Africa Business Conference 2023 at JHU Carey Business School

Melvin Foote

Founder and President

Constituency for Africa

Melvin P. Foote has worked on African issues for more than 40 years! He is well known across Africa, and is highly respected by opinion-makers and decision-makers in Washington, D.C. for his work with Africa over many decades.

Mr. Foote is the Founder and President of the Constituency for Africa, (CFA), a 32-years old Washington, D.C. based not-for-profit organization that advocates for Africa in the United States and throughout the Diaspora. The mission of CFA is to educate the public about Africa and African development issues, and help to shape U.S. policies towards Africa. Mr. Foote also is the founder of the African American Unity Caucus (AAUC), which was established in 2002. The AAUC is a network of African-Americans, African immigrants, and others of African descent, who are leaders of Africa-focused organization or who are leaders in mainstream organizations with interest in Africa. The AAUC promotes Panafrican cooperation, and works to directly link with the African Union as part of the AU’s Sixth Region.

Mr. Foote also operartes a private consulting practice, Africa Advisory Services, LLC, which works with clients to support a range of business initiatives in Africa, and helps African clients to address issues in the United States.

Mr. Foote has worked and traveled extensively in more than 40 African countries. To begin his career, from 1973-76, he went to Eritrea and Ethiopia as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer and teacher. From 1981-84, he served as the Country Director for Africare, a relief and development organization, in Somalia, where he designed and managed a range of projects and programs that addressed the needs of refugees from neighboring Ethiopia, and rural development projects in Somalia.

After three years in Somalia, 1984 Mr. Foote was reassigned by Africare to the Washington headquarters as the Director of Development Education and Constituency Development, and to lead a new Africare initiative to educate Americans about Africa and about the work that Africare has done to provide development assistance across the continent. It was this work that led to the founding of the Constituency for Africa (CFA), as an independent organization 501-C3 organization in 1994.

Mr. Foote has participated in numerous high-level missions to Africa, including in 1994 as a participant on a White House delegation to assess the impact of the genocide in Rwanda; in 1998 as a member of a White House mission to five African countries to promote U.S. trade with Africa and the new African Growth and Opportunity Act; in 2001 as the leader of a mission to reach a comprehensive peace agreement in Sudan; in 2003 as the leader of a delegation to South Africa, to assess the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), a continental initiative to promote economic integration and development; to Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2010, as a member of a high profiled delegation of former U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers that sought an end to the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea; and also in 2010, to Senegal and Gambia to promote President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative, an initiative that Mr. Foote had proposed to President Obama following his election in 2008.

Mr. Foote is the recipient of numerous high level awards and honors! In October 2021, Mr. Foote was decorated by the Government of the Republic of Mali, as a “Knight of the National Order”, for his outstanding work in support of Mali and the African continent, over many years! He was similarly honored by the Government of Senegal in 1998.

Tropic Magazine, a highly respected international business magazine, earlier this month named Melvin Foote as one of the 500 most influential Africans in the World!

In prior years Melvin Foote has been honored by the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington; the ECOWAS Ambassador Corps in the U.S., and by many other important entities in the United States and in Africa.

Mr. Foote is a regularly requested speaker on radio, television and social media, as well a prolific writer of articles and editorials featured in newspapers and magazines across the United States and in Africa

James Calvin

Professor of Practice

Johns Hopkins Carey Business School

James R. Calvin, PhD New York University joined the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School as a full-time faculty member in April 1996. Dr. Calvin is currently a Professor of Management and Organization Practice with international expertise and experience in areas of Leadership development, minority leadership, organization development, and community economic development and nonprofit organizations. James is a Professor in the Center for Africana Studies in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Calvin is co-editor of Innovative Community Responses to Disaster published by Routledge/Taylor&Francis Group (2015). James has authored book chapters and refereed journal articles. James is the 2019 recipient of the Ted K. Bradshaw Outstanding Research Award from the Community Development Society. He is the recipient of the 2021 Inaugural James Calvin Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Johns Hopkins University. James is a member of the International Board of PYXERA Global an organization that works globally with business, governments, and communities in 100 countries

Jill Humphries

Assistant Professor, Part-time instructor, Africana Studies and International Affairs Consultant

University of Toledo

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillmhumphries

She is an assistant professor and part-time instructor for the University of Toledo’s Africana Studies Program. She is a 2021 Fulbright Specialist Scholar to South Africa, former Ambassador Distinguished Scholar for Ethiopia and currently international faculty with the Govan Mbeki Research and Development Centre at University of Fort Hare in South Africa. As a scholar activist, Dr. Humphries is committed to the principles of democratic education with over 30-plus years of engagement in educational & social justice work pertaining to Africa and the Black Diaspora. She is also a multidisciplinary, solutions-based consultant with 25-years extensive experience designing and implementing solutions that resolve operational inefficiencies in public, private and nonprofit institutions. As an analyst, Dr. Humphries has served as a consultant on legal, public administration, public health, and /or environmental initiatives in the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean. Dr.Humphries has received numerous awards for her scholarly and social justice work. Most recently, she was featured on Ethiopian National TV for her life’s work and contribution to Pan Africanism. She’s also a liaison for the Consulate General of Japan Los Angeles African American community engagement initiative. 

