Explore every episode of the podcast Glocal Citizens
Dive into the complete episode list for Glocal Citizens. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
Episode 1: Coming Soon: Glocal Citizens
22 Nov 2019
00:02:00
Greetings Glocal Citizens! Let me introduce myself, I'm your host Florence Amerley Adu. I'm CEO and co-founder of LEAP Transmedia. Our vision is to seeds and sows a fertile ground for improving education and economic outcomes for Ghanaians and Africans across the diaspora.
Do you dream about “doing something” abroad? Then consider Glocal Citizens required listening in the due diligence, trusted advisor and inspiration department. In each episode, I visit with dynamic diasporans making local and global impact designing and applying their craft. We explore how their passions have rooted them throughout their lives, while at the same time feeding the branches compelling them to keep reaching “beyond.” We also discuss the personal and professional dimensions of glocal citizenship. Then we round out the discussion with a deep dive into to the business of their business, covering the technical and operational components of the work of “doing something.”
Episode 246: Writing as Activism: Ghanaian Voices and Pan-African Perspectives Across Genres with Nicole Amarteifio, Kwame Dawes and Nydia A. Swaby Live at Pa Gya!
05 Nov 2024
00:52:51
New Month Greetings Glocal Citizens!
The first Tuesday in November represents the official US election day. As polling evolves for higher participation and greater inclusion, most states offer early voting so millions have already cast thier votes. Throughout this year of elections across the globe, the build up to the two where I have a say, the United States and Ghana, has played a critical role in inspiring my most activist self to move the dial in different ways toward manifesting a new world. Coincidentally, this week on the podcast kicks off our Writing as Activism series in coordination with the Pa Gya! Literary Festival in Accra. Recorded live at the eighth installment of the festivaland in the days that followed, starting the panel, Writing as Activism: Ghanaian Voices and Pan-African Perspectives Across Genres, the conversation starts with a distinguished voices covering works of poetry, screenwriting, and nonfiction scholarship with:
Nicole Amarteifio is an acclaimed Ghanaian-American TV/film writer, director, and producer. She successfully launched the hit web series 'An African City’ - dubbed by CNN and the BBC as Africa’s answer to ‘Sex and the City’.
Returning Glocal Citizen, Nydia A. Swaby is a Black feminist artist, researcher and curator. Her practice engages archives, autoethnography, photography, the moving image, and the imagination to explore the gendered, diasporic and affective dimensions of Black being and becoming. In addition to curating artistic programmes, she creates visual narratives, research and performance texts. Nydia's first book, Amy Ashwood Garvey and the Future of Black Feminist Archives, was published by Lawrence Wishart in October 2024 as part of LW's Radical Black Women book series. She is also developing an artist film, Amy and Me in the Archive, which will be screened at the forthcoming Singapore International Photography Festival 2024.
And Poet Laureate of Jamaica, Kwame Dawes, author of numerous books of poetry and other books of fiction, criticism, and essays. His most recent collection is Sturge Town (Peepal Tree Press, UK 2023). Dawes is Professor of Literary Arts at Brown University. He teaches in the Pacific MFA Program and is the Series Editor of the African Poetry Book Series, Director of the African Poetry Book Fund, and Artistic Director of the Calabash International Literary Festival. He is a Chancellor for the Academy of American Poets and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Kwame Dawes is the winner of the prestigious Windham/Campbell Award for Poetry and was a finalist for the 2022 Neustadt International Prize for Literature. In 2022 Dawes was awarded the Order of Distinction Commander class by the Government of Jamaica. He is the Poet Laureate of Jamaica (2024-2027).
Other topics of interest and the Essential Pan-African Activism reading list coming soon!
*This audio recording has been edited for clarity from the original video recording.
Special Guests: Kwame Dawes, Nicole Amarteifio, and Nydia Swaby.
Episode 237: Creating Meaningful Spaces in Community with Jodine Dorcé
27 Aug 2024
00:54:29
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week Haiti, the recent Democratic National Convention (DNC), living in the now and ideas that challenge mindset boundaries are hot topic with my guest, Haitian-American, Jodine Dorcé. Jodine has been discovering, branding and promoting arts, music and culture for over a decade. Behind the scenes, she had an impressive career as an award-winning event marketer in the arts, entertainment and consumer product industries. Her achievements include developing and promoting products for Disney Consumer Electronics; leading sponsorship integrations for CurlFest and ONE Musicfest; producing the 2015 ESSENCE Festival and being responsible for the branding of Red Bull as a staple in the Atlanta cultural scene. Currently she is the VP of Live Events at WaitWhat, a media invention company, recognized for the highest quality, most genre-defining content today.
In front of an audience, Jodine has a fearless passion for hosting and being an on-air personality. From her former radio days at WBCX 89.1FM in Atlanta, GA, she was also the host of the world-renowned Apollo Theater’s Music Cafe in Harlem that spotlights emerging music artists. She now serves as a host for Capital Jazz TV while producing and assist in the programming for the Capital Jazz Fest & Supercruise. You can also find her guest hosting various events throughout the country that showcase music, empower women and bring awareness to her beloved home country, Haiti. Join us in the vibe!
Episode 147: A Souljourner Life with Hasira Soul Ashemu
01 Nov 2022
00:59:13
New month greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week's episode is all about roots and rooting. I've known my guest for more than half my life going back to our roots in Denver, Colorado. From our Angelic days walking the halls of East High High School to living in the lanes in and around Accra, Hasira Soul Ashemu and I have been able to stay connected thanks to social media and a spirit of inspiring and ushering change for marginalized people. Hasira, a community organizer, writer and entrepreneur, is the founder and chief visionary officer for Righteous Rage Institute. Born and raised in Northeast Denver, Colorado, he attended Howard University, “The Mecca,” and later travelled the world spending a decade living in Africa raising his family in Ghana. Hasira is a prolific writer, speaker, facilitator, communications professional who has been using his talents, experience and skills to create and support stimulating, engaging and innovative community initiatives that usher in social change. He is dedicated to the pursuit for social, equity, education and healing justice for society’s most vulnerable children; Black, Brown, Indigenous, Special Needs and those living in poverty. And, his work includes organizing healing and learning journeys, consulting and coaching at the individual, community, national and international levels for nonprofit, corporate, governments, public school districts and higher learning institutions across the US and five African nations. Hasira is also a fellow podcaster; after you take in our conversation, make your way over to his podcast To Heal a People!
*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.
Episode 146: The Ungrind with Michelle Donald
18 Oct 2022
00:55:04
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
I'm back in Accra, hurray for endless summer living! Each year as the summer fades in the northeastern hemisphere, I make my way back to the equatorial region to meet the sun again and recharge my creative self. Similarly, my guest this week, one of my oldest and dearest friends, found her recharge in her relocation from the US to Nairobi, Kenya. Born and raised in New York, Dr. Michelle Donald is an experienced business-minded physician, with expertise in pediatric medicine, preventative medicine and public health, she is passionate about developing and implementing clinical programs that merge technology and healthcare delivery systems to improve health outcomes. In her last role as the Medical Director of Value Based Care at New York’s Northwell Health, she established an innovative care model utilizing healthcare analytics, payer data and strategic clinical partnerships to proactively assess and identify vulnerable populations needing medical attention. A trip to Tanzania in 2018 changed the course of her life, it was during that trip that she decided to move to East Africa and develop digital health programs expanding access to quality healthcare. In February of 2020, she resigned from Northwell to pursue her dream of democratizing healthcare for all by building an effective, affordable, digital health platform that can be used to improve care delivery across a variety of health care settings. Michelle is also seeding a social movement that she calls The Ungrind which is an outgrowth of the years-long creative evolution that continues to be her unfolding global lifestyle.
