying the foundation, plotting, programming and piecing together a present in the media space. Now a digital media innovator with over 25 years of experience most of which was spent living and working in London, Kai has been active in the NFT space since 2017 and is a thought leader in defining #Media3 as the intersection between web3 and media and entertainment. He is an Executive Producer of I'm New Here – a documentary film chronicling over 90 key artists and personalities in the NFT space. While at Sony Pictures Entertainment, he filed three patents related to blockchain and NFT technologies, after which he worked in Emerging Experiences and Product Content Innovation at Netflix where his projects included Love, Death and Robots and Martin Scorsese's The Irishman as well as the new Netflix Games Platform initiative, all while maintaining a focus on how to discover and promote Franchise IP on the service.

In 2021 he left Netflix to join the Web3 space full-time and is an advisor to multiple web3 companies including Doodles, National Lampoon and NFT42 (Avastars, VeeFriends, Sotheby's). He created MeebitsDAO and helped to launch a number of successful NFT projects (like Savage Droids, Boss Beauties, Super Geisha, and Lobby3).

Also a generative artist with multiple art ‘drops' and collaborations on Art Blocks--his first Art Blocks collection went for auction at Sotheby's, Kai’s latest entrepreneurial endeavor is as founder at the artist incubator, mxtter.art. Mxtter (pronounced “matter”) helps accelerate the careers of artists around the world, showcasing up and coming artists from diverse communities and is host to collaborative, experimental and generative art collection.

Where to find Kai?
On LinkedIn
On Twitter
On Instagram
On Facebook

What’s Kai reading?
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

What’s Kai watching?
Babble Bop!

Other topics of interest:
Lake Arrowhead, California
Sapient today
About Moo
Words on Bespoke
Art Blocks
CryptoKitties Decoded

Special Guest: Kaigani Turner .

Where to find Juleen?
www.stbernardshillhouse.com
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook

What’s Juleen reading?
Alphabet Murders Series by Sue Grafton
Works by Zadie Smith

What’s Juleen watching?
African Folktales Reimagined
Kim’s Convenience
Never Have I Ever on Netflix
La Reina del Sur

What’s Juleen listening to?
Angelique Kidjo
Biggest Afrobeats Artists
Bossa Nova

Other topics of interest:
About my Ayurveda Treatments in Ghana
About the British Virgin Islands
Governance in the BVI
Who is a Belonger?
About Jerry Blackwell
Redemption Botanicals
Minnesota Equity & Justice Project
Positive Intelligence

Special Guest: Juleen Christopher.

Where to find Juleen?
www.stbernardshillhouse.com
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook

What’s Juleen reading?
Alphabet Murders Series by Sue Grafton
Works by Zadie Smith

What’s Juleen watching?
African Folktales Reimagined
Kim’s Convenience
Never Have I Ever on Netflix
La Reina del Sur

What’s Juleen listening to?
Angelique Kidjo
Biggest Afrobeats Artists
Bossa Nova

Other topics of interest:
About my Ayurveda Treatments in Ghana
About the British Virgin Islands
Governance in the BVI
Who is a Belonger?
About Jerry Blackwell
Redemption Botanicals
Minnesota Equity & Justice Project
Positive Intelligence

Special Guest: Juleen Christopher.

This week, we’re venturing west from Ghana along the coast to Sierra Leone by way of the US to settle here in Accra. My guest, Joannes “Joe” Hotagua is a Sierra Leonian-American, Strategic Advisor with 16 years of professional experience helping startups monetize their digital assets and Fortune 500 brands reach their target customers through digital media advertising. He’s a modern-day iteration of the Ad Man. Early in his career, Joe was responsible for using email marketing and affiliate advertising to drive product purchases and lead generation for direct-to-consumer companies. In 2012, he began his investment career by personally investing in PeepsOut, a minority-run Livestream mobile app, allowing users to see the crowd size at bars and restaurants in real time. At its peak, there were 90 restaurants and bars (in two cities) on the service, and $350K was raised in funding. His current business, based in Freetown, focuses on improving the lives of underrepresented and underserved populations and operates in four sectors: African Startup Advisory, African Film Production, E-commerce, and Real Estate. Joe’s e-commerce platform, Authentic African, is both an e-commerce store and social media broadcast. The e-commerce mission is to connect the diaspora with their African roots through African handmade products while helping local African entrepreneurs build their businesses internationally. The @Authentic_African social media broadcast delivers history, news, and culture to the African diaspora. This conversation was another great opportunity to reflect on the shared mission many of us African content creators have around manifesting a new Africa, a new world.

