Meet The CEO:Almaz Negash, CEO of the African Diaspora Network

Almaz Negash, founder and CEO of the African Diaspora Network (ADN). She is not just a   a prominent trailblazer in Silicon Valley, She has leveraged 25+ years of experience in international trade, business management and social innovation to build successful partnerships with a variety of

stakeholders around the world.

Today, she joins us to highlight the African Diaspora Network, the opportunities to look out for and so much more. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome back to Meet the See series. We have a special guest this Friday. Anna Zekash, founder and CEO of the African Diaspora Network. She's not just a prominent trailblazer in Silicon Valley. She has leveraged 25 years plus of experience in international trade, business management and social innovation to build successful partnerships with a variety of stakeholders around the world. Today she joins us to highlight the African Diaspora Network, the opportunities to look out for, and so much more. From over 2,376 cities and 178 countries, we bring you the Good Morning Africa podcast. Good morning Africa. Welcome aboard your personal Everything Business in Africa. I am Rutha Dong. For more, follow us on Twitter at the K Financial News, and you can find me at Rutherong. Of course, I am very, very grateful that you've created time to come on the Good Morning Africa podcast. And we usually start really easy here with just knowing who you are. So who's Almaz Nagash?

SPEAKER_01 1:02

Wonderful. Thank you so much. I appreciate the opportunity for this uh conversation. And uh really uh it's it's always wonderful to be interviewed by a community uh that we are uh trying to uh serve uh and committed to. So thank you so much. I am Almaz Negash. Um the um well I mean to say I'm Almaz Negash. I uh live uh in uh the Bay Area, California. Um I am originally uh or I am Eritrean American. I came uh to the United States some close to 37, 38 years ago as a foreign student. Uh, and ever since then I have always been uh interested uh in the issue of Africa and specifically what the diaspora can do, and it's been uh a great privilege for me to start the African Diaspora Network in 2010 with the idea that uh and the vision that um can African uh uh and Africans from the diaspora, friends of Africa come together to collaborate, co-create, and co-imagine possibilities. And that uh vision has become a reality in 2016 when we launched the first African Diaspora Investment Symposium. In a way, it was our test. Uh, can we really bring people together? And I am very happy to say we were not just only bringing people together from around the world, uh, but also we were able to use that platform to develop some really transformative programs that are now making a difference in those uh uh young Africans and startup uh founders on the continent of Africa, in the United States, uh, from scientists to academicians and to just a general entrepreneur. So uh that's what we do in a nutshell at ADN. Our vision really is to bring together uh people to collaborate, co-create, and uh co-imagine possibilities. And our mission, of course, is to bring in the historical African-American uh diaspora, uh the um Afro-Caribbeans, and those of us, the contemporary diasporans, um, in a place where we can have a real, honest and authentic conversation that can turn into action.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

That's a really great introduction. So I know you've already touched on it, but what are some of uh founding tenets of the African Diaspora Network? Why did you, what what gap were you trying to address at the time when you founded the Diaspora Network?

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Well, you know, it's interesting. I've had the greatest privilege working with some really amazing organizations and the academic uh sector, the private sector, the nonprofit sector, the social innovation. I've done it all. Uh, but throughout those times, I actually noticed that a lot of these wonderful, well-meaning Silicon Valley-based social entrepreneurs were really trying to make a difference on the continent of Africa, from Kenya all the way to South Africa to uh Nigeria, many different places. They all meant very well. They had an idea. Oh, we wanted to be able to create solar, we're selling solar um suitcases to uh bringing solar suitcases to Africa so people can get light, all of those great innovative things. What it was missing is really Africans themselves. Uh then I said, why is it that you're doing this work for Africa? But I don't see any Africans, and a lot of them will say, But Almaz, you are an African, but I am just one of the many that I knew in the valley could have actually contributed tremendously to the conversation. So I realized that uh very early on, there was really no representation of us. Uh, we were not sitting at the table, we were just part of the menu, you know. Okay, we want to do this here in this country, this is what we need, blah, blah. But really, we never put our voices um to matter. And so that was for me a motivation. But also, I realized I was very complaining, bickering woman that I didn't like. So I said, what would it look like if we from the diaspora can come together, create a platform where we can invite people rather than asking people to invite us? That is the genesis of ADN, really. I mean, there's a long story behind it, but I wanted to see if we were able to own the space and bring people together. So now we are uh living that vision, which is we bring in our team, our uh advisors, our board members, our attendees, our supporters are all uh from all walks of life, and they represent the communities we live in, but also the global diaspora as a whole. And so I um I'm happy to say that that sense of um I don't know, frustration maybe. I use the sense of disappointment into goodness, which is really channeling your challenge into opportunities, and I am happy that we were able to uh to to discuss this with people who were not saying no but were saying how, and uh it ended up being done.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

And then, you know, for many years the diaspora engagement with Africa has mainly been about remittances. How has that relationship evolved into now what we're seeing as investments, innovation, and partnerships?

