In a semester filled with opportunities, five Oglethorpe students who constitute the leadership of the African Student Association on campus were invited to one of the most prestigious innovation events in the U.S.
Darlington Edem, Sia Korfeh, Eurudice Tete Benissan, Joy Hossain and Daniel Ugbaja traveled to New Haven, Connecticut, to attend the Yale Africa Innovation Symposium in February.
“The 2025 Yale Africa Innovation Symposium experience reminded me of the untapped potential of Africans in Africa and those in the diaspora who are leading positive change in their communities,” Edem said. “From team-building activities and case study analysis to presentations, we collaborated with talented scholars from universities across the U.S. and Canada, brainstorming innovative solutions for fintech giants and impact-driven nonprofits operating in Africa.”
The two-day event featured a keynote address by Somachi Chris-Asoluka, CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which is the leading funder of young African entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries. Session topics for the event included finance, public health and research, economic transformation, technology, storytelling and journalism, fashion, entrepreneurship, content creation, politics and governance, climate and sustainability, gender equity, consulting, and agribusiness.
In one session on financial technology led by Epimack Mbeteni, the director of M-pesa at Vodacom Tanzania, the group of Oglethorpe students learned about the cutting-edge operations of technology companies operating on the African continent. They heard firsthand how visionary leadership and disruptive technology are reshaping the financial landscape across emerging markets and gained perspective on the challenges those companies and their leaders face.
“I am grateful for the experience, connections and knowledge gained and look forward to applying these insights to future opportunities,” Edem said.
