African Renaissance and Diaspora Network
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – 28 September 2021 – The African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN) announced today the names of the winners of the 2021 edition of the Africa: Open for Business Awards, a virtual summit presented at the margins of the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
This year’s winners, as presented by Hon. Constance B. Newman, Chair of the ARDN Board, are:
– Ms. Jackie Joyner-Kersee for the Sport and Philanthropy award – in recognition of world-renowned excellence in track and field as well as profound dedication to assisting young people in both academic and athletic pursuits. Through her foundation and the grace with which she has shared her time and legacy, Jackie Joyner-Kersee has been an inspiration to young and old alike.
– Ms. Samrawit Fikru for the Business Visionary Award recognizing her efforts in identifying a need and persisting in overcoming opposition and bias against women to create Hybrid Design and RIDE, an app to provide the most popular taxi hailing service in Ethiopia.
– Dra. Rosario Lozana Peña for the Leadership and Public Health Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions in creating profoundly effective and inspirational organizations providing critically important mental health services in Latin America.
– Hon. Diane Abbott for Leadership in Government for outstanding contributions as a Member of Parliament, advocate for the rights of women world-wide, and champion for the well-being of all peoples of the Diaspora.
– Ms. Adriana Barbosa for Leadership in Nurturing Afro-Brazilian Entrepreneurship for influencing municipal and federal public policies, creating Feira Preta and now PretaHub, a project to extend the reach of Afro-entrepreneurs onto the world stage.
“I salute and congratulate these outstanding five Women Champions whose efforts will definitely advance the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa and the Diaspora” said Dr. Djibril Diallo, President and CEO of the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network.
The Africa Open for Business Summit is an annual forum which provides opportunities to review how business should be done and labor opportunities created in Africa and the Diaspora. The 2021 edition of the Summit considered the impediments facing women in Africa and the Diaspora as well as strategies to advance their empowerment in the context of the private sector. Previous ARDN awardees at the Africa: Open for Business Summits have include H.E. Ms. Epsy Campbell Barr, First Vice President of Costa Rica, H.E. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, former President of the Republic of Liberia; Hon. Rev. Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Leader and CEO of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition; Ms. Fatma Samoura, Secretary-General of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA); Mr. Aliko Dangote, businessman and owner of the Dangote Group; Mr. Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam, singer and Songwriter.