*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: Michelle Donald.
Episode 145: Fit to Flow with Terry Singh Part 2
11 Oct 2022
00:43:54
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This two part experience will takes us on a journey through multiple planes of being and thought with my guest, fashion designer and trend setter, Terry Singh. Born and raised in Guyana to parents of Indian heritage, Terry has called New York City, home for most of his life. After a life changing journey to the country of his heritage, he has since bloomed into his current creative flow as the visionary behind his Terry Singh NYC fashion label. As a former adman of who is now the vision behind his own fashion brand, Terry's aim is to translate the practicality and elegance of the traditional Indian dhoti for a Western consumer. With multiple shows appearing at New York Fashion Week and features at this year’s New York Men’s Day, he’s created a buzz on the pages of the New York Times, Vogue, and WWD, to name a few. When asked about his aesthetic he shares, “I used to be inhibited about what I wore,” “I kept my head down because I felt people were staring. Then I realized I don’t know what’s in people’s minds, and I started to dress for myself. A question I always ask people is, ‘If today were your last day on earth, what would you wear?’ Dress like that.” Terry's fashions are also blooming with his leisurewear brand I AM U TOO.
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This two part experience will takes us on a journey through multiple planes of being and thought with my guest, fashion designer and trendsetter, Terry Singh. Born and raised in Guyana to parents of Indian heritage, Terry has called New York City, home for most of his life. After a life changing journey to the country of his heritage, he has since bloomed into his current creative flow as the visionary behind his Terry Singh NYC fashion label. As a former adman, Terry's aim is to leverage all of his talents in translating the practicality and elegance of the traditional Indian dhoti for a Western consumer. With multiple shows appearing at New York Fashion Week and features at this year’s New York Men’s Day, he’s created a buzz on the pages of The New York Times, Vogue, and WWD, to name a few. When asked about his aesthetic he shares, “I used to be inhibited about what I wore,” “I kept my head down because I felt people were staring. Then I realized I don’t know what’s in people’s minds, and I started to dress for myself. A question I always ask people is, ‘If today were your last day on earth, what would you wear?’ Dress like that.” Terry's fashions are also blooming with his leisurewear brand I AM U TOO.
Episode 143: Writing History's Present with Anna Malaika Tubbs
19 Sep 2022
00:56:42
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week my guest and I cross paths not only as fellow Stanford Alums, but also as Ghanaians. Born in Mexico and raised around the world, a Ghanaian-American, Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs holds a Ph.D in Sociology and Masters in Multidisciplinary Gender Studies from the University of Cambridge in addition to a Bachelors in Anthropology from Stanford University. Anna’s research, writing, and talks are centered on gender and race issues in the U.S., especially as these relate to the pervasive erasure of Black women. Anna’s debut book, The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation is a New York Times Bestseller as well as a New York Times Editor’s Choice and an Amazon Editor’s Pick.
Anna was also previously the First Partner of Stockton. In her role, she co-authored the “Report on the Status of Women in Stockton” to help guide future policy decisions with the experiences of diverse women in mind. As a result of this work she was named one of six pivotal powerbrokers in the Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine in 2019.
Anna has published articles on topics ranging from the importance of inclusivity and feminism to addressing the unique burden Black mothers carry in the U.S. for Time Magazine, New York Magazine, The Guardian, CNN, Motherly, Blavity, Huffington Post, Darling Magazine, and For Harriet.
She currently lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband and two children, where she is discovering a new chapter in her creative career with multiple writing projects in the works which you'll learn more about as you listen to our lively conversation.
*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: Anna Malaika Tubbs.
Episode 142: Design Thinking Your Why with Tiambi Simms
13 Sep 2022
00:54:32
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week's guest fully embraces glocal citizenship; she has a place called "home" on three continents.
A Brooklyn native, Tiambi Simms' passion lies in building solutions that matter by diving into customer problems and solving them with modern technology. Her expertise is in creating, scaling, and optimizing products and services that are impactful. She realizes this passion as a business designer, product manager and in her role as a co-founder of social enterprise, SheFarms. As a social entrepreneur her guiding question is how are we going to feed 9.7 Billion people by 2050? This drives her work in the agri-fintech sector, bringing the power of tech to the lives of smallholder farmers, particularly for women. Tiambi's global perspective in management, marketing, business development, product management, fundraising, and entrepreneurship are at the core of her ability to cultivate strong relationships with stakeholders across their value chains, allowing her to connect and grow alongside of them.
Episode 141: Drumming and Dancing in Academia with Farai Malianga Part 2
06 Sep 2022
00:34:18
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week's episode is home grown in a sense as I had the chance to chat with long-time friend and collaborator, Farai Malianga. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Farai's journey to the US found him at the University in Colorado in Boulder where our stories connect. He is a Videographer, Composer, and Musician who began his career in African Dance in Colorado with Leticia Williams’ Harambee and Musical Director Judy “Fatu” Henderson. He later relocated to New York where he began studying dance and drum with pioneers Yousouf Koumbasa, Mbemba Bangoura and Ronald K. Brown. He has performed with creative Masters such as Chuck Davis in BAMs ‘Dance Africa’, Reginald Yates and Heritage O.P. for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s their 40th Anniversary season; with musicians such as Roy Ayers, Wunmi Olaiya,, Manchild Black, and Akua Allrich to name a few. He has also performed on and off broadway in the musical 'Fela!' and “Darker Faces of the Earth” directed by Trezana Beverley, respectively. As a videographer, most recent projects include editing the archival documentary for “Kumbuka” the longest active New Orleans-based West African Dance troupe.
This fall he joins Florida State University as a tenure track Professor with a focus on music for dance and choreography. He will be teaching Rhythmic Analysis, Music for Choreography, and Digital Audio Recording while also providing music support for African, Dunham and Contemporary classes. We definitely have something to look forward to seeing Farai's work flourish on a whole new level in this role!
Episode 140: Drumming and Dancing in Academia with Farai Malianga Part 1
30 Aug 2022
00:35:27
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week's episode is home grown in a sense as I had the chance to chat with long-time friend and collaborator, Farai Malianga. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Farai's journey to the US found him at the University in Colorado in Boulder where our stories connect. He is a Videographer, Composer, and Musician who began his career in African Dance in Colorado with Leticia Williams’ Harambee and Musical Director Judy “Fatu” Henderson. He later relocated to New York where he began studying dance and drum with pioneers Yousouf Koumbasa, Mbemba Bangoura and Ronald K. Brown. He has performed with creative Masters such as Chuck Davis in BAMs ‘Dance Africa’, Reginald Yates and Heritage O.P. for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s their 40th Anniversary season; with musicians such as Roy Ayers, Wunmi Olaiya,, Manchild Black, and Akua Allrich to name a few. He has also performed on and off broadway in the musical 'Fela!' and “Darker Faces of the Earth” directed by Trezana Beverley, respectively. As a videographer, most recent projects include editing the archival documentary for “Kumbuka” the longest active New Orleans-based West African Dance troupe.
This fall he joins Florida State University as a tenure track Professor with a focus on music for dance and choreography. He will be teaching Rhythmic Analysis, Music for Choreography, and Digital Audio Recording while also providing music support for African, Dunham and Contemporary classes. We definitely have something to look forward to seeing Farai's work flourish on a whole new level in this role!
