“Who you are is who you are. If you cannot be who you are where you are, you change where you are, not who you are.” - Caroline Wanga 

Earlier this year, NDINI was the official media partner for the FACE Africa 10th Annual WASH Gala.  The Gala, which was held in New York City was a funcraiser for Water,  Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programs and facilities across Africa.  It was also an opportunity to celebrate people who are working to create opportuities and to help improve the lives of people on the African cntinet.

“Use your stealth and your wealth and your health to help those that need it who come from our continent, to get to the basics of what they need so that the greatness of their power can  be unleashed.” - Caroline Wanga 

This years’ keynote speech, which was a powerful message about identity, perspective, and obligation, was given by Caroline Wanga.

Caroline A. Wanga is the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Vice President of Human Resources at the Target Corporation.  She’s been named one of the most powerful women in corporate diversity by Black Enterprise. Caroline leads Target’s strategic initiatives to champion an inclusive society.

Caroline startedn her Target career in supply chain in 2005.  Since then, she’s held a variety of leadership roles, including modernizing Target’s Supply Chain, Business Intelligence, and Digital capabilities.

Caroline earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Texas College, and is an inspirational thought leader and public speaker.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

• Caroline’s powerful message about “who you are” and never forgetting where you’re from
• Why it’s so important to take action in whatever way you can
• How ‘helping’ goes beyond sharing wealth
• Why she says we all have the power to influence and the responsibility to help

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“There’s so many of our displaced brothers and sisters, and it is so easy for us to play the cousin that did better... Let us not be the cousins and the siblings that did better. Let us be the cousins and the sister’s of each other that want to do better for each other.” - Nomzamo Mbatha

NDINI has been granted the opportunity to be the official media partner of the FACE Africa 10th Annual WASH Gala.

The FACE Africa WASH Gala held in New York City is a celebration of Africans and friends of Africa, making a difference in their respective industries and communities working towards the goal of providing Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programs and facilities to communities in rural Liberia and Nigeria.

This year’s WASH Gala was graced by the presence of a truly inspirational individual, Nomzamo Mbatha, as she delivers a very powerful speech about the African diaspora.

Nomzamo Mbatha is a South African film and television actress, human rights activist, brand ambassador, business woman, and recently, a filmmaker as well. She has had numerous recognitions in her career -- an Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress nomination, the OkayAfrica 100 Women 2018 Honories, and even the Goddess Beauty Award at the International Women of Power Awards in Los Angeles to name a few. 

Apart from her success in film and television, as well as with world-renowned brands (Neutrogena, L'Oréal, Puma, and Audi), she has actively supported and contributed to various platforms of social activism. 

Nomzamo was also appointed as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, fielding missions to refugee camps in various parts of Africa. She has been very active in raising awareness of refugee situations and issues across Africa.

Nomzamo has also started The LightHouse, a foundation that assists young people suffering from depression, anxiety and suicide, as well as her advocacy in helping African refugees.

Nozamo was recently honoured by FACE Africa with a Rising Star award at its 10th Annual WASH Gala. She was also presented by New York State Senator Kevin S. Parker with a Legislative Resolution by the State of New York in recognition of her work.

YOU WILL LEARN:

• How Nomzamo was brought up in poverty
• How anxiety and depression had affected her early life
• How she lost her younger sister to depression and suicide
• How the tragedies in her life made her decide that her ending would be different
• How the right mindset and perspective of being part of the African diaspora can change the world for Africans

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“You are more than your circumstances. You are bigger than that.” - Mpumi Noviba

Her name ‘Nompumelelo’ is a Zulu name that means ‘success’.

Oprah Winfrey said of her: “She’s going to be a powerhouse.  I expect that she’ll end up being in a major political role in South Africa in the years to come, or even president.” 

Mpumi Nobiva was born into abject poverty – her family lived on less than $3 a day.  Her mother had Mpumi when she was 17 years old. She never knew her father – he left soon after her birth.  At 9 years old, Mpumi was orphaned when her mother died because of complications from HIV/AIDS. Mpumi’s mother had been forced to resort to prostitution to raise money to look after her young child.

When Mpumi was 21 years old, a friend of her mother shared with her the story of how her mother contracted HIV – she had an unprotected sexual encounter with a man who promised her 300 Rands.  Mpumi’s mother used the 300 Rands – which is less than $20 – to buy Mpumi school shoes.

