This year our Women’s Herstory Month series has taken us for the first time to Botswana and Norway; we stopped in the UK, picked up flavors from Nigeria, Sudan, Zambia, Netherlands, Philippines, Belgium, Brazil and South Africa; went on a future forward mission in Kenya, and we’re landing home in a flashback forward conversation with fellow Ghanaian-American and early Glocal Citizen, Nana Amoako-Anin. Nana first joined us on the podcast in January 2020 in a time when wellness was often taken for granted or an afterthought for later. Then the global pandemic, COVID-19 changed everything. Wellness is now having a moment. However, as we’ll discuss in the conversation, the moment calls for depth, not trend, to sustain real mindset and lifestyle shifts on the personal and professional levels. Nana writes about this at Wellness in Black and lives and works it as a social entrepreneur and organizational leader. She is best known as the founder of Bliss Yoga Accra, Ghana’s first full-service yoga studio. With a background in law, she brings cross-sector expertise to her work, which bridges global perspectives with local impact, positioning her as a thought leader in mindful leadership, mentorship, social innovation and international executive strategy. In this conversation we catch up on evolving realities around wellness for Africans and in Ghana as well as her experience diversifying the what and how of work, guided by her enduring committment to staying people centered. And much, much more.

Where to find Nana?
https://www.nanaamoakoanin.com/
@ Bliss Yoga Accra
On Glocal Citizens
At CrowdReason

What’s Nana reading?
An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence by Zeinab Badawi

Other topics of interest:
The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic
The “official” Vicks story
Kemetic Yoga
An African History of Africa on YouTube
On Legalized Cannabis in Ghana
Indigenous vs Colonial Medicine in Ghana
Hamamat Shea Butter Museum
ishowspeed in Ghana
Jill Scott talks with Angie Martinez

Special Guest: Nana Amoako-Anin.

This week’s interview was recorded while my guest and I were on the same time zone in Western Europe--she in Portugal and the UK for me. My guest, Serene Lewis Lyles spent most of her 30-year career making complex things simple. She was on the forefront of launching technologies that, today, are foundational to our lives including digital video recording (the predecessor to streaming content), the Internet of Things (now known as “Smart tech”), and high-design vape tech (much to her embarrassment).

Fun fact, our paths crossed while we were both based in New York City in the aughts, and we share Colorado and Northern California as places we’ve also called home. After living and working in the States and the UK, she finished her career in San Francisco, as a Senior Director at Meta, leading the content design team behind Facebook and Instagram’s billion-dollar ads business. At Meta, she was also a leader of the employee resource group Black@ Design and founder of the Black@ Content Design Leads group.

Since retiring last year, She has now turned her experience of leading people in solving hard problems into a career coaching people through the challenging process of planning for retirement. Her super powers as a coach are being comfortable talking about money, being excited about other people’s dreams, and creating systems that drive action.

Where to find Serene?
serenelewis.coach
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On the Experts & Expats Podcast

What’s Serene reading and listening to?
A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Portuguese Lab Podcast
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Other topics of interest:
About Golden Visa Programs
More about international living in Uruguay
San Francisco’s de Young Art Museum
About the Forty Acres and a Mule
Blue Man Group
About Serene’s Mindset Hack @ 56:43

Special Guest: Serene Lewis Lyles.

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.

This week we have a Glocal Citizens first so keep reading!
I first met my guest, Robert “Bob” Bush, Jr., more than 15 years ago in a cute bistro in the Meat Packing District in New York City. At the time, he had been living in the Middle East for a couple of years as Managing Director and Senior Advisor for the Corporate Office of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoumis, Prime Minister of the UAE. As you’ll hear in the conversation this was in many ways a culminating role, that started to take shape while backpacking around the world after university.

He continues to “live” in the Middle East, but in true Glocal Citizens style, his work and life have taken him through Europe, back to the US, Africa and the far East. Bob is now President and CEO of Cajary Majlis, the exclusive distributor of Mutombo Coffee, co-founded by NBA Hall of Famer and Global Humanitarian Dikembe Mutombo. Cajary Majlis, an international trader of commodities and a distributor of food and feed products from around the world, uses its networks, talents, and resources to solve challenging problems related to building commodity businesses in emerging markets.