Where to find Joannes?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On Twitter
On YouTube
On TikTok

What’s Joannes reading?
Clash of Civilizations by Samuel P. Huntington
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
The Silk Roads: New History of the World by Peter Frankopan
Silk Road by Eileen Ormsby
American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton

Other topics of interest:
Lungi, Sierra Leone
About Sierra Leone’s Mende and Mandingo people
Sierra Leonean Creole or Krio
On Ebonics
On Pidgin languages
About Roc-A-Fella Records
Kazaa, LimeWire and the evolution of MP3 streaming platforms
On Programmatic Advertising
Boomerang, the film
On Frederick W. Smith of Fed Ex

Special Guest: Joannes Hotagua.

This week on the podcast, rather than one last guest rounding out our March 2023 herstories series, I went into our archives with a specific goal of putting together a salon of sorts about craft. I think of craft as how vocation, location, persistence and passion fulfill us. According to Merriam-Webster, it is skill in planning, making, or executing.

I always ask this question because I feel it allows my guest to share more than what they do on a day-to-day basis for economic returns i.e. work, and gets closer to the heart of who they are and how they go about manifesting a new world. So, this week we’re re-visiting with:

• Jamaican-American, Nydia Swaby a Black feminist researcher, writer, and curator based in London about Archives, Art and Freedom Dreams;

• Filipino-Jamaican-American, Zee Clarke an author, mindfulness practitioner and racial healing professional about Healing in Breathing;

• Ghanaian-Afro-German, Ekua Yankah a thought leader in international development on being a Polyglot, Professor, Policy Advisor and Art Patron;

• Ghanaian-Brit, Esther Armah an author, journalist and entrepreneur on storytelling for structural change;

• Nigerian, Sarah Adeyinka a humanitarian researcher and author on Humanitarian CoCreating; and

• and Detroit Native, Dereca Blackmon an inclusion innovator, speaker and spiritual activist about Uncommon Conversations.

Be sure to check out full episodes using the links above, there’s a wealth of valuable, craft-inspired insights from each of these audacious women!

Special Guests: Dereca Blackmon, Ekua Yankah, Esther Armah, Nydia Swaby, Sarah Adeyinka, and Zhalisa "Zee" Clarke.

This week’s herstory comes to us from New York, via France, Benin and Nigeria. Yasmina F. Edwards, born in France, and spending summers traveling to Africa including her homelands in Benin and Nigeria, is the founder of the YFE Agency. In both corporate work and entrepreneurship, Yasmina is best known for her cultural awareness and savvy. She has worked with award-winning creatives, activists, and CEOs, notably women and members of underrepresented communities. She has secured more than 300 media placements globally from CNN, Vogue, Le Figaro, Jeune Afrique, MSNBC, and the Hollywood Reporter, as well as partnering with well-known Festivals such as the Toronto Film Festival and Afropunk.

In nine years, she has been instrumental in helping transition creatives and public personalities from their local markets to a global audience. She single-handedly helps them build their brands in the US using social media platforms, shaping their messages in order to connect with new audiences. She provides connections with the relationships she’s built over the years and uses these connections to successfully initiate key brand partnerships that continue to be the cornerstone of her work and her clients’ careers. She firmly believes that access is what stands between a person and an opportunity; she is committed to providing the keys that open the doors to her clients' success.