Episode 139: Connecting Communities with Asmeret Berhe-Lumax
23 Aug 2022
00:42:40
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week is all about the "local" in glocal. I'm hosting longtime friend, neighbor and soon to be public official, Asmeret Berhe-Lumax. Asmeret was born in Asmara, Eritrea, raised in Stockholm, Sweden and now calls Brooklyn, New York home. She is a dynamic team player with extensive domestic and international experience, she is a hands-on leader in both corporate and entrepreneurial settings developing and executing strategic plans encompassing client goals and translating them into an efficient and profitable production structure. She channels these skills as founder of the One Love Community Fridge project, a community-based response to the long lines at food banks that began during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. The project is a purpose-driven initiative that supports community fridges, local businesses and framers by addressing immediate hunger needs, minimizing food waste and ensuring access to healthy, fresh foods. Asmeret is also co-founder of The Black Beauty Club, is a social enterprise focused on community building; driving cultural and solutions-oriented conversation across the diaspora; and impactful thought leadership within the Black Beauty space. A community grown on Clubhouse to drive insightful thought leadership and cultural conversations around the Black Beauty space, the Black Beauty Club member is a beauty consumer, aspiring or established founder, beauty critic, or member of the beauty industry. With a mission to galvanize and quantify the economic and cultural impact of Black businesses and consumers driving a stronger ecosystem, the Black Beauty Club and its members are invested in the Black Beauty zeitgeist and seek to bolster community support and through greater industry knowledge.
Listen in to find out more about how Asmeret is manifesting a new world view on food, beauty and civic engagement.
Episode 138: Energetic Communication with Adama Sesay
16 Aug 2022
01:05:47
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
As the August moon is now on the wane, we're taking in the moon's full splendor from beginning to end in conversation with professional astrologer, empowerment alchemist, and the author of the highly anticipated book and oracle deck: Black Moon Lilith™ Rising (HayHouse Inc. Fall '23), Adama Sesay. Adama, a Sierra Leonian-American, is also the creator and founder of LilithAstrology.com and the private streaming platform Black Moon Lilith™ Collective. Shadow work, self-empowerment, alchemy, and self-realization through the birth chart and knowledge of Black Moon Lilith are her specialties. Her work has been featured in top media outlets like Cosmopolitan Magazine, Well + Good, Buzzfeed, and BYRDIE.
Whether you're a stargazer, have your feet planted firmly here on earth, or both, this conversation is full of empowering nudges to help guide you into your full energetic self.
Episode 236: Back to School with Taiye Ayoola-Adedeji, Ayobisi Osuntusa, Nisha Ligon, and Farai Malianga
20 Aug 2024
00:51:49
Late summer greetings, Glocal Citizens!
It’s that time of year in most of the northern hemisphere - Back to School! Students of all manner from first time learners to adult continuing educationers are migrating to a learning institution near you--Kindergartens, middle and high schools, trade colleges, university campuses and some are taking to phones, tablets or computers for online courses. ’Tis the season for getting the mind ready for a new round of training, building and expansion. So this week, in preparation for the start of classes its a review session with some glocal citizens firmly planted in the business of education. Taiye Ayoola-Adedeji, author of the innovative, educational and interactive Yoruba-English bilingual book—The Yoruba Sound Book for Children, Ayobisi Osuntusa, Executive Director of Sesame Square Nigeria Foundation, a mirror image and partner organization of Sesame Workshop; Nisha Ligon, Co-founder and Senior Advisor of Tanzania-based, UBONGO, Africa's leading kids' edutainment company and Videographer, Composer, and Musician, Farai Malianga a tenure track Professor at Florida State University with a focus on Music for dance and choreography all join us with insights on learning education, arts and people. Class is in session, let’s LEAP right in!
Special Guests: Ayobisi Osuntusa, Farai Malianga, Nisha Ligon, and Taiye Ayoola-Adedeji.
Episode 137: Adulting as a Third Culture Kid with Adja Sakho Part 2
09 Aug 2022
00:41:26
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
It's a new month, my favorite of the year, and we're kicking it off with a two part conversation that bloomed during the Dakar leg of my spring tour. Joining me for this conversation between kindred spirits is Senagalese-American, Adja Maymouna Sakho. She is an educator, advocate, leader, supporter and connector of people and ideas, who is passionate about serving others through education and social justice - particularly women and children. She has over 10 years experience in education, finance, DEIJ - and has had roles ranging from trainer, advisor, evaluator, board representative, director, committee chair and most important to her - agent of change in the lives of young women and girls. She is also an Africanist and believes that Africans must lead the charge to change the narrative and the current state of affairs of many African countries. She is building on this mission as the host of 221 Afrique, a podcast focused on telling stories of Africans returning home to the continent.
From our common experiences as children of West African immigrants to attending the same graduate school at New York University, this conversation offers great insights into the rich culture and lifestyle transitions that are possible in designing a global existence.
Episode 136: Adulting as a Third Culture Kid with Adja Sakho Part 1
02 Aug 2022
00:33:58
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
It's a new month, my favorite of the year, and we're kicking it off with a two part conversation that bloomed during the Dakar leg of my spring tour. Joining me for this conversation between kindred spirits is Senagalese-American, Adja Maymouna Sakho. She is an educator, advocate, leader, supporter and connector of people and ideas, who is passionate about serving others through education and social justice - particularly women and children. She has over 10 years experience in education, finance, DEIJ - and has had roles ranging from trainer, advisor, evaluator, board representative, director, committee chair and most important to her - agent of change in the lives of young women and girls. She is also an Africanist and believes that Africans must lead the charge to change the narrative and the current state of affairs of many African countries. She is building on this mission as the host of 221 Afrique, a podcast focused on telling stories of Africans returning home to the continent.
From our common experiences as children of West African immigrants to attending the same graduate school at New York University, this conversation offers great insights into the rich culture and lifestyle transitions that are possible in designing a global existence.
Episode 135: Soul Food and Black Smoke Storytelling with Adrian Miller
26 Jul 2022
00:49:22
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week's conversation is a great complement to a favorite summer past-time and what many consider delicacy--Barbecue. My guest is fellow Coloradan and Stanford Alum, Adrian Miller - The Soul Food Scholar. He is an award winning food writer, attorney, and certified barbecue judge. Two of his books, his first in 2014, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time and most recent in 2022, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue are the James Beard Foundation Award for Reference, History, and Scholarship winners. His second book, The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, From the Washingtons to the Obamas was a finalist for a 2018 NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction.” He is also featured in the Netflix hit docu-series, "High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America." He is currently the executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches and, as such, is the first African American, and the first layperson, to hold that position. As well, he is the co-project director and lead curator for the forthcoming “Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History” exhibit at the Museum of Boulder.
In addition to fascinating anecdotes about foods common on three sides of the Atlantic Ocean, you'll get a sense of how this lawyer by training found himself on a career path in service not only to his dreams, but to the uncovering, elevation and preservation of narratives about culture defining foods and food practices.
Episode 134: Toward Unity of Purpose with Daisry Mathias
19 Jul 2022
00:53:44
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week on the podcast you're in for a real treat. We're journeying to Namibia in Southern Africa by way of Morocco in North Africa where my guest and I recently met. As a Namibian patriot, Daisry Mathias was appointed Advisor to the President of the Republic of Namibia, His Excellency Dr. Hage G. Geingob, in June 2015. In this role, she advises on policy and programme priorities to harness a Demographic Dividend and create an enabling environment for sustainable entrepreneurship in Namibia, under the overarching goals of poverty eradication, economic inclusion and shared prosperity. Daisry's professional experience ranges from public policy formulation, national development planning, programme monitoring and multi-stakeholder coordination. In her preceding role as an under 30 Chief Executive Officer of Team Namibia; she led a business support organisation promoting local industry by advocating the preferential consumption of Namibian goods and services. In 2019 she was selected as an Obama Leader, joining 200 young Africans in a Leadership Development Programme by former U.S. President Barack Obama.
