This week we commemorate Africa Day across the African Diaspora. Reflecting on the journeys of liberation that Black people have endured in trial and triumph, I am ever reminded that those that laid the groundwork will never in my heart, mind or acts have done so in vain. As the pillars of imperialism are finally weakening--though, not without reverting to its tried and tested battle techniques--the new next is taking shape in all manner of action and practice across the globe. So today, as I do in some way every day, I salute us all for staying the course and redirecting the path as necessary on the #PanAfricanProgress mission that is imparative to human evolution and a sustainable existence here on earth.

Speaking of existence here on earth and the ways that we inhabit it, I came across my guest this week via a connection that I made last year at the Charter Cities Summit in Nairobi. Remi Adeleke, a former U.S. Navy SEAL and entrepreneur, serves as Chairman and Co-Founder of the Small Farm Cities Africa Resilience Fund, a for-profit venture developing sustainable, agricultural communities to combat poverty and human trafficking. He is actively scaling this model across Africa, including projects in Malawi, Zambia, and other regions, focusing on economic empowerment through infrastructure and land ownership for local farmers.

Following a successful career as a Navy SEAL, in 2016 he found himself pursuing a careers in writing, speaking, and acting, including the 2017 franchise film Transformers: The Last Knight, SEAL Team CBS, and the 2022 Universal thriller Ambulance. He served as a consultant on Netflix’s 6 Underground and Apple+ TV series Invasion.

As an educator he co-founded Muskegon Michigan’s OPS Academy which opened to inner city students K-8th grade in Fall of 2022. His story is captured in his HarperCollins bestselling autobiography, Transformed: A Navy SEALs Unlikely Journey From The Throne Of Africa, To The Streets Of The Bronx, To Defying All Odds.

As you’ll hear in our conversation, Remi is also the founder of Kejo Wear a brand changing negativity to positivity one shirt at a time and where he is marrying this social entrepreneurial enterprises with activism; a portion of proceeds go toward supporting efforts to end human trafficking.

Where to find Remi?
Small Farm Cities
Civil Watch Technologies
On LinkedIn
On IMDB
On Instagram
On YouTube
On the Down Range Podcast

What’s Remi watching?
Bad Boys
The Rock
The Unexpected Short Film

Other topics of interest:
The Story of Banana Island and the late Chief Adebayo Adeleke
Victoria Island, Lagos
About San Diego, California
About the making or the Small Farm Cities Resilience Fund
What are Critical Minerals?
About the game of Monopoly

Special Guest: Remi Adeleke.

I catch up with Will while he is in our shared home country, Ghana where he has been for the better part of the last year on new uncle duty and in research mode for his next project. He is in the post-production process of his second short film “ELEMENT” while also preparing his first feature film experience, co-writing alongside Jérémy Comte, the Oscar-nominated director. As you'll hear in Part 2, Will is now represented by LA based production studio Florence for commercials and music videos which has given him the opportunity to work with artist such as H.E.R and Billy Eilish.

Where to find Will?
www.wniava.com
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Vimeo
On YouTube
On Twitter
On Facebook

What's will listening to?
Classic Reggae
AmaPiano
Dave

What's will watching?
Memories of a Murder
In the Mood for Love
Uncut Gems
Good Time

Other topics of interest:
NAFTI Ghana
Concordia University - Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema
Black Magic Equipment
Red Digital Equipment
Ghanaian Footballers Jordan Ayew and André Ayew
Fauve Short Film
Solitary Dancer
Barry Jenkins
Jordan Peele
About Amapiano
Afrofuturism

Special Guest: Will Niava.

We're welcoming August with a doubleheader featuring Will Niava, an award winning Ivorian-Ghanaian film director based but not bound to Montréal, Canada. After his education in film production at the Concordia University in Quebec, Will directed a number of projects around the world--namely, four episodes of MTV Shuga, a fiction series in the Ivory Coast as well as “Violence Of The Lambs”, a music video released on NOWNESS from which he made his first short film “ZOO.” ZOO was selected at over 60 international film festivals of which 15 are Oscar qualifying. The film has since racked up over 10 awards. After its Vimeo Staff Picks release, ZOO is now available on the prestigious Criterion Collection.

I catch up with Will while he is in our shared home country, Ghana where he has been for the better part of the last year on new uncle duty and in research mode for his next project. He is in the post-production process of his second short film “ELEMENT” while also preparing his first feature film experience, co-writing alongside Jérémy Comte, the Oscar-nominated director. As you'll hear in Part 2, Will is now represented by Los Angeles based production studio Florence. for commercials and music videos which has given him the opportunity to work with artist such as H.E.R and Billy Eilish.

Where to find Will?
[www.wniava.com](www.wniava.com)
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Vimeo
On YouTube
On Twitter
On Facebook

What's will listening to?
Classic Reggae
AmaPiano
Dave

What's will watching?
Memories of a Murder
In the Mood for Love
Uncut Gems
Good Time

Other topics of interest:
NAFTI Ghana
Concordia University - Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema [
Black Magic Equipment
Red Digital Equipment
Ghanaian Footballers Jordan Ayew and André Ayew
Fauve Short Film
Solitary Dancer
Barry Jenkins
Jordan Peele
About Amapiano
Afrofuturism

Special Guest: Will Niava.