The 9th Annual African Economic Forum Wrap Up Report

The 9^th Annual African Economic Forum was in full swing last Saturday afternoon when a series of panels were holding court at the Uris Hall – the main site for all the action.

The Columbia University Senior Leadership Committe pictured above: From left: Arif M. Traore, Foday Soko Sankor – Co-Chair, Freda Yawson, Marilyn Balonga, Vice Chair, Zimuzo Azim, Ngowari Harry -Co-chair and Ola Obilana

MyTrendyBuzz covered two panels that featured an impressive list of speakers who were each endowed with the all the right perquisites required to help navigate the topics and produce insightful and tangible results.

The African Fashion: Creativity, Entrepreneurship and the Path to Success segment was particularly festive, thanks to the eager audience and appealing set of panelists who have gradually etched their signature in the fashion industry.

Helen Jennings, Editor of ARISE Magazine, a highly touted publication that serves as the African version of the Vogue brand, Enyinne Owunwanne, Founder of Heritage 1960, a multi-purpose website that serves as the initiator of African commerce pertaining to goods and services, Georgie Badiel, a model and former Miss Africa 2004, from Burkina Faso and Max Osterweis, fashion designer and founder of SUNO, a fashion brand that specializes in the functional use of Kenyan fabrics, particularly the vibrantly stunning kangas.

Nigerian born and New York based journalist Lola Ogunnaike, whose thriving career shows no signs of slowing down maximized her role as the moderator  and sucessfully kept the conversation balanced and satisfactorily interactive.

There were discussions about the growing trend of African designers and the outstanding global response to the uniquely talented batch that have proved beyond a doubt that they are here to stay. The pitfalls of being a part of an industry that freely dips into the communal bowl of inspiration without any acknowledgment was also explored. By the end of it, the consensus was overwhelmingly encouraging and gratifying. Whoever walked in with a passion for a career in the fashion world most likely left armed and ready to conquer.

We made our way to another intellectually charged venue where the panel – The Creative Industries: How to Better Protect African Artists was being staged. The players included a dynamic group of accomplished individuals in their own right; Celia & Helene Faussart, of the Grammy-nominated group, Les Nubians, Mark Mordi, a Litigation Partner at Aluko & Oyebode, Obafemi Agaba, Head, Brand Unit at Jackson, Eti & Edu, and film producer Ora Kenneth Melie of Nollywood NYC.

The themes that weighed heavily during the session were ownership, independence and knowledge. Each of the speakers drew from their own personal well of experience and detailed the importance of African artists not relying solely on their talent, but also on their business acumen and street smarts. Self-preservation was another theme that prevailed during the in-depth conversation. We heard the point of view of the entertainers and the experts at law as terms like copyright laws and moral rights were analyzed and given the international treatment.

All in all it was a very productive and insightful few hours that will absolutely pay off for all the bright eyed eager professionals in training who were lucky enough to be present.