Throughout his 30+ year professional career, he’s established himself as a seasoned senior investment executive with experience across industries (advanced manufacturing, financial services, energy, ICT, e-health, life sciences, security, and retail), geographies (USA, Europe, China, Middle East and Africa), as well as asset classes (venture capital, private equity, Islamic finance). He also advises the European Commission on Public Private Partnerships and is an SME advisor for the EC’s Horizon 2020 Initiative. In the spring of 2020, he became an advisor to Ahmed bin Sulayem, the executive chairman of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre in the UAE. He speaks frequently to governments, universities, and corporates and is a contributing writer to Forbes Middle East online edition.

So now the treat! For all of you coffee lovers and lovers of coffee lovers, Mutombo Coffee is offering an exclusive perk for GC listeners. Use GLOCAL10 discount code at checkout and receive a 10 percent discout on your order. Buy now here!
As an added perk, from now until June 15, 2024, Mutombo Coffee will donate 10 percent of sales for those using the Glocal10 code to the Glocal Citizens platform. This is great timing as our community is growing and we love any and all the support that helps to inspire action.

Where to find Bob?
MutomboCoffee.com
On LinkedIn

What’s Bob reading?
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter

Other topics of interest:
East St. Louis' Challening Past
Gateway Arch
See Dubai’s Transformation
About [Dikembe Mutombo](linkhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dikembe_Mutombo) and understanding his health challenge
Dikembe Mutombo’s - We Are Family Foundation
Coffee Science
About Mohka Port in Yemen
Africa and Coffee
Regenerative Agriculture 101

Special Guest: Robert Bush, Jr..

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.

In some circles, my guest for this two-part episode could be thought of as a spy by a different name. With roots in Jamaica, and raised between the Middle East, Europe and the United States, Suki Fuller, an intelligence advisor, author, acclaimed international keynote speaker and Fellow of The Council of Competitive Intelligence Fellows is a women that is usually intent on not being watched. She is the Founder of Miribure, Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of DC Analytics and Storyteller for Group of Humans. She is a contributing author to A Practical Guide to Competitive Intelligence.

Suki is a fierce supporter of intelligence, ethical tech, #SafetyTech, Security, Privacy and Surveillance. Her eclectic 20-year career within strategic intelligence and technology has taken her from the US Department of Defense to teaching business students in China.

She currently resides in London, where she is an intrinsic part of the tech community as a Board Advisor for Tech London Advocates / Global Tech Advocates, which includes key positions as Co-Lead TLA Women in Tech, and Vice-Chair for GTA Black Women in Tech. Suki was recently named by the Most Influential Woman in UK Tech by Computer Weekly 2023. There’s so much more to this #dynamicdiasporan, I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Where to find Suki?
On LinkedIn
On X
On Instagram

What’s Suki reading?
Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzeneger
Cobalt Red: How the Boll of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara
The Mircostress Effect: How Little Things Pile Up and Create Big Problems--and What to Do About It by Rob Cross and Karen Dillon
Decentering Whiteness in the Workplace: A Guide for Equity and Inclusion by Janice Gassam Asare
Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup’s Quest to End Privacy as We Know It by Kashmir HIll

What’s Suki watching?
Beckham on Netflix
The Power on Amazon Prime

Other topics of interest:
Balham, London
Surrey, United Kingdom
Some Jamaican Patios to practice
About Rastafarianism
Pismo Beach, California
Royal Air Force Lakenheath, an American Air Force Base in the UK
Penn State’s Behrend College
About Chi Chi’s Restaurant
Mercyhurst University - Intelligence Studies
Agatha Christie’s Poirot
Twitter and SXSW
About Robert Baker
Innit?
IA Safety Bill
The Pod Generation Film

Special Guest: Suki Fuller.

In some circles, my guest for this two-part episode could be thought of as a spy by a different name. With roots in Jamaica, and raised between the Middle East, Europe and the United States, Suki Fuller, an intelligence advisor, author, acclaimed international keynote speaker and Fellow of The Council of Competitive Intelligence Fellows is a women that is usually intent on not being watched. She is the Founder of Miribure, Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of DC Analytics and Storyteller for Group of Humans. She is a contributing author to A Practical Guide to Competitive Intelligence.

Suki is a fierce supporter of intelligence, ethical tech, #SafetyTech, Security, Privacy and Surveillance. Her eclectic 20-year career within strategic intelligence and technology has taken her from the US Department of Defense to teaching business students in China.