Fully committed in her passion for public service, Daisry is also Founder & Director, Oyayone Foundation which works with and for under-resourced single mothers in Namibia to break the cycle of poverty by addressing basic needs and tackling asset poverty toward achieving social mobility. The Foundation is “Building an enduring inheritance for our children’s children” by facilitating the ownership and management of economic assets by more Namibian women.
Trust me when I say that this is a conversation that will inform, inspire and activate your spirit to connect with the Pan-African movements that are manifesting a new world!
Episode 133: From Animation to Ecosystems with Adamu Waziri
12 Jul 2022
00:39:05
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week had to opportunity to reconnect with another of my children's educational content brethren. Abuja-based creative, Adamu Waziri is the creator of the popular Bino and Fino African educational cartoon series. He is one of the founders of EVCL, a company focused on developing African based children’s and family entertainment brands. Prior to setting up EVCL he had over a decade of international 3D animation experience at award-winning animation studios working on projects for clients including Disney, HP and Sony. I always enjoy talking shop with my like-minded colleagues and I hope you too will find inspiration and new understanding around the work of innovating in the African content and brand-building space focused on nurturing the hearts and minds of children in the African Diaspora.
Episode 132: Uncommon Conversations with Dereca Blackmon Part 2
05 Jul 2022
00:30:31
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week on the podcast I have the first of a handful of interviews that came about in a back to the future-esque way. This spring, the Stanford National Black Alumni Association biennale summit took place in Washington, D.C. and I organized my spring trip back to the U.S. around reconnecting with my fellow friends and alum and sharing my insights as a Glocal Citizen on a panel entitled, "Africa: Bridging the Diasporic Divide." A propos, my guest, Detroit native, Dereca Blackmon has career-wide experience bridging divides. As Co-Founder and President of the Inclusion Design Group, she is also head trainer and responsible for the creation of the dynamic set of workshops and follow-up activities used by her team. Her experiential training models cut through “diversity fatigue” and allow participants to engage in deep, authentic, and meaningful dialogues. Among her prior positions, she served as the Assistant Vice Provost, Associate Dean and Director of the Diversity and First-Generation Office at Stanford University where she introduced groundbreaking work on authentic engagement, intergroup dialogue, and unconscious bias to over 30,000 students, staff, faculty and alumni. She also taught several courses at Stanford including Intergroup Communication with renowned cultural psychologist Hazel Markus Reverend Deborah L. Johnson.
For over 25 years, Dereca has consulted with a wide variety of corporate, educational, nonprofit, and community-based groups to facilitate “uncommon conversations” on issues of race, gender, class, and social justice. I hope this two part conversation brings you closer to understanding and embodying your own inclusion mindset.
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: Dereca Blackmon.
Episode 131: Uncommon Conversations with Dereca Blackmon Part 1
28 Jun 2022
00:35:23
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week on the podcast I have the first of a handful of interviews that came about in a back to the future-esque way. This spring, the Stanford National Black Alumni Association biennale summit took place in Washington, D.C. and I organized my spring trip back to the U.S. around reconnecting with my fellow friends and alum and sharing my insights as a Glocal Citizen on a panel entitled, "Africa: Bridging the Diasporic Divide." A propos, my guest, Detroit native, Dereca Blackmon has career-wide experience bridging divides. As Co-Founder and President of the Inclusion Design Group, she is also head trainer and responsible for the creation of the dynamic set of workshops and follow-up activities used by her team. Her experiential training models cut through “diversity fatigue” and allow participants to engage in deep, authentic, and meaningful dialogues. Among her prior positions, she served as the Assistant Vice Provost, Associate Dean and Director of the Diversity and First-Generation Office at Stanford University where she introduced groundbreaking work on authentic engagement, intergroup dialogue, and unconscious bias to over 30,000 students, staff, faculty and alumni. She also taught several courses at Stanford including Intergroup Communication with renowned cultural psychologist Hazel Markus Reverend Deborah L. Johnson.
For over 25 years, Dereca has consulted with a wide variety of corporate, educational, nonprofit, and community-based groups to facilitate “uncommon conversations” on issues of race, gender, class, and social justice. I hope this two part conversation brings you closer to understanding and embodying your own inclusion mindset.
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: Dereca Blackmon.
Episode 130: Glocally Speaking with Ronda Železný-Green, Salim Rollins and Nyamal Tutdeal
21 Jun 2022
00:31:51
Summer Solstice Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This year, we're saying so long to spring with a bit of a bang as here in the US--yes, I'm back in Brooklyn for the summer, the Juneteenth holiday and Father's Day start the week. In observation or tribute to these events, for this week's episode I've curated a "Glocally Speaking" conversation as an expression of thoughts, sentiments and realities around citizenship, education, fatherhood, activism, history and culture. Ronda Železný-Green from EP 92 kicks off the conversation with ideas on the necessary framework for the most global citizenship of all - digital citizenship. Next is father, yogi and capoeirista, Salim Rollins from EP 37. He guides us in experience and in language from Kenya, back to the US and finally settling in Kenya with his family. Closing out this spring remix is Nyamal Tutdeal from EP 102 with a glocally speaking potpourri from communications during times of conflict to a lesson in what is probably Africa's most common lingua franka - food.
No passport required! Grab a snack, relax and let the sound be your transport.
Special Guests: Nyamal Tutdeal, Ronda Zelezny-Green, and Salim Rollins.
Episode 129: The Art of the Return with Bara Diokhané
14 Jun 2022
00:47:55
Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week the podcast is coming to you from my recent trip to the Dakar Biennale where I met my guest, Bara Diokhané, thanks to Muhammida El Muhajir from EP27 (https://glocalcitizens.fireside.fm/27). Bara was born and raised in Dakar, Senegal. In 2018 he returned after an interesting career journey in New York. A lawyer by training, Bara Diokhané, started creating works of art at the start of the the 21st century, while living in Harlem, New York as an immigrant. In 2002 he was a participating artist to the MagnetDiaspora exhibit hosted during the 2002 Dakar Biennale by Yassine Arts Gallery. His first exhibition in New York City was hosted in 2003 by Steve Cannon's Tribes Gallery in Manhattan's Lower East Side. In 2004 he designed the backdrop for the scene of the Afropop music festival at Virginia University. In 2005 he was selected at the Diversity Project, curated by Danny Simmons and Rush Arts, which was an event showcasing the works of 200 New York artists in 16 different galleries. In 2006, I showed 10 paintings at the Dakar Off Biennale where most of the show was sold out. He has also showed at the State Black Archives Museum, in Huntsville, Alabama; Kiaca Gallery, in Columbus, Ohio; Columbia University; and the Schomburg Center for research in black culture. In 2007, he was selected for the Black Madonna Millenium exhibit hosted at the Museum for Contemporary African and Diaspora Art (MOCADA) in Brooklyn. That year, he also showed at Princeton University's Rockefeller Art Gallery. In 2010 Bara was invited to select one artwork from the collection of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and couple it with one of his own works to make a pair during the "African Rythms, American Echoes" exhibit.
Bara is presently writing a script about an African human experience of 50 years of arts, politics and academics.
Episode 128: Rooting Youth Aspirations in Imagination with Eddie Mensah
07 Jun 2022
00:51:13
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week on the program we're daring to imagine a world where justice prevails and particularly where the aspirations of young athletes in Africa is concerned. My guest, Eddie Mensah, is the Managing Director of Right to Dream Academy in Ghana. Born and raised in Ghana, at 16 he received a scholarship to attend boarding school in Canada where he earned an IB diploma. He later moved to the United States to attend university at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania where he was a varsity athlete as a member of the soccer/football team. Passionate about education, he has been in various academic positions for the last 25 years. Prior to joining Right to Dream, he was the Head of School at Charlotte Prep School in North Carolina. Eddie holds a masters degree in Education Leadership from the university of Pennsylvania and certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard University.
