Amb. Joseph Charles Bienvenu Foe-Atangana
His Excellency Joseph B.C. Foe-Atangana presented his Letters of Credence on September 12th, 2008 as Cameroon’s Ambassadsor to the United States. Ambassador FOE-ATANGANA Bienvenu Joseph Charles is a senior career diplomat with rank of Minister Plenipotentiary. He was born on January 6, 1952 in Edea, Cameroon, where his parents lived and worked at the time, though originally from Yaoundé in the then Centre-South Province of Cameroon.
He attended primary school at Saint Joseph School, Mvolye from1958-1964; secondary school at the Saint Paul Junior Seminary in Mbalmayo, and completed at Saint Theresa Seminary in Yaoundé, Cameroon. On obtaining his Baccalaureat certificate (equivalent to the GCE “A” Level) in 1972, he proceeded to the University of Yaoundé where he graduated three years later with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History-English and a post-graduate diploma in 1976. Foe-Atangana Bienvenu J.C. pursued his post-graduate education at the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC) where he graduated in 1978 with a Doctorat de 3eme Cycle. He was initially recruited by the Ministry of Foreign affairs as a contract worker in 1976, but on graduation from IRIC he was absorbed into the Cameroon Civil Service as a career diplomat.
Joseph Charles Bienvenu Foe-Atangana served at the Cameroon Embassy in Kinshasa, Zaire, from 1981 to 1986 as Second Secretary, First Secretary, and Second Counselor, successively. In 1997, he was appointed Director in charge of Protocol at the Douala Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Six years later, he was appointed Consul of Cameroon in Calabar, Nigeria with jurisdiction over some 10 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He was appointed Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cameroon to the United States of America by the Cameroonian Head of State, His Excellency President Paul Biya, on March 11. 2008. Ambassador Foe-Atangana is a practicing Roman Catholic Christian. He has attended numerous seminars and international conferences. He is the holder of several awards and decorations, both national and international; notably, Knight of the Cameroon Order of Merit; Member of the Niger Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Knight of the Cross of King Leopold (Belgium); Officer of the National Order of Merit (France). Ambassador Foe-Atangana is married and has eight children. His hobbies include reading, travelling, and sports.
Kathleen Newland
Kathleen Newland is Co-Founder of the Migration Policy Institute and directs MPI’s programs on Migrants, Migration, and Development and Comprehensive Protection for Refugees. Her work focuses on the relationship between migration and development, governance of international migration, and refugee protection. Previously, at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, she was a Senior Associate and then Co-Director of the International Migration Policy Program (1994-2001). She sits on the Board of the International Rescue Committee, and is a Chair Emerita of the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children. She is also on the Board of the Foundation for the Hague Process on Migrants and Refugees and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND).
Prior to joining the Migration Program at the Carnegie Endowment in 1994, Ms. Newland worked as an independent consultant for such clients as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Bank, and the office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. From 1988-1992, Ms. Newland was on the faculty of the London School of Economics. During that time, she also co-founded (with Lord David Owen) and directed Humanitas, an educational trust dedicated to increasing awareness of international humanitarian issues. From 1982 to 1988, she worked at the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan. She began her career at Worldwatch Institute in 1974.
Ms. Newland is the author or editor of seven books, including the first State of the World’s Refugees for UNHCR in 1993, and No Refuge: The Challenge of Internal Displacement for the United Nations in 2003. She has also written eleven shorter monographs as well as numerous articles and book chapters.
Ms. Newland is a graduate of Harvard University and the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. She did additional graduate work at the London School of Economics.
Viola Llewellyn
Viola Llewellyn is the Director of Investor Relations & Communications with Praxis Asset Management, LLC. Based in Washington, DC and with an office in Johannesburg, South Africa, Praxis is a leading investment advisory firm in various emerging markets. She is also an entrepreneur, and the Founder of the i2u Group, a suite of value-added integrated business services.
Viola has over 15 years of corporate level experience in project management and technology consulting in both the public and private sectors. Her strongest capabilities include financial management, operations, process design, public relations, advertising and marketing – all acquired over several years of experience on global assignments. She has worked on large enterprise projects for companies such as Unisys Corporation, IBM, Wang, BearingPoint and Rothschild. She was instrumental in building a $50M hedge fund where she led investor communications, industry association PACs, and asset management divisions.
She spearheads valuable market access opportunities through her extensive network of professional relationships in various industries such as oil, gas, and I.T., banking, communications, and infrastructure development in Cameroon. As an alumnus of some of Cameroon’s most elite boarding schools, she has leveraged her connections with her contemporaries who are now leading entrepreneurs in the healthcare, technology, education, and media fields across Africa. Viola was born, raised, and educated in the U.K. Her family is originally from Cameroon. She lives with her husband and daughters in Greenbelt, MD.
Delilah Rothenberg
Delilah Rothenberg, Project Manager, is responsible for sustainable business development at Herakles Farms. Ms. Rothenberg has a background in finance and African business. Previously, she worked with Zephyr Management focusing on emerging market private equity.
