Theme: Sankofa

On the backs of innovation and exploration, we journeyed from the past into the present, creating new lives for ourselves in ways that differed slightly but also greatly from that which our forefathers lived. In the current iteration of human development, everything is getting bigger and faster, intending to satiate our ever more ravenous appetites. However, what did we leave behind? What did it take to get where we are?

Sankofa encapsulates this desire by entreating us to“go back and get it”. This Ghanaian adinkra adage encourages us to find the cultural themes that were the building blocks for our current African societal structures as well as those practices and beliefs that drive conversations in our homes, communities and nations. Sankofa obliges us to go back into our history and consider the events, actions, and decisions that have led to the present and how they can inform our future choices. On a continent yearning for innovation, there is an unearthed spring of creativity laying dormant in our past, waiting to be utilised for the transformation of Africa.

As individuals, as future African leaders, from where do we draw our inspiration? What elements of the past do we look to for strength and wisdom, and how can we share those insights with the world? With Sankofa, we shall find answers to these questions, and then we shall move forward - together.

TEDx Ashesi University
1 University Avenue
Accra, Greater Accra, PMB CT3
Ghana

Dr. Kwame Acquaah

Faculty, Ashesi University

Kwame Acquaah is the President and Founder of Trans-Atlantic Environmental -Light the World Missions, an international NGO that operates in Ghana and the USA; President of MONGA (Gh), and CEO of DIDIA Farms. Kwame has worked in California State government as an Auditor-In-Charge for compliance audits, Project Oversight Manager, Chief Information Security Officer, and Lead Risk Management Strategist. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting, a Master of Science degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Management Information Systems, and a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership and Information Systems and Technology. Kwame is also an Assemblies of God minister and a missionary to Ghana. Currently, he teaches Information Technology/Communications at Southern New Hampshire University, United States, and Leadership at Ashesi University, Ghana.

Dr. Nkechi Dike

Emergency Physician, Lecturer, and CEO of Rêve Core Ltd.

Dr. Nkechi Oluwakemi Dike is an Emergency Physician, Lecturer, and CEO of Rêve Core Ltd. - a Coaching & Consulting organization. She is also a certified career coach, project manager, business strategist, and knowledge consultant. With over 15 years of experience in medicine, education, industry, professional speaking, and consulting, she facilitates organizational and team training events, and convenes the Idea Incubation Seminars, and annual Bold Start Conference. Additionally, she advocates for Road Safety in Africa and helps mid-level and senior-level professionals with proven career and leadership strategies to gain visibility and deserved recognition in the workplace. She is also an avid reader, speaker, and loves traveling, volunteering, artistic story-telling, and Christian fiction novels.

Dr. Prince Aning

Adjunct Faculty at Ashesi University

Dr. Prince Aning is an educator, management consultant, entrepreneur and public speaker. He is an entrepreneurship and strategy lecturer (Ashesi University), a management consultant (Edip Consulting Group) and an entrepreneur (Africhem Logistics) who embraces to practice what he teaches and advocates and believes the African Renaissance is near. Prince believes that Africa socio-economic fate can be transformed in the 21st century and SMEs will be pivotal in this quest. So, in the classroom, I teach to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs; in my management consulting practice, I advise small and medium-sized companies on how to become globally and internationally competitive; and as an entrepreneur, I walt the talk and show, through my own experience in the trenches, that one can do business ethically and succeed in Africa.

Eric Awuah

Founder of Speech Forces

Eric is an award-winning debate coach, educator, and youth empowerment advocate. With over a decade of experience, Eric has been driving change in Africa by developing critical thinking and expressive skills through Speech Forces. 🌍 Founded to fill the critical thinking gap in Africa's education space, Speech Forces has impacted over 30,000 students from diverse backgrounds through programs, debates, and public speaking events. As the host of major debate and public speaking events like the Accra Open Debate Championship, Orator's Inter-School Public Speaking Challenge, and Mangana Schools Debate Championship, Eric has been recognized for his impactful work. In 2022, he was awarded the Commonwealth 221st Point of Light by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and selected as one of the 10 Education Change Leaders in Ghana for the Jacobs Foundation's Scaling Readiness Program by Reach for Change.

Francine Arthur

Student, Ashesi University

A person of varying interests, Francine loves to share her ideas. She loves to step aside from her technical field of study to explore ideas, many of which she keenly and quietly observes from a distance, and whose beauty and potential continue to enthrall her.

Henry Owusu

Student, Ashesi University

Henry Owusu, our ninth speaker, is a dynamic and driven individual whose passion for Financial Technology has guided him on an inspiring journey in pursuit of his academic and personal aspirations. Currently a third-year student majoring in Management Information Systems (MIS), Henry's unique blend of business acumen and technical expertise makes him a formidable force in the field. From an early age, Henry's innate curiosity and thirst for knowledge have propelled him to constantly seek out new challenges and opportunities for growth. It was this insatiable hunger for understanding the evolving landscape of financial technology that led him to switch his major from Business Administration to MIS. With a keen eye for technological innovation and a deep understanding of business principles, Henry has quickly risen as a leader in his field, poised to make a lasting impact on the world of finance.

Joshua Ayitevie

Student, Ashesi University

As someone who considers themself a creative, I find great satisfaction in exploring the intricate relationships and complexities that exist among the fundamental elements of all things. This creative curiosity has led me to pursue various endeavors in life, from drawing and music production to science and technology. l am constantly fascinated by the world around me and the interplay between its various parts. I believe that every person also has their own unique innate creative potential that fuels their interests and desires, and cultivating that potential is absolutely crucial to maximizing the efficiency of everything they do.

Professor Ebenezer Obiri Addo

Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Ashesi University.

Professor Ebenezer Obiri Addo, is an Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Ashesi University. He received an M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey; M. A. from Princeton Theological Seminary, B. A. (Hons.) from the University of Ghana, Legon, and a Diploma in Theology from Trinity College, Legon. He has been a Fellow at Princeton University’s African and African American Studies Program and the Center for the Study of Religion. He has taught at Drew University, Seton Hall University, Rutgers University STEPS program, Lafayette College, and Bates College. He is the author of Kwame Nkrumah: A Case Study of Religion and Politics in Ghana and co-author (with Lillie J. Edwards) of A Teacher’s Guide to Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

Ruvarashe Sadya

Student, Ashesi University

Ruvarashe Sadya is a fervent poetry enthusiast who enjoys exploring the human experience through the literary medium. She has a diverse background, including being an editorial intern of an African/Afro-diasporan literary magazine as well as a Yale Young Global Scholar of 'Literature, Philosophy and Culture'. Ruvarashe finds beauty in both the words of other poets and the emotions that they inspire within her. She is dedicated to deepening her understanding of poetry and its role in expressing the true nature of our identities, particularly in the context of the modern African.