Community Leaders Convene in Inkster to Advance Economic Education and Diaspora Trade Strategy at “Get Your Money Right” Program

With support from the New Economy Initiative, Inkster Chamber of Commerce, and GABA, the program addressed local wealth-building, small business growth, and future trade opportunities with Africa.

Inkster, Michigan — The Leanna Hicks Public Library served as a dynamic backdrop for the recent Get Your Money Right program—a cross-sector gathering designed to equip local residents with tools for wealth-building while deepening conversations about global trade and economic participation. The program was co-hosted by the New Economy Initiative, Inkster Chamber of Commerce, and the Global African Business Association (GABA), and brought together respected leaders across community development, business, and global strategy.

Key speakers included O. Rerhi Onomake, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of GABA; Dr. Latina Roggero, a nationally recognized voice in Black maternal health and healing justice; Kim Berly, President of the Inkster Chamber of Commerce; and Rhonna-Rose Akama-Makia, President of The GABA Foundation and COO of Mothering Justice.

The program addressed topics ranging from local economic resilience to international trade pathways, reflecting a systems-level approach to wealth-building in historically under-resourced communities.

“Our goal is not just to teach financial literacy, but to link local opportunity with global infrastructure,” said Akindele Akinyemi, Co-Founder of the Global African Business Association. “We are actively working to position Inkster as a trade-ready city. From lithium to agricultural goods, Michigan can serve as a national hub for diaspora-led import strategies.”

As part of its current work in the state, GABA is developing trade and investment plans with multiple African nations, focused on agricultural and non-agricultural commodities. The association views programs like Get Your Money Right as critical moments to bridge everyday financial conversations with long-term economic systems thinking.

“The future of economic mobility in cities like Inkster starts with access, language, and trusted leadership,” said O. Rerhi Onomake, Co-Founder the Global African Business Association. “We are here to co-create a new kind of economy—one that sees Black residents not just as consumers, but as global contributors and strategic investors in their own communities.”

The event also featured an overview of upcoming business resources in Inkster, as well as discussions around community banking, asset protection, and the role of women in driving local economic ecosystems.

Attendees left with more than financial tips—they left with connections, clarity, and a shared commitment to a more inclusive economy rooted in culture, strategy, and scale.

GABA thanks its partners, especially the Leanna Hicks Library, New Economy Initiative, and Inkster Chamber of Commerce, for championing programs that prepare Michigan’s African and Caribbean communities to thrive—locally and globally.

Michigan Convening Deepens U.S.–Africa Partnerships as GABA Shares Insights on Michigan’s African Community with Mandela Washington Fellows

As part of a growing collaboration with the Mandela Washington Fellowship, GABA signals deeper engagement with African leadership development and diaspora partnership building in 2025.

Saturday, October 26th, 2024

Detroit, Michigan — This summer, Akindele Akinyemi, Co-Founder of the Global African Business Association (GABA), met with participants of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI) at Riverside Park, in a gathering hosted through Wayne State University’s 2024 Fellowship cohort. The event was both a symbolic and strategic touchpoint, reflecting GABA’s growing commitment to fostering global connections between African leaders and African-American institutions.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of the U.S. Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), launched in 2014 to empower young African changemakers through academic study, leadership training, and cross-cultural dialogue. GABA’s leadership, long aligned with African business infrastructure and diaspora systems-building, welcomed the opportunity to meet with current Fellows to discuss innovation, entrepreneurship, and global development.

“We are not just interested in hosting conversations—we are committed to building long-term infrastructure between Africa and the United States,” said Akindele Akinyemi, Co-Founder of GABA. “The Mandela Fellows represent the next generation of African leadership, and GABA is here to be a bridge—not just for dialogue, but for deal flow, diaspora collaboration, and strategic investment.”

GABA has worked with YALI cohorts in the past and is preparing for a deeper and more structured partnership with the Fellowship program in 2025, including plans to integrate African Fellows into its broader ecosystem of business development, global trade, and economic diplomacy initiatives.

The event at Riverside Park offered Fellows the opportunity to engage directly with Detroit-based diaspora leaders, including GABA’s board and partners. Conversations ranged from pan-African business strategy and market entry challenges, to inclusive leadership models and the future of public-private partnerships across the Atlantic.

As GABA looks toward 2025, its growing relationship with YALI is part of a broader organizational commitment to support diaspora-aligned leadership, policy innovation, and cross-border entrepreneurship that creates sustainable impact across continents.