We Will Lead Africa Launches it's Returnee Edition: Call for submissions

In the spirit of Sankofa and celebrating the returnee experience, We Will Lead  Africa is excited to announce their call for chapter submissions for a first-of-its-kind volume of stories by and about everyday Africans born and/or raised in the Diaspora, who have made the choice to return to lead change and transformation across the continent. 

Interested in submitting a piece to this volume? Join the movement of everyday Africans, leading and owning our own narratives. Tell your story of action, change and transformation. Visit www.wewillleadafrica.com for more information. 

Celebrating African Women Culture Shifters in the Diaspora

We are celebrating African women in the diaspora community that inspire us in many ways because of how they are shifting culture in their various spaces of work. Every year around this time, we like to curate some type of list of the women we have our eyes on for the year and all the amazing work they are doing. These women have been studied, handpicked and trailed for some time.  Personally as EIC, I have either had coffee, skype chatted, or blatantly stalked their linked in profiles. 

We wanted to highlight women who you may not hear about every day on the "big screen" but are doing amazing work in their various spaces most of these women are professionals who are also running their businesses at the same time. What's not to celebrate and applaud? We present this year's list of culture shifters in the Diaspora. Get to know them and celebrate them all year round. This list is not curated as a ranking list but more so as a celebration list. 

Sulafa Salim, Dawa Apothecary, Canada 

Sulafa is a trainer, facilitator, project manager, but more than anything else, she is a connector. She is the founder of Dawa Apothecary, bringing her expertise as a health and wellness consultant together with her desire to connect women of color to a wellness space that is tailored specifically for them. 

For more on Sulafa and her work visit www.dawaapothecary.com 

Eyitemi Popo, Ayiba Magazine, Canada 

Eyitemi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Ayiba Magazine. She is a Master of Digital Experience Innovation graduate from the University of Waterloo and an alumna of Mount Holyoke College. She also holds a graduate certificate in digital publishing from New York University. She also founder of Girls Trip a community built to encourage African millennial women to travel across Africa whilst also doing good. 

For more on Eyitemi's work visit www.ayibamag.com 

Dr. Nwando Olayiwola, Inspire Health SOlutions LLC & Association of Minority Women Professionals, The United States 

Dr Nwando Olayinka is  CEO and Founder of Inspire Health Solutions, LLC and the Association of Minority Women Professionals, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is also the Chief Clinical Transformation Officer of RubiconMD, a leading technology company that provides electronic consultations between physicians to improve access to care. She also serves on the board of the African Women's Development Fund-USA. 

For more on Nwando's work visit: http://www.drnwando.com/

Cynthia Amo, Africans Gone Natural, The United States 

Cynthia Amo has garnered tremendous success in her platform and online community Africans Gone Natural. A community that seeks to empower and uplift and educate African women about their natural hair. She has move on along with her partner to launch Afrikinky a product line that focuses on natural products from Africa necessary for hair, skin and body. Cynthia is also an accountant by day and serves on the board of the African Women's Development Fund USA. 

For more on Cynthia's work visit www.afrikinky.com 

Farai Simoyi, The Narrativ, Bloom The United States 

We love a good concept shop with African owned luxury brands. This is exactly what our girl Farai is doing in her Brooklyn owned concept store the Narrative, where she hosts various global eclectic African owned brands. Farai also hosts a gathering for women entrepreneurs called Bloom. 

For more on Farai and her work visit www.thenarativ.com 

Rita Oluchi, The Building You Foundation & Corporate Black Girl, The United States

There is nothing that makes us happier than seeing other black women helping other black women to succeed. This is exactly what Rita Oluchi is doing with her company corporate black girl, a company that is focused on supporting black women in corporate America to land their dream jobs. Rita has also recently launched the Nigeria version of Corporate Black Girl, Corporate Black Girl Nigeria. 

For more on Rita and her work visit https://www.thebyf.org

Farai Mubaiwa, African Matters, The United Kingdom

                                                    

Farai Mubaiwa is project manager at The Aurum Institute, a leading African TB and HIV research and implementation institute. She is a Queen’s Young Leader for South Africa for 2017, a One Young World Ambassador and a King’s Principal’s Global Leadership Award Recipient. She is also co-founder of Africa Matters. 

For more on Farai's work visit www. Africamatters.com

Stephanie Quaye, Naa Duku, The Netherlands 

        

Headwrapping became very special to Stephanie when she started to wear it more often in the year 2015.  She drew many to her creative sense of headwrapping in the Netherlands. With her Ghanaian cultural heritage she has found a way to infuse her creativity, culture and womanhood into her brand Naa Duku a brand that aims to bring women together to equip them with the art of styling and wearing inspired headwraps. 

For more on Stephanie's work visit www.naaduku.com 

Adaku Ezeudo, Phoenix Rize, Denmark

          

Adaku Ezeudo is on a mission to engage, educate and empower individuals, companies and organisations to recognise the value of diversity & Inclusion. She is passionate about creating
platforms which celebrate ethnic and cultural diversity, explore differences and embrace multiple
ways of thinking and working together. Founder of PhoenixRize, she is a Diversity & Inclusion
Consultant, trainer, life coach, mentor and speaker. 

