Conference Agenda
Tentative Agenda
(Schedule Subject to be Updated)
Agenda | Day 1
Monday, June 17, 2024
Registration/Film Festival Presentations
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Welcome Remarks
Ambassador Diane E. Watson
Retired Member of Congress
Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager Dove
37th Congressional District
Marisela Caraballo DiRuggiero
Director of Trade Development
Port of Los Angeles
Dr. David Horne
Founder, Sixth Region Diaspora Caucus.
Keynote Address:
Honorable Mayor Karen Bass
(Includes presentation by African Brain Bank)
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Synergie Africaine
Mr. Biatcha Jean Stéphane, Executive Secretary
Moukouri Alain Siegfried 2
Ndedi Yvette Mimosette épse Asseng
Lunch Speaker:
Michael Mama Operations Manager,
Port Authority of Kribi
Africa Rising
A panel of African business and education representatives t will discuss Africa’s current business and investment climate and opportunities.
Moderator:
Pam Anchang,
Immigrant Magazine
Panelists:
Michael Kwesi Ofori
CEO of Investor Hub Company Limited
Ambassador Tari Gold Okpurukre
Ambassador of Peace
Raymond Hans
Chairman, Mont Bleu Sports Management Trading & Investments
Mayor Guy Emmanuel Sabikana
Super Mayor of Kribi Urban Council Cameroon
Louis Yaw Afful
Executive Director, AfCFTA Policy Network
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Bilateral Foreign Direct Investment (BFDI)
A panel of experts will present program models for on Bilateral foreign Direct Investment (BFDI) that advance economic partnerships and bilateral foreign direct investment between the U.S. and Africa by creating structured approaches to facilitating sustainable trade and investment, with a significant focus on Diaspora engagement. Program models will include iTrade, Global LA and Venture Lift Africa.
Panelists:
Wilmot Allen,CEO
Venture Lift Africa
Elizabeth Glynn
iTradeDigital.com
Teri Batch, CEO
Global LA
LA-Africa Economic Strategy Presentation
The Mayor’s Office of International Affairs will present and discuss a collaborative
LA-Africa Economic Strategy with support from Carnegie California. The strategy has been developed through a series of “listening sessions” and consultations with LA’s African diaspora, academics, and foreign government representatives. The purpose of the strategy is to identify opportunities, goals, and actions that the City of Los Angeles and partners can take to deepen economic ties between Los Angeles and countries and cities in Africa.
Presenters:
Christine Peterson
Director of International Trade and Investment
Aden Binyam
International Relations Coordinator
Consular Corp Presentation
Moderator: Mame Toucouleur
Honorary Consul of the Republic of Senegal-Los Angeles
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The Creative Economy: Film, Arts, Music, Fashion, Media
This plenary session and follow up workshop will address the need to establish an international link between Pan African Culture, Film, Arts, Music, and Media Networks. The workshop centers on the role of Pan African Film Festivals, Art, Music, Fashion, and independent media in building a unified theme for capturing and influencing a larger share of the Global Pan African Diaspora Market. Includes Fashion Show
Moderator:
Queen Ahneva Ahneva
Founder The African Textile Museum,
Soap Opera Nigerian Actress
Panelists:
Fashion Panel:
Jacobs Meir
International Celebrity Fashion Designer
QueenSheba
(CEO of Model Mafia and the FASHION WEEK TOUR, with
Dr Abiola Amusat, international celebrity designer, ABC GELE)
Cindy Keefers
(CEO FashionTechWorks.com)
Sunny Moore
(International Pan African Clothing Designer and Entrepreneur, LA SENEGAL)
Filmmakers Panel
(How does it feel to be a Filmmaker in Africa, America? etc, Tell us a little bit about you)
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Director | Richard W. McKeown Mali (And Guinea and Kenya etc)
Director SAMUKELE | Deborah Khumalo-Dludla, South Africa
Director | Ian Gituku Ngene. Kenya
Director | Shihyun Wang, South Africa / Asia / USA
Director | Luana M Graves Sellars, USA SC
Director | Mallory Myers, South Africa USA
Writer | John D Johnson, LA USA
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FASHION RECEPTION AND MIXER
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6PM to 6:11PM
Director Richard W. McKeown
in Best Documentary
Mali
1052
6:15PM to 6:35PM
Director Shihyun Wang
in Best Women Film
South Africa
1061
6:35PM to 6:50PM
Directors Liziwe Damba, Mallory Myers
in Best Cinematography, Best Women Film
South Africa
1047
PANEL Q&A (Tell us a little bit about your work, the challenges, the triumphs, the merits, etc) OF FILMS - RED CARPET PICTURES AND PODCAST INTERVIEWS
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NOW SHOWING
ZIPPED
Director SAMUKELE Deborah Khumalo-Dludlain Best ActressSouth Africa1064
NOW SHOWING
Africa-USA
International Film
Festival Presents
Agenda | Day 2
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
8:00 AM
Registration/Breakfast/Africa USA International Film Festival Presentations
10:00 AM
Welcoming Remarks
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PLATINUM SPONSOR | Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Daniel McKorley
CEO/President
McDan Group | Ghana
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Africa, the Sixth Region, and Garveyism as Pillars for Pan African Progress​
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The Center for Global Africa (CGA) and Marcus Garvey Institute for Human Capital Development (MGI) will conduct a panel on creating mutually beneficial relations and pathways for African & Diaspora economic advancement, utilizing the philosophy and practices of Marcus Garvey and the expertise of black scholars and practitioners to advance enterprising initiatives and development with 21st-century impact. The session will focus on Sixth Region platforms to address key intersections of U.S.-Africa governance, policy, and socioeconomics for shared U.S-Africa development, with public and private sector partners, social impact institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as critical drivers.
