Theme: Exploring Borders

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Radisson Blu Abidjan Airport
Boulevard de l'Aéroport, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Abidjan, Lagunes (Région des), 77340
Côte d'Ivoire

ALIOUNE CAMARA

Why do we stay imprisoned by those feelings we can be victim of or actually we can perpetrate? In this passionate talk Alioune Camara shares the key to transforming corporate leadership by transforming ourselves. Alioune CAMARA, eldest of 5, grew up in one of the toughest suburban areas of Paris where drugs and violence were the rule. After graduating as a lawyer, Alioune practiced in an American law firm in Paris before moving to London where he joined a major global investment bank as a financial lawyer and where he led several professional networks collaborating closely with the HR department. Today, Alioune manages his HR consultancy firm, Endeleo Consulting, which thrives helping public and private companies unleash their full potential through the force of their human capital.

Bacome Niamba

Tenth of a family of sixteen children, by lack of money Bacome Niamba is forced to leave her studies in class of 7th. The unstable life of her family pushes her to become a housekeeper in a rich family at Riviera. Her life changes when she handle the opportunity to become a famous dancer. Winner of a dance competition, Bacome was recruited and trained by Werewere Liking. While her classmates where giving up, Bacome followed with ardor and determination the hard training of Werewere Liking. Choreographer, interpreter and teacher at INSAAC, 30 years later she returned to studies in order to get her High School Diploma at the age of 42 years.

BOBILLIER MICHEL

As Global Business Development Executive, Michel Bobillier has the responsibility for strategy, marketing, sales and deployment around the world. Michel Bobillier led sales and service teams. Prior to his current assignment, he led the Privacy Services business, the e-business initiative and managed e-business services offerings. As a graduate from the University of Geneva with his physics and information technology diploma, Mr. Bobillier was appointed as information technology manager for the United Nations in West Africa. During 5 years Mr. Bobillier and his family lived in Connecticut, USA, and relocated in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2002 from where he manages his worldwide functions.

CHARLIE ULDAHL CHRISTENSEN

Charlie Uldahl Christensen from Denmark is the Founder and CEO of the NGO Walking for Water. He has worked hardly for more than 2 years to achieve an extreme goal. On May 18, 2015, Charlie left his job, his home, and all his activities and got into a severe walking trip, or as he defines it – A philanthropic pilgrimage. His objective is to walk 18,000 kilometres through 29 European and African countries to provide clean water for the village of Lengasti in Tanzania where people are suffering from the lack of one of the most basic human needs, clean water. His intention is to raise the money through donations from corporate companies, made profitable by the systemised media advertisement he can provide the sponsoring companies in return through the journey. He has currently walked through 14 countries such as Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea and the Sierra –Leone. Before he reaches his goal he has another 15 countries to cross: Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo, DR Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania. In his presentation Charlie will briefly present his project Walking for Water, and address the problem of global inequality with a suggestion of how we might be able to fight it, by displaying a way to personal fulfilment through the combination of passion and compassion, generally based on Maslow’s extended hierarchy of needs. You can read more about Walking for Water on the website www.walkingforwater.dk or follow the journey through recent updates on the FB page www.facebook.com/charlieswalkforwater

CHRISTELLE ANET

Christelle and Frank met in the USA in 2004. They are both from Côte d'Ivoire. Although without basic cooking school training, their common passion for cooking and their talents have got them closer since then and have given them to stand out and impose themselves as very good "tastemakers" in Abidjan, since their come back to their home country in 2012. But these good achievements have been possible through hard working. Many problems have occurred very often, and they had to arm themselves with courage, patience and perseverance to maintain their ambitions and passion alive.

EMMANUELLA ANE

First African woman to officiate in an Olympic Taekwondo Tournament, Emmanuella Perpetue Ané is the vice-president of the Ivorian Federation of Taekwondo (FITKD) and in charge of the development of women's Taekwondo. This young lady of NSIA, passionate of taekwondo and Black Belt 5th Dan Kukkiwon was later accepted only after a long journey among the three referees of the African continent. Called to regroup the best referees of the moment of the RIO Olympics, Ané was able to pass the first test after the formation of Moscow and be in the TOP 50 world of the international referees. Ané Emmanuella has won her place by her performances in the international competitions such as the World Championship in Puebla, the Youth Olympic Games in Taipei in China, the International Carthage Open, the Grand Prix in Suzhou, the Games Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, the Manchester Grand Prix, the International Tournament of Paris, the Grand Prix and the Team World Cup in Querétaro, Mexico. It is therefore right that the World Taekwondo federation 'Retained as the first African woman referee at the Rio Olympics in 2016. She has her determination and her determination to go ever further. This selection is proof, if need be, that the Ivorian arbitration remains a continental reference. She has the determination and the will that will take her go further. This selection is the proof that ivorian refereeing is still a reference in the continent.

FRANK ANET

Christelle and Frank met in the USA in 2004. They are both from Côte d'Ivoire. Although without basic cooking school training, their common passion for cooking and their talents have got them closer since then and have given them to stand out and impose themselves as very good "tastemakers" in Abidjan, since their come back to their home country in 2012. But these good achievements have been possible through hard working. Many problems have occurred very often, and they had to arm themselves with courage, patience and perseverance to maintain their ambitions and passion alive.

