The African Diaspora Start-Up Weekend 2024 (April 25-27) is the first on Yale’s campus. Bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, and their supporting ecosystems, the weekend unites the African diaspora by hosting the second annual Yale Black Venture Summit & Yale Africa Start Up Review, highlighting the ingenuity of founders in the diaspora and those that advance the diaspora and the communities they come from.
Although the word diaspora has a wide range of definitions (271, according to the World Bank), this event is interested in anyone of African heritage, including those of African-American background, and advances the respective communities.
Fanta Traore, Yale MPP ‘24, who coordinated and named the weekend, described it as a means to “uplift and maximize the communal prowess evident in Yale’s student and alumni population that can be further amplified through collaboration.”
Encouraging the Building of our Own Tables
As former Editor in Chief of the Yale Africa Start Up Review (YASR) and current Director of Strategy & Operations for the Yale Black Venture Summit, Traore shared: “It’s abundantly clear that the diaspora has a critical role in Africa, but also in the United States. Whether the conversation is about the African diaspora in the United States or diasporans and entrepreneurs focused on Africa, many of the challenges are the same for both communities. For instance, venture capital funding goes to less than 1% of Black founders in the United States, and in Africa, many venture-backed founders are non-African (for instance in Kenya, 6% of founders who received funding in 2019 were African). This weekend is meant to support the conversations and collaborations that will change the tide towards supporting communities with a shared history by encouraging the building of our own tables. ”
The Yale Black Venture Summit would not be possible without its’ platinum, gold, and silver sponsors supporting the pitch competition prizes, roundtables, and networking reception:
CTNext under Onyeka Obiocha’s leadership (platinum), Tsai City in collaboration with Zoe Hunter (gold), and the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven with Arthur Thomas (silver).
To attend the Yale Black Venture Summit, register here.
Building a Prosperous, Inclusive Black Ecosystem
Malcolm Cardona-Spence, Yale MBA ‘24, YBVS Co-Chair “We are grateful for the support of the New Haven community for allowing us the opportunity to foster and celebrate black entrepreneurship. As a leader of the Black Business Alliance at the Yale School of Management, the gaps in access and equity across the city are clear in my purview. Deeper still, with Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latino roots, the lack of infrastructure to support links between our people has created an evident compounding divide. Through our sponsors, speakers, vendors, residents, and students, together we will demystify these spaces and invite the community to build momentum towards a prosperous, inclusive, and black entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
The event is also supported by Techstars (Oklahoma), and The Prosperity Foundation based in New Haven, CT.
On YASR, Kemi Kakonge-Ruyondo, Yale MEM ’25 (at the Yale School of the Environment), and YASR team member notes the following: “Africa is uniquely vulnerable to climate change, despite, the tension between environmental conservation and development in Sub-Saharan Africa. As a Ugandan graduate student, I am proud to be part of the 2024 team. YASR’s continued interest in agritech, sustainable food systems, and cleantech startups is evident in this year’s top 30 startups, venture capitalist investment areas, and founders’ foci. The time has come for all players to play their part in influencing sustainable business opportunities on the African continent.
Sponsors for the Yale Africa Start-Up Review include the Council of African Studies, Tsai CITY, The Jackson School of Global Affairs, Center for Business and Environment Yale,
To attend the Yale Africa Start-Up Review, register here.