Where to find Yasmina?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On YouTube
On TikTok

What’s Yasmina reading?
Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrahms
No Disrespect by Sistah Souljah
Le Cri de L'innocence by Gabriel Soulyeka

What’s Yasmina listening to?
The Diary of a CEO
3jaj Podcast

Other topics of interest:
Where is Poitier, France
Oyo Empire
The Berlin Conference
Bigger Than Africa
Iman

Special Guest: Yasmina Fagbemi.

ICMYI it's Women’s History Month! As is our tradition here on the podcast, all month we’re featuring herstories of women moving and shaking around the world. This week, my guest is a Global Ghanaian based in Los Angeles, California. Alua Arthur is a death doula, recovering attorney, and the founder of Going with Grace, a death doula training and end-of-life planning organization that exists to support people as they answer the question, “What must I do to be at peace with myself so that I may live presently and die gracefully?” Going with Grace works to improve and redefine the end-of-life experience for people rooted in every community using the individual lived experience as the foundation. Alua was a keynote speaker at EndWell 2019 and featured in the LA Times, Vogue, Refinery29, The Doctors, and InStyle. She is inspired by the gift of LIFE itself and is always on the quest for the best donuts and fried plantains!

This conversation offers so much in terms of not only insight into the work that is Alua’s professional calling, but it is also an opportunity for listeners to consider what is often a difficult topic as a truly expansive experience.

Where to find Alua?
www.goingwithgrace.com
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On Twitter
On YouTube

What’s Alua reading?
Grit and Grace: Uncommon Wisdom for Inspiring Leaders Designed to Make You Think

What’s Alua watching?
Love after Lock-up
90 Day Fiancé

Other topics of interest:
Hilla Limann
Leimert Park
National End-of-Life Doula Alliance
The Art of Death Midwifery Training
Burkitt’s Lymphoma
Everyday People and DJ Moma
Limitless with Chris Hemsworth

Special Guest: Alua Arthur.

This week on the podcast I’m taking you along with me on one of the stops on my winter tour in the US. Last month my travels took me to Missoula, Montana for the state rivalry game to see my nephew’s team, the University of Montana Grizzlies taking on Montana State. The Grizzlies were unable to overcome their rivals, but all was not lost. I met a fellow Ghanaian, Gabriel Ansah and his family and through this interview I get to share yet another glocal perspective on living, working and playing in a home away from “home.”

Gabriel Ansah is a fitness trainer and proud owner of 406AMCREW, a brand promoting positivity through fitness. Gabriel spent the first 17 years of his life in his native Tema, Ghana before traveling to the United States for a high school exchange program in Missoula where he currently resides with his wife and two sons. After graduating from the University of Montana where studied management information systems, he discovered that his true passion was in the pursuit of fitness and motivating others to achieve their fitness goals. While leading the 406AMCREW, Gabe is also part of the coaching staff for local soccer team Missoula Surf. He’s the director of player development for the club and the coach of its U9 team. In the summer of 2022, he also joined the University of Montana soccer coaching staff. As a Lululemon Ambassador, Gabe is able to extend his reach into communities as a representative of the brand, helping to build a community of like-minded individuals who share the company's values and vision for a healthy and active lifestyle. Be sure to listen in and learn how this partnership with Lululemon afforded Gabe the opportunity to give back in a big way to his community in Tema last December.

Where to find Gabe?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram

What’s Gabe reading?
The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant
You Owe You: Ignite Your Power, Your Purpose, and Your Why by Eric Thomas

Other topics of interest:
History of Tema, Ghana
About Missoula, Montana
About Lululemon in communities

Special Guest: Gabriel Ansah.

I thoroughly enjoyed this insightful conversation with Stacy, from a serious discussion about the business of techpreneurship on a global scale to tips for successful start-up and a lots of laughs long the way,
I'm sure you too will learn something new (with a smile)!

Where to find Stacy?
@ Posture
@ Quality Works Consulting Group
On LinkedIn
On Twitter
On Instagram

What's Stacy reading?
The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
I Can't Make This Up: life Lessons by Kevin Hart

What's Stacy listening to?
Revisionist History Podcast

Other topics of interest:
About Radio Shack
About Windsor Hills, California
Jamaica's Technology Innovation Centre
"..we tallawah"
About the Dot-Com Bubble

Special Guest: Stacy Kirk.

