WELCOME!
On behalf of the African Leadership Group (ALG) Planning and Organizing Committee, Board of Directors, and all our community members, we want to extend a heart-felt thank you for coming to Afrik Impact 2025. This year’s theme is Motherland: The Lineage & Legacy of Africa’s Children. We are celebrating accomplishments and success stories in our community. As always, you will see shining examples of African immigrants at their very best, contributing greatly to this nation, our state, and our local communities. This is what the world needs to see. This is what the world needs to know. This is what ALG is all about!
Sincerely,
Papa M. Dia, Founder & Executive Director
PAPA DIA’S STORY | THE FORMATION OF AFRICAN LEADERSHIP GROUP (ALG)
When I had an opportunity to come to the United States in 1998, I had one goal in mind: work and send money back to support the rest of my family in Senegal, West Africa. As 1 of 13 children, my family struggled to make ends meet. I was determined to do everything I could to change the narrative. Like many immigrants, I was faced with some challenges. Back in Senegal, I studied law; however, I couldn’t continue this path due to my limited English-speaking skills. I got a job at the Tattered Cover Bookstore and found myself studying all over again. My exposure to books and immersion in the world of literacy helped with my reading, writing, and speaking skills.
After leaving the Tattered Cover Bookstore, I got a job as a bank teller, where I worked for the next 18 years. During my time at the bank, I learned about financial resources that were not readily accessible to the immigrant community, though they were necessary for successful integration. Information about government assistance was readily available, but nothing existed to help us achieve the American dream. During my time at the bank, I was approached by a lot of African Immigrants who had questions, not only about banking, but also about other challenges (education, legal, etc.) they faced in trying to integrate into the American culture. I would help them out the best I could, but this attracted dozens of others to the bank each week. When the bank started to express concern, I knew it was time for me to create an outlet that would continue to help people outside my workplace because, as I looked around, there were no other entities/organizations that focused on helping skilled immigrants integrate. In 2006, the African Leadership
MISSION
To celebrate the impact of the African Diaspora in Colorado and to honor our accomplishments.
PURPOSE
With a focus on social, educational and economic impact, the African Leadership Group hosts a major annual community event. The purpose of this yearly event is to celebrate our collective accomplishments, recognize our community champions, and cast the vision for our next year of policy and advocacy work. In addition, it is part of our public persuasion campaign to have the State of Colorado issue a proclamation to officially establish August as African Immigrant Month. In all of this, we celebrate loud and proud, the positive impact of African people in Colorado and honor our contributions.
This year’s theme is Connecting Communities, Cultures & Continents—showcasing the role African immigrants play in the economy and highlighting the business opportunities that are available in the United States and internationally.
LIST OF PAST AFRIK IMPACT SPEAKERS
Babacar Diop, Mayor of Thies, Senegal
Luke Ragland, Senior Vice President of Grants, Daniels Fund
Aliou Sow, Professor, Former Minister of Culture of Senegal
Dr. Thierno Thiam, Professor of Political Science & International Relations, Tuskegee University
Elhadji Amadou Ndao, Consul General - Republic of Senegal, Professor Moussa Seydi, Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal
Honorable Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of Liberia
Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado
Honorable Wilmot Collins, Mayor in Helena, Montana
Michael B. Hancock, Mayor of Denver, Colorado
Joe Neguse, Congressman, Colorado’ 2nd District
Bob LeGare, Mayor of Aurora, Colorado
Brian Vogt, Chief Executive Officer of the Denver Botanic Gardens
Doug Jackson, President and C.E.O of Project Cure
Mike Coffman, U.S. Representative for Colorado’s 6th congressional district
Morgan Carroll, Chairwoman of the Colorado Democratic Party
Alioune Ndiaye, Professor at Université de Sherbrooke Graduate Institute of International & Development Studies
Kent Thiry, Thiry O’Leary Foundation
Congressman Jason Crow
Mike Johnston, Mayor of Denver
ALG
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Fesehaye G. Arbrhaley, Board Chair
Judith Donaldson
Macodou Diop
Pastor Charles Ansah-Twum
Alphonse Nembot
Abdul Pessima
Tyler Sandberg
Beatriz Gonzalez
GALA DINNER Menu
Mixed Field Greens with Fresh VegetablesColorful combination of Carrot Ribbons, Cherry Tomatoes and Cucumber Balsamic Vinaigrette
Plated Dinner
Harissa-Honey Glazed Chicken
OR
Chef’s Choice Vegan Entree Harissa Cauliflower Steak [Vegan & Gluten Free]
Jollof Rice
Baby Carrots with Spiced Orange Glaze
Pastry Chef’s Choice Dessert
DUO Plated Dessert: Coconut Cream Pie in Tart Shell and Flourless Chocolate Bite
MARIEM DIA MASTER OF CEREMONY
Mariem Dia is a proud first-generation Senegalese-American and a sophomore with senior standing at Howard University, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Business Administration. Passionate about social justice and leadership, she plans to attend law school and has dedicated her academic and community efforts to advance equity, education, and civic engagement.