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Moderator:
Alicia Clark
Director of Global Partnerships
Center for Global Africa (CGA)
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Panelists:
Dr. Julius W. Garvey
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Marcus Garvey Institute for Human Development
Professor Ezrah Aharone
Founder & Chairman, Center for Global Africa
Author & Scholar of Sovereign Studies
Jibril Ibrahim-Kano
Coordinator of Digital Transformation
African Union/African Peer Review Mechanism
Dr. M. Chris Gibbons
Founder and CEO of The Greystone Group
Dr. Richard Allen Williams
Founder and President of the Minority Health Institute,
117th President of the National Medical Association and
Founder of the National Association of Black Cardiologists
Dr. Tadios Belay
President & CEO
US-Africa Institute
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Lunch Speaker | Dr. Julius W. Garvey
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Manufacturing and Agriculture Opportunities
Thomas TJ Lofton will lead a discussion on how key manufacturing and agriculture sectors offer exciting prospects for job creation, economic growth, and diversification in Africa. The discussion will feature Africa’s vast potential for manufacturing growth, with opportunities in industries like textiles, automotive, consumer goods, agriculture and more. The discussion will discuss how factors like a growing workforce, natural resources, and increasing infrastructure investment make Africa an attractive location for manufacturing. Additionally, initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) program to boost intra-African trade and foster economic integration will also be presented.
Moderator:
Thomas TJ Lofton
Founder/CEO, Loftin Impala Parts
TJ Loftin LLC
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Queen Mother Nina Womack
CEO of One World Food Hub
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Youth Entrepreneurship in International Trade
A panel to discuss how Youth Entrepreneurship in International Trade encourages young individuals to start and run businesses that engage in cross-border trade. This can include exporting products or services, importing goods, or facilitating trade between countries.
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Roman Combs
Founder, Roman's Global Enterprise
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Pyramid Exchange Global Trading
The Pyramid Exchange Trade Show powered by NuMondo Trading and Iron Currency Solutions is Connecting World Markets to African and African Diaspora businesses. Pyramids are found in countries with large populations of people of African descent. These pyramids represent our ancestral connections and our treasurers. The exchange provides a platform to invite trading of goods and services worldwide. These connections level the playing field for micro, small and medium size business to operate in global markets with international strategic partners, world-class investment opportunities and direct-to-market local operations.
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Gala Fary
CEO/President, Iron Currency Solutions
Co-Founder, Pyramid Exchange Global Trading
Desalegn Mesele Fetene
CEO and Founder, Numondo Trading PLC
Co-Founder, Pyramid Exchange Global Trading
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International Air, Sea, and Land Port Relationships
Joe Gatlin will lead a panel presentation that provides an overview and analysis of the status, and challenges facing international ports, and recommendations to improve port infrastructure and trading relationships between the Port of Los Angeles and African air and sea. Ports—air, sea, and land—are the lifeblood of commerce, both domestic and international. Vitally important to trade
Panelists:
Michael Mama
Operations Manager,
Port Authority of Kribi
Marisela Caraballo DiRuggiero
Director of Trade Development
Port of Los Angeles
Dr. Daniel McKorley
CEO/President
McDan Group | Ghana
Councilwoman Amy Phan West
Westminster City Council District 1
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CINDY KEEFERS
With Queen Ahneva, Queen Sheba, and Designers
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Closing Reception/Mixer/Fashion Show/Films
5:00PM to 6:00PM
Harriet Tubman | From the Railroad to a Spy
Director Luana M Graves Sellars
in Best Documentary
United States
1036
6PM to 6:05PM
Director Liziwe Damba
in Best Short Film
South Africa
1048
6:05PM to 6:15PM
Director Ian Gituku Ngene
in Best Documentary
Kenya
1040
Q&A Panel FilmMakers(Tell us a little bit about your work, the challenges, the triumphs, the merits, etc) and AWARD CEREMONY, RED CARPET PHOTO OPS AND PODCAST INTERVIEWS
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