Eddie's work with young people truly shines a light on a the fruits of a purpose-driven career. Listen and learn more about how he sees choosing purpose over profit as a necessary walk in life's journey.
Episode 235: Centering the Human in Human Resources with Rita Kusi
13 Aug 2024
00:51:15
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
It’s Leo season and birthday week for both my guest and me as well as fellow Glocal Citizen and birthday celebrant Muhammida El Muhajir, which is how I was introduced to my guest, Ghanaian-born, Rita Kusi. Rita is a highly respected, passionate, and result-oriented strategic human resource professional with 20 years of experience as a generalist in the field. Currently, she serves as the CEO and Senior Consultant at Keeping 'U' Simply Intact (KUSI) Consulting, a boutique Digital HR and Marketing consulting firm providing HR and Marketing services to clients across Africa and the United States. She is also the Team Lead of Execution and Strategy for the Global Conference on Human Resources in Africa (GCHRA), a gathering of visionary human resource, business, and technology leaders to empower Africa’s workforce. Keep watching this space for collaborations around their upcoming conference happening October 24-25, 2024 in Accra, Ghana.
She has distinguished herself as a mentor, coach, and fervent advocate for professional development. Rita is on a mission to revolutionize the role of HR within organizations.
Her career highlights, including being the first black woman to hold a directorial position in a prominent U.S. condominium firm and recognition as one of the 50 most influential young Ghanaians in 2018, underscore her exceptional leadership. In 2023, she was voted and named “Ghana’s Most Respected CEO in HR Management” at the 6th Ghana Industry CEO Awards by The Business Executive.
Episode 127: Crowdfunding African Agribusiness with Nana Opoku Agyeman-Prempeh
31 May 2022
00:49:26
Greeting Glocal Citizens!
In our conversation this week, I am inspired by the work of this high growth serial entrepreneur with experience building businesses in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Ghana. As a strong believer in constant learning, building and improving on existing solutions Nana Opoku Agyeman-Prempeh is excited about the church, aviation, technology and agriculture. Born and raised in Ghana, he has an academic background in Technology and Entrepreneurship from Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) and an MPhiL. Agricultural Engineering (Machine Systems) from the University of Ghana, Legon. He has been afforded the opportunity to lead teams in building the following: Asoriba a Church CRM and donation platform, MybusinessPay a Fintech that processes millions of payments across the world into Ghana for local businesses. Fusion Point, a Technology Consulting Company and CCTVCam Live a security business building an AI solution to identify criminals via regular CCTV Cameras.
Nana is currently CEO of tech startup Grow For Me (GFM) which is a web and mobile based crowdfunding and crowd farming platform that sponsors farmers in growing more crops to solve hunger and poverty problems in Africa. Using drone and satellite imagery, they are able to update sponsors on the progress of the farms they’ve invested in, while providing the best Agronomic advice to optimize farm production. They are solving for global sustainable development goals (SDG) 1 and 2 by creating wealth and producing more food at the same time. GFM aims to contribute to the food production in Africa by helping feed 2.2 billion young Africans by 2050. The ultimate goal is to keep people out of poverty by bringing back young Africans into the aging Agricultural industry.
Greetings Glocal Citizens! My guest this week is Zhalisa "Zee" Clarke founder of Reclaiming Flow, where she leverages her toolkit of meditation, breathwork, yoga, and much more, to teach others how mindfulness can improve their well being at work despite any challenges that race, gender, or sexuality might present. Prior to transitioning to a life more grounded, Zee, a Washington, D.C. native, by way of Filipino and Jamaican via Panama parentage, spent over 20 years leading teams at Fortune 500 companies and tech startups in Silicon Valley. After experiencing a number of challenges in the workplace from microaggressions from colleagues, to disparate treatment around salary and promotions, she pursued extensive mindfulness training in India to help her manage these challenges. She is a Harvard Business School graduate who applies holistic healing practices to corporate environments. You can follow her on her socials for weekly breathwork practices and tools. You'll also get to experience a sample breathing exercise as you listen in now. Breathing is believing!
Episode 125: Globalizing Health and Care for Impact with Sam Baddoo
17 May 2022
00:50:05
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week on the podcast we're talking innovation in migration. My guest, serial entrepreneur, Sam Baddoo joins me from his current base in Columbus Ohio, shortly after a recent trip back home to Accra, Ghana where he was born and raised. Sam is all about empowering immigrants everywhere to show love with intention starting with healthcare. He is the founder and CEO of the healthcare insurtech start-up Fleri which ensures that the money immigrants send back home goes exactly where they intended while getting quality healthcare for loved ones in Africa and eliminating money transfer fees.
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.
Episode 124: Facilitating Transformation with Femi Taiwo Part 2
10 May 2022
00:34:18
May Greetings Glocal Citizens! With May Day just behind us, in this two-part conversation, my guest and I touch on topics very related to the evolving nature of work and especially the role that his organization LEAP Africa is playing in preparing African youth for roles and responsibilities in all forms and on all levels of leadership.
Born and raised in Nigeria, Femi Taiwo is currently the Executive Director of LEAP Africa, Nigeria’s foremost youth leadership development organization. Prior to this position at LEAP, Femi was the founding Executive Director of Eagles HOPE Foundation, a non-profit initiated by the Covenant University Alumni Association, where he led the organisation to create and execute award-winning youth programmes. Internationally, he has worked with GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals and at a social research consultancy both in the United Kingdom. He has extensive skills in programme design and management, learning & development design and delivery, business development, strategy, organisational development, stakeholder management, and innovation management. With a personal mission of facilitating the transformation of individuals, organisations and nations, he is extremely passionate about leadership and enterprise development, youth development and youth-led development.
Episode 123: Facilitating Transformation with Femi Taiwo Part 1
03 May 2022
00:35:20
May Greetings Glocal Citizens! With May Day just behind us, in this two-part conversation, my guest and I touch on topics very related to the evolving nature of work and especially the role that his organization LEAP Africa is playing in preparing African youth for roles and responsibilities in all forms and on all levels of leadership.
Born and raised in Nigeria, Femi Taiwo is currently the Executive Director of LEAP Africa, Nigeria’s foremost youth leadership development organization. Prior to this position at LEAP, Femi was the founding Executive Director of Eagles HOPE Foundation, a non-profit initiated by the Covenant University Alumni Association, where he led the organisation to create and execute award-winning youth programmes. Internationally, he has worked with GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals and at a social research consultancy both in the United Kingdom. He has extensive skills in programme design and management, learning & development design and delivery, business development, strategy, organisational development, stakeholder management, and innovation management. With a personal mission of facilitating the transformation of individuals, organisations and nations, he is extremely passionate about leadership and enterprise development, youth development and youth-led development.
Episode 122: Finding the Magic in Every Talent with Natasha Moore
26 Apr 2022
00:47:12
Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week my guest, Jamaican-born Natasha Moore, is a longtime friend that blessed me with a visit to Ghana over the recent Easter holidays. Our relocation stories synced in the same timezone (sometimes) as she relocated to London from Sydney around the same time that I began my journey in Accra. A stamped and sealed Glocal Citizen, Natasha is a success-driven leader with 20 years of experience delivering results across multiple industries and is currently the Global Head of Talent Development at Christie’s. She is a performance–driven, human capital and organisational development professional, with a successful track record delivering talent development strategies and programmes that are directly aligned with a firm’s overall objectives such that the specific skills and capabilities meet the demands of clients and changing market conditions.