Mariem lives by the motto, “I am Opportunity,” a reflection of her purpose to create, share, and uplift opportunities within her community. She has co-founded student organizations, led campus initiatives, and contributed to campaigns focused on public policy and voter empowerment.
Her professional experience includes roles with the Gary Community Foundation as a Youth Piton Fellow, Colorado Black Women for Political Action, and the African Leadership Group (ALG), where she’s been a lifelong volunteer. Currently, she interns with Classique LLC, supporting public safety and policy initiatives through data organization and event coordination.
Mariem is honored to serve as Master of Ceremony for the 10th Annual Afrik Impact Gala. Her work with ALG spans youth development, immigrant-focused programs, and civic engagement campaigns that elevate African voices across Colorado
JENNIFER RILEY-CHETWYND
Interim Chief Executive Officer | Denver Botanic Gardens
Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd is the interim CEO of Denver Botanic Gardens, stepping into the role following the passing of longtime CEO Brian Vogt in March 2025. She has been with the Gardens since 2011 as director of marketing and social responsibility, where she has led sustainability-focused programming, communications, partnerships, and community engagement efforts.
Since 2017, Jennifer has also served as co-director of the One World One Water (OWOW) Center, a partnership between the Gardens and Metropolitan State University of Denver that promotes water stewardship through education and collaboration.
Before joining the Gardens, Jennifer led global corporate social responsibility initiatives at Rain Bird. She currently sits on the board of H2O Radio and is a former board member of the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the American Public Gardens Association. She also co-organized the 2011 International Water Forum at the United Nations.
Jennifer holds an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business, an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, and a BA in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism
TOLUWANIMI OBIWOLE
Poet Laureate
Toluwanimi is a Nigerian multidisciplinary scholar, consultant, and artist who explores her art through poetry, visual art, curation and textile production. She is a seasoned storyteller, poet and visual artist with a dedication to re-indigenization, intergenerational healing and cultural memory keeping.
She is the inaugural Youth Poet Laureate for the State of Colorado and has received awards for DEI storytelling from the University of Colorado Boulder.
She is a two time TEDx speaker, has published a book of poems with Penmanship Books in New York City and has been published in Haymarket Books’ most recent iteration of“The Breakbeat Poets”. Her practice as a storyteller has opened the door for her to introduce poetic storytelling methods to people who otherwise would not engage with poetry.
Tiffani Barrett is the youngest of three siblings, a proud mother to Marcus and McKenzie, and a loving grandmother to Leilani and Kamari. She recently relocated from Atlanta to Denver, bringing with her nearly 25 years of dedicated experience in education. Over the years, she has served in various roles—from classroom teacher to school administrator and even school council member—working to create meaningful, lasting change in schools and communities.
Her passion lies in advocating for equitable access to education, especially for underserved populations. She is deeply committed to community engagement and strives to be a voice for families and students in decision-making spaces. Whether mentoring young educators or collaborating with parents and leaders, she believes in the power of relationships and a shared vision. As she continues her journey in Denver, she remains focused on uplifting communities through education and empowering the next generation to thrive.
This past year, Tiffani transitioned into customer service within the aviation industry, where she continues to apply her leadership, communication, and training skills. Her goal is to leverage this diverse expertise to grow into a corporate training role at United Airlines, where she can help develop talent, shape company culture, and support organizational excellence through impactful learning experiences.
SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD
ECONOMIC IMPACT AWARD
EDUCATION IMPACT AWARD
Eric Goodman has been a veteran benefit auctioneer for over a decade. His company, “Your Fundraising Team,” has raised millions of dollars for non-profits all over the United States, including his home base in Denver, Colorado. Goodman has also been a veteran sportscaster for 35 years, spending 20 years on television and 15 hosting a radio sports talk show in Denver. His television career includes main anchor jobs in Chicago, Denver, and CNN in Atlanta.
