Glocal Citizens Florence Adu

Greetings Glocal Citizens!


I met Elike Kofi Nkansa, a multifaceted creative with a background in literature and art with a keen interest in fine detailng, one afternoon at a place called the Green Butterfly Market in Accra. He was seated in front of a beautiful portrait tapestry which I eventually purchased after visiting his flagship boutique and seeing a sampling of his portfolio. He trained as an architect and is the designer for his fashion brand, Elike Clothing which has become a household name, particularly in Ghana, and he has clothed many eminent personalites. He is currently costumier for three-time Grammy nominated artiste Rocky Dawuni.
Elike was selected amongst 14 other garment manufacturers in Ghana to spearhead an effort in mass production under AGOA--African Growth and Opportunities Act, through which his enterprise gained the requisite training to engage in mass apparel and textile production. His brand is minimalist afrocentric and heavily inclined in technically and functionally artistic design.
He mentors young artisans in the fashion industry helping to release fresh creativity into the fashion space. Through his art he hopes to forge closer bonds of peace and kinship between peoples wilst empowering women and youth.


Where to find Elike?
www.elikeclothing.com
On Facebook
What’s Elike reading?
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Works by Robert Greene


What’s Elike watching?
Guest Who’s Coming to Dinner
Kramer vs. Kramer


Other topics of interest:
Leklebi Dafor
Coffee and Togo
About the game Chaskele
RIBA - Royal Institute of British Architects
Ghana Institute of Architects
About technical pens
About the Peugot 504
About Ricci Osei and son, Reggie Rockstone
About UT Bank’s Kofi Amoabeng
William Blake’s The Chimney Sweeper
About Ambassador D.K Osei
Special Guest: Elike Nkansa.

Greetings Glocal Citizens!


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..

Greetings Glocal Citizens!


Beach has been in heavy rotation in my mind lately so I decided to recreate the experience of being there through conversations with guests from a favorite beach destination - Jamaica. Our tour guides for this virtual experience are fellow Stanford alum and techpreneur, Stacy Kirk; logistics, supply chain and production systems expert, Andray McKenzie; ceramic sculptor and art therapist, Beverley Watson; intelligence advisor, author, and speaker, Suki Fuller; global lifestyle ambassador, Morris Sinclair; talent development visionary, Natasha Moore; and Black feminist researcher, writer, and curator, Nydia Swaby.


I drew some inspriation from learning that last week, on May 23rd, Jamaica observed May Day or Labour Day while this week, the US observes Memorial Day. In the spirit of meaningful work and service and reflection you’ll hear voices from Glocal Citizens throughout the years.


Where to find our guests?
Stacy Kirk
Andray McKenzie
Beverley Watson
Suki Fuller
Morris Sinclair
Natasha D. Moore
Nydia A. Swaby


Other topics of interest:
May Day in Jamaica
The Origins of Memorial Day
Special Guests: Andray McKenzie, Beverley Watson, Morris Sinclair, Natasha Moore, Nydia Swaby, Stacy Kirk, and Suki Fuller.

Greetings Glocal Citizens!
My guest this week and I go way back to the days of carefree Saturdays and Brooklyn Street festivals, before adulting was the order of our days. Fast forward and today, Dr. Shartriya Collier is an Associate Dean and Full Professor at the School of Education at Nevada State College (NSC), where she leads and supports a diverse and dynamic faculty and student body. She has over 21 years of experience in education spanning from PK-20 to adult education, with a focus on curriculum and instruction, teacher and faculty development, and student success.
As the Founding Director of NSC Sankofa and now as founder of Maximal Development Education, LLC, she designs and implements programs utilizing culturally responsive and social justice practices to equip Black students for academic and socioemotional success; as well as developing transformative curriculum and resources designed to provide culturally responsive, equity-focused learning tools that lead to optimal self-actualization for every person, child, and family unit. A prolific author and speaker, with five books and numerous academic articles that highlight the stories and experiences of marginalized communities in education, her mission is to foster a culture of inclusion, empowerment, and excellence in education for all. As you’ll hear in the conversation, I look forward to connecting with Shartriya on strategies for developing and implementing teaching and learning practices centering a Pan-African education system in the very near future!