"I share her story with pride. I talk about how proud I am to be her child -- the one person I know who at 25 could own up to her reality and share it in such a compassionate way. You've got to be really special to see that far." - Mpumi Noviba

The woman who Mpumi calls her greatest inspiration – her grandmother, or Gogo as she calls her – stepped in to raise Mpumi.  Mpumi’s grandmother was strict with her, fearing that she might fall prey to their circumstances. Mpumi was made to study hard, and to attend church, which is where she learned to speak English.

In 2007 Mpumi was accepted into the inaugural class of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.  This opportunity was quite literally life-changing.

Mpumi is now a global speaker and communications strategist.  She has spoken around the world, including speaking at the White House; and she shared her story in front of more than 16,000 people at WE Day in Los Angeles.

"I have no sense of shame or sense of feeling less than, because that's what I've come from. I understand that it didn't happen to me, it happened for me. That's the difference -- it happened for me." - Mpumi Noviba

Mpumi has also now started an initiative called #ShareYourStoryAfrica focused on raising awareness and providing education related to domestic violence and HIV/AIDS in South Africa, especially as it affects young women and girls between the ages of 13 and 25.  As NationBuilder’s first ‘Leader in Residence’, Mpumi is developing the digital infrastructure for Share Your Story Africa.

Mpumi also sits on the Board of Directors of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.

• Why sharing her story is so important to Mpumi
• What it was like growing up in poverty, and how she has used that to her advantage
• What made her start the #ShareYourStory initiative
• Why she’s launching a journal and intention program

• What the first book selection is for her new journal and intention program
• Who inspires Mpumi the most
• The greatest lessons she learned from her mother and grandmother
• What Mpumi’s ‘I Am’ is

“I have a big nose. I have big lips. I have cheekbones. My hips are not small. And I wanted to empower people who look like me. ” - Moshoodat Sanni

Moshoodat Sanni is a celebrity Makeup Artist and Creative Director.

She’s had hundreds of magazine and television features, including in CNN, People Magazine, Essence, Yahoo, BET, BuzzFeed and Glamour.  She’s also done makeup for celebrities including Cardi B, Cyn Santana, Naturi Naughton, Toke Makinwa and Yemi Alade

Her ‘Just Glitter’ video on Refinery 29’s ‘Shortcuts’ Facebook page has been viewed more than 42 Million times!  And Elle magazine named her one of the ‘6 Game-Changing Instagram Artists celebrating women of colour’.

"I didn't want to be in a society where a certain view was acceptable. I just wanted to bring relevance and appreciation to what we look like. A lot of my artwork is a reflection of who we are internally." - Moshoodat Sanni

Amongst the many things that make her an amazing talent, is how she has made it her purpose to celebrate women of colour, and to use her skills as a makeup artist to empower and inspire.

• Why she’s made it her mission to empower and inspire women of colour through her creativity
• How cutting her hair led to her amazing career
• How dropping out of college against her parent’s wishes to follow her dreams was the best decision she ever made
• What she’s learned about having the courage to follow your dreams

• Why we all have a responsibility to uplift and empower each other
• The mistakes that women of colour are making when it comes to their foundation
• What her “I am” is

Moshoodat on Instagram: @moshoodat

Moshoodat on Twitter: @moshoodat

Moshoodat on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msanni

Moshoodat on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ByMoshoodat

Moshoodat’s Website: http://www.moshoodat.com

Joining us this week is CEO and Founder of Makeup For Melanin Girls (MFMG Cosmetics), Tomi Gbeleyi.

Growing up, Tomi looked up to Agbani Darego, the first native African who had won the title of the Miss World pageant. This had led her to eventually pursue modeling. 

In her first runway show, she found herself in a situation where the makeup artists had difficulty figuring out how to work her makeup because they did not expect to be working with a model of her ethnicity that day. Tomi was the only black woman set for the runway at that time and the makeup artists were not informed. This became a very embarrassing situation for her since it caused some much unwanted attention, and she was just there to do her job. This experience was the “first direct impact to my self esteem,” as Tomi would put it. It had made her realize how makeup is such a vehicle for self-love, appreciation, and confidence.

Her first step to address this issue was to learn how to do her own makeup. This way she could always be prepared and avoid embarrassing situations like from her first runway experience. She did her research online and through social media, looking for communities that exchange the information she needed for makeup. What she found out, specifically about dark-skinned women and makeup, was quite interesting. She had learned that most multi-ethnic women with darker skin like herself would just “hack” the existing catalogue of commercial makeup by mixing products to achieve the color and look that would match their skin tone. This led her to create her own blog about makeup, and eventually her own community on social media. 

Tomi started Makeup For Melanin Girls and was one of the first brands in Instagram that catered specifically dedicated to dark-skinned women.