Ms. Rothenberg also worked at Bear, Stearns & Co and at Gerson Lehrman Group developing investment ideas and strategies with institutional investors. She consults on economic development through the nonprofit, Business Council for Peace, as well as Development Capital Strategies,
LLC. Ms. Rothenberg has a B.A. from New York University in history, politics, and African studies.
Danielle Walker
Danielle Walker is the director of the Africa Business Initiative at the US Chamber of Commerce where she has worked since 2005. She currently focuses on issues related to sub-Saharan Africa and leads programs that encourage and facilitate trade and investment between the United States and this region. Walker helped develop the Chamber’s Africa Business Initiative, which facilitates foreign direct investment and trade with African countries. She works closely with Chamber member companies, business coalitions, AmChams, government leaders, and business executives to achieve their business objectives in this complex part of the world.
Previously, Walker’s portfolio included the Middle East and North Africa as well as sub Saharan Africa. During this time, she spearheaded numerous programs involving heads of state and senior government officials from across the region. She was also engaged in the activities of the Iraq Business Initiative and played a central role in establishing the U.S.-Egypt Business Council. Earlier in her career, Walker developed and managed the Africa Intellectual Property Rights program and was also involved in the Chamber’s Global Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Initiative. Before that, she managed various business-related programs for the National Chamber Foundation, an independent, nonprofit, public policy think tank affiliated with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Prior to joining the Chamber, Walker worked in the Employment Standards Administration Division at the U.S. Department of Labor. Walker has a master’s degree in political management from the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences at The George Washington University. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.A. in political science.
Nicoline Ambe Ndiforchu
Nicoline Ambe, Ph.D. is a published author and special education teacher. She currently works as a Resource Specialist, providing remedial and intervention services to general education students in grades K-5.
A former law professor, Nicoline’s experience in education and instruction spans 17 years. She has worked with students of different age groups, skill levels and cultural backgrounds in universities, colleges and elementary schools across Canada and The United States. She is deeply passionate about student learning.
Nicoline’s journey as a teacher began in 1992 when she immigrated to Canada from Cameroon to pursue a Master’s Degree in Law. That Degree led her into a doctoral program where she later obtained a Doctorate Degree in Law. It was during her degree program that she began teaching various law, political science, and women’s studies classes at various Canadian universities. In 2000, upon completing her Ph.D., she accepted a Postdoctoral Fellowship as an International Law Fellow to teach International Human Rights Law at American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, DC. Thereafter, she moved back to California and obtained a second Master’s Degree in American Legal Studies.
With a growing family, Nicoline decided to leave academia to teach in elementary school. That was a great decision, because she enjoys every minute she spends teaching society’s “littlest” ones!!! Her published book is titled “A Teacher’s Notes: Helping Parents Prepare their Children at Home for Success in School.”
Ben Todd
Benjamin Todd is the Business Development Officer for Africa at the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Ben has worked at Ex-Im Bank for over three years and has been
involved in a portfolio that currently has about $3 billion in exposure. He has been assisted in the origination of both small and large transactions across the continent. Prior to Ex-Im Bank, Ben worked in the budget and finance office of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) analyzing large aviation capital improvement projects.
Prior to the FAA, Ben was a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho and directed a community and technology project in Hartford, Connecticut. He has a Master of Science degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Trinity College in Hartford.
Gabriel Kuiatse
Mr. Gabriel Kuiatse is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Cameroon Professional Society (CPS). He has 28 years experience in the Oil and Gas Industry. He has spent most of his career with Schlumberger where he started as a field engineer. He then occupied various management positions as Training Center Manager based in UK in charge of training and developing field engineers, field technicians and front line managers; Operations Manager Well Service and WCP for West and South Africa; Marketing Manager Schlumberger Oilfield Services for West and South Africa . He also served as Marketing Manager Schlumberger Well Completions and Productivity for Europe and Africa for based in Paris. He is currently a Global Account Manager based in Houston. He is also the current President of LAFABAH (La Famille Bamileke of Houston). Mr. Kuiatse holds an MBA from the University of Surrey UK
Joyce Ashuntantang
Dr. Joyce Ashuntantang is the Vice Chair of the CPS Board of Trustees. An actress, screen writer, film producer and poet, she is a major force in contemporary Anglophone Cameroonian culture. As a founding member of Cameroon Flame Players and member of Yaoundé University Theater, she starred in numerous stage and TV plays. Her full length film, Potent Secrets (2001), is an undisputable milestone in her nation’s film industry. Her awards include, “The Spirit of Detroit Award” from the Mayor of Detroit, 1987, Cameroon Cultural Festival Awards 1989 and 1994, Outstanding Women in Action Award, Cameroon, 2002, and MOHWA Cameroon, “women making a difference” award, 2010.