Hannane Ferdjani

Hannane Ferdjani is an Algerian-Nigerien journalist who grew up in Burkina Faso, among other West African countries. She holds a Bachelor of International Law and Political Science, a Masters of International Relations and Political Security, and a Masters of International Journalism From Cardiff University. A former producer and freelance reporter at France 24, Hannane has also worked and covered stories in France, China, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and in West and Central Africa. She namely traveled to the border between Niger and Nigeria to cover the impact of the Boko Haram insurgency on the Diffa region. During her ten-day journey in 2015, she was embedded with the Niger army and visited the Boko Haram strongholds of Malam Fatori and Damasak. She currently acts as a presenter on Africanews flagship bilingual show, 'The Morning Call', and regularly conducts interviews with high profile African figures and produces in-depth field reports.

KARIDJATA DIALLO

As the only daughter of seven brothers, Karidjata Diallo grew up in a traditional Ivorian family where school for girls was hardly an option. Knowledge, she knew, would be her freedom and she is fighting to get there. She built herself challenge after challenge and draws in her furrow her brothers. To achieve her goals, she had to fight, "dare and cling". She began her career in a multinational company, and for eight years, despite her actions, she observed that nothing changed. This "frustration", she uses it as "motivation" and embarking on entrepreneurship. Today, she employs fifteen employees, spread over two companies, the first telecom and the second of events. However, this journey will not take place without barriers: great moments of loneliness, loss of partners, vandalism … Nothing stops her, she adapts, hold on. She wants to continue and moves on. Her greatest ambition is now to help, support and inspire the women of her country. She also founds the association "Actives", which aims to encourage entrepreneurship. A struggle that is dear to her heart in Côte d'Ivoire, where so many women are being abused, excised, forced to marry, and where those who try to get out of the "norm" are quickly put back on track. Her message, to whom she would like to address him: "Never stop dreaming.

MAMANE MAMANE

Globalization, immigration, French language, democracy, and corruption all subjects are good for this Niger humorist who fustigates the injustices of this world. Mamane, of his real name Mohamed Mustapha comes on stage completely by chance while he was postgraduate student of plant physiology in Montpellier. In his show «Mamane malmène les mots», he talks about the world view of a young African citizen of the world. He wrote the five short films of the prevention campaign of the Ministry of Health «Moussa à Paris» broadcast on TV5 and the African television channels. In 2006, he joined the «le Jamel Comedy Club» and participated in the programs of Laurent Ruquier: «le Jamel Comedy Club» on France 2 and «On va s'gêner» on Europe 1. He worked for radio Afrique no 1 on which he performed «Le Journal de Mamane» every morning, a satirical review of news. He is now a chronicler on RFI, where he brings sensation between comedy and bitter irony, in a daily chronicle «La République très très démocratique du Gondwana». At the end of 2016, he presented his movie «Bienvenu au Gondwana». Mamane is also an actor in Africa, France and around the world, producer at the Gondwana city production. A box of production by which he produced «le parlement du rire», «le festival Abidjan la capitale du rire» and «prof de foot» from Cote d'Ivoire. He created his company five years ago in order to offer jobs in Africa to show the example.

MARIE JOSEE TALOU

Marie-Josée Ta Lou is an ivorian athlete, specialist in sprint competitions, 100m and 200m World vice-champion in London in 2017. Sporting since her youngest age, she continues her studies and hopes to develop her passion for athleticism, a field in which she decides to specialize after having tried to play football. After brief studies in medicine and accounting, Marie Josée Ta Lou left for China after receiving a schorlarship from the Ivorian Athletics Federation. Her career grew up very fast when after winning the bronze medal in 2012 in Porto Novo, at Benin. With a semi finalist place in the 100 meters at the Peking world championships, and in March 2016 she occupied the 7th place at the world indoor championships in Portland. In August 2016, Marie-Josée Ta Lou is preparing to compete her first Olympic Games in Rio. In a discipline where competition is harsh, the sprinter is a worthy representative of the African sports scene.

NATE HELLER

Nate has over 13 years of experience in international development, including stints with the UN, the Peace Corps, and multiple social enterprises around the world. He spent six of those years building innovative distribution channels for poor consumers in West Africa. Nate founds with Hugh Whalan PEG Africa. His company distributes solar panels in rural and peri-urban communities in West Africa. In order to make this energy available to all, PEG Africa operates based on a daily payment by users (less than 280 cfa per day). Once the system is fully paid the user becomes the owner. Nate Heller is fluent in six languages: English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Wolof.

SAMUEL WEST

However, the way full of pitfalls leading to these successes is unknown. Make the world aware of these challenges; inspire everyone to persist in order to achieve his goals are the missions of Samuel West, Doctor in Organizational Psychology, Founder and CEO of the Museum of Failure. Samuel collects in the museum of failure products and services from innovative projects that have failed already. The collection have more than seventy products and services. From the first IPhone to Google Glass via the Nokia N-Gage, All of them are missed inventions of some companies whose names means success nowadays. Through this museum, Samuel show to the whole world that failure is not a fatality. We have to learn and gain experience from failures, remain determined to achieve our goal.

SYLVERE-HENRY CISSE

He was a former journalist from Canal + Sport, and Infosport+. He is the co animator Talents d’Afrique on Canal + Afrique, where he comments the performances of the African athletes whatever their discipline and anywhere in the world. In 2003, he created "Sport et Démocracie" to lead to an awareness and give a vision of the sport as a driven vector of democracy.His goal is to sweep away negative perception often diffused from the African continent and by making sport as a key of influence to implement diplomacy. He cooperates with several personalities including former sports ministers, former sports men and business men, who has decided to adhere and share the Same values in order to promote the values of tolerance among young people and decision makers around the world: the improvement of the society for and through the sport.

Tom Le Magicien

Tom is a French magician and clown come to live in Ivory Coast in Abidjan to offer shows to individuals or companies.