For more on Adaku's work visit: http://phoenixrize.ie/

Micheala Turay, MQ Events LLC , The United States 

           

With a keen eye for details, beauty and glam, Micheala has found a way to turn her passion for curating impeccable events with her business MQ events. She is a mother and enjoys spending time with her daughter whilst taking on the events world with  a bang.  Micheala plans everything from weddings, to small launch events, to birthday parties and constantly brings a unique flare to every event she produces. 

For more on Micheala's work visit www.mqevents.com

Maria Bradford, Maria Bradford Kitchen, The United Kingdom 

     

Maria Bradford is a creative culinary artist and genius, she is of Sierra Leonean heritage, based in the United Kingdom. She utilizes her love for food, culture and people to share Sierra Leonean inspired cuisine with the world. You can find her creating some of the most artistic and mouth watering dishes which are Sierra Leonean inspired with a global palette. 

For more on her work visit mariabradfordkitchen.com 

Rashidat Oyegunle, Tailoring Needs, The United States 

  

If you don't know who Rashidat Oyegunle is, stop what you are doing right now and follow her brand Tailoring Needs.  Tailoring needs is a one stop shop for all things African fashion. The platform helps you find the nearest custom wear fashion designer. Rashidat is also an engineer by day. 

For more on Rashidat's work visit www. tailoringneeds.com

Wura Kolawale, Miss Wu on Hair, The United States  

No one should have a wedding and not hire Wu for their wedding hair style.  Wura is a hair stylist, enthusiast and as she calls herself a "Hair Slayer". She is also a grade school teacher by day and a firm believer in Jesus Christ 365 days of the year. 

For more on Wura's work visit www.misswuvirginhair.com 


Mahawa Kamara, Mahawa Kamara Consults Ltd., The United Kingdom 
                                         
Mahawa Kamara has been dedicated to supporting business professionals in the design of their business. Looking for business development support ranging from business strategy and beyond? Mahawa is the person you need. She centers her business around faith, family and business. She is also owner of the Soap Connoisseur a skin luxury company.
For more on her work visit www.mahawakamara.com 

Aisha Addo, Power to Girls Foundation & Driver Her App, Canada 

Aisha is a graduate in Business Administration and uses her true passion and dedication in ensuring girls around the world are provided with the guidance and resources that help them identify their true purpose and calling to reach their full potential. She founded Power To Girls Foundation a non for profit organization that helps offer mentoring to girls. She is currently launching her DriverHER app a ride sharing service for women by women which is her latest initiative.

For more on her work visit www.aishaaddo.com 

Wunmy Eyiwunmi, Those African Chicks Podcast, The United States 

Wummy is the curator of the podcast Those Africa Chicks, she is a firm believer in telling stories about African women that breaks the typical monolith about our lives. On her podcast she explores, femininity, womanism, identity and many other topics. 
For more on her work visit http://www.thoseafricanchicks.com/about


Desiree Young, Vice President Programs, Tory Burch Foundation, The United States 

Désirée is the Vice President of Programs at the Tory Burch Foundation. She is involved in several philanthropic efforts including her most recently led Cotton Tree Philanthropy Advisors, a company she started in 2012. Prior to that, she lived in Nigeria working as the Director of Entrepreneurship & Leadership Development for the Tony Elumelu Foundation. She began her career in philanthropy at the Robin Hood Foundation in New York and later at Synergos Institute, an international development organization connecting philanthropists to solve complex social issues. She is an active board member of several organizations in the U.S. and abroad.


For more on Desiree visit http://www.toryburchfoundation.org

Sarah, Nakintu Kintu New York, Switzerland 

Sarah is founder and creative director of Kintu New York a handmade global bag curated with Italian leather and Kenyan craftsmanship. Sarah is on a mission to preserve artisanship, culture and her love for travel all in one brand. Her brand brings a refreshing vibe to the fashion industry. Sarah is of Ugandan heritage and is a true social entrepreneur with experience in working across industries and companies such as Google, Aol and many others. 

For more on Sarah's work visit https://www.kintunewyork.com/


Edwina Kulego, Essentials by Edwina, The United States 

Born and raised in Sweden by Ghanaian parents, Edwina Kulego manages International Business Development at UBM Fashion Group. Edwina is the founder and CEO of Essentials by Edwina; A vegan, make up collection in partnership with Celfie Cosmetics. She began her career working for Zara/Inditex Group, as a Sales Manager in Copenhagen Denmark. 

For more on Edwina's work visit www.edwinakulego.com 

Susy, Oludele, The United States 

Susy is a hair creative genius, she owns a hair shop in brooklyn by the name of Hair by Susy where she creates the most eclectic, creative masterpieces for women's hair. She is known for creating hair styles for Solange, Beyonce and many other celebrities. Susy doesn't just stop at her hair shop, she also recently released a book titled Lady a collection of women and celebrating their various identities with hair at the center of it all. 