Dr. Ashuntantang earned a BA in Modern English Studies from the University of Yaoundé, A Masters in Library and information Science from the University College of Wales, U.K. She also earned an M.A. in English, M.Phil and a Ph.D in English from the City University of New York. She is the author of Landscaping Postcoloniality: the Dissemination of Anglophone Cameroon Literature. Her short story, “My Mother’s Recipe” just got published in the ground breaking anthology, speaking for the Generations: Contemporary Short stories from Africa. Her collection of poetry, A Basket of Flaming Ashes is highly anticipated. She is the CEO/founder of EduART INC, a non-profit organization created to promote art as a medium for social change. Currently professor of English and African Literature at the University of Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
Richard Cambridge
Richard is the Manager of the African Diaspora Program at the World Bank. He joined the Bank as a Young Professional and has undertaken a variety of assignments. He has served as the Personal Assistant to the Senior Vice President of the World Bank; Country Economist for Venezuela and Jamaica in the Latin America and Caribbean Region; Project Economist in Education and Human Development Divisions in the East Asia and Pacific, East Africa, and South Asia Regions; in the Agriculture Institutions Division in the South Asia Region; and in the Population, Health and Nutrition Department of the Bank. He has served as the Environment and Social Development Adviser in the Office of the Director, India, Nepal and Bhutan; and as the Principal Operations Adviser in the Office of the Regional Vice President, South Asia Region. He was the co-leader of the Bank team that developed the Capacity Development in Africa: Management Action Plan (CDMAP) in 2006.
Richard has extensive World Bank operational experience, serving as Project Economist on eleven (11) investment projects, and as Team Leader/Task Manager for twenty (20) investment and adjustment operations in the agriculture, human development, transport, public administration, construction industry, social safety net, and environment sectors.
Richard completed his secondary education in Georgetown, Guyana. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to the USA, and completed his Bachelors of Arts in Economics and Political Science at Macalester College; a Masters Degree with Distinction in International Relations; and a PhD in International Economics and Politics at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. He has also studied at the United Nations Graduate Study Program, Geneva Switzerland; Stanford University Graduate School of Education; and has been a Visiting Scholar at Kennedy School of Government and the Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Graduate School of Education. Richard is married to Joedy Wiborg Cambridge. They have two children, Alyson and Daryn.
Bill Zimmerman
Bill Zimmerman is the co-founder of ActivSpaces (www.activspaces.com), a startup incubator, tech hub and open collaboration space based in Cameroon. ActivSpaces seeks to be a model firm for socially-responsible investment and incubation of African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a focus on technical innovation. By providing a flexible coworking space combined with finance, business incubation and mentorship, ActivSpaces creates an energetic, highly collaborative, café-like environment for engineers, designers and entrepreneurs to share ideas and develop sustainable businesses together.
In addition to his work in Cameroon, Bill is the co-founder of Venture Capital for Africa (www.vc4africa.biz), an online community dedicated to connecting African entrepreneurs with investors. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the AfriLabs Foundation, a network organization with a mission to support the emerging network of Sub-Saharan African technology hubs. Bill is owner and co-founder of Sanaga Ventures B.V., a consultancy based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Prior to founding ActivSpaces, Bill worked as a software engineer for companies such as Microsoft, Visio, iStartVentures and as a consultant to multinational clients. In 2003, he founded a popular social networking website that enabled users to find timely, location-based restaurant reviews with a mobile phone in 20 major U.S. cities. In partnership with AT&T and Cingular Wireless, the application was deployed as a content service to more than 40 million mobile subscribers.
Bill regularly contributes analysis and opinion on African technology to ComputerWorld and has been featured on BBC Radio 5 Live speaking on topics related to Africa. Bill is an avid blogger with a focus on innovation, entrepreneurship and the emergence of the African techno-creative class. His writing has appeared in Summit Magazine and been featured on many online publications including Afrigadget, Make and Global Voices Online.
Bill holds degrees in Computer Science Engineering and Anthropology from the University of Washington. He’s combined these diverse fields by doing research on genetic algorithms,game theory and simulations of macroevolutionary processes.
Esther Ayuk
Saying “Real Estate is her passion”, is expressing it mildly. The sense of accomplishment that comes after each successful transaction has kept Esther in the real estate profession for a long time. Her client’s needs remain the focal point of every transaction and is addressed with the highest degree of integrity, professionalism and sincerity.
