In this episode, Joan Darkortey shares the deep connection that Liberia has with the USA, the Ins And Outs of managing a Non-Profit. Discovery why we should all care about helping others in our home country as well as others and the importance of leadership.
Joan Darkortey is a consultant, corporate trainer, motivational speaker, and servant leader. Deeply passionate about Africa’s social, economic and infrastructural development, Joan co-founded Liberia Economic Development Initiative (LEDI), a nonprofit organization with a mission to reduce poverty and change lives in her native Liberia, West Africa.
LEDI’s flagship project, currently underway, is to build the first modern public library in post-civil war Liberia. Since 2007, LEDI has awarded over 500 scholarships to youth throughout Liberia, provided micro-grants and business training to female rock crushers, donated thousands of dollars worth of financial grants and medical supplies donations to hospitals and clinics in Liberian and much more!
Joan has also been employed by the Federal Reserve System since 2007, in divisions including Banking Supervision and Regulation, the Board Office of the Corporate Secretary, Legal and in her current role as Records and Information Management Consultant and Senior Analyst. Prior to working for the Federal Reserve System, she worked for organizations including CNN/Turner Broadcasting, Emory University, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture- International Trade Division. Joan Curran Darkortey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Emory University, a Paralegal degree from Clayton State University and an Executive MBA from the Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University. She has also served on the numerous Boards, including ARMA International – Atlanta Chapter and Cleveland State University Alumni Board, most recently. Joan was recognized as Crain’s Cleveland Business Forty Under 40 (2014), awarded the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Corporate Citizenship Award (2018), and a lifetime membership in Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society. She is married to Rufus Darkortey, LEDI Co-founder and President and is the mother of two boys, Rufus, Jr., and Jeremiah.
http://www.ledinow.org/
https://twitter.com/ledinow
https://www.facebook.com/liberia.initiative
- Introduction to LEDI:
- https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=en2MgK7kdqQ
- Library construction:
- https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x4HL21x_37k
- Drone image of the library construction site:
- https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8IVAJigjiYU
- Plight for Liberian student:
- https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzj8Uf6M-2E