Glocal Citizens

Heartfelt Greetings, Glocal Citizens. This week’s encore episode is a salve for my heavy heart. I’m resharing it as a reminder of life’s certainties; because it reflects some of the roots experiences that my guest, Global Ghanaian, death doula and author of Briefly Perfectly Human, Alua Arthur and I share; and because care for the aging has become a feature focus of my life story, particulary since the start of the pandemic. On April 4th, my father, Peter Otoe Adu took his leave from the body that was the man I know as Daddy, Dad, PO, Peter and papa. He was 86. Last week on the podcast, I mentioned the long overdue solutionscape and stretch salon series. The first topic we covered in these live sessions--the future of work in care for the aging, is an ever-timely discussion that will go live later this month. Woven into this series will be small tributes in memory of the briefly, perfectly human life dad lived and what I hope will be inspiration for us all to normalize conversations, pay attention and act in the interest of not just our elders but our inevitably aging selves. Where to find Alua? See the show notes for Episode 164Special Guest: Alua Arthur.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This year our Women’s Herstory Month series has taken us for the first time to Botswana and Norway; we stopped in the UK, picked up flavors from Nigeria, Sudan, Zambia, Netherlands, Philippines, Belgium, Brazil and South Africa; went on a future forward mission in Kenya, and we’re landing home in a flashback forward conversation with fellow Ghanaian-American and early Glocal Citizen, Nana Amoako-Anin. Nana first joined us on the podcast in January 2020 in a time when wellness was often taken for granted or an afterthought for later. Then the global pandemic, COVID-19 changed everything. Wellness is now having a moment. However, as we’ll discuss in the conversation, the moment calls for depth, not trend, to sustain real mindset and lifestyle shifts on the personal and professional levels. Nana writes about this at Wellness in Black and lives and works it as a social entrepreneur and organizational leader. She is best known as the founder of Bliss Yoga Accra, Ghana’s first full-service yoga studio. With a background in law, she brings cross-sector expertise to her work, which bridges global perspectives with local impact, positioning her as a thought leader in mindful leadership, mentorship, social innovation and international executive strategy. In this conversation we catch up on evolving realities around wellness for Africans and in Ghana as well as her experience diversifying the what and how of work, guided by her enduring committment to staying people centered. And much, much more. Where to find Nana? https://www.nanaamoakoanin.com/ @ Bliss Yoga Accra On Glocal Citizens At CrowdReason What’s Nana reading? An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence by Zeinab Badawi Other topics of interest: The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic The “official” Vicks story Kemetic Yoga An African History of Africa on YouTube On Legalized Cannabis in Ghana Indigenous vs Colonial Medicine in Ghana Hamamat Shea Butter Museum ishowspeed in Ghana Jill Scott talks with Angie MartinezSpecial Guest: Nana Amoako-Anin.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week our Women’s Herstory Month series takes us back to Kenya--to a place called Area Nyaga. Our guide is futurist, artist, and creative synthesist reimagining African futures, San’aa Njeeri. Distilling over a decade of global interdisciplinary practice, she positions art as a tool for education, translating complex ideas into accessible experiences that advance African storytelling while progressing digital ecosystems and financial literacy within the context of emerging technologies. Through Area Nyaga, her world building framework informed by the Maasci Return saga and her seminal MaaSci series, she situates Indigenous African identities within expansive futuristic landscapes through her signature visual language, A.EYE (African Eye). Working across speculative art, immersive environments, and narrative design, she develops cultural and digital infrastructures that expand how futures can be imagined, understood, and built. Her work is guided by a defining inquiry: What becomes possible when cultural heritage informs the futures we shape and the narratives we carry forward? In this conversation we explore this question and find ourselves in depth with San’aa getting to know more about how from childhood, her Kenya has grounded the mission and vision that focus her world, and at times, interstellar view. Where to find San’aa? On LinkedIn In Instagram On Substack What’s San’aa watching? After Skool Other topics of interest: Baraza Media Lab San People of Southern Africa About Murang'a, Kenya Kiambu County Where is Kirinyaga? Mount Kenya and Batian Peak Other Futures Festival Who is Blinky Bill? Black Rhino Studios Old Town Lamu About my broadcast debut on the Super Six School NewsSpecial Guest: San'aa Njeeri.