40. Yard and Parish Co-Founders on Building A Home For Melanin-focused, Independent Brands of the African Diaspora
Release Date: 06/21/2020
Embracing Authenticity While Growing Your Business with Uche Ogba
Dear Diaspora
Welcome to this special episode of Dear Diaspora! It's bittersweet to share that this marks my final episode of the show. Over the past three years, I've had the privilege of sharing the stories of African entrepreneurs and changemakers worldwide, while also pursuing my own professional goals. I’m now making space to do more of what I love–travel, be outside, all the things. While my podcasting era has come to a close, I hope to continue to find ways to be in community with you all. Thank you for listening and being a part of this incredible experience. Uche Ogba, CEO of ECHÜ Marketing...
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65. Addressing Period Poverty: Haja's Entrepreneurial Journey in Sierra Leone
Dear Diaspora
Welcome back! I had the pleasure of speaking with Haja Batsu, founder of Uman4Uman for this episode. Uman4Uman is a social enterprise that provides sustainable menstrual products to girls in Sierra Leone. We dive into: Haja’s journey building a social enterprise from the ground up Her experiences pitching her business to people who don’t understand period poverty How you can support her work (links below) Mentioned in the episode: Sponsor a Grow for Me farm using referral code ‘dear diaspora’: More about Uman4Uman: Follow Uman4Uman on IG: Connect with...
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64. Esther Armah on Global Blackness, Racial Healing and Revolutionary Black Grace
Dear Diaspora
Welcome to the latest episode of Dear Diaspora! I had the pleasure of speaking with Esther Armah, a creative powerhouse and author of the book Emotional Justice: A Roadmap for Racial Healing. Tune in to hear us discuss her concept of "revolutionary Black grace," which she describes as a way to honor our unique Blackness while connecting it to a global Blackness. We dive into what it looks like in practice, how we can use it to end the “diaspora wars," and how we can all work to replace judgment with compassionate curiosity. Oh, and listen until the end for a brief podcast/life update!...
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Jasmin Church on Living in South Africa, Cultural Identity, and Ending the Diaspora Wars
Dear Diaspora
Discussions surrounding the “Diaspora Wars” – cross-cultural arguments among different ethnicities of African people – are often counterproductive. This week’s episode, with social impact professional and digital creator Jasmin Church, aims to shift that! Jasmin is passionate about connecting communities across the diaspora, and her Youtube channel @jazzyjetsets, focuses on her life as an expat in Johannesburg, South Africa. Tune in to hear about: Her journey from Trenton, NJ to Johannesburg, SA How our African and Black American cultural identities have evolved over...
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62. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review
Dear Diaspora
Hey fam, thanks for tuning in – we’re diving into all things Black Panther: Wakanda Forever! My guest co-host is CJ Haamankuli, Globe Trotter, Nurse Practitioner – and one of my favorite cousins. Tune in to hear us discuss: How this sequel compares to the first movie How each of the characters showed us there’s no “right” way to grieve Queen Ramonda’s empathetic leadership style How African cultures are represented in the movie How the movie “blends” African cultures – and whether it helps or harms people’s understanding of the continent Why...
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61. Why Now is the Best Time to Invest in Africa with daba CEO Boum III Jr.
Dear Diaspora
Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode with daba Co-Founder and CEO Boum III Jr.! Boum is an entrepreneur driven by his passion for Africa. After working at Nasdaq and earning his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, he went on to launch daba – a new application allowing everyday investors to find and invest in Africa's most promising opportunities. Tune in to hear us discuss: His journey from Cameroon to the United States How his African identity has shaped his experiences building an Africa-focused startup His thoughts on why so many...
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60. Is Ghana Worth the Hype? My Unfiltered Opinion on Living and Working in Accra
Dear Diaspora
To say that Accra, Ghana has become one of the world’s most influential cultural hubs would be an understatement. This week’s episode is dedicated to sharing my experiences living and working in Ghana! Tune in to hear: How Ghana has positioned itself as the gateway to Africa My experiences working with Emerging Public Leaders Ghana How I handled living in one of Africa’s most expensive cities My thoughts on whether Ghana is worth the hype What I love about Ghana’s food scene and more! Resources mentioned: Ask me a question: Follow Dear Diaspora on...
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59. Destigmatizing Mental Health in African Immigrant Communities with Alice Mills Mai
Dear Diaspora
It’s great to be back – thanks for tuning in to this special episode with guest Alice Mills Mai! Alice is a licensed mental health counselor, researcher, entrepreneur, and proud daughter of Ghanaian immigrants. Tune in to hear about: Her journey becoming a mental health professional after realizing nursing wasn’t for her Why there’s still so much stigma surrounding mental health in many African immigrant communities Healing practices inherent to many African cultures that we may not regard as mental health practices (when they actually are) Immigration being a traumatic...
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58. Embracing Indigenous African Languages with Yeve Sibanda
Dear Diaspora
Tune in for tips on learning, teaching and celebrating African languages, especially when based in the Diaspora!
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57. Mutale Sitali on Building a Sustainable Furniture Brand in Zambia
Dear Diaspora
For this week’s episode, I was joined by the lovely Mutale Sitali, founder of Likota — a Zambian furniture brand specializing in making furniture from reclaimed and recycled wood material. Their vision? Becoming a pioneer for the industry by creating furniture that is beautiful, eco-friendly, and reliable.
info_outlineFor today’s episode, tune in to hear from the founders of the new home to the most innovative, melanin-focused, independent brands of the African Diaspora. Yard and Parish features a collective of affordable luxury online providing access to items that champion a natural, conscious, and colorful lifestyle.
Co-founders Alesha and Samantha’s time studying and working in the UK inspired them to have a go at solving a global cultural issue. Until now, it really hasn't been simple or straightforward to find or buy from ethnic designers, or even to buy chemical-free products for afro hair and skin unless we live in specific neighbourhoods. They recognized that this is an issue everywhere women of color are considered a minority and so they aspire to be the most accessible one-stop shop for our generation.
During the episode, they share:
- Their experience living in Ontario/starting their businesses in the UK
- What inspired them to get started with Yard and Parish
- How they build relationships with vendors they work with
- How they’re connecting with customers during this pandemic
- The power of community
- The biggest lessons they’ve learned so far as entrepreneurs + more!
Shop Yard and Parish: https://www.yardandparish.com
Follow Yard and Parish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yardandparish/
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