Rosemond Sarpong Owens is known for her infectious laugh, joyful spirit, and deep commitment to people. She is a mother, Pan-African, philanthropist, author, public health advocate, maternal health expert, and health equity champion. She has more than two decades of leadership in healthcare and has dedicated her career to improving lives through service, education and community impact. A passionate champion for literacy, she served as the first Black woman president of Books for Africa, founded the Lion's Historian Press and authored 10 books. Her work has earned her local and national recognition, including the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Biden in 2022.Through, her leadership, volunteerism, and commitment to empowering others, Rosemond continues to make a lasting impact locally and globally.
Comfort Dondo is a visionary community leader, healer, and global advocate dedicated to advancing safety, dignity, and healing for African immigrant and refugee women. She is the Founding Executive Director of Phumulani: African Women Against Violence, a culturally specific, survivor-led organization rooted in Ubuntu that supports survivors of domestic and sexual violence through crisis advocacy, housing stabilization, and holistic healing. Comfort bridges grassroots organizing with systems change, partnering with public agencies, philanthropic institutions, and community networks across Minnesota, the United States, and globally. Her lived experiences and strong ties to Africa inform her commitment to decolonized, community-centered care, reciprocity, and culturally grounded healing. A sought-after speaker and strategist, Comfort centers storytelling as medicine and intergenerational healing. Her work reimagines healing as essential infrastructure and advances culturally specific approaches as vital to building safer, more connected, and equitable communities.
Dr. Manka Nkimbeng is a nurse scientist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and an Affiliate assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. Before that, she was a Robert L. Kane Postdoctoral Fellow in the Division of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. She received her Ph.D. in nursing from the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, her MPH from the Boston University School of Public Health, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She works with communities to develop and test culturally appropriate interventions that can be translated into health policies and clinical practice to improve health and eliminate health inequities for older adults. Her research and community leadership have earned awards, including the 2024 University of Minnesota School of Public Health Equity Impact Award and the 2024-2026 Bush Fellowship.
Jamesetta Ross Diggs, ECMH-E®, is the Professional Development Systems Coordinator at Child Care Aware of Minnesota. She is an early childhood leader, an educator, a training consultant, and also the founder of Beyond Early Initiatives LLC. With more than 20 years of experience in Early Care and Education, Jamesetta serves, advocates, and leads early childhood efforts across the State of Minnesota. She works to educate and advance justice in caring and professional relationships, challenging deficit-based narratives, bridging information gaps, and addressing cultural inequities affecting diverse communities of early care. She delivers professional development training for educators and facilitates trauma-informed and culturally responsive community-based workshops to elevate collective well-being in cultural and ethnic communities. Jamesetta is a 2022–2023 Change Agent Ready to Emerge (CARE) Fellow and a 2024–2026 Zero to Three Fellow. Her
Harriet Kerubo is a community development strategist, organizational leader, and Editor-in-Chief of Voices Magazine, specializing in behavioral health systems, economic mobility, and organizational strategy. She holds a Master of Arts in Women, Leadership and Governance in Africa, along with bachelor's degrees in Literature and Human Resource Management from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and leadership and contract law certifications from Harvard University. As Director of Organizational Development at Community Outreach, Resources & Empowerment Minnesota (C.O.R.E. MN), she designs the frameworks, partnerships, and program models that translate community need into measurable outcomes across mental health, workforce development, and family stability. A Certified Peer Specialist and national Mental Health First Aid Instructor/Trainer, she builds the capacity of frontline workers and residents to recognize and respond to mental health challenges with skill and confidence. A Kenyan-born immigrant and mother of four, Harriet pairs academic rigor with firsthand insight into the systems she works to reform.
Felix Okoth, PMP®, is an Executive Leadership Coach, Global Engineering Leader, Keynote Speaker, Author, and Podcast Host dedicated to transforming professionals from invisible to influential. With over 200,000 professionals already empowered, Felix's mission is ambitious: to inspire 1 million individuals to accelerate their career growth, reclaim their confidence, and lead with purpose. As the founder of Locus Leadership Group, Felix equips leaders with his proprietary 3-Phase Transformational Journey™ (Clarity → Action → Impact) and the 7 Pillars of Self-Leadership Mastery™, frameworks that deliver clarity, strategy, and measurable results. His personal journey from an orphanage in Kenya to leading multimillion-dollar engineering programs in the United States showcases the power of resilience and vision, serving as a testament to his leadership philosophy.
Felix’s signature talks are distinguished by three powerful differentiators:
Felix’s signature talks are distinguished by three powerful differentiators:
- The Precision of Engineering Leadership: Bringing clarity, strategy, and measurable results by translating complexity into actionable insights.
- The Inclusivity of a Multicultural Perspective: Enriched by his cross-continental experiences in Kenya, Ghana, and the U.S., Felix helps audiences navigate diverse environments with confidence.
- The Power of Proprietary Systems: Delivering proven frameworks for personal and organizational transformation.
Alex Masika brings a powerful blend of experience across technology, entrepreneurship, and economic development in both Africa and the United States. Throughout his career, he has held leadership roles in the tech sector, where he has helped drive digital connectivity, innovation strategy, and education-focused solutions that meet people where they are and move them forward. His professional focus sits at the intersection of digital transformation, business strategy and consulting, artificial intelligence, and global startup ecosystem development—all grounded in a deep commitment to access and equity. His contributions have also earned him recognition from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for his work in advancing digital inclusion. Currently, Alex continues to expand his impact through multiple leadership roles:
✨Business Consultant at MEDA, supporting entrepreneurs through lending and business advisory services
✨Business Strategy Advisor at Olivia Technologies, focused on expanding access to digital learning in regions with limited or unreliable internet connectivity
✨ Board Member at ACER, supporting pathways to long-term economic stability and opportunity Alex’s work is a reminder that innovation is most powerful when it is inclusive, intentional, and rooted in real-world access.
✨Business Consultant at MEDA, supporting entrepreneurs through lending and business advisory services
✨Business Strategy Advisor at Olivia Technologies, focused on expanding access to digital learning in regions with limited or unreliable internet connectivity
✨ Board Member at ACER, supporting pathways to long-term economic stability and opportunity Alex’s work is a reminder that innovation is most powerful when it is inclusive, intentional, and rooted in real-world access.
Karen Fomafung is a Modern Management, Data & AI Specialist with 15 years of experience helping organizations, small businesses, and professionals navigate change and grow. She's the founder of BeingAgile Consulting LLC, where her SWIFT Framework combines Business Agility, Data, and AI to help companies work smarter. She's also a career coach and the founder of Healthy Money Habits Hub, helping families and small businesses build stronger financial futures.