SPEAKER_01 6:42

I'm so glad you're asking me that question. And so for me, as a diaspora, I have noticed, um, and this is very important that people need to know. Um, I've had the privilege to go to school, get really great job. My husband and I, we do well, and uh and I don't think we've had anybody asking us to do this or that, but we were uh as diasporans, we were watching um a lot of uh newcomers from the continent of Africa putting all their money together and sending it as a remittance to support families on uh in their home country, which is wonderful. We all need to do that, and we do that regardless. But I think what I have noticed over the years, like all of us as diasperans, is well, that's remittances is in a way it's necessary, but it's transactional. It's between me and my family, and uh God knows how that money gets to use. Sometimes it's used for good, sometimes it may not be. Regardless, you give it willingly. I think what we were missing was what about going beyond remittances? What would that look like? Because if you really step back and think through, whereas I know a lot of remittances has made a huge difference in many people's lives, but it is not necessarily scalable. And so, what would it look like if we can go beyond remittances? For ADM, beyond remittances doesn't mean don't send remittances. What we're saying is for those of us who are capable of using some of our savings to invest on the continent is very, very critical. What would that look like? And that's what we're where we're going, because we do believe that the diaspora has the ability uh to go beyond remittances. In 2024, just as an example, we remitted $100 billion to the continent, uh, whereas at that point uh uh Africa was getting about $16 billion from USAID. The comparison is incredible. We're talking about we, the the diaspora is limiting way more than what Africa gets from development and also uh or direct uh um uh foreign direct investment. So, where can we go from here? Meaning that if that is what we're able to do, isn't there something else also we can do? And what we're asking the diaspora to think through is the savings that we have. It is not necessarily only what we remit, we also save. So the diaspora is well educated in the United States, in the example of the United States. We are, I'm talking only about the contemporary diaspora, meaning those of us who have uh come to the United States um uh after the 20, uh the 1960s. So if you look at that community, there's an incredibly well-educated first, second generation and has an incredible income. What can we use? Uh can we use some of that money for investment on the continent? And ADN is opening those doors, um, which uh we bring people together every year to have this deeper conversation where you can see Nigerian uh diasporans are investing in South Africa, in Zambia, in other places, and vice versa, Ethiopian diasporans are investing in Kenya and other parts of the continent. That's really where we are heading with this. It's really not that we're not doing it. The diaspora, I know, is investing, but we wanted to make it so public that people understand the diaspora is not just only remitting, but it's also investing on the continent. And investment comes in many different ways. We're talking about also providing access to resources, to uh startups on the continent, and resources could be, you know, just mentoring, providing access to opportunities, opening up your networks and your influence to support others on the continent. And because um I personally believe that if we want to see a thriving Africans in every community on the continent, we need to really provide them with the ecosystem that's conducive for thriving, with education, housing, food, all of these things need to be uh together for a thriving community where we measure our success by how less of a remittance goes to the continent, but how much more investment is taken on the continent. That will be, I mean, for me, the uh the North Star, but it starts today by us really having the conversation and figuring out what does it look like to have a thriving community in every part of the continent, not just in one place or this or that, but actually everywhere on the continent. And we will do it by having this kind of honest, authentic, and meaningful and actionable conversation.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

So, of course, looking ahead, uh, what changes would you like to see in how governments, investors, and institutions engage with the African diaspora in development and innovation? And I know this has been touched upon a bit in a bit of the answer that you gave, but you know, there's a wide range of how you could look at how the changes that you want to see.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

I love that question. Um, I love that question simply because I do believe that um societies thrive when there is an ecosystem that's conducive for innovation, entrepreneurship, investment. Uh, you need to have that, and this cannot happen in a vacuum. So the governments have a role to play to make these opportunities. For us to say to the diaspora, go and invest on the continent is very easy, and it's uh it's one aspect of the question. But then where do they invest and how? Is it easier for uh uh for a diaspora to go and get a license in Nigeria to start their own business? I don't know. It can you you will hear all kinds of different um reasons. Oh, it's not easy for me to get a license in my own country, it's not easy for me to do this. All these barriers must be removed uh reasonably. I'm not saying that there should not be uh rules and regulations, but they need to be eased up so that the diaspora can feel comfortable investing back in their home countries. And I think that ecosystem, uh that conducive ecosystem for the diaspora to come and invest back in their home countries is critical. A lot of countries are doing it. I think that uh we just have to do more of it. I am looking at Africa as a whole. I'm not uh gonna give one example over the other, but I'm just saying that to the question that you've asked me, um, I would love to see African governments work with us, with the diasporas, not because we come from that country or this or that, but even as a whole, there's an incredible knowledge to be harnessed, resources to be had, and also, of course, connections to be made. I really believe that the diaspora is not just a remitter of money. We should not be used for that. We are actually more than that, and we are really looking for intentional, meaningful collaboration with each of these different countries to make sure that when investment is uh available and opportunities arise, the African diasporants would have the one of the priorities to invest. Because I think some of the things that kind of frustrates me in a way is why is it that when there is maybe a tender offer or other opportunities, why isn't that coming? Why isn't it coming to us to ADN, for example, and so we can share it with everyone? Why couldn't the diaspora be the conduit to invest in their home countries or in any other countries as they see fit, depending on whether they're making investment? I'm gonna clarify it's very important for people to know. When I say investment, that is a personal thing. You're not investing for social purposes, you're investing because you are going to get a return on your investment. That's really what we're talking about. This is not remittances. So for us to really see that we have an opportunity to invest uh in any country, we need to have the uh understanding of the infrastructure that we are investing in, meaning if I put my $100,000, would it create, I don't know, $150,000 by the end of uh the year? And then how do I get my money, or can I reinvest it in other things? So this is very personal, but it is also in a way um uh that we see happen everywhere around the world, that I like to see happen on the continent of Africa, where the diaspora has the opportunity to invest um in uh in projects, countries, and people as they see fit, but there is a conducive ecosystem. And I think, Ruth, where where I'm hitting with this is that if we're going to invest on the continent of Africa, it is extremely important for us to have a collaboration with the uh with African governments. Very, very important.