She currently resides in London, where she is an intrinsic part of the tech community as a Board Advisor for Tech London Advocates / Global Tech Advocates, which includes key positions as Co-Lead TLA Women in Tech, and Vice-Chair for GTA Black Women in Tech. Suki was recently named by the Most Influential Woman in UK Tech by Computer Weekly 2023. There’s so much more to this #dynamicdiasporan, I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Where to find Suki?
On LinkedIn
On X
On Instagram

What’s Suki reading?
Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzeneger
Cobalt Red: How the Boll of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara
The Mircostress Effect: How Little Things Pile Up and Create Big Problems--and What to Do About It by Rob Cross and Karen Dillon
Decentering Whiteness in the Workplace: A Guide for Equity and Inclusion by Janice Gassam Asare
Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup’s Quest to End Privacy as We Know It by Kashmir HIll

What’s Suki watching?
Beckham on Netflix
The Power on Amazon Prime

Other topics of interest:
Balham, London
Surrey, United Kingdom
Some Jamaican Patios to practice
About Rastafarianism
Pismo Beach, California
Royal Air Force Lakenheath, an American Air Force Base in the UK
Penn State’s Behrend College
About Chi Chi’s Restaurant
Mercyhurst University - Intelligence Studies
Agatha Christie’s Poirot
Twitter and SXSW
About Robert Baker
Innit?
IA Safety Bill
The Pod Generation Film

Special Guest: Suki Fuller.

For this week’s episode I found myself in a hidden gem of a community in East London with a not so hidden gem in the European investment space, Eric Collins. Eric, born an raised in the southern United States, has called London home for the nearly 10 years. He is a serial entrepreneur, investor, technology executive and host of Channel 4 business show, The Money Maker, which is based on the highly successful US show The Profit on CNBC.

Eric has spent much of his career building the value of digital companies through innovative strategies at public and private companies including AOL, TimeWarner, Tegic/Nuance Communications, MobilePosse, SwiftKey/Microsoft and most recently, Touch Surgery, where he was COO. He sits on the boards of companies in San Francisco and London, including Tech Nation.

In 2011, President Obama, a fellow Harvard Law School classmate, appointed him to the Small Business Administration’s Council on Underserved Communities.

Eric is also a brand ambassador for luxury car manufacturer, Audi, and the youth charity The Prince’s Trust.

In 2018, The Financial Times named him among the UK’s top 100 BAME leaders in technology. Since 2019, he has been voted one of the most influential Black people in Britain on The Powerlist.

In his award-winning book, We Don’t Need Permission: How Black Business Can Change Our World (Penguin), Eric argues investing in Black and underrepresented entrepreneurs is the surest, fastest socio-economic game changer there is. And with his work as a Founder and CEO of Impact X Capital we believe him!

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

What’s Eric reading?
J. Califoria Cooper

What’s Eric watching?
Purlie Victorious
The Lehman Trilogy

Other topics of interest:
Revisit fellow Glocal Citizen Natasha Moore
Greensboro, North Carolina
Tuskegee University
Bennett College
North Carolina A&T State University
On Charles Blow’s The Devil You Know
Roger Fisher’s Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving
On the Black Power Movement
About the inaugural SBA Council on Underserved Communities and Chair, Cathy Hughes
Audra McDonald & Brian Stokes Mitchell Perform 'Wheels of a Dream' From RAGTIME
First Black Mayor of Charlotte Harvey Gantt
Former Governor of Virgina Douglas Wilder
GiveBLACK
About Ric Lewis
No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
About Marshmallow

Special Guest: Eric Collins.

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.

It’s happy hearts day and this week's episode is especially close to my heart because we’re talking learning and language, culture and heritage in multigenerational diaspora communities across the globe. Dr. Taiye Ayoola-Adedeji, a Nigerian-American Pharmacist and recently the CEO of her publishing company, Taikun Publishing, is the author of the innovative, educational and interactive Yoruba-English bilingual book titled, The Yoruba Sound Book for Children, which was successfully launched in April 2022.

Currently based in Maryland, Dr. Taiye earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy, a top institution in the U.S. Although she migrated to the US at a relatively young age, she is fortunate to have spent her early formative years in Nigeria where she was truly able to gain appreciation for the Yoruba culture and language. As a mother wanting her own children to also value their cultural heritage, she is even more resolute about finding innovative ways to pass on the rich culture and instilling in them a sense of pride about their great ancestry, cultural heritage and identity.