Natasha has worked in global roles throughout her career and has extensive experience working with senior executives to develop their workforce with a global agenda in mind. Her experience is anchored in aligning talent development with organizational profitability objectives and as a thought leader, trusted advisor, consultant, and mentor to clients and peers which has prepared her perfectly for her current role and the next phase of growing both personally and professionally. We'll hear about this and much more in this multi-continental journey with Natasha.
*When you click and purchase books using the links above, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support!
Special Guest: Natasha Moore.
Episode 121: A Revolution of Solutions with Luther Lawoyin
19 Apr 2022
00:42:33
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
As many struggle with increasing food prices and potential shortages, many Africans, particularly urban dwellers have been at the whim of markets and failed policies. As a tried and true problem solver, my guest for the week, Luther Lawoyin, is keen on simple solutions. Born and raised in Nigeria, he is an entrepreneur with a passion for social impact. He is leveraging technology to build innovative business models and platforms to serve the next one billion people in Africa's burgeoning digital economy. He is the founder and CEO of Pricepally, a sharing economy e-commerce platform enabling people to shop for food and daily essentials together so they can leverage their collective bargaining power buying in bulk.
Luther has built four revenue-generating businesses from the ground up including passjamb.com.ng (http://passjamb.com.ng/) an exam prep platform and Lucy.ng, a trusted platform supplying B2C and B2B branded merchandise, Lucy has sold over a million products with over a million USD in sales.
Listen in and find out the mechanics of pushing the art and science of problem solving forward on an everyday basis.
Episode 120: Transitional Justice Now with Makmid Kamara Part 2
12 Apr 2022
00:40:22
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week's episode brings to mind a lot of "What nexts?" in the context of conflicts, wars across the globe. My guest has his mind on this as a matter of everyday practice. Makmid Kamara, a Sierra Leonean human rights leader, researcher and development communications practitioner has over 18years’ experience working with national and international development and human rights organizations in Africa and the United Kingdom. He is the Director of the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) based in Accra, Ghana.
Prior to joining the ATJLF, Makmid worked at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International in London as Deputy Director of Global Issues and (Ag.) Head of the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) Team; and served as interim Country Director for Amnesty International Nigeria and West Africa Researcher.
As you'll learn in our two-part conversation, Makmid's lived encounters and life works are in many ways culminating the initiatives he is now spearheading which is a testament to the impact that focused attention on the importance of putting people at the center of solutions.
Episode 119: Transitional Justice Now with Makmid Kamara Part 1
05 Apr 2022
00:33:54
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week's episode brings to mind a lot of "What nexts?" in the context of conflicts, wars across the globe. My guest has his mind on this as a matter of everyday practice. Makmid Kamara, a Sierra Leonean human rights leader, researcher and development communications practitioner has over 18years’ experience working with national and international development and human rights organizations in Africa and the United Kingdom. He is the Director of the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) based in Accra, Ghana.
Prior to joining the ATJLF, Makmid worked at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International in London as Deputy Director of Global Issues and (Ag.) Head of the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) Team; and served as interim Country Director for Amnesty International Nigeria and West Africa Researcher.
As you'll learn in our two-part conversation, Makmid's lived encounters and life works are in many ways culminating the initiatives he is now spearheading which is a testament to the impact that focused attention on the importance of putting people at the center of solutions.
Episode 118: Archives, Art and Freedom Dreams with Nydia Swaby
29 Mar 2022
00:57:18
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week in our final #herstory in our 2022 March series, I'm happy to welcome Black feminist researcher, writer, and curator Nydia Swaby. Nydia is a Jamaican-American and have called London home for the past decade. She has a PhD in Gender Studies (SOAS), an MA in Women’s History [Sarah Lawrence College], and a BA in Anthropology and African American Studies [Rollins College]. Her practice builds on theories of racial, gendered, diasporic, and queer formation, Black feminism, Black studies, and my previous experience working at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
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.
Episode 234: In the Writer’s Zone with Abi Ishola-Ayodeji
06 Aug 2024
00:52:58
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
For this week’s episode we’re back in West Africa with Nigerian-American journalist and author, Abi Ishola-Ayodeji. Her critically acclaimed debut novel, Patience is a Subtle Thief, was named one of BuzzFeed's best books of May 2022 and received a coveted Kirkus-starred review. As a journalist, she has showcased her talent across a diverse range of platforms, including http://ELLE.com, PBS, http://Ebony.com, CUNY TV, and more. Her career has seen her cover extraordinary people, communities, and events from New York City to Paris and from Nigeria to Ghana.
In 2017, Essence Magazine named her among its Woke 100 Women for launching Beyond Classically Beautiful, an acclaimed photo story and media platform celebrating women of color who defy traditional beauty standards which you’ll learn much more about in our conversation.
After years of struggling to write a complete novel, she adopted a winning plan that helped her finish her manuscript seamlessly. She landed a deal with HarperCollins upon her first submission to a publisher. As she continues to work on her second novel, she is also coaching aspiring authors on how to write and finish the novel of their dreams.
Episode 117: The Call of the Justice Warrior with Ayisha Osori
22 Mar 2022
00:59:09
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week on the program, I had the opportunity to chat with Nigerian writer and activist, Ayisha Osori. Ayisha, also a lawyer, consultant and communication strategist has 18 years experience in the public and private sectors. Her clients include the World Bank, United Nations Development Fund, UNICEF, the Department for International Development, the Royal Institute of International Affairs and the National Democratic Institute, to name a few. She is the former CEO of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund and is currently a Director at the Open Society Foundations.
A published author with a series of children's textbooks on social studies used in primary schools and a children's reference book on Nigeria, her first book, Love Does Not Win Elections chronicles her experiences in the electoral process and Nigerian Politics as a whole.
She kept a weekly column for five years, first as the Pedestrian Lawyer in Thisday newspaper [https://www.thisdaylive.com] and most recently, as the Nigerian Citizen for The Leadership newspaper. A regular commentator on radio and television, she has been involved in numerous campaigns to improve social justice for women and girls, governance in Nigeria and is an experienced advocate on gender and social justice issues.
It was truly a pleasure to meet and find such accord with Ayisha. Many thanks to Episode 97 guest, Kehinde Togun for making the connection, contributing to our March Herstory mission.
Episode 116: From Polyglot, to Professor, Policy Advisor to Art Patron with Ekua Yankah Part 2
15 Mar 2022
00:34:52
International Women's Day Greetings Glocal Citizens!
Did you know IWD was first celebrated in 1911? Commemoration of the date was the outgrowth of the suggestion by Clara Zetkin, a communist activist and advocate for women's rights at the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1910. It was first celebrated 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.
For this 111th IWD and in the spirit of advocacy and empowerment, my guest is, and continues to be a woman to watch. She's a thought leader in international development with a passion for young people, health and innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ekua Yankah, an Afro-German was born in Germany to Ghanaian parents; after living in cities across the globe, she is now based in Portugal. Ekua, a polyglot has 20+ years of international experience working for UN agencies such as UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast & Central Asia and the German Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) as part of the European Expert Group on Sexuality Education in Europe.
She is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Centre for Social Research in Health at University of New South Wales in Sydney where she has authored/co-authored five book chapters, numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, research reports, training manuals and curricula on education, sexual and reproductive health and health innovation.
Ekua also has a passion for contemporary art and cinema and is an active supporter and funder of various initiatives in the art world.
Be sure to catch both episodes of this two-part conversation as Ekua offers expansive insights into her ability to overlay her professional and passion pursuits for wide benefit.
Episode 115: From Polyglot, to Professor, Policy Advisor to Art Patron with Ekua Yankah Part 1
08 Mar 2022
00:29:07
International Women's Day Greetings Glocal Citizens!
