Welcome to this special episode of Dear Diaspora! It's bittersweet to share that this marks my final episode of the show. Over the past three years, I've had the privilege of sharing the stories of African entrepreneurs and changemakers worldwide, while also pursuing my own professional goals. I’m now making space to do more of what I love–travel, be outside, all the things. While my podcasting era has come to a close, I hope to continue to find ways to be in community with you all. Thank you for listening and being a part of this incredible experience. Uche Ogba, CEO of ECHÜ Marketing Agency ..read more

Welcome back! I had the pleasure of speaking with Haja Batsu, founder of Uman4Uman for this episode. Uman4Uman is a social enterprise that provides sustainable menstrual products to girls in Sierra Leone.  We dive into: Haja’s journey building a social enterprise from the ground up Her experiences pitching her business to people who don’t understand period poverty How you can support her work (links below)  Mentioned in the episode: Sponsor a Grow for Me farm using referral code ‘dear diaspora’: https://www.growforme.com/en/ More about Uman4Uman: https://www.uman4uman.co ..read more

Welcome to the latest episode of Dear Diaspora! I had the pleasure of speaking with Esther Armah, a creative powerhouse and author of the book Emotional Justice: A Roadmap for Racial Healing. Tune in to hear us discuss her concept of "revolutionary Black grace," which she describes as a way to honor our unique Blackness while connecting it to a global Blackness. We dive into what it looks like in practice, how we can use it to end the “diaspora wars," and how we can all work to replace judgment with compassionate curiosity.  Oh, and listen until the end for a brief podcast/life update! Me ..read more

Discussions surrounding the “Diaspora Wars” – cross-cultural arguments among different ethnicities of African people – are often counterproductive. This week’s episode, with social impact professional and digital creator Jasmin Church, aims to shift that!  Jasmin is passionate about connecting communities across the diaspora, and her Youtube channel @jazzyjetsets, focuses on her life as an expat in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Tune in to hear about: Her journey from Trenton, NJ to Johannesburg, SA How our African and Black American cultural identities have evolved over time Our take ..read more

Hey fam, thanks for tuning in – we’re diving into all things Black Panther: Wakanda Forever! My guest co-host is CJ Haamankuli, Globe Trotter, Nurse Practitioner – and one of my favorite cousins.   Tune in to hear us discuss: How this sequel compares to the first movie How each of the characters showed us there’s no “right” way to grieve  Queen Ramonda’s empathetic leadership style  How African cultures are represented in the movie How the movie “blends” African cultures – and whether it helps or harms people’s understanding of the continent  Why representation matter ..read more

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode with daba Co-Founder and CEO Boum III Jr.! Boum is an entrepreneur driven by his passion for Africa. After working at Nasdaq and earning his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, he went on to launch daba – a new application allowing everyday investors to find and invest in Africa's most promising opportunities.  Tune in to hear us discuss:   His journey from Cameroon to the United States  How his African identity has shaped his experiences building an Africa-focused startup His thoughts on why so many eyes ..read more

To say that Accra, Ghana has become one of the world’s most influential cultural hubs would be an understatement. This week’s episode is dedicated to sharing my experiences living and working in Ghana!  Tune in to hear: How Ghana has positioned itself as the gateway to Africa My experiences working with Emerging Public Leaders Ghana How I handled living in Africa’s most expensive city  My thoughts on whether Ghana is worth the hype  What I love about Ghana’s food scene and more! Resources mentioned:   Ask me a question: https://www.questionwave.com/q/11895  Fol ..read more

It’s great to be back – thanks for tuning in to this special episode with guest Alice Mills Mai! Alice is a licensed mental health counselor, researcher, entrepreneur, and proud daughter of Ghanaian immigrants. Tune in to hear about:   Her journey becoming a mental health professional after realizing nursing wasn’t for her Why there’s still so much stigma surrounding mental health in many African immigrant communities Healing practices inherent to many African cultures that we may not regard as mental health practices (when they actually are) Immigration being a traumatic experience ..read more

I was joined by Yeve Sibanda, attorney, public speaker, and author of My First Book of Shona and Ndebele Words. Yeve is a native Zimbabwean who calls the United States her adopted home. Although she wasn’t allowed to speak her indigenous languages at school in Zimbabwe — the unfortunate legacy of colonization — she’s always found ways to embrace her culture and heritage. Tune in for tips on learning, teaching and celebrating African languages, especially when based in the Diaspora! Buy My First Book of Shona and Ndebele Words: https://www.amazon.com/First-Book-Shona-Nd ..read more

This week's episode explores the question: Why hasn’t Africa "developed" as fast as other continents? As you can imagine, this is a HUGE, nuanced question. Nevertheless, Joy Malonza (founder of The Down Ballot) and I tackled the question head-on, with zero filter* Tune in to hear about: Africa's patterns of development before the transatlantic slave trade and colonization The legacy of colonization in Africa How institutions like The Wold Bank and IMF have impacted Africa's development Why capitalism doesn't work in Africa (and why rich Africans are not our friends) Why socialism may/may not ..read more