Dr. Taiye is passionate about preserving and promoting the Yoruba language and culture, particularly in the diaspora where comprehensive resources to teach or learn the tonal Yoruba language are limited. We say cheers to continued success with works in Yoruba and other African languages!

Special thanks to GC 83, Ivonne Cameron for making the connection.

Where to find Taiye?
www.yortones.com
On Instagram
On Facebook
On Twitter
On Youtube

What's Taiye reading?
Principles and Power of Vision by Dr. Myles Monroe
History of the Yoruba People by S. Adebanji Akintoye
Yoruba Proverbs by Oyekan Owomoyela
I’m Judging You by Luvvie Ajayi
Will by Will Smith

Other Books On Bookshelf:
Just as I Am by Cicely Tyson
Finding Me by Viola Davis
Don’t Drop the Mic by TD Jakes

Other topics of interest:
About Prince George’s County, Maryland
Omoluwabi
About Oriki and more
King Sunny Adé

Special Guest: Taiye Ayoola-Adedeji.

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.

As we ease into the last month of 2022, we're adding another country to our Glocal Citizens tour with a trip to Malawi. My guest this week is Malawian-American, Michelle Alipao Chikaonda. Michelle and I crossed paths in Accra at the sixth edition of the Pa Gya! Literary Festival. She is an award winning nonfiction writer, teacher and avid traveller. A graduate student at the University of East Anglia School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing studying biography and creative nonfiction, Michelle is currently based in the United Kingdom, and at the same time keeping an eye toward the next place she'll call "home."

Michelle has won the Literary Award for Narrative Nonfiction of the Tucson Festival of Books, the Stephen J. Meringoff Award for Nonfiction of the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics and Writers, and the Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker Scholarship for writers of color from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. In 2015 she was nominated for the Pushcart Prize by the Oracle Fine Arts Review, and in 2020 she was longlisted for the inaugural Toyin Falola Prize for emerging African writers, and was published in the prize’s anthology, “In the Sands of Time” (2022). In addition to being a 2019 resident at The Seventh Wave’s Rhinebeck Residency, she is a Voices of Our Nations [VONA] Workshop fellow, a Tin House Summer Workshop alumna, and has presented at several Association of Writing and Writing Programs [AWP] conferences.

A contributing editor for nonfiction at Electric Literature, she is also currently published at Al Jazeera, The Globe and Mail, Catapult, the Broad Street Review, Business Insider, and Africa is A Country, among others.

Be sure to check out Michelle's website links so you can catch up on Michelle's works across platforms.

Where to find Michelle?
michellechikaonda.work
On Twitter
On Facebook
On Instagram

What's Michelle reading?
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté MD with Daniel Maté
When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection by Gabor Maté MD
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Maté MD

What's Michelle watching?
The Crown
From Scratch

Other topics of interest:
About Dedza, Malawi
About Zomba, Malawi
About the Lobolo System
Ngoni People
United World College
International Baccalaureate
Kusesa, sweeping
US Family Medical Leave Act
Song of Songs

Special Guest: Michelle Alipao Chikaonda.

As we ease into the last month of 2022, we're adding another country to our Glocal Citizens tour with a trip to Malawi. My guest this week is Malawian-American, Michelle Alipao Chikaonda. Michelle and I crossed paths in Accra at the sixth edition of the Pa Gya! Literary Festival. She is an award winning nonfiction writer, teacher and avid traveller. A graduate student at the University of East Anglia School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing studying biography and creative nonfiction, Michelle is currently based in the United Kingdom, and at the same time keeping an eye toward the next place she'll call "home."

Michelle has won the Literary Award for Narrative Nonfiction of the Tucson Festival of Books, the Stephen J. Meringoff Award for Nonfiction of the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics and Writers, and the Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker Scholarship for writers of color from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. In 2015 she was nominated for the Pushcart Prize by the Oracle Fine Arts Review, and in 2020 she was longlisted for the inaugural Toyin Falola Prize for emerging African writers, and was published in the prize’s anthology, “In the Sands of Time” (2022). In addition to being a 2019 resident at The Seventh Wave’s Rhinebeck Residency, she is a Voices of Our Nations [VONA] Workshop fellow, a Tin House Summer Workshop alumna, and has presented at several Association of Writing and Writing Programs [AWP] conferences.

