If you are worried about the future of the African continent, you can turn your worry on to something else. The continent — which now consist of more than 50 countries and close to 1 billion people — is increasingly in good and capable hands’ particularly when you focus on the future generation of leaders and entrepreneurs emerging from several countries there.
Last week I had an opportunity to speak to a few dozen of these accomplished young African entrepreneurs, emerging in many countries on the African continent. They were all part of the U.S. State Department (Obama Administration) sponsored Young African Leaders Initiative, and they were being hosted by Clark Atlanta University my friend, business leader and successful entrepreneur, Bill Allen, at his Allen Entrepreneurship Institute in the greater Atlanta area (and boy is it one amazing 150 acre facility, that everyone should see and experience for themselves).
In short, ‘be inspired,’ and there is reason (real reason) to be hopeful about our collective future in Africa. These were not just aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs, but also very successful ones’ from South Africa, to Ethiopia, to Ghana and Nigeria, to the country of my home DNA; Cameroon. And many, many of them — were women!
There are very real problems in the world today, but there are also reasons to be inspired and hopeful. This is one of them. A special thank you to Clark Atlanta University and Bill Allen and his Allen Institute for hosting these young leaders of the future while in the city, and kudos and congratulations to the Obama Administration and the U.S. State Department for making this possible. These young leaders — are worth the investment.
You can see more images of these amazing African leaders here, on my public John Hope Bryant Facebook page.
Let’s go…
John Hope Bryant