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week in our continuing Women’s Herstory Month series, we’re in another new country--from southern Africa last week we’re landing in Scandinavia on our first trip to Norway via Sudan, Zambia, The Philippines, Netherlands, Ghana and South Africa--all places my guest this week has called home. Sarah Osman is a cognitive psychologist, global development specialist, and social entrepreneur with twenty years of experience across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Born in Khartoum, Sudan, and shaped by a life lived across multiple continents, she has built her career at the intersection of applied behavioral science and international development, helping major organizations translate insights about human decision-making into programs that create lasting social change. As the founder of Osman Advisory Services, Sarah has worked with international organizations such as the Council of Europe, World Vision, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union on some of the most complex behavioral challenges in global development. In 2024, she founded Ela, a membership community for women of color building their own consulting practices. Ela is grounded in the conviction that structural inequity in the consulting sector cannot be solved by individual effort alone: it requires community, peer accountability, and the kind of behavioral design thinking that Sarah has spent two decades applying in the field. Ela members are already experiencing tangible transformation in how they position themselves and grow with confidence. Sarah is currently building a new platform for Africa-focused professionals who want to harness the power of behavioral and consumer insights in their work and sector. Currently based in Oslo, Sarah is a true ‘glocal’ citizen: Sudanese by heritage, Pan-African by spirit, European by dwelling, and wholly at home in the space between local realities and global systems. Where to find Sarah and her resource offerings? osmanadvisoryservices.com Join the Ela Membership Sign up to the Pattern Recognition Newsletter On LinkedIn On YouTube What’s Sarah reading? Credit Alert by Ayo Akinola We Are Not Consumers by Louis Seeco What’s Sarah listening to? The Department Podcast Other topics of interest: Perspectives on Black Identity in Norway Curious about “Delulu” thinking? Manal Sayid of Sayid ConsultingSpecial Guest: Sarah Osman.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! Next up in our Women’s Herstories Month series is our first trip to Botswana. I met this week’s guest, a native Motswana and globe trotter--Caroline Modise, in Accra earlier this year representing in her role as the Sustainability Engagements Manager at De Beers Group. At De Beers she plays a key role in socialising and amplifying the company’s social impact programs across a diverse ecosystem of stakeholders. The how of our meeting is the Stanford Seed program where De Beers participates as a key partner in Botswana. Caroline built her early career managing relationships with some of the world’s leading diamond jewellery retailers and later became a founding board member and Head of Strategy for the Botswana Careers Roundtable, a pioneering networking platform designed to bridge experienced professionals with emerging talent across corporate Botswana. As an alumna and former board member of the African Leadership Academy—an institution committed to transforming Africa by developing a network of future-ready young leaders—she remains passionate about Africa’s developmental journey, with particular interest in social enterprises and sustainability strategies for grassroots organisations. Listenandlearn more about how her experiences with women in leadership inspire her professionally and creatively, then get to know Caroline the artiste! Where to find Caroline? On LinkedIn On Instagram On Facebook What’s Caroling reading? The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese What’s Caroline listening to? Anything Beyoncé Kaytranada Other topics of interest: My local for this conversation - Nanyuki, Kenya About Gaborone and Palapye in Botswana From Debswana to About the Okavango Basin, the National Geographic’s Okavango Project and watch the film About the Nkashi Storytellers Traditional cuisine in Botswana Treehaus BotswanaSpecial Guest: Caroline Modise.

Women’s Herstory Month Greetings Glocal Citizens! If it’s March then it’s that time again for a month of conversations centering women’s stories and experiences. This week, we’re also kicking off the series with the launch of our Glocal Citizens x Black Women in Real Estate collaboration--Borderless Building. Founded in 2019, Black Women in Real Estate (BWRE) is an organization that aims to bring together black women in property, creating opportunities for upcoming talent and organizing workshops for those already in the industry. Througout the year, we’re teaming up with BWRE to showcase the personal and professional journeys of Black women in the real estate industry; highlight how Black women in the industry invest and structure value in/around land/property across global markets; and offer valuable insight into the business/operational functions in the real estate industry to inspire a spirit of land stewardship. All ideas you’ll hear in this week's conversation. Kicking off the series is BWRE Founder, Hanna Afolabi. A few years after founding BWRE, Hanna found herself furthering her entrepreneurial journey with Mood and Space (MAS), a development company supporting clients in embedding social value in their development vision and strategy as well as efficiently managing processes delivering community focused building and urban neighborhoods. Prior to setting up MAS, Hanna was a Development Director for Balfour Beatty Investments seconded into East Wick and Sweetwater Ltd a joint venture with Places for People. She lead on the feasibility, business planning, budget, design, programming and planning of the mixed-use regeneration project of approx. 1,900 homes on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Her other notable projects in London, include Hallsville Quarter in Canning Town and Borough Triangle in Elephant and Castle. Additionally, she is Vice Chair of the University of Greenwich’s Construction, Property and Surveying Practices Industry Advisory Board and is on Estates Gazette's Diversity & Inclusion Content Advisory Panel, advocating for diverse representation in property. Where to find Hanna? Black Women in Real Estate (BWRE) and get your tix to their International Women’s Day Gala @ Mood and Space On LinkedIn On Instagram What’s Hanna watching? All her Fault Bridgerton on Netflix His & Hers on Netflix Other topics of interest: Oke-Ila in Osun State, Nigeria About Hackney Estates GazetteSpecial Guest: Hanna Afolabi.