Rwandan President Paul Kagame Congratulates the African Diaspora Network on its Anniversary and 10 Years of Connecting Silicon Valley to African Innovators

SILICON VALLEY, Calif., Nov. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- His Excellency Paul Kagame will join the African Diaspora Network (ADN) for a virtual celebration on Giving Tuesday December 1, as the Silicon Valley based nonprofit marks 10 years of service to African innovators and entrepreneurs furthering development in Africa in the fields of Technology, Healthcare, Finance and Education.

To honor ADN's commitment to Africa and the Diaspora, successes over the last decade, and the future of the network, President Kagame congratulated founder Almaz Negash and the ADN team on 10 years as it seeks to accelerate African development and business in a Post-COVID world. "The African Diaspora Network has adapted to the COVID pandemic, finding new ways to serve and connect [its] members. We have to think beyond the present moment by mobilizing resources and new ideas to accelerate the development our people need. Africans in the Diaspora can play a critical role in this, " states Kagame.

ADN has built a strong community of 1200 members, a network of over 7,500 people, and has received funding from the United States African Development Foundation, Ebay, Johnson & Johnson, Facebook, Global Fund for Women, USAID, Mastercard Foundation, and many other organizations committed to the advancement of the African continent. Its programming features the highly anticipated annual African Diaspora Investment Symposium, which has attracted over 3,000 attendees interested in investing in and partnering with African and Africa-focused business leaders and entrepreneurs, a year-round speaker series called the Impact and Innovation Forums, social entrepreneurship awards, the Builders of Africa's Future and a variety of mentorship programs for diasporan entrepreneurs and youth.

"We are excited to be celebrating 10 years of being a conduit for local and global African diaspora entrepreneurs, tech professionals, innovators and philanthropists who are interested in working with, or being mentored by, the world's most prolific innovators." said Almaz Negash, Founder and Executive Director, African Diaspora Network. "I started this journey with the express intention of amplifying the collective work of Africans, Diasporans and friends of Africa. The success stories from our members and impact we have seen has made it all worth it." she added.

The Giving Tuesday celebration event will take place December 1 at 11am EST, which will feature remarks from His Excellency Paul Kagame, a keynote presentation from Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro; founding board member and co-chair of ADN, and former president and CEO of Global Fund for Women, as well as a panel session featuring Dr. Jacqueline Bouvier Copeland; Founder of The WISE Fund, as moderator, Dan Hartz; Founding Board Member, African Diaspora Network, and Almaz Negash; Founder and Executive Director, African Diaspora Network.

Aside from hearing some first hand success stories accumulated over the past 10 years, the event will also feature the unveiling of its three-year post-COVID strategy, and the launch of its year end fundraising campaign. Register to attend the anniversary event here, and consult past programming on YouTube. For inquiries or story ideas, please contact ADN's PR Lead, Liz Grossman Kitoyi, Baobab Consulting.

Media Contact

Liz Grossman Kitoyi, Baobab Consulting, 2158010944, [email protected]

SOURCE African Diaspora Network