Where to find Hasira?
www.righteousrageinstitute.org
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook

What's Hasira reading?
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The 5 Principles: A Revolutionary Path to Health, Inner Wealth, and Knowledge of Self by Khnum "Stic" Ibomu
You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience by Tarana Burke and Dr. Brené Brown

What's Hasira watching?
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am

Other topics of interest:
About Denver Black Panther Party Founder Lauren Watson
The meaning of Oborɔnyi
YFM Ghana
About Reggie Rockstone
One Africa Health Resort
About Blue Zones
About the Sloth and Pura Vida in Costa Rica
About Buckminster Fuller

On African Stateswomen
On Marcus Aurelius
On Freedom Schools

*When you click and purchase books using the link(s) above, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support!

Special Guest: Hasira Soul Ashemu.

If you haven't already tried yoga, #listenandlearn how a few simple yoga practices can improve your day-to-day existence - Ham Sa.

Where to find Shailaja?
www.matnbeyond.com
On Linkedin
On Instagram
On Twitter
On Facebook
On YouTube

What's Shailaja reading?
Super Brain: Unleashing the Explosive Power of Your Mind to Maximize Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Well-Being by Deepak Chopra

Other topics of interest:
Integral Yoga
On the Eight Limbs of Yoga
Dr. Mark Hyman
Dr. Daniel Amen
Dr. Joe Dispenza
Dr. Michael Beckwith

Special Guest: Shailaja Menon.

This month African Ancestry is featured on VH1's Love & Hip Hop: Lineage to Legacy 2-part special where fan favorites of Love & Hip Hop and Black Ink learn about their genetic origins.

Where to find Gina?
https://ginapaige.com
On LInkedIn
On Instagram
On Twitter
On Facebook
On YouTube

What's Gina listening to?
Chuck Brown
Lonnie Liston Smith
Pharaoh Sanders
Sun Ra
Roy Ayers
Old School Hip Hop Sample

Other topics of interest:
Gogo Music
Narrative Psychology
Dr. Rick Kittles
20th Century Hip Hop

Special Guest: Gina Paige.

This week I meet with another artist with Caribbean roots. Beverley Watson is a ceramic sculptor, art therapist and licensed educator specializing in children with special needs. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Beverley has been based in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn for more than 30 years. She attended the Jamaica School of Art and Brooklyn's Pratt Institute where she studied ceramic sculpture as an undergraduate and also received her Masters of Professional Studies in Special Education and Art Therapy. Between the mid-1990s and 2007, Beverley co-founded Zakiya Art, a gallery that exhibited other Black artists' works in her Bedford-Stuyvesant home.

This spring, Nefer Atum Lotus Blossom: rebirth & regeneration, her first solo exhibition opened at Brooklyn's Artshack community ceramics studio. In Nefer Atum Lotus Blossom Beverley exhibits work that continues where she left clay thirty years ago, inspired by the spirits of oceans, Africa and self-love. During that time Beverley was moving through life's challenges, breakthroughs, and gratitude, and bringing forth her inner Lotus, the reflection of her inner beauty. I'm excited to share this emerging treasure with you!

Where to find Beverley?
@Artshack Brooklyn
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook

What's Beverley reading?
Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch

Other topics of interest:
Queen Afua
About Lotus Flowers
About Astral Projection
Abraham Hicks

Special Guest: Beverley Watson.

More about Nana and her work:
Bliss Yoga Accra
@nanaamoakoanin on IG
@blissyogaaccra on IG
TEDx Accra
Oprah Magazine
Touch a Life Kids

Special Guest: Nana Amoako-Anin.

More about Nana and her work:
Bliss Yoga Accra
@nanaamoakoanin on IG
@blissyogaaccra on IG
TEDx Accra
Oprah Magazine
Touch a Life Kids

Special Guest: Nana Amoako-Anin.