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week, though Black History Month in the Americas is winding down, here on the podcast we’re consistently aiming to learn, grow and inspire our sustained consciouness around #PanAfricanProgress and we’re deep diving with a son of the country that is at the foundation of liberation across the global Black Diaspora - Haiti. Marc Alain Boucicault is a social entrepreneur and ecosystem builder with over 15 years of experience working in international development and entrepreneurship with the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, at MIT and with grassroots organizations focused on youth empowerment and entrepreneurship. He is passionate about leveraging the power of entrepreneurship, technology and communication to reshape socioeconomic dynamics. As the founder of Banj, Haiti’s largest coworking space and entrepreneurship hub connecting various communities to promote innovation in Haiti and the Caribbean he also supports change-makers globally. Marc Alain extends this work in service on the board of the Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP) addressing access to higher education in Haiti. He is a Fulbright scholar, a social media influencer and a fellow podcaster. Where to find Marc Alain? On the Executive Talk Podcast On [LinkedIn](linkedin.com/in/marcalainb) On Instagram On Facebook On YouTube What’s Marc Alain watching? Banj 4.0 Other topics of interest: On Hispaniola and how the Haitian Revolution stirred colonialism Haiti Tech Summit Africa Tech Summit - Nairobi On The Five Stakeholder Model What’s GDP really all about? The Assassination of Jovenel Moïse: What happened on July 7, 2021 in Haiti? The IDB Case Study: Seeking a Recipe to Support Entrepreneurs in a Fragile Country: Banj's Approach through the Mobilization of the Innovation Ecosystem in Haiti Haitians at Harvard On Barbados' Inspriational Prime Minister Mia Amor MottleySpecial Guest: Marc Alain Boucicault.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! I met this week’s guest, Nana Asomani-Poku in Jamestown, Accra during a walking tour through featuring stories told in images by Glocal Citizen, James Barnor. It was during the James Barnor @‌95 celebration in 2024. Nana, a UK-born Ghanaian legal professional, filmmaker, and community engagement specialist based in Australia was back in Ghana for a family celebration of his own. As we chatted along the route, he mentioned his work centering social impact in Australia and my curiosity was peaked. What you’ll learn in this conversation spans how he began his career as a legal advocate for asylum seekers and refugees with the UK’s largest not-for-profit immigration law firm to community and stakeholder engagement, building bridges between public sector organisations and marginalised communities in Australia. Alongside his human rights work, he pursued his passion for filmmaking, training at the New York Film Academy and going on to make his first feature film, Drawn. Let’s travel with Nana, to get to know more about his land down under and other stops across the globe. Where to find Nana? On IMDB On Instagram What’s Nana listening to? Whitney Houston, Al Green, The Jacksons, to name a few. Other topics of interest: Visit Porkyto's in Osu, Accra Correction about the Aquarius sun sign, an air sign not a water sign About Leytonstone and The Bow Bells Lifestyle in Perth vs Melbourne Sokoto, Nigeria Ombudsman Services in Australia About the film, The Dish Yoga Nidra + Sankalpa How many countries are there across the planet?Special Guest: Nana Asomani-Poku.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! My guest this week is building the financial infrastructure that Africa deserves. As Chief Operating Officer of KoinKoin and CEO + Country Manager of KoinKoin Ghana Ltd, a leading African digital asset exchange, Mimi Kufuor is creating digital assets solutions that work for real people. She comes to this work after spending 15 years navigating the most complex corners of institutional finance - from regulatory programmes at Bank of America and Barclays to compliance frameworks at Meta, working alongside the European Central Bank and managing initiatives worth £10m+. In that span, she learned how money actually moves, how regulators operate, and how to build systems that can scale with integrity. She continues working with companies navigating African markets, building compliant exchange operations, or trying to understand how digital assets can solve actual problems. Recognized as one of Africa’s “Top Fintech Voices,” she has shaped policy discourse at UK Parliamentary Summits, Financial Times Live events, and African Fintech Summits. Mimi champions financial inclusion, women’s leadership in fintech, and regulatory frameworks that position Africa as a pioneer in the global digital economy, building infrastructure that empowers individuals and businesses to access decentralized finance. As another certified Glocal Citizen, Mimi and I first connected as housemates in Morocco courtesy of mutual friend that you’ll hear about in our conversation Afua Dabanka, the inspired experience curator behind A Beautiful Life Travel. Last year on our trip to Kenya, I got to know about her work with KoinKoin and it is a pleasure to be able to share her progress a year later. #Listenandlearn more! Where to find Mimi? On LinkedIn On Instagram What’s Mimi reading? The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Other topics of interest: About Old Street in London About East Legon, Accra Recognizing Bullying in the Workplace About INSEAD Executive Programs Kwaku Yaro at Gallery 1957 In conversation with Edward Larbi What is Binance? About the evolution of African currencies Digital Assets 101 CitiFM Breakfast Show, 26 January 2026Special Guest: Mimi Kufuor.