A contributing editor for nonfiction at Electric Literature, she is also currently published at Al Jazeera, The Globe and Mail, Catapult, the Broad Street Review, Business Insider, and Africa is A Country, among others.

Be sure to check out Michelle's website links so you can catch up on Michelle's works across platforms.

Where to find Michelle?
michellechikaonda.work
On Twitter
On Facebook
On Instagram

What's Michelle reading?
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté MD with Daniel Maté
When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection by Gabor Maté MD
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Maté MD

What's Michelle watching?
The Crown
From Scratch

Other topics of interest:
About Dedza, Malawi
About Zomba, Malawi
About the Lobolo System
Ngoni People
United World College
International Baccalaureate
Kusesa, sweeping
US Family Medical Leave Act
Song of Songs

Special Guest: Michelle Alipao Chikaonda.

We have another two part in depth conversation with a very dynamic Diasporan. Part 1 goes live the week of the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. The genesis of the holiday has much to do with food--It was a harvest festival celebrated by America's first European immigrant settlers. So, my guest is our own celebration of food--food science and innovation. Born and raised in the US, now based in Accra, Dr. Wanida Lewis is the CEO and Co-founder of non-profit Crescendo Foods, Ghana’s first shared commercial kitchen space and culinary hub. She has over ten years’ experience leading programs, strategic partnerships, and economic evaluation initiatives throughout the African continent. Previously, she wasa Senior Economic Program Advisor in the US Department of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues. During her first stint living in Accra in 2018, she founded Young, Gifted, & Brown, LLC, a pipeline program supporting young Ghanaian women and entrepreneurs in STEM. A Food Science Fellowship Award Endowment in her name was established in 2013 to provide fellowship funding for underrepresented graduate students in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University. Another fun fact about Wanida is that she's a certified yoga instructor and can be found working with Glocal Citizens guest, Nana Amoako-Anin at Bliss Yoga Accra training yogis in yin and restorative yoga.

Where to find Wanida?
Wanida's website
On LinkedIn
cresendogh.com
On Facebook
On Instagram
On Twitter

What's Wanida reading?
Terminal Romance: How to Find Love in Cyberspace by Niki Aguirre
The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

What's Wanida watching?
Abbot Elementary
Atlanta
From Scratch

What's Wanida listening to?
J.ill Podcast
Africa Daily Podcast

Other topics of interest:
Theia Coffee House Accra
American Association for the Advancement of Science
US Foreign Service
German Marshall Fund
About Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Delta Sigma theta Sorority, Inc.
Faith Hunter
Arianna Elizabeth
The Pilates Studio Accra
Online Dating Sites, A History

Special Guest: Wanida Lewis.

We have another two part in-depth conversation with a very dynamic Diasporan. Part 1 goes live the week of the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. The genesis of the holiday has much to do with food; it was a harvest festival celebrated by America's first European immigrant settlers. So, my guest is our own celebration of food--food science and innovation. Born and raised in the US, now based in Accra, Dr. Wanida Lewis is the CEO and Co-founder of non-profit Crescendo Foods, Ghana’s first shared commercial kitchen space and culinary hub. She has over ten years’ experience leading programs, strategic partnerships, and economic evaluation initiatives throughout the African continent. Previously, she wasa Senior Economic Program Advisor in the US Department of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues. During her first stint living in Accra in 2018, she founded Young, Gifted, & Brown, LLC, a pipeline program supporting young Ghanaian women and entrepreneurs in STEM. A Food Science Fellowship Award Endowment in her name was established in 2013 to provide fellowship funding for underrepresented graduate students in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University. Another fun fact about Wanida is that she's a certified yoga instructor and can be found working with Glocal Citizens guest, Nana Amoako-Anin at Bliss Yoga Accra training yogis in yin and restorative yoga.