Check out some of Shartriya’s works:
EnCouraged Women Leaders: A 30-Day Journal to Reclaim Your Peace and Life Purpose
Let's Go With Aya and Taj: Costa Rica


Where to find Shartriya?
[drtriya.com](About — Dr. Triya)
[DJ Lotuspetal on MixCloud](Live Free)
On LinkedIn
On [instagram](Instagram (@drtriya))
On Facebook


What’s Shartriya reading?
Purpose: Find Your Truth and Embrace Your Calling by Jessica Huie


Other topics of interest:
[Is it Nevada or Nevada?](Wait, Is It Nevada, or Nevada? (Published 2020))
NSC’s Sankofa Program
National Association for Bilingual Education
On Transcultural Multilingual Education
On nurturing emergent bilingual learners
Positive Intelligence, take the test
Association of Black Women in Higher Education
On Claudine Gay’s Resignation from Harvard University
What is an HSI?
What is a Microschool?
What is a DBA?
About Dr. Cynthia B. Dillard
Special Guest: Shartriya Collier.

Greetings Glocal Citizens!


The Glocal Citizens community has gifted us with another inspiring diasporan. Heneba Kwadwo Safo, a graduate of the University of Ghana in Civil Engineering is the founder and leader of the BuzStopBoys. The Buzstopboys is a volunteer group promoting a Clean, Green, Environment (CGEn) through patriotism. With brooms, dustpans and a strong sense of community spirit, the BuzstopBoys have become a driving force for positive change. Their initiative focuses on cleaning heavily trafficked areas, creating a cleaner and more welcoming environment for both residents and visitors. It is no surprise that fellow Glocal Citizen and environment advocate, Leslie Bentil of Gutta Soles/Gutta Soles Foundation seeded the connection. Kwadwo is the grandson of Apostle, Dr. Engineer Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, the founder and the chairman of the Kantanka Group, Ghana's largest local technology conglomerate, with innovations in automobile manufacturing, engineering, food production and more. Like his grandfather, a renowned Ghanaian-born technologist, philanthropist and Pan-African who believes in Black Emancipation and transformational change, Kwadwo is well on his way making impact one clean street at a time.


Where to find the Buzstopboys?
On Instagram
on Facebook
On TikTok
On YouTube


What’s Kwadwo watching?
Maame Grace


Other topics of interest:
Dodowa, Ghana
Kwahu, Eastern Region, Ghana
Where is Mallam Junction, Accra?
McCarthy Hill, Accra
Odorkor, Accra
Ga Dangbe People
Shai Hills Reserve, Ghana
Bolgatanga, Ghana
On Mysticism
Special Guest: Kwadwo Safo.

Greetings Glocal Citizens!


This week’s conversation comes to you in two parts and is courtesy of a connection made by my guest from Episode 34, Stacey Enyame. Recognizing the intersection between tech and community/economic development and my background, Stacey suggested I join the Keta MakerSpace community on WhatsApp--a brainchild of #GlobalGhanaian, Paul Kwesi Damalie. We go into detail about the community and the vision for the platform and new city in the making in Part 2 of the conversation, both parts are not to be missed! Paul is founder of Damalie Innovation Holdings Group which invests in and builds companies in health tech, sports value chain, gaming and family entertainment, urban infrastructure & development and trade & embedded finance, climate resileince. Previously he was the co-founder of Inclusive Innovations Inc. which developed the Appruve API, product making it easy for financial services to verify individuals and businesses all over Africa. In 2023 Appruve was acquired by Smile ID.
As a Fintech industry influencer, he is among Untapt's Top 23 fintech influencers to follow on X; he is a Chapter Lead of Next Money, the global thought leader community for stakeholders within the financial services and technology ecosystem. He organizes events (meetups & conferences) that create opportunities for stakeholders to discuss current trends, explore opportunities through networking and influence policy in the financial services ecosystem. He also has experience consulting for fintech startups and new market entrants into West Africa, working closely with fintech innovation programmes, accelerators and investors as well as financial inclusion research institutions.


Where to find Paul?
On LinkedIn
On X
On Instagram
On Facebook


What’s Paul reading?
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz
Every.to


What’s Paul listening to?
Funaná
Kizomba


Other topics of interest:
Keta Coastal Analysis
Albert and Comfort Ocran
DSF Lab
Caribou Digital
Afropolitan Network State
Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin talks Charter Cities an the Charter Cities Institute
New City Concepts - Zuzalu, Próspera, Fumba Town, Itana
On Digital Nomads
[Playground.ai](linkhttps://playground.ai)
Google for Startups
Y Combinator
Sand Hill Road
Tokeh Beach, Sierra Leone
Special Guest: Paul Damalie.