Did you know IWD was first celebrated in 1911? Commemoration of the date was the outgrowth of the suggestion by Clara Zetkin, a communist activist and advocate for women's rights at the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1910. It was first celebrated 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.
For this 111th IWD and in the spirit of advocacy and empowerment, my guest is, and continues to be a woman to watch. She's a thought leader in international development with a passion for young people, health and innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ekua Yankah, an Afro-German was born in Germany to Ghanaian parents; after living in cities across the globe, she is now based in Portugal. Ekua, a polyglot has 20+ years of international experience working for UN agencies such as UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast & Central Asia and the German Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) as part of the European Expert Group on Sexuality Education in Europe.
She is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Centre for Social Research in Health at University of New South Wales in Sydney where she has authored/co-authored five book chapters, numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, research reports, training manuals and curricula on education, sexual and reproductive health and health innovation.
Ekua also has a passion for contemporary art and cinema and is an active supporter and funder of various initiatives in the art world.
Be sure to catch both episodes of this two-part conversation as Ekua offers expansive insights into her ability to overlay her professional and passion pursuits for wide benefit.
March greetings Glocal Citizens!
I discovered my guest this week in conversation with friend and guest of Episode 73, Jaykumar Menon. Knowing that I practice yoga, he figured an introduction to his cousin and her latest book would be fruitful. Indeed, I'm happy to have spent some quality time with Shailaja Menon to kick-off March, Women's History Month. Shailaja is an Author, Speaker, TV Host and Certified 500-hr Manasa Yoga instructor with over twenty years of teaching experience in the field of yoga. Born and raised in India, now based in Malaysia, she is the Founder of the Mat & Beyond Yoga Studio in Puchong, Selangor. Her book on yoga, Yoga Shakti: Awaken Your Own Power, was published in May 2018. She hosts the weekly show Yoga Shakti on Anand TV, based in the UK with audiences in Europe, North America and New Zealand.
If you haven't already tried yoga, #listenandlearn how a few simple yoga practices can improve your day-to-day existence - Ham Sa.
Episode 113: When @HewasFunny and Techpreneur merge with Jon Laster
22 Feb 2022
00:50:48
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week's guest and I share a bit of our own personal Black history going way back to grade school, when his younger brother and I were in the same class from Kindergarten through primary school. We all met up again in high school as "jocks," doing our thing in the Colorado athletics scene. Fast forward to the late 1990s and there we were again bright-eyed and ambitious in New York City--Brooklyn to be exact, laying the groundwork for becoming the adults that we are today. From the basketball court to the comedy stage, Jon Laster has always been a crowd pleaser. He moved to New York City to realize his dream of being a Comedian and quickly moved up the comedy hierarchy establishing himself as one of the funniest comedians and most sought after hosts. Early in his career, he appeared on three season’s of BET’s Comic View [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103356/], hosted the first and second Underground Comedy Festival in New York City, completed a year-long tour with the National Association for Campus Activities appearing on college campuses across the US and hosted the longest running weekly comedy room ever in Brooklyn. Performing and hosting comedy clubs and colleges such at - the Improv in Los Angeles and Miami to Caroline’s and the Comedy Cellar in New York City, from the out skirts of Nebraska, to the shores of Bermuda, Jon has stood audiences on their feet across the globe.
In response the tragic murder of George Floyd and national upheaval that followed, Jon found himself wanting to do more than simply protest. He wanted to do something that would directly impact and improve Black lives. Targeting Black businesses in particular, Jon recently ticked a new box on his resume becoming a tech CEO, with the launch of the Blapp app.
Blapp connects is communities to local Black businesses across an array of sectors--bars and restaurants, boutiques and markets, professional services and much, much more. With nearly 20,000 downloads since launching in October 2021, Blapp is well on it's way to becoming a game changer in both the brick and mortar and online shopping spaces!
Episode 112: The DNA at the Intersection of Culture, Science and Business with Dr. Gina Paige
15 Feb 2022
00:48:17
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week, my heart is indeed warmed (I hope you all had a love-filled Valentine's Day) as I prepare to travel back to Ghana, leaving winter behind for 2022. I'm excited to share this fun and insightful conversation, which in many ways helps me pick up where I left off as I met my guest this week just days before traveling to the US. Fellow Stanford alum, Gina Paige's magic lies at the intersection of culture, science, and business. Her passion for helping individuals connect to their cultural identity has secured her a solid place in history as the co-founder of African Ancestry, Inc., as a pioneer for a new way of tracing African lineages using genetics, and as the innovator behind a new marketplace for people of African descent looking to trace their roots more accurately and reliably. She travels the world helping people demystify their roots and inform on identities so that they may better understand who they are by knowing where they’re from. With a career that spans nearly thirty years, she has become the go-to expert on DNA-based ancestry tracing for people of African descent.
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.
Episode 111: [re]Presenting Superheroes in Living Color with Temistocles "Tem Blessed" Ferreira Part 2
08 Feb 2022
00:33:34
New month greetings Glocal Citizens!
February in North America marks Black History Month [https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month] and my guest comes to us from a bedrock city in the story of migration and activism in black history by way of his own family's journey from in his native Cape Verde. Temosticles "Tem Blessed" Ferreira is a multi-talented keynote speaker astounding audiences with his unique blend of poetry, hip-hop music, and relevant social messages. He has spoken at many prestigious universities including Harvard University, Brown University and UMass Amherst and he has shared the stage with recording artists Common, KRS-1, and Ludacris. From large audiences at city-wide earth day festivals, to more intimate settings including classrooms and school assemblies, his word inspire people, particularly youth, with powerful messages focused on personal transformation, critical thinking, global responsibility and how young people can use their voices to be leaders in their communities.
Merging his talents as a hip-hop artist and passions as an environmental justice activist he has recently completed a successful Kickstarter campaign enabling him to publish his stunning 252 page YA (young audiences) graphic novel, Planeta Blu - Rise of Agoo. He wrote this story to inspire the next generation of youth of color. As an African American born in west Africa, he was called to write this book to create a world where a strong, young black woman would be the hero and that other youth of color could see themselves in the same heroic, positive light.
This is another lively two-part interview so be sure to tune in x2 for insights into how this justice entrepreneur is re[presenting] superheroes of yesterday and today for a more sustainable tomorrow.
*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: Temistocles "Tem Blessed" Ferreira .
Episode 110: [re]Presenting Superheroes in Living Color with Temistocles "Tem Blessed" Ferreira
01 Feb 2022
00:40:19
New month greetings Glocal Citizens!
February in North America marks Black History Month [https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month] and my guest comes to us from a bedrock city in the story of migration and activism in black history by way of his own family's journey from in his native Cape Verde. Temosticles "Tem Blessed" Ferreira is a multi-talented keynote speaker astounding audiences with his unique blend of poetry, hip-hop music, and relevant social messages. He has spoken at many prestigious universities including Harvard University, Brown University and UMass Amherst and he has shared the stage with recording artists Common, KRS-1, and Ludacris. From large audiences at city-wide earth day festivals, to more intimate settings including classrooms and school assemblies, his word inspire people, particularly youth, with powerful messages focused on personal transformation, critical thinking, global responsibility and how young people can use their voices to be leaders in their communities.
Merging his talents as a hip-hop artist and passions as an environmental justice activist he has recently completed a successful Kickstarter campaign enabling him to publish his stunning 252 page YA (young audiences) graphic novel, Planeta Blu - Rise of Agoo. He wrote this story to inspire the next generation of youth of color. As an African American born in west Africa, he was called to write this book to create a world where a strong, young black woman would be the hero and that other youth of color could see themselves in the same heroic, positive light.