Born and raised in Cameroon, Esther migrated to the United States in 1987, to pursue a degree in Pharmacy. She later graduated from Howard University School of Pharmacy in Washington D.C, in 1992, and Emory University Rollins Scholl of Public Health, in 1999 (Master’s of Public Health in Epidemiology). She worked in the medical profession for several years before venturing into real estate in 2001. She is the owner of a very successful real estate brokerage firm, Bess Realty Professionals, opened in 2007. She is involved in many projects:
Ex-Saker Students Association U.S.A (ExSSA USA): Serve as the lead for the water project. Collaborated with Engineers Without Boarders (EWB) University of Texas Austin to rebuild the water system in an all girls boarding school in Limbe Cameroon (Saker Baptist College)
Vice President of African Sisters for Information Knowledge and Empowerment (ASIKE); Platinum Sponsor of Spring Event 2007 of African Vibes Magazine in Atlanta Georgia; President of WCPDM South Eastern Sub-Section; Recipient of 2010 Knight of Honor Award from the Government of Cameroon
She is a member of the National Association of Realtors, the Atlanta Board of Realtors, and have obtained the following industry designations:
ABR – Accredited Buyer’s Representative, CDPE – Certified Distress Property Expert, CRS – Certified Residential Specialist, e-PRO – Real Estate Internet Professional
Daniel Anagho
Daniel Anagho is President and founder of the African Investment Corporation (AiC). Founded in 2003, the AiC is an international economic consulting company, whose goal is to promote foreign direct investment (FDI) into African nations through strategic consulting, business partnership development, and project finance. They work with both governments and private businesses to structure and present investment opportunities in Africa. They have recently been certified as Loan Originators by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). As loan Originators they will serve as local consultants to help develop the OPIC application package, refine marketing strategies, and draft or enhance business plans. OPIC is an independent U.S. government agency whose mission is to mobilize and facilitate the participation of U. S. private capital and skills in the economic and social development of less developed countries and areas, and countries in transition from nonmarket to market economies.
In 2005 in close collaboration with the US Embassy Cameroon and the State Department developed the Investment Forum: Projects & Finance. This is a yearly training program which focuses on educating African business people and government officials on how to develop and structure projects in addition to identifying financing for their projects. They have just completed their 3rd Annual forum in April 2007. Through these forums the AiC is responsible for managing an average of about 30 more people per year with a combined project value of $200 Million plus on a yearly basis.
“He believes that good economic management can make a contribution to poverty elimination, but only widespread strategically placed business investments made in the spirit of joint ventures and public/private sector partnerships can create sufficient wealth for African nations.”
Prior to starting his company, Mr. Anagho spent over 10 years in corporate America as a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers and Capgemini. During this timeframe he served as an alliance manager in the Business Alliance Program. He was responsible for negotiation contracts with the big software and hardware companies namely, IBM, Oracle, Cisco, and also in developing the strategic alliance program used to screen potential alliance partners. Daniel is also Chairman of the board of a Non-profit Christian organization called The Sparrows Nest Ministries (TSN) that serves as a safe haven for at risk children in the Maryland area. Born in Bamenda, Cameroon in 1968, Mr. Anagho has 9 brothers and sisters. His family moved to the US in 1975 where his father served as a military attaché for the Government of Cameroon in Washington from 1975-84. Mr. Anagho returned to the US in 1989 to attend college in the Midwest. He currently lives in Kensington, MD with his wife of 10 years and their 2 young daughters and 1 young son.
Amy Jensen
Amy Jensen is a Senior Associate with the UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign, where she focuses on grassroots outreach to engage our thousands of supporters around the country and around the world. Amy has worked with supporters- from church members to youth basketball players- to help them raise awareness about malaria and spread the “buzz” in their communities. Through this work, Amy has enjoyed the opportunity to talk with a wide variety of people and share their stories of involvement to encourage others to send nets and save lives.
Prior to joining the campaign, Amy served as an intern in the UN Foundation’s fundraising department. During her internship, Amy also completed her graduate degree in international affairs from The George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Valentine Nzengung
Valentine A. Nzengung is currently professor in the Department of Geology at the University of Georgia in Athens. He received his Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Environmental Geochemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1993, and his B.Sc. in Geology, Cum Laude from Georgia State University in 1988. He has published landmark books and authored several journal articles.
Dr. Nzengung’s research interests includes but not limited to: Phytoremediation Technologies, which deals with cleanup of soils, sediment, water and air using green plants and root zone associated mechanisms; and Microbial Mats Treatment System which deals with treatment of contaminated waters using green photosynthesizing microbial mats dominated by cyanobacteria.
He is the President and CEO of PLANTECO Environmental Consultants, LLC which offers environmentally friendly solutions to major problems such as municipal waste management especially in African countries, and the treatment of oil spills. PLANTECO has consulted for the Department of Defense among other agencies.
Kevin Njabo
Dr. Kevin Yana Njabo is the Associate Director and Africa Director for the UCLA Center for Tropical Research. As Africa Director, he supervises research theme leaders. He is part of the senior leadership team primarily responsible for overseeing the center’s research portfolio and the ongoing delivery and future development of the International Research and Training Center (IRTC), serving Central Africa. In doing so, he provides content direction and leadership to an existing team in setting the center’s core research priorities and in fundraising for research projects providing direct and strategic links to regional and international partners and collaborators. He also provides assurance for all research work and reports carried out in Africa, including proposals, ethical reviews, and research donor reports. In this position, he does over 40% international travels. Kevin also serves as a visiting Lecturer to the National University of Rwanda where his major focus is on critical overview of the theory and practice of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) relative to biodiversity conservation, ecotourism and sustainable development. He serves on several professional bodies including the Board of Governors of the Society for Conservation Biology, Council Member of the Pan African Ornithological Congress Committee (PAOCC), Member of the International Association for Impact Assessment and Member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Kevin also serves as a reviewer for the Society for Conservation Biology, Students Awards Abstracts; a Mentor for the SCB Africa Section Communications/Mentoring Program since 2007 and invited reviewer for Molecular Ecology, Ostrich: Journal African of Ornithology, African Journal of Ecology, IBIS and the International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation.
