Richard ‘Rich Blk’ Mkoloma performs at TEDxEustonSalon

Introducing Richard ‘Rich Blk’ Mkoloma: the creative polymath.

TEDxEustonSalon would not be complete without a dynamic, atmospheric performer. Spoken Word artist Rich Blk blends the energy in Hip Hop, Afro-Electronica and Poetry with a lyrical finesse that covers matters of today and ideas of ‘tomorrow’.

Rich’s poetry has been published in ‘Contemporary Black Writing’ anthologies by Peepal Press and Penguin. He has featured on SKY, OHTV, Channel 4 and BBC Radio 1Xtra as well as performed in numerous venues in London including Sadler’s Wells, Jazz Café, and the Africa Centre. We can’t wait for him to grace the TEDxEustonSalon stage on Saturday, and quite simply rhythmically blow you away.

Follow him on twitter @richblkthinks and our incredible speakers @MisterAduna, @africatbn and @Solar_Sister.

See you Saturday!

Introducing TEDxEustonSalon 2015 Speaker I Olasimbo Sojinrin

Our third and final speaker at TEDxEustonSalon next Saturday is a feminist, a citizen lobbyist, and an advocate for climate change progress and women’s rights in Africa. Olasimbo Sojinrin is passionate about women-focused renewable energy access and is ready to inspire you to be too!

Olasimbo has been working in the realm of climate change and renewable energy for over 10 years.  She joined the British Council in 2004 as a Project Manager where she managed several partnerships that strove to educate secondary school students on the issue of climate change. From there she became the Capacity Development Manager to the UNDP’s Access to Renewable Energy Project in 2011 providing a strong voice in the drive to create climate change legislation.

Currently she is the Nigeria Country Manager for Solar Sister, a civil society organisation with a mission to eradicate energy poverty through women's economic empowerment. Olasimbo leads a network of women entrepreneurs who are bringing affordable clean energy solutions to their communities’ doorstep.

Join us next Saturday at TEDxEustonSalon as she explores harnessing the potential energy of the Continent and seeks to empower us all.

You said it! TEDXEuston! Wow...

The atmosphere was wonderful, a lot of positive and energetic people. The talks were thought-provoking and inspiring. There was a good mixture: hilarious performances and challenging speeches. The two MCs did a great job in introducing the speakers. The location was beautiful. I also liked the goodies in the bag. TEDXEuston!  Wow...

CHUDE JIDEONWO was articulate and inspiring. He told his story with so much conviction that you could picture yourself in his tale and journey. I was inspired by his story and vision for his country and Africa as a whole as well as his effort at engaging and empowering young people. I was really moved!!!

Dolika Banda: instilled in my mind the fact that you can lend a hand to someone, whoever it might be and that could make a whole lot of difference. Her story was one of nostalgia and serenity of the African continent amidst all the present chaos and uncertainty. 

 Ali Mufuruki challenged my impression of the "African rising" dialogue and motivated me to not settle for less.

Zain Asher introduced a philosophy of creating as an alternative to competing. Interesting…

Sunday Oliseh brought a simple, yet very different and inspiring perspective on life after sports 

Binyavanga Wainaina is the one who challenged my thinking the most. I realise it is okay not to agree on issues and to still work together.

Tutu Agyare referenced seminal authors I would want to read more about, inspired me to look into doing a PhD on the topic he raised

Chi-gurl proved that Africans are not too shabby at standup comedy. It was very refreshing to laugh at the tragicomic issues that directly concern my environment and heritage.

Kene Mkparu shared his journey with us. He took a risk, a leap of faith and followed his dreams. Times got hard, but he perservered. I was moved by his story and it gave me the motivation to push towards my dream

The great choice of truly inspirational speakers and the slick coordination throughout the day.

