Hello

DAY ONE

  

8 am 

Registration/Breakfast Reception

Film Festival Presentations 

​

10 am 

Welcome Remarks

Amb. Diane E. Watson

Former California Senator and U.S. Ambassador to Micronesia

​

11 am

Keynote Address

Honorable Mayor Karen Bass

​

12 noon

Lunch Speaker:

​

1 pm

Africa Rising

A panel of African business and education representatives t will discuss Africa’s current business and investment climate and opportunities. 

Moderator:

Michael Kwesi Ofori CEO of Investor Hub Company Limited

Panelists:

Louis Yaw Afful Executive Director, AfCFTA Policy Network

Ambassador Tari Gold Okpurukre Ambassador of Peace

Dr. Mark Darko President of African International Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Judson Wendell Addy Chair Africa Private Sector Summit

Raymond Hans Chairman of Mont Bleu Sports Management & Mont Blue Trading & Investments

Mayor Guy Emmanuel Sabikana Super Mayor of Kribi Urban Council Cameroon
 

2 pm

The Creative Economy: Culture, Film, Arts, Music, Media

This plenary session and follow up workshop will address the need to establish an international link between Pan African Culture, Film, Arts, Music, Media Networks. The workshop centers on the role of Pan African Film Festivals, Art, Music, Fashion, and independent media in building a unified theme for capturing a larger share of the Global Pan African Diaspora Market.

Moderator:

Aubry Padmore Author, Speaker, Mentor, Publisher, Adjunct Professor

Panelists:

Queen Ahneva Ahneva Founder The African Textile Museum

​

3 pm

Manufacturing Opportunities

Thomas TJ Lofton will lead a panel discussion on how key manufacturing sectors offer exciting prospects for job creation, economic growth, and diversification in Africa. The panel will feature Africa’s vast potential for manufacturing growth, with opportunities in industries like textiles, automotive, consumer goods, agriculture and more. The panel will discuss how factors like a growing workforce, natural resources, and increasing infrastructure investment make Africa an attractive location for manufacturing. Additionally, initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) program to boost intra-African trade and foster economic integration will also be presented.

4 pm

Chamber of Commerce I-Trade Presentation

​

5 pm

Reception/Mixer

Fashion Show/Film Festival

 

*

​

DAY TWO

​

8 am 

Registration/Breakfast Reception

​

10 am

Welcoming Remarks

​

11 am 

Africa, the Diaspora, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

The Center for Global Africa (CGA) will conduct a panel discussion on working with satellite partners in Africa and throughout the Diaspora, to engage in research, consultancy, advocacy, and enterprising practices for global African development. CGA’s mission is to implement solution-oriented initiatives with revenue-generating capacities for mutual advancements of Africa, the Diaspora, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by merging and leveraging Africa-Diaspora intellectual capital and economic capabilities. 

Moderator:

Alicia Clark Director of Global Partnerships for the Center for Global Africa (CGA)

Panelists:

Dr. Julius W. Garvey

Founder, Chairman & CEO of the Marcus Garvey Institute for Human Development

Professor Ezrah Aharone

Author, consultant, public intellectual, academic diplomat, and Diaspora specialist to the African Union (AU)

Jibril Ibrahim-Kano

Coordinator of Digital Transformation at the African Union/African Peer Review Mechanism

Dr. M. Chris Gibbons

Founder and CEO of The Greystone Group

Dr. Richard Allen Williams

Founder and President of the Minority Health Institute, 117th President of the National Medical Association and Founder of the National Association of Black Cardiologists

Dr. Tadios Belay

President & CEO, USAfrica Institute

​

12 pm

Lunch Speaker
 

1pm

Bilateral Foreign Direct Investment (BFDI)

Wilmot Allen will present a program model for on Bilateral foreign Direct Investment. (BFDI).  The U.S.-Africa Commerce Hubs (USACH) initiative is a new program of VentureLift Africa, a Diaspora-owned advisory firm and venture studio based in Nairobi with a presence across the U.S., including D.C., Atlanta, Los Angeles and Cincinnati that launched in Q1 2024. USACH will advance economic partnerships and bilateral foreign direct investment between the U.S. and Africa by creating structured approaches to facilitating sustainable trade and investment, with a significant focus on Diaspora engagement. The initial phase will prioritize establishing trade corridors between leading cities in the U.S. and Africa. In the U.S., the initial cities will be Atlanta (initial pilot), Washington D.C. (initial pilot), Detroit, Cincinnati and Los Angeles. In Africa, the program will start with Nairobi (initial pilot), Johannesburg (initial pilot), Accra, Lagos and Dakar.

​

2 p.m.

Youth Entrepreneurship in International Trade

Aubrey Padmore will lead a panel to discuss how Youth Entrepreneurship in International Trade encourages young individuals to start and run businesses that engage in cross-border trade. This can include exporting products or services, importing goods, or facilitating trade between countries. Encouraging youth entrepreneurship in international trade can bring fresh ideas, innovation, and economic growth. It also helps young people develop skills, create jobs, and build connections across borders. Governments and organizations often provide resources and programs to support youth entrepreneurship in international trade, such as training, mentorship, and access to funding.

Panelist:

Roman Combs Founder, Roman's Global Enterprise

​

3 pm

LA-Africa Economic Strategy Presentation

The Mayor’s Office of International Affairs will present and discuss a collaborative

LA-Africa Economic Strategy with support from Carnegie California. The strategy has been developed through a series of “listening sessions” and consultations with LA’s African diaspora, academics, and foreign government representatives. The purpose of the strategy is to identify opportunities, goals, and actions that the City of Los Angeles and partners can take to deepen economic ties between Los Angeles and countries and cities in Africa.

​

4 pm

International Air, Sea, and Land Port Relationships

Joe Gatlin will lead a panel presentation that provides an overview and analysis of the status, and challenges facing international ports, and recommendations to improve port infrastructure and trading relationships between the Port of Los Angeles and African air and sea. Ports—air, sea, and land—are the lifeblood of commerce, both domestic and international. Vitally important to trade. The panel will efficiency and effectiveness of port services have a direct impact on the future competitiveness of industrial sectors, industries, and entire nations.

Panelists:

Port of Pitri

Port of L.A.

Port of Long Beach

​

5 pm

Closing Reception/Mixer

Fashion Show/Film Festival