DEIDRE JOHNSON MICKIAS ALAMIREW AMLAKU B ESHETIE
AFRICAN LEADERSHIP GROUP TEAM
PAPA DIA, Founder and Executive Director
OUSMAN BA, ALG Program Coordinator
BRIANA ROREX, Office Manager & Event Coordinator
ASTU DIA, Case Manager
AFRIK IMPACT & FUNDRAISER COMMITTEE
TYLER SANDBERG, Committee Chair, Founder and Owner, Timor Strategies
PAPA DIA, Founder & Executive Director, ALG, Committee Member
JASON GAULDEN, Partner, Gaulden Group LLC, Committee Member
DEIDRE JOHNSON, CEO & Executive Director, Center for African American Health, Committee Member
REGINA EDMONDSON, Vice President of Government Services, CrossPurpose, Committee Member
LISA NEAL-GRAVES, Senior Technical Executive and Thought Leader, Committee Member
SELENA DUNHAM, Principal/Owner, Classique, LLC, Committee Member
BREAKING BARRIERS COMMITTEE
LATERRELL BRADFORD, Yoga Instructor, Mentor, Committee Chair
PAPA DIA, Founder & Executive Director, ALG, Committee Member
ALPHONSE NEMBOT, Mathematics Instructor, CEC Charter School Network, Committee Member
DR. H. MALCOLM NEWTON, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Committee Member
UGO AKIRI, Founder, Caring Sisters, Initiative & Rehab Project, Committee
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE
SOLOMON MUWANGA, Committee Chair, Huntington Bank
TAYO OKUNADE, Business & Employment Attorney, OKUNADE LLP, Committee Member ORMAN “LEE” TOKO, Vice President, Senior Commercial Relationship Manager, Emerging & Middle Market Banking at TBK Bank, Committee Member
DR. JAMAL BOWEN, President & Founder, Empowering Community Entrepreneurs, Committee Member
JUSTIN GILMORE, Project Manager, Director of Business Development, Gilmore Construction Corporation, Committee Member
MARYAM TIDJANI, Clean Energy Specialist, Colorado Clean Energy, Committee Member
MKALE WARNER Chief Executive Officer, EnVeritas Solutions, Committee Member
JESSICA JONES-GARCIA, Community Lending Specialist, Energize Colorado, Committee Member
HEALTH & WELLNESS COMMITTEE
ABDUL PESSIMA, Committee Chair, Chaplain, Suntree Hospice
PASCALE ADOU, Certified Nurse Aide, Committee Member
ANNE ATTOUAH, Community Education, Navigation & Outreach, Committee Member
MEDHANET ‘MEDIT’ GELAW, Healthcare Entrepreneur & Executive, CEO & Founder of MediGuard Home Health Care Inc, Registered Nurse, Committee Member
JUSU SAWI, Mortgage Closing Specialist, Committee Member
VERA GARYEAZON, Caregiver, Committee Member
DR. CECILIA AHEMA YABOAH, Committee Member
DR. ADETOLA OBIWOLE, Committee Member
HOMEOWNERSHIP & FINANCIAL COMMITTEE
BEATRIZ GONZALEZ, Committee Chair VP, Community Lending Business Development Officer,, BMO
GEORGE OWUSU, Broker/Owner, Owusu Realty, Committee Member
GREG BROWN, Business Development Specialist, CHFA, Committee Member
LAURA GARCIA VILLALPANDO, Savings Collaborative, Committee Member
ADEDOTUN (DOTUN) OLADINNI, Assistant Vice President at FirstBank, Committee Member
DAVID BABINEAUX, Realtor, Coldwell Banker Realty, Committee Member
CAROLINA CASTRO, Mortgage Banker, BMO, Committee Member
LEADERSHIP AFRICA COMMITTEE
FESEHAYE ABRHALEY, Committee Chair, Senior Systems Engineer, Lockheed Martin
VINCENT OMEGBA, Minister, V.P. International Collaboration, Consensys Group LLC, Committee Member
OMAR MONTGOMERY, Director of Equity, Culture and Community Engagement for Cherry Creek School District, Committee Member
LISA NEAL-GRAVES, Senior Technical Executive and Thought Leader, Committee Member
LATERRELL BRADFORD, Yoga Instructor, Mentor, Business Owner, Committee Member
MADIAMA MBAYE, Public Speaking Class Instructor and Leadership Africa Facilitator, Committee Member
SELENA DUNHAM, Principal/Owner, Classique, LLC, Committee Member
MKALE WARNER CEO at EnVeritas Solutions, Committee Member
DR. DERRICK HUDSON, Committee Member
LEGAL COMMITTEE
TAYO OKUNADE, Committee Chair, Business & Employment Attorney, Okunade LLP
DANIEL OKWENA, Committee Co-Chair, Immigration Attorney, Okwena Immigration, LLC
MCKENNA NEWSUM-SCHOENBERG, Immigration Attorney, Committee Volunteer
PARENT ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE
DR. ANNE KEKE, Committee Chair, APS Board of Education
OUSMAN BA, ALG Program Coordinator, Committee Member
EFETOBORE ISIAKU, Committee Member, Owner and Founder of Gifted Hand LLC
ONYEMAECHI PATRICIA-OLAOLUWA, Committee Member, Owner of Have it all LLC
FATIMA BENAMEUR, Committee Member
KADIATOU KOUYATE, Committee Member