Africa is the forward that the world needs to face | Pius Adesanmi | TEDxEuston

PIUS ADESANMI is a Professor of English and African Studies at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. A widely cited commentator on African affairs, he has lectured widely in Universities in Africa, Europe, and North America. One of Nigeria’s contemporary leading public intellectuals and celebrated columnists. Adesanmi is also a writer. He is the internationally acclaimed winner of the inaugural Penguin Prize for African Writing (2010) in the non-fiction category with his book, You’re not a Country, Africa. His first book, The Wayfarer and Other Poems, won the Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Prize in 2001.

Adesanmi, the last speaker of TEDxEuston 2014, did not disappoint and eloquently rallied the audience to consider this: “Africa is the forward that everyone else must face"

Be ready for a beautiful journey to the past and to the future. Watch it HERE.

To build a country | Patrick Ndimubanzi | TEDxEustonChange

PATRICK NDIMUBANZI was recently sworn in as Minister of State in the Ministry of Health in charge of Public Health and Primary Health Care in Rwanda. Ndimubanzi’s beautifully woven TEDxEuston 2014 talk shed a bright light on the immense progress Rwanda’s Health Ministry has made since 1994.  The statistics are impressive with 90% of Rwandans covered by health insurance. Ndibumanzi’s showed that the determination of the Rwandan government to put people first is a real testament to the present government’s desire to move on the narrative from 1994.

But his talk was not really about data - but about the relativity of different narratives - which he summed up in this memorable quote: ‘beyond the numbers, beyond the statistics, we are improving people's lives.”

Thanks to TEDxChange, we were able to put this story of hope and progress on the TEDxEuston stage.

Watch his talk here and share this with everyone working in the health space in Africa.

Empowered women will change our world | Fatima B Muhammad | TEDxEustonChange

FATIMA B. MUHAMMAD has over 20 years working experience in Maternal and Child care as a midwife and midwife educator in Northern Nigeria. She has served as the head of Family Planning division and the project Director for a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded project with the the Society for Family Health where she works. She is currently on secondment as the Demand Side Advisor for DFID supported Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH2) project being implemented in 6 states of Northern Nigeria.

Thanks to TEDxChange, Fatima Muhammad was able to share at TEDxEuston 2014 her incredible journey and unfailing desire to giving women choices at all ages because: “It is not enough to have money. You have to be empowered in the mind and then you are able to negotiate.”

Watch her talk HERE....it will remind you of the danger of the single story.

Its time to give back | Dolika Banda | TEDxEuston

DOLIKA BANDA began her career with Citibank and the then Barclays in Zambia. She joined the CDC from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), where she worked for 16 years, most recently as its Director, Financial Markets, with full managerial responsibility for the IFCs financial markets activities across sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. In her role as Regional Director, Africa, Banda works with CDC’s Investment Teams to ensure that CDC’s capital is being invested to meet the demands of the African market. The audience at TEDxEuston 2014 had the privilege  of following Dolika on a journey through her history. A standing ovation from the TEDxEuston community reaffirmed Dolika’s conviction that: “it is her time to give back” after a long and successful career in the diaspora.

We watched this again and realised why we do TEDxEuston.  Find out why HERE.

Occupying the office of the citizen | Chude Jideonwo | TEDxEuston

CHUDE JIDEONWO has a master’s degree in Media and Communication from the Pan-African University. He is a lawyer and an award winning journalist whose career is centred on using the media as an active tool to galvanise a generation of Africans to action. In 2010, he convened friends and colleagues to hold the historic EnoughisEnough protests and co-founded EnoughisEnough Nigeria, which has become the country’s foremost good governance group for young Nigerians. He is a Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum and sits on the boards of the Oando Foundation and Microsoft 4Afrika. Jideonwo took the stage TEDxEuston 2014 stage with a clear message: “In a democracy, the most important office is not that of the government, but that of the citizens.” Listening to Chude, you cannot help to believe that his story is at its beginning.

Watch his talk HERE. Send it to every young African you know, it may be the best present that you have ever given. 