SPEAKER_00 16:12

Uh, okay. So, uh and and you know, one of my final questions is what opportunities should Africans on the continent and also in the diaspora be paying attention to right now?

SPEAKER_01 16:23

Well, I think opportunities depend where you are, uh, and and being a part of uh a conversation, whether if you are in the technology sector, take a look at the technology sector. If that's something that you're interested in, that could be a part of it. So opportunities are very local uh and determined by what is available within that community. But from us, the diaspora, this is what we're looking for. What can we do? We as diasporans to collaborate. So, in a way, for me, the opportunities that I see on the continent um is the uh what I said earlier to you is that the African government's creating an ecosystem that's conducive for innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment. Um that would be a part of that local community, that um uh that specific country. But there is an incredible opportunity in the AI sector. It depends on who's uh uh how are they going to access that opportunity. FinTech is one of the fastest growing uh economy on the continent of Africa. It has been, the sector has been uh uh uh one of the fastest growing, and it needs to be looked at and continue to thrive. Uh, that is going to make a big difference in the people. The other one is um, I would like for all of us to think of uh of the diaspora not as uh when we leave our countries where it's no longer a brain drain, it's a brain circulation, bringing it back to uh to our community in the form of investment, in the form of knowledge exchange, in the form of mentoring. That's a big deal for the continent. These are things that give me hope, and I am looking forward to collaboration and partnership. And I think that's a good way to end it because none of the stuff that I mentioned to you would be doable by Africans from the diaspora alone or the governments alone. I think it's collective, it's the private sector, the NGOs, the government, the diaspora, all of us working together to make a difference. It cannot happen in a um uh we can't do this alone. It has uh to require intentional collaboration to see an action.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

Is there anything pertinent that you feel I haven't asked that you that you must speak on?

SPEAKER_01 18:40

We went through a lot of things, but I wanted to uh emphasize um on why we do what we do, because you could do a lot of different things, but I I do believe in the diaspora. I am betting on the diaspora. We are capable of doing a lot of different things, and it's our time to um shine, but also uh to really showcase what we have learned over the years and really make a difference in our community, not only in the countries where we come from, but the communities in which we live. We do um we do have the opportunity to do that. So I'm always excited about the innovative work that the diaspora is doing, but also their commitment to their home countries and their communities.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

I'm very glad that we had this conversation. So I'm really, really grateful that you created time and space to come and speak to us uh on the Meet the CEO series on the Good Morning Africa podcast. I'm so, so honored to have you on the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

Ruth, thank you so much. Thank you to you, to your uh colleagues for making this possible. And I do look forward to seeing as many of the diasper and friends of Africa join us at the uh March 25 to 27 symposium at Santa Clara University. People can find the information on our website. Thank you so much. Thank you, Ruth. Have a good day.

SPEAKER_00 20:11

And a quick look at the market. South Africa posted a current account surplus of 50.2 billion rand in quarter four of 2025, compared to a revised deficit of 72 billion rand in the previous period. It marks the fast surplus since quarter three of 2023 and the largest since quarter one of 2022, as the trade surplus widened sharply to 282.2 billion from 169 billion rand in quarter three on stronger exports and weaker imports. And a quick review of the other stories, the National Bank of Angola kept its key interest rate unchanged at 17.5 on March 12, 2026, marking the fast pause following three consecutive reductions. The decision comes amid easing inflation and efforts to sustain economic activity. And inflation has been steadily declining since a 31.1% peak in July of 2024. Headline inflation fell to 13.35% in February, the lowest since July 2023, from 14.56 in January, supported by stable Kansa. Angola's economy grew by 5.7% in quarter four of 2025, the strongest expansion since quarter two of 2023, quickening from a 2.6% advance in the previous period. Thank you for always waking up with us. Good morning, Africa is a product of the K Financial. If you have suggestions or want to check out more stories, visit the website, that's the Kfinancial.com. Don't forget to subscribe. You can find us on all social media platforms at the K Financial, and you can find me at Vitad.