Kevin Njabo was born in Buea in southwest Cameroon. He attended St Joseph’s College, Sasse, specialising in biology and maths. He was always interested in birds in general and this interest was strengthened when he continued to the Universities of Ife and Ibadan, both schools in Nigeria to study biology and ecology and earned his BSc and MSc degrees. He holds a Ph.D. from Boston University.
Karen Steanson
Karen Steanson is Investment Advisor Representative for Investment Advisors International (IAI), an SEC-registered investment advisor, and Registered Representative for World Group Securities (WGS), member of FINRA/SIPC. Both companies are part of the AEGON family of financial services providers. Her work includes helping individuals and families grow and protect their financial security by analyzing their current situation and planning ways for them to reach their goals. She also helps businesses and non-profit organizations establish pension plans for their employees. She holds the Series 6, 63, and 65 securities licenses, as well as a Variable Products license and a Life/Health Insurance license.
Karen received her MBA from Yale University’s School of Management in 1982. She began her business career as a compensation analyst at the Armstrong Rubber Company, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut. While at Armstrong, she also served as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Board/Chief Executive Officer.
Karen later served as Executive Director of St. Paul’s Home (an assisted living facility in New Haven) for ten years, where she revised the financial structure and renovated and modernized the 1843 structure; the renovation was honored by a plaque from the New Haven Preservation Trust. She moved to Atlanta, GA, in 1995, and served as Director of Development for the Atlanta Legal Aid Society for eight years.
Karen’s first career was as a college English teacher. She received her BA cum laude from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida and her MA and PhD in English literature at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. She has taught at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, GA, Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, CT, and the University of Cincinnati and Edgecliff College in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her dissertation was published by Yale University Press in 1979.
Elizabeth Elad
Elizabeth Elad, Ph.D., is a social work professional with more than fifteen years of experience as a family therapist in mental health services. She was employed for twelve years with the DeKalb Community Service Board in Georgia as a mental health clinician. Currently, she is an independent Social Work Policy and Clinical Consultant in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Elad has a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Texas Southern University and a Master’s degree from Clark Atlanta University. In May 2008 she received a Ph.D. in Social Work Policy, Planning and Administration from Clark Atlanta University. During her studies, Dr. Elad served as a graduate assistant at the Whitney M. Young, Jr., School of Social Work where she assisted her professors with teaching and supervision of graduate students. Dr. Elad has experience in research, data collection and analysis. Her dissertation was entitled: “An Analysis of the perception of HIV/AIDS as it relates to sexual behaviors, cultural norms and economic factors among the women in Cameroon, West Africa.” Dr. Elad has two children ages 13 and 16 years.
Kenneth R. Solow
Kenneth R. Solow, CFP®, is a founding partner and Chief Investment Officer with Pinnacle Advisor Group, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor providing Private Wealth Management services to more than 650 families nationally and internationally. As Chief Investment Officer, Solow is responsible for the research direction and management of Pinnacle’s investment analysts, as well as the philosophy, tactics, and trading strategy for over $900 million in assets. Solow has more than 27 years of experience as a financial planner working directly with clients, and is nationally known for his views on active portfolio management and Tactical Asset Allocation strategy.
Ken’s work has been published by the prestigious Journal of Financial Planning, Financial Planning Magazine, and Advisor’s Perspectives Online e-letter. He is a contributor to the Motley Fool, a well-known online investment site, and he has been quoted in several nationwide media outlets, including Smart Money, Canada’s Globe and Mail and the Wall Street Journal.
Solow recently published his first book, “Buy and Hold is Dead (Again): The Case for Active Portfolio Management in Dangerous Markets,” a provocative and thoughtful critique of the current state of the money management industry. If properly implemented, the tactical investment strategy Solow outlines is a far lower risk strategy than traditional approaches when markets are expensive.
Built on solid research, yet geared toward the average knowledgeable investor, Buy and Hold is Dead (Again) is an invaluable investment guide for our financially challenging times.
Yvonne Tiandem-Adamou
Yvonne Tiandem-Adamou, was born in Buea, in the Southwest region of Cameroon. She is a graduate of the University of Buea, where she obtained a bachelors degree in Law (LLB). She also attended Xavier University of Louisiana where she earned her Masters in Theology, (MTh).
Yvonne teaches at Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School, Charlotte, NC. She is a past president of the African American Ministry at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, and financial secretary of the Cameroonian Community of Charlotte. She is a wife and mother of four children.
Godwin C. Chungag
Godwin C. Chungag, PhD is the associate dean of general education at Baker College of Flint. He is responsible for the staffing, supervision and evaluation of economics, mathematics, physics and sciences staff and faculty.
Prior to joining Baker College of Flint, Dr. Chungag was associate professor of physics at Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Minn. He has more than 15 years of industry and technical experience in the fields of automotive engineering, aerospace engineering and construction; more than seven years of academic experience in the areas of research and as a mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, physics and mathematics instructor; and more than 10 years of management experience in the areas of technology, business, education and administration.