"I think just being able to go from zero to one is beautiful. It's something that should be celebrated." - Tomi Gbeleyi

Her blog and Instagram following grew very quickly, and Tomi also created campaigns for women empowerment in the beauty scene. Her efforts really paid off when a New York Times journalist took interest on one of her campaigns and reached out to her to feature her. This led to further growth and exposure, and her continued success eventually led to the beginning of the MFMG beauty brand.

MFMG is now an established independent brand that sells globally online. Tomi’s products are even used and supported by people in the entertainment industry like Gabrielle Union, Bozoma Saint John, India Arie, and Cynthia Erivo.

 Tomi talks about how she grew her brand, and how she came up with the creation of her products, and how her products had made a difference and changed peoples lives. She also talks about the journey of going deciding to go full time on her business, some business tips from her experience of starting up, the challenges of entrepreneurship, the different roles and hats she has to wear, and the hard work of running a beauty brand.

"I'm making more women around the world feel confident that they can do things, more women that can say 'I can'... more women feeling beautiful and confident to take on whatever challenges come in their way." - Tomi Gbeleyi

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

• Tomi’s background coming for Nigeria and moving to Canada to study
• Her experience getting into modeling, and the experience that began her journey to creating her makeup brand
• How she started from a blog and growing into a full brand business
• The strategies she took as a starting entrepreneur
• The challenges and success of running a beauty brand
• How she came up with their current products
• Tomi’s dreams and goals for her brand, and for herself

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Yemi Alade is known as the ‘Queen of Afropop’! And as she would put it, “I’m living my dream. I’m awake and still dreaming!” Yemi holds her title well as she currently is the first African female artist to get 1 million subscribers on YouTube! 

Just recently, she also had the amazing opportunity to work with Beyoncé in 'The Lion King: The Gift' album, in which two of her tracks were included -- Don’t Jealous Me (Composer, Lyricist, Associated Performer), and My Power (Lyricist, Re-Mixer).

In celebration of Yemi’s recent success, let us revisit our conversation with her for this week’s episode.

"I am from Nigeria, and I am a musician. My sole duty is to take music from Nigeria to the world, representing the entire Africa." - Yemi Alade

Yemi came from a strict family (her father was a Police Commissioner) that emphasized the importance of education. Throughout school, she loved singing and performing.  In fact, in high school, Yemi was part of a girl group called, ‘Naughty Spices’. But she never thought of singing and performing as a career until in 2009, at the insistence of a friend, she entered the ‘Peak Talent Show’. She was shocked to win – so shocked in fact that they had to call her name twice before she realized she had won!

But that was the moment Yemi realized she had talent, and that she could really make something out of it. Yemi still went on to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from the University of Lagos in 2010, but she decided to pursue her passion for performing.

Yemi launched her career to moderate success in the music industry. But it wasn’t until 2013, when the leak of a single she was still working on with Producer Selebobo that her career really took off. That official video for that single, Johnny, has been viewed more than 106 million times on YouTube!

Yemi talks about what it’s taken for her to become the international superstar that she is. She also talks about the big dreams she has for the future – she recently performed at Lincoln Centre in New York, but she’s dreaming of one day selling out Madison Square Garden! And with the way this lady is going, it won’t be long before she does that!

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

• Who were some of Yemi’s musical influences growing up
• How Yemi describes her style of music
• Who she’d like to collaborate with
• Why the leaking of one of her singles was perhaps the breakthrough for her career
• What has been the most surprising aspect of fame
• Why she prefers to be called a ‘King’ and not a ‘Queen’

• The best advice Yemi has ever been given
• What Yemi’s definition of success is
• What she is most proud of having achieved so far
• The surprising thing that Yemi is most afraid of
• What she is most grateful for
• What Yemi’s “I am…” is

When her marriage fell apart, and the economic and political situation in her native Zimbabwe started rapidly declining, Thembi Bheka was forced to leave her home country to move to Canada as a refugee.  Although it was heartbreaking, she had to leave her young children behind. She arrived in Canada with a whole lot of determination, and only $5 in her pocket – money which she’d been given by a fellow passenger on her flight.   

Thembi worked odd jobs including as a car wash attendant and a caregiver, before being accepted into nursing school.  She graduated with flying colours, and got a job, which meant she could finally bring her children to live with her in Canada .   

But she soon realised that trying to balance being a single mother with her newfound career was not going to work.  She also knew that nursing was not a profession she wanted to spend the rest of her life doing.

