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.

#FlashbackFriday - Emeka Okafor

Are you a misfit?  Great, you’ll fit right in! 

Emeka Okafor challenges TEDxEuston to change the world.

At TEDxEuston in 2013, leading African blogger and entrepreneur Emeka Okafor urged Africans to challenge the status quo.  In his TEDxEuston talk entitled, ‘The Crazy Ones’ Emeka – creator of Timbuktu Chronicles and Africa Unchained alluded to the 1997 Apple “Think Differently” advertising campaign, and reminded us that it is often the ‘misfits’ and the crazy ones who are the people that change the world.

Emeka Okafor shared with the audience how as director of TED Global in Arusha, Tanzania in 2007, he noticed how everyone at that event had a new and unique way of thinking for Africa.  They all shared ‘the DNA of getting things done’, he said.  And he encouraged the TEDxEuston audience to do the same.

Emeka claims that the people who start tinkering are often the ones who soon develop the prototypes.  In ‘The Crazy Ones’ talk, at TEDxEuston’s Ripple Effect-themed conference, Emeka alluded to one young boy who displayed at Maker Faire Africa his own creation of taking discarded syringes and created excavator toys.  Here’s more about this young inventor’s story here:  

Emeka encourages us all to be part of the ‘problem-solving society’.  He says that there needs to be a space, an environment where like-minded innovators, doers and problem-solvers can come together and encourage one another.  

We at TEDxEuston couldn’t agree more.  So we want to encourage you to do two things:

1)           Listen to Emeka’s full talk here  

2)          Join us at TEDxEuston Salon on 13 June. More about it here and purchase a ticket here 

You’ll be sure to find like-minded creators, innovators and problem-solvers who are determined to birth solutions, develop clear visions and create new concepts which can only harness the strength and potency of Africa. In short – at TEDxEuston Salon you’ll most likely find the crazy ones, the misfits, the ones who are likely to change the world – for better!

The Business of Africa | Topic Tuesday | TedxEuston

If you’re serious about investment, it’s clear that the question is no longer whether you do business in Africa, rather how to start and what to consider.

As many of us are already aware, Africa presents an incredible opportunity if you are willing to invest in high-growth economies.  

There are some key facts which haven driven the economic growth of the Continent in the last few decades. Here are some:

• Over 1 billion people live in Africa. That is 15% of the world’s population.
• More than 60%, 700 billion people, have a mobile phone, and the entire continent is undergoing connectivity leapfrogging.
• Africa’s combined economy is over $2 trillion, with this forecast to more than double by 2025.
• Economic growth is 2% above the global average, and has been since 2000, currently standing at 6-7%.
• 60% of the population are younger than 30 years old, creating the world’s largest labour force by 2035.
• Nearly 50% of the population live in cities, with increasing amounts of urbanisation underway.

Over the years several African entrepreneurs and economists have given talks at TEDxEuston – providing salient advice and wise information about the continent’s business environment – food for thought for our TEDxEuston’ers who are considering returning, setting up anew, expanding their enterprises or bootstrapping their start-up for major growth, and even simply if you are looking at increasing your involvement by investment.

There are many ways to take advantage of the opportunities across the continent. Here are a few suggestions, of which certain themes emerge from our previous TEDxEuston speakers.

• The continent beats to its own rhythm, with a distinct culture and way of operating which differs from Western markets.  Appreciate and have a perspective, and respect the differences.   As our speaker Frances Mensah Williams discussed – allow everyone at home their own way of expression to you.

• Focus on local dynamics as reflected by our TEDxEuston speaker Kene Mkparu. There is no single Africa strategy.  Each market is unique – the continent comprises a rich tapestry of countries. Markets present opportunities in a different way, and business products and services should be offered according to these consumer requirements.

•  Commitment to long-term and to standards, as mentioned by Dolika Banda at our Facing Forward event in December.

• Planning – deciding your time period for growth, reviewing your sector, market and objectives for success, as well as planning our business activities, positioning, country launch selection, as well as creating a specific hub for business development.

• Perseverance – a critical characteristic for all business, and remarked by Jason Njoku, keep failing until you succeed, and understanding the reality of Africa may be, as stated by Ali A. Mufuruki, very different to the Africa Rising narrative.

• Relationships and Partnerships – working with local, experienced management and partners, including government, community organisations and other players in your field, will yield long-term gains.
• Local Talent and People – invest in your local team, and over the long-term, understand the role of training in broader society, mentioned in Tutu Agyare’s talk.  As the pace of commercial expansion will be significantly greater than the growth of formal education and training mechanisms.