KENE MKPARU asks us to “Consider what you hold in your hands” at TEDxEuston 2014

KENE MKPARU is Group MD/CEO of FilmOne Distribution Limited and Filmhouse Cinemas Nigeria, a dynamic cinema company with a combined management team experience of over 100 years, and a strategic plan to roll-out 25 cinemas over 6 years from December 2012 – currently with nine cinemas in operation. Prior to this, Mkapru was MD, Genesis Deluxe Cinemas (2008-2010) and CEO, FilmAFRICA UK (2005-2009). Mkparu has also produced three films. He won the 2013 Creative Entrepreneur Award: film Industry Category, the 2007 Best Producer Award at the Africa Films Awards, UK for his film, “The Successor” and several Odeon Cinemas Company Marketing awards between 1992 and 2007. Mkparu owned the stage and energized the audience at TEDxEuston 2014. His trajectory and enthusiasm for business opportunities in Africa was palpable. His words: “Consider what you hold in your hands…Africa needs your talent.” sums up his belief in the future of African business ventures.

Watch is talk HERE and get ready to move on with that business plan.

Words for Worlds: Yvonne Owuor at TEDxEuston 2014

YVONNE OWUOR is a Kenyan writer, who was named "Woman of the Year" by Eve Magazine in Kenya in 2004 for her contribution to the country's literature and arts. She won the 2003 Caine Prize for African Writing for her story "Weight of Whispers", which explores the story of an aristocratic Rwandan refugee in Kenya. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications worldwide including Kwani and McSweeney’s, and her story "The Knife Grinder’s Tale" was made into a short film in 2005. Her novel "Dust", published in 2014 to widespread critical acclaim. Owuor’s talk at TEDxEuston was sheer poetry! She dropped many memorable lines, including this which takes a swipe at the “Bonoesque” brand of charity’: “We complete you “they” imply in songs that obliterated our voices”.  Watch.

Enjoy. Share....HERE.

FRANCES MENSAH asks "Where is home" at TEDxEuston 2014.

FRANCES MENSAH WILLIAMS is the Chief Executive of Interims for Development Ltd., an award-winning UK-based Human Resources, Careers and Training consultancy for Africa, and the Publisher and Managing Editor of ReConnect Africa.com, a careers and business website and online publication for African professionals in the Diaspora. With over 20 years’ experience in Human Resources Management and business consultancy in both the UK and Africa, Williams has chaired policy development committees and forums, and has spoken and written widely on skills development in Africa and harnessing the talents of the African Diaspora. Her inspiring talk at TEDxEuston 2014 shed light on the question of 'moving home', particularly for those who have spent most of their lives outside of the continent. She encouraged the audience with her story encapsulated in this quote: “Home isn’t a place where you just show up. It is a place where you are invested in.”

Watch her heart-warming talk here.

Conversations with Baba: BINYAVANGA WAINAINA at TEDxEuston 2014

BINYAVANGA WAINAINA is a Kenyan author, publisher and cultural worker. For over eleven years Binyavanga has sought, worked with, published, mentored and promoted some of Africa’s most exciting new literary talent. He is the founding editor of one of Africa’s leading literary institutions Kwani. Wainana’s witty and satirical essay, “How to Write About Africa” continues to attract wide attention. His memoir, “One Day I Will Write About This Place” has been translated into several languages. In 2014, he came out publicly as gay. In the same year, he was named by Time magazine as one of 100 most influential people in the world.'' Binyavanga, storyteller extraordinaire, shared his personal journey and struggles at TEDxEuston 2014 with grace. His words resonated deeply with the audience and he got a standing ovation....watch his talk, and save it, and watch it again.

Trust your struggle: Zain Asher at TEDxEuston 2014

ZAIN ASHER was born and raised in London. She graduated from Oxford University where she studied French and Spanish. In 2006 she earned an MSc. from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, where she focused on business and financial news. She is currently a national business and personal finance correspondent for CNN. As the first speaker at TEDxEuston 2014, her talk “Trust your struggle” was a testament to her dedication and will to achieve her dreams. She reflected candidly on her journey to becoming a successful CNN Anchor. There are many lessons in this talk for us; and for Zain, you get the feeling that the best is yet to come....

Watch her talk here and remember where you first heard her speak!