Chungag holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Indiana Institute of Technology, Fort Wayne, Inc., a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Wayne State University, and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Wayne State University. He is currently working toward an MBA in leadership, strategic planning and finance from the University of Mary, America’s Leadership University, Bismarck, N.D.
Eric Chinje
Eric Chinje is head of the Global Media Program at the World Bank Institute (WBI) and, in that capacity, has launched the IMAGE (Independent Media for Accountability, Governance and Empowerment) Network and Academy to build a corps of development journalists in the Bank’s client countries www.image-network.org. Prior to that, He was the External Affairs and Communications Manager in the Bank’s Africa Region and the institution’s spokesperson on Africa. He returned to the Bank after four years at the African Development Bank in Tunis where he was head of that institution’s External Affairs and Communications Unit.
He is on the Board of the African Media Initiative (AMI) which he was instrumental in establishing, and is a Founding Co-Convenor of the African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF). He is Vice President of the Advisory Board of the National Museum of African Art of the prestigious Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.
Mr. Chinje speaks English and French fluently. He studied in the universities of Yaoundé (Cameroon), Syracuse (New York) and Harvard (Cambridge, Massachusetts). He lectured in the Yaoundé University School of Mass Communication in Cameroon during the 1984/85 academic year. He served as Vice Chair of the World Bank/IMF Africa Club from 1996 – 2002. He was Editor in Chief of Cameroon Television and, at various times from 1984 – 1991, a contributing correspondent for CNN World Report, and a stringer for the BBC World Service, Voice of America, and Deutschewelle Radio.
Mr. Chinje is an Officer of the Cameroon Order of Merit and an Officer of the Dutch Order of Orange Nassau. He led the effort to establish a microfinance bank to serve the rural community in his region of origin and is a founding member of the Women’s Economic Empowerment Network (WEEN), a non-governmental organization in Cameroon. He is also the Chair of the Zambia Orphans of AIDS organization. He serves on the board of FORCE (the Forsachi Resource Center) in Cameroon, and the “ARK Jammers Connection” – a not-for-profit organization in the US that engages in Acts of Random Kindness (ARK). In this latter capacity, he co-conceived with ARK Jammers President Avline Ava and oversaw the implementation in December 2010 of the first Ancestry Reconnection Program (ARP) – a journey back to the land of their ancestors – Cameroon – by a group of DNA-certified African Americans. Mr. Chinje has written and lectured extensively on Communication and Development in Africa.
Azocha Nkobena
Azocha Nkobena is an executive at Accenture, a Fortune 100 global consulting firm where she has spent her entire professional career. Her experience spans across multiple industries in the commercial and public sectors (i.e. Telecommunications, Federal Government, Postal Services, Banking). She specializes in project management, governance, business development, organizational change and strategy. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a Minor in Finance from UMUC in 2004 and is currently pursuing her MBA.
In parallel with her education and career, Azocha has always believed in the power of leadership, networking, mentorship and entrepreneurship. She is the co-founder of ForceAfrik, a non-profit organization started in 2007 with a mission to provide a platform for the African Diaspora to display its cultural diversity. One of the highlights of ForceAfrik was the annual African Dance Exhibition that attracted hundreds from diverse cultural backgrounds. She was also one of the founders of the Cameroonian Student Union (CSU) in 2001 which provided networking events for young Cameroonian students seeking mentorship and advice on how to succeed in the US.
Mentorship is very dear to Azocha as she strongly believes in its power to foster growth and success. She strongly credits her strong leadership skills to the mentors that have influenced her life hence her heavy involvement within her community. She is eagerly looking forward to sharing her professional experience with the next generation of African leaders.
Gideon For-mukwai
Gideon F. For‐mukwai is a professional trainer and speaker based in Reno, Nevada. He was previously based in Singapore, South East Asia. He is the Founder of XtraMile Solutions, LLC, a crisis management training and consulting company that has served organizations such as Shell Eastern Petroleum, Gillette South East Asia, Siemens, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, U.S. Veterans Administration, Aramark Distribution Services, Morrison University and several other fortune companies and organizations worldwide.
Prior to founding XtraMile Solutions, Gideon worked as a Senior Uniform Officer with the Singapore Civil Defense Force in Singapore. He is a graduate from the Master’s program in Interactive Journalism at the Reynolds School of Journalism, University of Nevada, Reno.
In the last 10 years, Gideon has spoken internationally to thousands of executives at conferences in Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and of 10 USA states. He is the author of Facing Adversity with Audacity: Thriving in Odds, Obstacles and Opportunities. He was born and raised in Cameroon.
Dominic Ntube
Dr Dominic Ntube is Vice President in-charge of business development of the newly created International Consulting Group, USA [ICG-USA] based in Washington, DC. ICG-USA specializes in business, image and economic development of developing economies. Dr. Ntube is also founding board member of ARK Jammers Connection, Inc. This is an association created by the ARK Jammers, artists and music lovers from different horizons. It morphed from a small volunteer outfit of less than 20 people operating between Baltimore in the State of Maryland and Washington DC, into an international organization of over 100 people, operating on three continents, in four countries, and with overseas offices in Cameroon and France.