Where to find Wanida?
Wanida's website
On LinkedIn
crescendogh.com
On Facebook
On Instagram
On Twitter

What's Wanida reading?
Terminal Romance: How to Find Love in Cyberspace by Niki Aguirre
The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

What's Wanida watching?
Abbot Elementary
Atlanta
From Scratch

What's Wanida listening to?
J.ill Podcast
Africa Daily Podcast

Other topics of interest:
Theia Coffee House Accra
American Association for the Advancement of Science
US Foreign Service
German Marshall Fund
About Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Delta Sigma theta Sorority, Inc.
Faith Hunter
Arianna Elizabeth
The Pilates Studio Accra
Online Dating Sites, A History

Special Guest: Wanida Lewis.

Where to find Adama?
www.lilithastrology.com
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Twitter
On Facebook
On YouTube
On TikTok

What's Adama reading?
Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas
African Goddess Rising Oracle: A 44-Card Deck and Guidebook by Abiola Abrams
Books by Kim Krans

What's Adama watching?
The Handmaid's Tale
Ozark

What's Adama listening to?
Ancient Wisdom Today With Shaman Durek
Dr. Deepak Chopra
Dr. Joe Dispenza

Other topics of interest:
Tropical vs. Vedic Astrology
Babylonian Astrology
National Council for Geocosmic Research
Haus of Hoodoo
Pluto Return
A Modern Textbook of Astrology
Saturn Return

Special Guest: Adama Sesay.

No passport required! Grab a snack, relax and let the sound be your transport.

Where to find Ronda?
Where to find Salim?
Where to find Nyamal?

Other topics of interest:
Seyi Akiwowo and Glitch
On Intersectionality
Glocal Citizen Asare Adjei
Barbados, the newest republic
Anatomy of the Conflict in Ethiopia
Asida
Genfo
Banku

Special Guests: Nyamal Tutdeal, Ronda Zelezny-Green, and Salim Rollins.

Many words define who he is, but none more so than “immigrant” - and his story represents the stories of millions of brave, hopeful and selfless individuals, many giving up the comfort of familiar spaces to create a new life and future for themselves and those who depend on them. He is all “IMMIGRANTS” and his life’s work is to see his us live more authentically - flourishing and thriving, not just surviving.

This was such an inspiring conversation offering a thoughtful perspective on the type of agility that defines successful entrepreneurship. Tune in and for those of you migrants with loved ones check out Fleri, there's a plan for your needs and the peace of mind we all seek when we can't always be a physical presence.

Where to find Sam?
On LinkedIn
On Twitter
On Instagram
On Facebook
Fleri on YouTube

What's Sam listening to?
Tim Ferriss
Brene Brown
Esther Perel

Other topics of interest:
Oujda, Morocco
Grameen Bank
Heel the World Luxury Accessories
Makola Market
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana
Bohten Eyewear
Sankofa
More on Self-talk
Nguvu Health

In her creative approach to knowledge production, she uses archives, ethnography, photography, film, and the imagination to curate programs and visual narratives, write essays and performance pieces exploring the gendered and diasporic dimensions of Black being and becoming. She also creates ancestral altars using family pictures and memorabilia, found photographs and archival images, West African textiles and wood carvings, crystals, fossils, stones, shells, and other curios. These practices converge in her forthcoming monograph, Amy Ashwood Garvey and the Future of Back Feminist Archives (Lawrence Wishart, Summer 2022) and Caird Research Fellowship at The National Maritime Museum, ‘Curating Archives of Affect: Black Feminist Pasts, Presents, and Futures’ (December 2021 - September 2020), and my ongoing visual series, ‘Becoming with Archive: Blackness, Gender, Diaspora’ (2010 - Present).

Alongside her practice-based research, Nydia work as the Curator of Learning at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, where she collaborates with academics, curators, artists, and writers to develop a multi-disciplinary, practice-based research and learning program. She is also a member of Feminist Review’s Editorial Collective and the Curator of Programmes, and co-edited a recent issue on queer, feminist, diasporic, and decolonial archives.

Please read on and explore the topics of interest below for a thoughtfully curated account of the many individuals discussed in the episode.

Where to find Nydia?
www.nydiaswaby.com
On LinkedIn

What's Nydia reading?
The Sex Lives of African Women by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah
Dear Science and Other Stories by Katherine McKittrick

What's Nydia watching?
Master
Daughters of the Dust

Other topics of interest:
Amy Ashwood Garvey
Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA)
Pan African Movement
Garveyism
Jamaica Kincaid
On Code Switching
Double Consciousness
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Ifeanyi Awachie
Imani Perry
Lorraine Hansberry
Barby Asante
S. Pearl Sharp
Akosua Adoma Owusu
Rita Gayle
Joan Morgan
Brittney Cooper
The Politics of Pleasure

Special Guest: Nydia Swaby.