RUKA NYALOMA, Committee Member
AMADOU DIENG
KHADIA DIALLO, Committee Member
PUBLIC SPEAKING COMMITTEE
MADIAMA MBAYE, Committee Chair & Instructor
OUSMAN BA, ALG Program Coordinator, Committee Member
TUNEISHIA HARRIS, Manager, African Service Center, Committee Member
REFUGEE & MIGRANT COMMITTEE & ENGLISH CLASS INSTRUCTORS
PAPA DIA, Committee Chair/Founder & Executive Director, ALG
AISSATOU DIA, Case Manager for Migrants, Committee Member
BABAYEL DIALLO, Case Manager for Migrants, Committee Member
DAPHNE STEPHENS, Migrant English Class Instructor
SUSAN LEVINE, Migrant English Class Instructor
TUTORING COMMITTEE
YANEASH DONALDSON, Committee Chair, Educator & Mathematics Tutor
OUSMAN BA, Committee Co-Chair, ALG Program Coordinator
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT COMMITTEES
OUSMAN BA, Committee Chair, ALG Program Coordinator
AMADOU DIENG, Policy & Advocacy Manager, Colorado Succeeds, Committee Member
KATHE TRAORE, Branding & Engagement at Ednium, Committee Member
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT COMMITTEE
BETH ABATE, Committee Chair, Community Member
MADINAH NAKUYA, Committee Co-Chair, Executive Assistant at CompassData, Inc
BIANKA EMERSON President, Colorado Black Women for Political Action, Committee Member
ASHLEIGH COLLINS, Founder/Director, Kyngs & Queens LLC, Community Member
LATERRELL BRADFORD, Yoga Instructor, Mentor, Committee Member
RUTH MBASINGE, Committee Member
VICTORIA KYAKUWA, Committee Member
TUNEISHIA HARRIS, Manager, African Service Center, Committee Member
BRIANA ROREX, ALG Office Manager & Event Coordinator, Committee Member
Thank you for attending our 10th Annual Afrik Impact 2025 Celebration!
FUNDERS, SPONSORS AND DONORS
On behalf of the African Leadership Group, we thank you for your generous support. Your sponsorship, donations, and funding are greatly appreciated and important to our success. With your generosity, our programs and services offered to the community continue to grow. .
WE APPRECIATE YOU!
AFRIK IMPACT CELEBRATION WEEK PARTICIPANTS
To all the Sponsors, Emcees/ Moderators, Speakers, Panelists, Exhibitors, Elected Officials, International Guests, Guests from Out of State, Community Leaders, Entertainers, Afrik Impact Guests, Transportation, and the entire Community at large, we are thrilled and can’t thank you enough for being a part of our special Afrik Impact Fundraising celebration. .
WE APPRECIATE YOU!
SPECIAL THANKS
Denver Botanic Gardens
ALG’s Graphic Designer, Program Books Design | Kolorgraphix, Jody Gilbert
Videographer & Photographer | Clovis
Photographer | Snap Shots Photography | James Rowe
Online Registration Tool | Spotlight Colorado | Kenton Kuhn
Printing Services | Turbo Press Inc. | Travis Traver
Youth Empowerment, Business Summit, and Gala Caterer | Serendipity Catering
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver-Aurora | Afrik Impact preferred Hotel
Goodman
Global Consulting & Events | Auctioneer
ProductAV | Audio Visual
City of Aurora | Mayor Coffman
Tiffany Coolidge | Ringside Consulting LLC
Gaulden Group LLC
All international guests
Youth Empowerment Keynote Speaker | Dr. Nella Garcia
Chase Bank for Backpack Donations
Emcee of Cultural Celebration | Kandice Porter
Fata El Presidente for Cultural Celebration Performance
Cultural Celebration
WALK OF NATION Participants
Cultural Celebration Vendors
Cleo Parker Robinson Youth Ensemble for Cultural Celebration Performance
Ethiopian Dance Group for Cultural Celebration Performance
Emcee of Business Summit | Mkale Warner
Business Summit Panelists | Wendy Lea, Mawa McQueen, & Ken Floyd
Emcee of Gala | Mariem Dia
Gala Impact Story | Tiffani Barrett
Gala Photographer | Kadim Diouf
African Leadership Group Staff Members
ALG’S AMAZING VOLUNTEERS!
AMAZING STAFF, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS & VOLUNTEERS
Thank you very much to our amazing staff, Board of Directors, committee members, and volunteers for making this event happen! You are indeed the reason for our everyday success. You all performed with excellence, and this event could not have happened without the wonderful people like you. Every one of you is greatly appreciated! Job well done!
You can reach out to us on our website: www.usalg.org
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT YEAR FOR OUR 2025 AFRIK IMPACT FUNDRAISING CELEBRATION!
Thank You!