Dr. Ntube has extensive experience in research-based macroeconomic development and public policy analysis, with a strong emphasis on identifying international best practices and in national and international issues related to skill formation, the use of information and communication technologies and techniques in learning, employment creation and development projects. He has published widely on the teething development, investment and international trade issues including engaging the African Diaspora in wealth creations and nation building.
Dr. Ntube has spent the last twelve years [1997-2010] as Consultant on various tasks and departments of the World Bank Group and UNDP. For example, November 2010 he was recruited by UNDP as international consultant and sent to Liberia to provide technical advise to the Mano River Union Secretariat on the institution’s validation exercise. He has worked with the World Bank’s Institute Regional Coordination Unit (WBIRC) and the African Region Vice President’s Department (AFRVP). He was involved in developing the Bank’s African Diaspora Program (ADP) including its “Europe-based” and “North American-based” African Diaspora Development Market Place initiatives. He prepared Training Materials on a Good Business Plan and presented the information to the 70 pre-selected participating candidates in a two-day workshop in Brussels, Belgium, April 2008.
Dr. Ntube holds a Ph.D. in Economic Development from Howard University, a Double MA in International Economics & International (Law) Relations, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (JHU-SAIS); a BA (Hons) History; Diplomas in Law and Economic Studies from the Cameroon University in Yaoundé. He is bilingual in English and French and proficient in some six African Languages.
Njoya Tikum
As the first Cameroonian to be selected for the highly competitive UNDP Leadership Development Programme (LEAD), Njoya work as Special Assistant to the Practice Director, in the Democratic Governance Group-Bureau for Development Policy at UNDP headquarters in New York. Prior to joining UNDP’s fast-track management cadre, Njoya worked in New York as legal officer with African Services Committee, where he supported the litigation team in challenging the city’s housing and HIV/AIDS discriminatory policies, and assisted in the litigation of civil rights violations of immigrants. He was also Chief Operating Officer for Espoir Inc a New York City based NGO working on the rights of asylum seekers held at immigration detention centers.
Njoya holds an LLB and a Maîtrise en Droit from the University of Yaoundé II-Cameroon, and two Masters degrees on International Business and Human Rights Law, respectively, from the Central European University- Budapest Hungary, and Columbia University School Of Law in New York.
Annick Koloko
Annick Koloko received her Juris Doctorate (JD) from the University of Paris, France where she majored in Business Law. Furthermore Ms. Koloko obtained an LLM in Intellectual Property from Franklin Pierce Law Center in New Hampshire. Ms. Koloko has extensive experience in a wide range of Immigration Law areas including family and employment based issues on both individual and corporate levels, and handles H-1B non-immigrant worker visas, O-1 visas for aliens of extraordinary ability, Labor Certification under PERM, E-1 and E-2 treaty and investor visas, multinational corporation transferee working visas (L-1), and all categories of I-140 Immigration Petitions. Ms. Koloko has also been involved with numerous aspects of criminal deportation issues, citizenship and naturalization, and administrative appeals to the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). She regularly participates in panels and presentations on recent immigration legal developments and issues.
In addition to her immigration experience, Ms Koloko has also experience working on complex international litigation matters involving Fortune 500 companies. Ms. Koloko is fluent in French. Ms, Koloko is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and its New York Chapter.
Bar Admissions and Affiliations:New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division United States District Court for the Western of the State of NY, Women Bar Association of the State of New York, Erie Bar Association, New York State Defenders Association New York State Bar Association (NYSBA),American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).
Evaristus Enongene
Dr. Evaristus Enongene holds a BSc degree in Biochemistry /Biophysics from the University of Houston, a Masters in Molecular Biology from Texas Southern University (TSU) and was the first student to complete a Doctoral degree program in Clinical Toxicology at TSU. Following his graduation he did a 2 year fellowship with the USDA Mycotoxin research center in Athens, GA and later joined the US FDA in Maryland as a Toxicologist. Born and bread in Molyko, Cameroon, this son of an immigrant CDC worker made his way through the famous Sasse College into the USA.
In addition Dr Enongene is also a trained financial expert and has a sound knowledge on Insurance, Asset and Mortgage Protection. He is currently the Chief General Counselor of Etabang Enterprise, INC, where they educate families on the various strategies to invest and build wealth TAX FREE. He is married with three boys.
Eyembe Elango
Eyembe Elango has over 10 years of experience as an Industrial/Quality Engineer in Automotive Manufacturing & Consulting. His company, Mindsping Partners Inc., provides frontier markets intelligence reports, custom pre-feasibility analyses and strategic project management to companies looking to expand into the emerging markets of sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, they also survey the business landscape, identify stakeholders and develop models for the financial implications of such proposed business ventures.