For more on Susy's work visit www.hairbysusy.com 

Angela of NaturAngi: Blogger of Italy’s Natural Hair Movement By Candice Whitney

Angela of NaturAngi

At the beginning of 2014, the natural hair movement in Italy took off through blogs and online communities on social media. Inspired by the natural hair movements in the US, UK, France and Belgium, AfroItalian online influencers such as Angela Haisha Adamou of NaturAngi and Evelyne of Nappytalia launched their pages to increase knowledge about self-love and to build networks amongst AfroItalians, or African descendants living in Italy. In a country where the politics of AfroItalian belonging are only at the beginning of getting explored, these online resources represent some of the few places where the intersection of AfroItalian identity and womanhood are discussed through hair care. Angela’s decision to launch NaturAngi.it in January 2014 was inspired by not only movements she witnessed in the other parts of Europe and the United States, but by her life experiences in Italy as an Italian with Ghanaian roots. On her award winning blog NaturAngi, she offers tutorials, product reviews, advice, and suggestions on where to find products in Italian and English. My conversation with Angela focused on various aspects of the natural hair movement in Italy, such as the importance of representation and how her experience from a small town shapes her role as a natural hair blogger.

Angela’s first book, Love is in the Hair, Volume 1, Consigli per aver ricci belli, sani e senza capricci, was published in June 2017. The book is available on Amazon in both Kindle e-book format and in print. 

                                      

Representation Matters

Initially started as her space to share about the beginning of natural hair care journey after doing a big chop, her blog became a space where other women with curl afro hair in Italy would be able to find themselves represented in the hair care and beauty fields.

The needs of AfroItalian women are excluded at stores that sell hair or cosmetic products, as tints and the like are not available in dark tones. Angela describes AfroItalians as a “hidden community” not yet prioritized by major beauty companies. Even though Lancôme has been selling darker skin tones for years, these products are often of higher cost, compared to those sold by KIKO Milano. “When I went to KIKO to find products for a make up tutorial workshop I organized, I found affordable dark skinned tints. At KIKO, I matter.”

Representation is the essence of Angela’s blog, as well as other blogs and e-commerce sites such as Nappytalia, AfroItalian Souls, and AfroOn Hair Addict. Even though Italy does not conduct racial or ethnic statistics, research by the country’s national statistics committee, ISTAT, states that nearly 20%, or 1 million of the country’s immigrants are African. Much of Italy’s African population comes from West African countries such as Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana. These online influencers and e-commerce sites demonstrate how hair is political in Italy, specifically that Africans and AfroItalians are integral to the country and must be considered as valuable members of Italian society.

Angela and the founders team of the online magazine AfroItalian Souls. L-R:

Naths Grazia Sukubo, Angela Haisha Adamou, Bellamy Okot

Photo Credit: Angela Haisha Adamou

Experience as a natural hair blogger in Italy

Angela launched NaturAngi as a platform to inspire people to learn more about how to take care of natural hair, and to develop a network of other AfroItalians across the country who were learning to take care of their natural hair. She shared that most Africans and African descendants in Italy have been pressured to relax their hair, as that has been taught as easier to manage. Through NaturAngi, Angela promotes knowledge of taking care of natural hair. “If you don’t know the ways you can take of your natural hair, then how can you choose which styles are best for you? If you don’t know, you’re not free.” NaturAngi promotes the value of hair care knowledge to make the best informed decision about which hairstyles to wear.

Coming from a small town in the northeastern region of the Emilia Romagna, she used her blog as a means to reach out to other bloggers and learn from them as well. Many of her contemporaries are based in metropolitan areas, such as Milan and Rome. Most immigrant families and their children are spread out across cities in the country, compared to segregation in the United States and France. Due to the dispersement of AfroItalian communities, Italian based e-commerce sites for natural hair products have also emerged, such as Vanity Case, Nappytalia and AfroRicci, and ship to the doors of their customers.

The team of Roots Evolution: Sofia Bodian, Aida Aicha Bodian, Fatou Bodian, and Fatou Coly, and Angela Haisha Adamou. Photo Credit: Angela Haisha Adamou

                           

Angela uses the relatability of her experience as a black Italian in a small town to reach out to other AfroItalians across the country. “I try to be as natural as possible [on my blog and in my videos]. I film myself in situations when most people like me do their hair, such as tired after work at the end of the day and in front of the bathroom mirror.” Due to the collection of AfroItalians through online and social media spaces, the movement in Italy revolves around social influencers such as Angela and her contemporaries Evelyne of Nappytalia and Belsya Shabani of AfroOn. For individuals or businesses interested in reaching out to AfroItalians as a target consumer, Angela suggests to contact influencers in Italy to collaborate.

In addition to founding naturangi.it, Angela Haisha Adamou is the Secretary of the association Roots Evolution, co-organizer of the country’s first Afro Beauty & Fashion Expo, member of the country’s first national body for new generation Italians CoNNGI, and social media manager for the online community The Black Side of Beauty. She is also the author of the first e-book and guide dedicated to natural hair care in Italian, Love is in the Hair.

Written By Candice Whitney