While each country on the continent has its own set of laws, regulations, political system and cultures this ever-changing environment of systems and rules post the greatest challenge.   Each market should be considered and adapted to accordingly.  Africa’s complexity creates investment challenges and it is important to be adaptable and test traditional business models. 
The consumers within the Continent vary greatly from the new wealth, to rising middle class, and include the basic survivors, living on low or no income in urban slums or rural areas. Due to the connectivity explosion across the continent, this has enabled a range of other services to grow

The TEDxEuston team is committed to inspiring ideas about Africa and being a catalyst for our community and those wishing to engage with the Continent.    We’re actively seeking to connect members of our community to move forward. So please tweet us @tedxeuston, or me on @FeliciaTedx you want to stay in touch, or find out more.
F
elicia has been a key active organising team player for TedxEuston over the years. With a MBA from the esteemed London Business School, she holds a specialism in emerging markets. Currently a member of the foundation board, Felicia splits her time and career between Asia, Africa and UK.  

TedxEuston Salon 2015 - Facing Forward: Harnessing Energy

Prepare to be blown away on Saturday 13th June 2015, as the latest instalment of TEDxEuston’s Salon takes centre stage. The Salon combines inspiring speakers, the trademark of all our events, in a more relaxed setting alongside drinks, food, friends, music and of course a dance floor!

In order to deliver such a special experience, we have moved The Salon to the beautiful Crown Plaza London – The City, set within London’s iconic Square Mile. Here, conversations will be carried over from this year's 'Facing Forward' conference with a focus on 'Harnessing Energy’ - an increasingly hot topic in a continent as naturally abundant as Africa.

Get set to be motivated by listening to speeches from people who have made a real difference, as they share their ideas and experiences by addressing some of the most pertinent issues facing the continent.

Confirmed speakers include:

- Andrew Hunt – the founder and MD of Aduna, a unique African-inspired health and beauty brand and social business.

- Olasimbo Sojinrin – Nigerian Country Manager at Solar Sisters, a fantastic organisation that eradicates energy poverty by empowering women with economic opportunity.

Cultivating an engaging environment to consume the ideas of astute thinkers and doers, it was important for us to find a location that would serve as a catalyst for motivation and inspiration, yet improve on last year’s successful conference at the British Museum. The Crown Plaza London has all the modern facilities for a great event as such, and with an extra little touch from the TEDxEuston team, it will be an energising hub of activity come the 13th June 2015.

The proof is in the pudding they say, so we invite you to seize this opportunity to be part of this intimate event that aims to inspire a new generation of African leaders.

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“I found it really inspiring & it gave me food for thought. 

Also had opportunity to network & met really great people”

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Pictures from last year’s event can be viewed here. Waste no time in securing your seat by purchasing a ticket here today!

As many have come to expect, an enlightening evening awaits.

TEDxEustonSalon is supported by our Principal Partner, Shell Global

#ThrowbackThursday - Pascal Dozie

As we gear up for our Summer Salon, we take a look back at one of our oldest (read wisest) speakers to take the TedxEuston stage - Pascal Dozie. Prolific for being a consistent visionary, Dozie's run of achievements include being the founder of Diamond Bank, President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and Chairman of MTN Nigeria to name a few.
A experienced executive with a wealth of experience, find out 5 more facts about Pascal Dozie.

1. Dozie celebrated his 74th birthday, 7th day of the 7th month birthday on the day of his TedxEuston talk
2. He retired in 2005 from his chief executive position in Diamond Bank, which he founded nearly 15 years prior.
3. Dozie has 5 sons, one of which Uzoma Dozie recently took over the helm of Diamond Bank as MD and another, Chiekezi Dozie opted out of the banking world and pursued the creative route by setting up a photography agency. 
4. In 2013, Dozie received a Lifetime Achievement Award of the year at the All African Business Leaders Award in Nigeria.
5. He once said that when he set up Diamond Bank “The first customer was my wife”

A charmer, a seasoned business man, a family man and now a #ThrowbackThursday speaker - watch the talk below.

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.

Education made the difference: SUNDAY OLISEH at TEDxEuston 2014

SUNDAY OLISEH’s football career started in Lagos with Julius Berger FC. He then moved to Europe to start an incredible professional career in the 1990’s, playing for Ajax, Borusia Dortmund and Juventus FC. From 1994, he was also part of the team that was crowned African champions against Zambia. In 1996 Oliseh was a key member of the Nigerian team that won the Olympic gold medal for football. He went on to captain Nigeria for many years including during the 2002 African Cup of Nations. Today, he is one of the most respected voices on football and appears on several TV programmes around the world. Africa’s football hero par excellence brought to TedxEuston 2014 his inspiring story and love for football, and his belief in education. In his words: “Education made the difference in my life!” Does this surprise you?

Find out why in his own words. Send this to every one that knows someone who loves football- thats everyone you know! :)

Even if you don't like football, have never done sports - watch this talk HERE. Thank us later.

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.