Miles Henderson

Founder/Executive

True Culture University

Mr. Miles Henderson has lived and worked/studied in Turkey, Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Ethiopia. He is an African focused entrepreneur academically trained in foreign affairs while pursuing technological based ventures toward the unity of Black people globally, as showcased through the mobile app PORTAL. He is the founder of TCU, a Pan-African Collegiate platform w/ student chapters all over the world. He has been an active Pan-Africanist and student of Marcus Garvey from the inception of his career. He is a member of the Marcus Garvey Bronze Coordinating Committee aiming to create a statue of Marcus Garvey at the African Union HQ. Additionally he is serving as the Youth Sub- Committee Co-Chair for the International Civil Society Working Group for the Permanent Forum for People of African Descent at the United Nations. He is currently living between the US and Ethiopia. Miles is also the Thought Leader behind 'Intergalactic African Sovereignty' the pursuit of a Universal Black Nationalist Presence in Space. 

Madelle Kangha

Founder

Jumpstart Group

https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelle-kangha-5bb42328/

Madelle Kangha is a lawyer by profession and an entrepreneur who is passionate about education and socio-economic development. She is the founder of the Jumpstart Group, a network of institutions which seek which seek to harness Africa’s demographic dividend by fostering entrepreneurship and creating employment opportunities for young people. Most notable among these institutions is Jumpstart Academy Africa (JAA), a social venture which is accelerating Africa’s readiness for the future of work by equipping young people with workforce and soft skills. Since commencing operations in 2014, JAA has reached over 20,000 young people through their programs and campaigns; impacting them in the areas of Academic Excellence, Civic Engagement and Enterprise Creation. In 2021, the JAA Scholars Program received the Bronze Award for the Africa Region from the QS Reimagine Education Awards – the ‘Oscars’ of Education – by QS Quacquarelli Symonds and the Wharton School. In 2022, JAA was recognized by the Cameroon Ministry of External Relations and the Commonwealth, for advocating for quality education in Cameroon. 

In recognition of her work with JAA, Madelle has been recognized by Forbes as Innovative Africans fixing a Broken Education System. She is an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society and a United Nations Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals (2018). Madelle is also the founder of ELLEDAM, a brand which transforms the hair and beauty product experience for women of color seeking to wear their natural hair, by providing a curated range of tools and products. 

Madelle holds an LL.M in International Business and Economic Law from Georgetown University, a Bachelor of Arts in Law & Anthropology from the London School of Economics; and is an alumnus of the African Leadership Academy, the Watson Institute, and the Monterey Institute of International Studies. 

Jonathan Moore

Founder/CEO

RowdyOrbit

Jonathan Moore is the evolution of blue collar grit who believes in change from the bottom-up, helps to nurture & cultivate the human good as a community asset. From college drop out. To working in the mailroom of a Baltimore City Advertising Agency. To becoming a print and mixed media award winning Copywriter working with such notable brands as Pontiac, Coke, Molson, AAA, Partnership for a Drug Free America, North Bay Summer Camp, TARGUSinfo, Localeze, Value City, Case Design/ Remodeling Inc., Men╩╝s Health (Personal Trainer), Ford, Denex Dental, Burger King, Novartis Turf & Ornamental, Hills Science Digest, Missouri Division of Tourism, Hallmark, The Prudential, U.S. Army, Seagrams, Nine West, Lowe╩╝s Home Improvement Warehouse, Mazda, Kobalt Tools, McDonald╩╝s, Chevy (regional print), DuPont Lycra, Sony Music, Harrah╩╝s Casino, International Female Boxing Association, and La-Z-Boy Furniture. 

Meshack Ndiritu

Founding President and Space Engineer

Omarichet

https://www.linkedin.com/in/meshack-ndiritu/

Meshack is a space system engineering graduate from Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne. He worked on designing a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle. 

He is the Space Applications Training Officer at the African Union Commission overseeing the institutional and human capacity development of the Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security in Africa (GMES & Africa) which is a continental project in Earth Observation with a network of over 120 National and Regional institutions.  