This is another lively two-part interview so be sure to tune in x2 for insights into how this justice entrepreneur is re[presenting] superheroes of yesterday and today for a more sustainable tomorrow.
*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: Temistocles "Tem Blessed" Ferreira .
Episode 109: In the Relationship Lab with Erica Daniel Part 2
25 Jan 2022
00:32:03
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week we have part two of my conversation with an emerging global health leader with a unique range of international experiences. Erica M. Daniel began her professional exploration by pursuing her Masters in Public Health (MPH) and wanting to expand her capacity to work with individual clients, she pursued a certification in sex and relationship coaching through the Somatica Institute. As an intimacy coach she is serving as a catalyst to change the narrative on how sex, relationships, and love are viewed, particularly by those of African descent and Christian backgrounds. Erica dismisses the stigma that sex positivity equates to promiscuity. Instead, embracing the joy of natural sexual energy and expression. She channels her passion for this into the organization she founded in Accra, “For the Love of Fufu,” an Accra-based project operating on the premise that most people want to be an active part of their social experience. It brings a new style to how people connect and make lasting memories by curating highly interactive and engaging events around traditionally taboo topics.
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.
*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.
Episode 108: In the Relationship Lab with Erica Daniel Part 1
18 Jan 2022
00:29:03
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week we have part one of a juicy two-part conversation with an emerging global health leader with a unique range of international experiences. Erica M. Daniel began her professional exploration by pursuing her Masters in Public Health (MPH) and wanting to expand her capacity to work with individual clients, she pursued a certification in sex and relationship coaching through the Somatica Institute. As an intimacy coach she is serving as a catalyst to change the narrative on how sex, relationships, and love are viewed, particularly by those of African descent and Christian backgrounds. Erica dismisses the stigma that sex positivity equates to promiscuity. Instead, embracing the joy of natural sexual energy and expression. She channels her passion for this into the organization she founded in Accra, “For the Love of Fufu,” an Accra-based project operating on the premise that most people want to be an active part of their social experience. It brings a new style to how people connect and make lasting memories by curating highly interactive and engaging events around traditionally taboo topics.
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.
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Special Guest: Erica Daniel.
Episode 233: Talent + City = Itana with Victor Ndukwe
30 Jul 2024
00:56:08
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
Increasingly, I am thinking thoughts about places of being that better reflect citizen-centered social, economic and built enviroments. In recent conversation with Paul Damalie and following the works of another fellow GC, Chinedu Echeruo (which happens to be how I came across this week’s guest), those thoughts are beginning to rise into a mental framework for manifesting that new world. Born and raised in Nigeria, Victor Ndukwe is an Architect that has evolved over the years straddle tech and design. He is currently a founding team member of Itana (formerly Talent City) and is positioned to change the environmental and economic landscape in Africa.
Victor developed a keen mind for technical things in his formative years and honed his creativity in architecture school. He is a T-shaped individual with strong skills in Architecture and environmental planning and secondary skills in programming - a hardcore java developer once upon a time. He has worked in architecture firms, software development firms, real estate development firms, and now city developers. He has his eyes set on developing the infrastructure in Africa by unlocking capital for development as well as solving the critical problem of energy in Africa. Victor’s optimism and committment are clear as you’ll come to understand in our conversation, and with this blueprint, his vision is looking like a present many on the Continent have been anticipating.
Episode 107: Illustrating Impact with Chidiebere Ibe
11 Jan 2022
00:37:52
Greetings Glocal Citizens!
This week's guest has recently become hot topic across traditional and social media platforms. His black fetus illustration went viral ushering his medical career in with a bang. Nigerian, Chidiebere Ibe graduated in Chemistry from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and in 2020. He then became creative director of the Journal of Global Neurosurgery. Having lost his mother to cancer, he became passionate about medicine, especially in relation to mothers and children. Independent from an early age, he raised funds for tuition to attend Kyiv Medical University in Ukraine, and will begin as first-year medical student this month.
Chidiebere's affiliations include a roles as a Research Fellow/Creative Director at the Association of Future African Neurosurgeons (AFAN) and the Young Continental Association of African Neurosurgical Societies (YCAANS). He is also Creative Director and Chief Medical Illustrator of the Journal of Global Neurosurgery. He is passionate about contemporary illustrations of black patients and intends to continue working assiduously promoting the use of black skin medical illustration in medical textbooks and public health materials. He is pursuing a career in pediatric neurosurgery and intends to establish an association for black medical illustrators. We're confident that he will do just that!
*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: Chidiebere Ibe.
Episode 106: Mindset Hacks to Start the New Year!
04 Jan 2022
00:19:06
New Year Greetings Glocal Citizens!
As we usher in 2022 aka double deuces, this week’s episode is all about mindset. We’re going back into the Global Citizens archive for a compilation of mindset hacks from early guests of the podcast. In case you’e new to the podcast and not unlike some of my guests you might be wondering what is a mindset hack? Well, a description that I quite like is that mindset hacking is exploring the limits of what is possible, seeking excellence, or even balance which entails doing something exciting and meaningful, deliberately finding opportunities to be clever, problem solve and enjoy what you are doing. So with that in mind, this week you’ll hear from: Cordie Aziz-Nash, she is the CEO and founder of Environment360 and has roots in Sierra Leone, Ghana and the US;
Nigerian-American filmmaker and founder of Refined Creative based in Accra, Ghana, Emmanuel Etim;
Ghanaian, musician and social entrepreneur, Leslie Bentil, he’s the founder of Gutta Soles and the Gutta Soles Foundation;
Nigerian pianist, music director, composer, and leader of Afrobeat band Ayetoro, Funsho Ogundipe; Ghanaian Amma Gyampo, Co-Founder of B2B Entrepreneurship Development firm, ScaleUp Africa;
Also from Ghana, serial techpreneur and creative, Kwame Acheampong;
Yogi and wellness-peneur, Nana Amoako-Anin, founder of Bliss Yoga Accra;
and Valerie Labi, a social innovator, business leader and mother who just last week welcomed her third bundle of joy. Congratulations to Val and her family!
So, as we ease our way out of holiday mode and into the flow of work I hope you enjoy these sound bites of inspiration to help nourish the start of your new year!
Sound effects:
"[Ambience, Seaside Waves, Close, A.wav](www.jshaw.co.uk)" by InspectorJ of Freesound.org
Special Guests: Amma Gyampo, Cordie Aziz, Emmanuel Etim, Funsho Ogundipe, Kwame Acheampong, Leslie Bentil, Nana Amoako-Anin, and Valerie Labi.
Episode 105: Connecting Story to Substance with Brigitte Perenyi
28 Dec 2021
00:51:49
Holiday Greetings Glocal Citizens!
'Tis the season for gratitude, cheer and new beginnings which is exactly what this week's guest offers in story and insight. Brigitte Perenyi is an award-winning Documentary Story Producer, Director, and Voice Over Artist, with a keen eye for visual and narrative details. She has traveled and worked in over ten countries in Africa and Europe; producing in one of the most challenging environments for media outlets, corporations, and organizations including BBC, World Bank, Open Society Foundation, and Conciliation Resources (CR).
In 2017, Brigitte lead the full production of her personal story in a documentary film called, My Stolen Childhood. The BBC Our World commissioned 25 minutes edit which has been seen by millions of people globally. In November 2019, the BBC named her one of the most inspiring women in the world.
She is a story strategist and cultural translator, who helps international media agencies and development organizations step away from narratives of victimhood and unequal power dynamics to tell stories that connect to the human heart.
I'm delighted to share this inspiring guest and her story of ascent, overcoming a traumatic childhood to emerge in her womanhood as a masterful narrative storyteller.