He believes Africa has lots of untapped (human, material and natural) resources, an ever expanding middle class and a growing young population; as such, he sees the continent as the next big thing!! In a recent interview he said, ‘Africa will be re-writing the script on development in the next 50 years’ and holds without any iota of doubt that many African countries have emerged from the notorious trend which made them anathema for sustainable investment. He is also an integral part of the forum, VC4Africa.com, with over 4,200 investors and entrepreneurs from around the world who are focused on pursuing business and investment opportunities on the African continent.
George Bamu
George Bamu is a journalist, writer, consultant and founder of Africa Agenda as well as an information technology professional with a penchant for Africa. He is a native of Cameroon and often described as highly progressive and multi faceted. For over seventeen years, he has carved out a niche for himself which combines journalism and writing with information technology and communications work to put forward a positive agenda for Africa. Bamu’s expertise is in analyzing media coverage of Africa and building relationships with the media and communities.
George’s past and current work includes freelance work with the Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV), the Denver Urban Spectrum newspaper, and IT work for various US organizations, notably xpedx, International Paper and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Enforcement Investigations Center (NEIC) in Lakewood, Colorado.
In August 2008, he moved on from nine years of work with International Paper to devote more time to building the fledging Africa Agenda. Since 2004 Africa Agenda, a U.S 501 C (3) nonprofit organization, has acted as an organizer and catalyst for the African community in the Denver metro area, with over 100 events that have spotlighted Africa and supplemented news coverage of the continent.
Bamu has spoken to scores of youths, students and communities and moderated discussions about Africa at Universities, colleges and high schools throughout Colorado. Some of the people he has interviewed include Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga, former Colorado House speaker Terrance Carroll and Ralph Wilmoth, section chief for HIV-AIDS Prevention at the Colorado Department of Health and the Environment.
George Bamu holds a Certificate, a Bachelor’s degree and an MBA with concentrations in Computer Networks, Information Technology Management from the Community College of Aurora and Colorado Technical University respectively. He is a member of the Colorado Association of Black Journalists (CABJ) and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).
Leslie Tita
Leslie Tita is the co-founder of Pulse (www.usePulse.com), a startup that was selected as a finalist at the 2011 MIT $100K YouPitch Entrepreneurship Competition and which aims to reshape the way educational services are delivered to African university students. It will provide a low-cost online student services platform and tablet devices for African universities, professors and students. Pulse will provide a service where any university can own and operate its own high-end online students network, at a low-cost without having to deploy any technical infrastructure, it will permit lecturers to communicate faster and cheaper to their students. Thus enabling students to reduce the cost related to getting information by giving them the possibility receive updates from their teachers and classmates through sms, web, tablet devices and email. His startup has since featured on VC4Africa, Timbutku Chronicles, TechLoy, Africa 2.0, MyWeku and Kongossa.net. Prior to Co-founding Pulse he was one of the early employees of Ringo, A Cameroonian Internet provider, also a pioneer member of Barcamp Cameroon. Leslie is also one of the prominent user interface designers in Africa and is the visionary behind Hotel Akwa Palace, X-Maleya and a 2 time award winning site, Ringo.cm. He also co-founded a design agency Nasara&Tita, today Nasara in Motion. Leslie earned his associates in Webmaster and Interactive Media from ISTDI Douala, and is currently pursuing his studies in Web Development at Franklin University. As a UI Designer, Leslie believes a lot of focus should be placed on user interfaces and experience, he has the strong conviction, that great designs and interfaces considerable change the perception of users and thus can highly increase the experience of users on any particular website. he believes any given web portal should have a professional visual sense not only because, it portrays credibility but ensures an instant positive impact at every visit.
Marie-Flore Wekoue
Marie-Flore Wekoue is a Structured Finance Associate for JCY Capital, specializing in deals acquisition and financial structuring. Her area of expertise includes financing deals subject to concessionality requirements. She is currently working on deals in the energy, real estate, infrastructure development and water system development sectors. Ms Wekoue received an MSc. in Finance from Baruch College in 2008.
JPY Capital, LLC (“JPY”) is a financial advisory firm headquartered in New York, USA specializing in corporate finance advisory services as well as arranging finance for corporations and sovereign and state governments in African countries. JPY is affiliated with Dinosaur Securities LLC which is a registered broker dealer in the US and the UK.
Andrea Gough
Andrea Gough is the Manager of the UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign, where she manages the diverse partnerships from the National Basketball Association to Boy Scouts of America that have enabled Nothing But Nets to raise over $35 million to purchase and distribute over 4 million life-saving bed nets to 25 countries in Africa.
Andrea has traveled across the United States and in Africa raising awareness and education of malaria and malaria prevention, and has led on-the-ground malaria education and bed net distribution trips in Africa. Over the past year, she has also directed the UN Foundation’s first international campaign, Nets Go!, to expand the Nothing But Nets model to engage Koreans in the movement to end malaria deaths in Africa.
Before joining the campaign, Andrea worked in sustainable development for National Geographic and the UN Foundation. Andrea is a graduate from the University of California, Berkeley where she studied Mass Communications and played women’s lacrosse for the Golden Bears.