Meshack’s emphasis has been on the integration of ICT with Earth Observation in areas like virtualization and cloud computing. GMES & Africa has redefined the delivery of Earth Observation services in the continent. In the first phase, the programme trained over 5,000, sponsored over 45 Masters and PhD students in Space, created a Network of Academia that is capacitating implementing institutions, developed a Digital Learning Platform with dozens of courses in EO, and positioned the private sector to the role of developing EO services to bridge the last-mile connectivity with end-users. 

Meshack is further acknowledged for his significant contribution to defining the African Outer Space Programme, and the subsequent establishment of the African Space Agency focusing on four main domains: i) Earth Observation, ii) Satellite Communication, iii) Navigation, Positioning and Timing, iv) Astronomy and Space Sciences. He is passionate to see Emerging Nations play key roles in the NewSpace era that includes active participation in the cis-Lunar Economy. 

Meshack is also contributing in global bodies of expertise: As a member of two study groups of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Study Group 4.19 on Promoting Global Space Knowledge and Expertise in Developing Countries, and IAA SG 4.26 on Cubesat Interface. He co-led the Space Technology for Disaster Management (STDM) Project of SGAC. He is an Alumnus of The Lindau Nobel Laureates Programme in Physics. He is a Graduate and instructor of the Cansat Leader Training Program (CLTP), which inspired him to co-found Omarichet Space for development of indigenous skills in satellite engineering, and commercial communication satellites. 

Meshack is currently leading research efforts in the Climate Alliance Project which has been awarded by Space Frontier Foundation to study behavior of perovskites as the new generation solar cells that will accelerate realization of the space-based solar power projects. He is also the co-founder of Irradianz, a US-based startup whose ambition is to scale the long-range wireless power transmission for duo applications on earth and space. 

Rebkha Atnafou

Research Associate, JHSOM, CEO, RnD Associates, President, RDAAfrica

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebkha-atnafou-07b917b6/

Kate Wright

Research Associate

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Kate Wright is a Research Associate in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her current and previous work includes a focus on gender equity, maternal and child health, human rights, transgender healthcare, youth mentoring, trauma and injury, and the opioid epidemic. Her primary role involves leading the research team with the Data for Health Gender Equity Unit, through which she works to improve equitable health data collection, analysis and use around the globe. Kate also enjoys her practice as a birth doula in Philadelphia, providing support and advocacy to families throughout the childbearing year.

Constant Beugre

Professor of Management

Delaware State University

https://www.linkedin.com/in/constant-beugre-1913b619/

Dr. Beugré is a professor of management and entrepreneurship at Delaware State University. He holds a Ph.D. in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Ph.D. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology from the University of Paris X/Nanterre and an MBA from the University of Paris Sorbonne. Dr. Beugré has served as the chair of the Department of Business Administration from 2009 to 2013 and Acting Associate Dean of the College of Business from 2009 to 2011. Prior to joining Delaware State University, Dr. Beugré was an assistant professor of management and information systems at Kent State University, Tuscarawas Campus. Dr. Beugré was also a visiting fellow at Harvard University. He was a Fulbright Scholar at Methodist University College Ghana during the spring and summer semesters 2014. Dr. Beugré has published seven books and more than 50 refereed journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. He is the founder of Seeka University, an American-style university in Ivory Coast. 

Luke Cooper

Founder & GP

Latimer Ventures

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukecooperbaltimore/

LukeÔÇ»is one of the most successful lawyers and tech entrepreneurs that you’ve never heard of living right here in Baltimore, Maryland.ÔÇ»After growing up in the projects of Bridgeport Connecticut with a father in prison, he went to Syracuse Law School and at age 24 successfully argued for his fathers release.ÔÇ»He eventually left the world of corporate law and went on to conquer the world of business and in the past 15 years has built and sold 2 technology companies for more than $75 million combined. As an investor at Latimer Ventures, he is now on a hunt to find and invest in the very best and brightest Black entrepreneurs in the U.S. Welcome our very own, Luke Cooper!ÔÇ» 

Seydina Fall

Senior Lecturer-Finance

Johns Hopkins Carey Business School

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Seydina M. Fall is a senior lecturer in finance at Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business. His professional background includes leadership in real estate and valuation consulting. Mr. Fall’s work often focuses on the future of cities, including the delivery of public infrastructure projects in both developed and emerging markets. His teaching explores issues of project financing (including public-private partnerships), economic development, investing in resilience to address climate-related challenges, and the use of technology to improve new infrastructure and to make old infrastructure more efficient. His most recent publication is “Mboolo – Centre for Fair Trade and Exchange” for the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Hospitality Challenge (August 2020). He graduated summa cum laude from New York University and holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the Yale School of Management. ÔÇ»He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).