In true Global Citizens style, Erica is also lead curator of GlobaLuminary Consulting where her objective is to help everyday, normal individuals travel this world, the way best for them. I hope you enjoy taking a trip with us into Erica's world of love, intimacy and healthy self-care.

Where to find Erica?
Intimacy Coaching with Erica
GlobaLuminary Consulting
For the Love of Fufu
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Twitter
On Facebook

What's Erica reading?
Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence by Esther Perel
Come As Your Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book by Don Miguel Ruiz

What's Erica watching?
Don't Look Up
Money Heist
Queens Gambit

Other topics of interest:
69
The Somatica Institute
Sex, Love & goop

*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: Erica Daniel.

In true Global Citizens style, Erica is also lead curator of GlobaLuminary Consulting where her objective is to help everyday, normal individuals travel this world, the way best for them. I hope you enjoy taking a trip with us into Erica's world of love, intimacy and healthy self-care.

Where to find Erica?
Intimacy Coaching with Erica
GlobaLuminary Consulting
For the Love of Fufu
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Twitter
On Facebook

What's Erica reading?
Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence by Esther Perel
Come As Your Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book by Don Miguel Ruiz

What's Erica watching?
Don't Look Up
Money Heist
Queens Gambit

Other topics of interest:
69
The Somatica Institute
Sex, Love & goop

*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: Erica Daniel.

My guest this week has travelled to more than 60 countries and worked on five continents. Currently based in southern Spain, Dr. Ronda Železný-Green is a digital changemaker creating social learning systems to empower Black people, women, people with disabilities, and other marginalized populations in the technology and education sectors. Serving as a mobile technologist, trainer, and researcher, Ronda’s 16+ years of professional experience spans five continents and the public, private, and civil society sectors. A Black and Native American cis woman excelling with ADHD, Ronda also has extensive experience delivering action-oriented training that integrates the themes of racial equity and justice and gender with global perspectives. Hallmarks of her career include learning/educating with tech; championing, coaching, and mentoring women in tech; and empowering people to use technology as transformative tools to live their best lives. She is currently the Global Head of Training and eLearning at the Internet Society where she is leading the end-to-end rebuild and relaunch of our training programs, including the digital transformation of existing training activities due to COVID-19. She also serves in advisory and director roles at the Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) at the United Nations Foundation, InnovateHer - where she is the board chair, and Noise Solution. At the same time she's a tech-prenuer as co-founder and director of Panoply Digital Ltd is a socially conscious organization using their expertise in ICT, education, and gender to create solutions to development challenges. Ronda is a whirlwind of digital dynamism!

Where to find Ronda?
www.rondazg.com
On Linkedin
On Twitter
On Instagram

What's Ronda watching?
Flight 93
Love is Blind
La Granja de Zenón

Other topics of interest:
What happened in 2009 in Madagascar?
About the Peace Corps
About Bell Hooks
About Paulo Freire
Seyi Akiwowo and Glitch
On Intersectionality

Special Guest: Ronda Zelezny-Green.

Our paths intersect with her role as Co-founder and CEO of UBONGO, Africa's leading kids' edutainment company. Ubongo creates top quality, localized edutainment to help Africa's 500 million kids learn, and leverage their learning to change their lives. Their vision is to equip Africa's next generation with the educational foundation, critical skills and positive mindsets to change their own lives and communities for the better. Over 17 million families in Africa learn with our edu-cartoons and radio programs, and we're rapidly growing across the continent. At Ubongo, she’s lead visionary, series producer/ screenwriter, and does whatever it takes to get our products made, tested and released! Through a distribution relationship with Ubongo, LEAP Transmedia introduced Ghanaian children and families to the program beginning in 2015.

Where to find Nisha and Ubongo?
www.ubongo.org
On LinkedIn
On Twitter
On Facebook
On Instagram
On YouTube

What's Nisha listening to?
How to Save the Planet Podcast
The Cipher Podcast
Homecoming
Pinna for kids

Other topics of interest:
About Laura Poitras
Ubuntu
Tom Chi @ TEDx

Special Guest: Nisha Ligon.