Thembi stumbled across a seminar on real estate investing, which introduced her to the bestselling book ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad‘.  She credits that seminar and the book for literally changing her life.  She was inspired to buy her first rental property and hasn’t looked back since! 

"People still need a place to stay. That's a need, it's not a want. People always need a place to stay. So you have to invest in something that is really needed by the people which you know that you can provide a solution. And that is why I think real estate is more beneficial compared to stocks." - Thembi Bheka

In addition to being a real estate investor, Thembi has decided to share her knowledge by starting a company which she’s called ‘Real Estate Real Riches’.  Through her company, she offers training focused on educating and empowering others, especially women, about investing in real estate.

"Sometimes, us women, we try to use the masculine energy to try and keep up with the men, but we don't have to. We could use our femininity." - Thembi Bheka  

Apart from her real estate investing, mentoring and coaching, Thembi has started a Virtual Assistant agency with a team of well-trained and highly skilled women from Zimbabwe. This platform gives opportunity and empowerment to these women to work as virtual staff, helping entrepreneurs and providing various services online.

“My legacy – I would like to have impacted women.  I would like to have changed people’s lives for the better.”  - Thembi Bheka

One of my all-time favourite guests recently won an award of excellence for her debut TV series called ‘The Mayflower’!! Eposi Litumbe is an actress, photographer, screenwriter, and most recently a filmmaker. Oh...and did I mention that she’s also a Scientist who has a career in biotech and clinical research! (and that she used to be stunt performer!!)

Eposi is the executive producer, creator, and writer of The Mayflower -- a TV series inspired by The Mayflower merchant ship that brought pilgrims from England to what was then known as the ‘New World’.  Epose’s version is set in a restaurant, and is all about “human connection through some of the realities that separate us.”

Eposi is also the creator of the travel web series called JANU with Eposi, which shares the beauty of Africa through her travels.

In our conversation Eposi shares how these very different worlds are her life’s passion. Through science, she gets to positively impact medicine. Through her filmmaking and travels, she gets to follow her passion in the arts, and to be her “most authentic self”.

“The best piece of advice that I’ve been given is to be patient with myself, and with the things that I hope for.” - Eposi Litumbe

Born in Cameroon, Eposi grew up in Atlanta, and currently living in San Diego. Eposi shares how growing up she was frustrated by people’s ignorance of Africa (and the accompanying stereotypes).  This made her passionate to learn more about her history and culture. In part, this was what inspired her to create her Africa travel series.  

“Your happiness has to come from within. I think it’s important to see things as they are, to see the reality, but then to choose to be positive about that reality.” - Eposi Litumbe

Something surprising that Eposi shared in our conversation is that she worked as a stunt performer for feature films during her College years! How did this happen?! Eposi shares how she was bullied in high school, and so she wanted to learn how to defend herself, and ended up taking up martial arts.  It turns out she was an excellent student, and one of her martial arts instructors encouraged her to try out as a stunt performer. The rest as they say is history.

When she graduated from College, Eposi decided to pursue a career related to her degree, which was in Biology and Chemistry. She ended up in biotech and clinical research. Eposi loves the fact that her work is directly linked to making a real difference in people’s lives.  We talked about the challenges of being a young woman of colour in her industry, and how failure has been one of Eposi’s greatest teachers.  

“It’s okay. It’s okay to fail. Just don’t bask in that failure. Just don’t sit in that failure and think that the world is over. It’s human to feel like the world is ending at that moment, but get up. Get up and keep going, and try again, or try something else. It’s going to be okay.” - Eposi Litumbe

• The surprising impact that being bullied at school had on Eposi
• Eposi’s advice for anyone thinking of a career in STEM
• Why it’s important to find your strengths and what you love
• What it’s like being a woman of color in medical research
• Why NOT being accepted into medical school was one of her greatest gifts

• Where Eposi gets inspiration for her work
• Her advice for what makes a great picture
• What her “I am” is

To celebrate the momentous grand opening of the Kaela Kay Fashion Boutique & Design Studio, we revisit our conversation with Catherine Addai, the CEO and trailblazing print diva behind Kaela Kay - a transformative and inclusive brand inspired by Catherine's African roots. 

“We’re trying to teach people that being different is great and that everything doesn’t have to be hanging out for it to be sexy and beautiful.” - Catherine Addai

Catherine Addai is an award-winning designer and the creative mind behind Kaela Kay.  You’ve seen her designs worn by celebrities, including Ava DuVernay.  And if you were watching the recent royal wedding, one of her dresses made an appearance there too! 

Catherine describes herself as ‘bold, fearless and fierce!’, and her personal style as ‘modern, demure, sexy’.  But it wasn’t that long ago that Catherine was working a ‘regular day job’ in the health sector. It was out of frustration that she made her first dress – her seamstress hadn’t made a dress she wanted to wear to an event.  Her mother gave her a sewing machine and encouraged her to start making her own clothes.  

Her first piece took her more than a month to make, but she knew she was on to something when people started asking about her designs.

“If you make a decision, stick to it. If that is what you want to go for, go for it. I am a believer in the reality of dreams. I had a dream and by divine intervention, support, God, and the talent God has given me, I was able to manifest that into a reality.” - Catherine Addai

Kaela Kay, which was named after Catherine and her oldest daughter Mikaela, was launched in 2012. The brand stands out with its bold prints and Catherine’s fearlessness in mixing prints and colours. One year after its launch, CNN named Catherine one of ‘Africa’s Hottest New Fashion Designers’.  

Over time, and encouraged by the incredible response to her collections, Catherine gave up the security of her ‘day job’, and threw herself fully into being the Creative Director for Kaela Kay.  And as the saying goes, she hasn’t looked back since.  

While the brand is currently based in Toronto, Catherine is looking to expand operations.  She’s also looking for ways to work with women in her native Ghana, as well as across the African continent, to help provide them with economic empowerment.   

“So if you have a dream out there go for it. Cultivate it and have fun doing it. Meet wonderful people. Meet as many people as you can. Be open. Be outgoing. Have a good time because, you just never know. You never know who you’re going to meet, never know who you’re going to inspire, or who’s going to inspire you.” - Catherine Addai

Catherine Adda is a testament to what happens when we pursue our passion and purpose with great fervor. What started out as a dress she made out of necessity has become her medium of empowering other women. She has turned “being fashionable” into something formidable, which is probably why she has won the admiration and support of women from around the world. 

What you’ll learn in this episode

• How frustration led Catherine to start what is now a global brand 
• Why her brand is called ‘Kaela Kay’
• What it took for Catherine to make the leap from a ‘regular day job’ in the health sector to becoming a full-time designer 
• What goes into the making of a Kaela Kay collection

• How she’s used social media to help grow her business
• The big plans that Catherine has to grow the Kaela kay brand
• Who is Catherine’s biggest inspiration
• What the theme song of Catherine’s life would be
• What her “I am…” is

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She’s been named CEO of the Year, Insurance CEO of the Year and one of the 50 most influential women in Francophone Africa, and yet Delphine Traoré Maïdou’s first job in the industry was opening mail!

Growing up in Burkina Faso, Delphine never aspired to be an executive in the world’s largest insurance company.  In fact, she wanted to be an international translator. But her father convinced her to study business and accounting at university, which she found she really enjoyed.

When she graduated, Delphine had multiple job offers. Despite knowing nothing about the industry, she chose a job as an insurance underwriter. Much to her surprise, for the first six months she was assigned to work in the company mailroom opening mail! She learned later that this was actually a very important job because it helped her understand the different insurance claims coming in, and how to deal with them.

Delphine took a job in Toronto as an underwriter with Allianz, which is one of the world’s largest insurance companies.  Little did she know that this would eventually lead to her coming back to work on the African continent.

“When the boss of my boss asked me to be CEO of our company in South Africa, I immediately went to my boss and said, ‘I’ve never been a CEO before, I don’t even know where to start!’ And he told me, ‘Sometimes other people see what you are capable of before you can see it.’” - Delphine Traoré Maïdou

In this candid interview, Delphine talks about the loneliness and challenges of being one of only a few African female CEOs, what she thinks are some of her greatest achievements, and the big goals she has for the future.

“My father always taught us humility and hard work. He would say that ‘You are better than no one, so make sure you are humble enough in your growth. But also, remember that no one is better than you.

So don’t be intimidated by people you see, because we are all human in the end. Each of us have been given a gift, and you need to use it in the environment that you’re in with the support of others.’” - Delphine Traoré Maïdou

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

• What Delphine’s childhood was like growing up in Burkina Faso as the oldest of four children
• How Delphine survived arriving in the United States not speaking a word of English
• How she literally started from the bottom in the insurance industry…opening mail
• What Delphine sees as her biggest challenges
• What she thinks has been her greatest achievement so far
• Why Delphine sees it as her duty and responsibility to support other women in pursuing their dreams
• The words of wisdom her parents told her that changed the trajectory of her life
• What Delphine thinks is her life purpose
• What she loves most about herself
• The question I asked Delphine that left her stumped!
• The advice Delphine would give to her own children
• What Delphine’s “I am…” is

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