The Team

Founder and Co-Chair

Christabel E. Dadzie

Christabel E. Dadzie is an international development specialist with extensive experience working on economic development projects across Africa, in Latin America and South Asia, focused on education, gender, agriculture, trade, social protection and youth employment. She has worked with various international development organizations including United Nations and for the USAID. Currently, she works with the World Bank as a Senior Social Protection Specialist, managing the Ethiopia rural Productive Safety Net Program, the largest social protection program in Africa for the World Bank. Prior to that, she managed the World Bank’s Ghana portfolio to promote social inclusion and end extreme poverty and was part of the design team for the Ghana Jobs and Skills project. Additionally, she has supported the Social Protection and Jobs portfolio in Liberia.

Upon returning to Ghana from the United States in 2010, she identified the need to promote Brain Gain and leverage the expertise of Ghanaian professionals, who have a global mindset to support Ghana’s and Africa’s development. She therefore founded Ahaspora to support the returnee transition. From 12 members at inception in 2011, Ahaspora has grown to over 3000 members, has facilitated several workshops and industry webinars, connecting members to jobs, housing and partnerships, and has built several mentoring communities to support high school and university students as as the core of its give-back initiative.

Christabel is a Board member of the Emerging Public Leaders organization, on the Management team of the Moremi young African women leadership initiative, and a member of the Women’s Advisory Board of The College of Wooster in Ohio, where she earned a Bachelors Degree in International Relations. She also has a Masters Degree in International Affairs from Columbia University.

Co-Chair

David K. Hutchful

As a User Experience Researcher with more than 15 years of experience in software development, David Hutchful is committed to and passionate about designing and creating appropriate technology solutions that are informed by a nuanced understanding of the socio-economic and cultural contexts of the problems. David is currently the Director of Technology Innovations at the Grameen Foundation working at the intersection of technology and international development. In this capacity he contributes to the strategic design and implementation of innovative solutions including the award winning mHealth intervention, MOTECH.

Previously, he was a member of the Technology for Emerging Markets (TEM) Group at Microsoft Research. In addition to other award winning innovations, Mr. Hutchful co-developed a scalable content creation model and a software platform that has simplified and reduced the cost of creating and sharing educational courses freely online.

David received undergraduate degrees in Computer Science and Philosophy from Calvin College and a Master’s degree in Information with a specialization in Human-Computer Interaction from the University of Michigan. He loves traveling, listening to and reading good stories, fidgeting with technology and is an avid fan of the game of football (soccer).

At Ahaspora, David brings extensive experience to the team with his leadership and technology expertise, providing management and oversight to Ahaspora programs and partnerships.

Programming

Freda Obeng Ampofo

Freda is Ahaspora’s Programs Chair, meaning that she is responsible for ensuring success for all Ahaspora programming. She is a Global Public Policy professional with a regional focus on Africa. She spends her days coordinating and writing reports for USAID West Africa Programs and her leisure running competitive races in various cities in the world:Vienna, Nice, Washington DC, Barcelona, Paris, London and Accra (with the opportunity to raise funds for charity: cancer research & treatment).

She assisted with planning the 2013 Accra International Marathon, and is involved in planning The Valentines Day 5k run/walk also in Accra. Freda also has a running club, RACE Ghana, a hub for runners of all levels.

Along with running races, Freda runs a lifestyle blog www.fabfitfine.com, where she writes on health, nutrition and beauty with the aim to keep Ghanaians and African s healthy!

Finance

Francis Appiah

Francis is a financial services and technology professional. He has worked in diverse roles both in Ghana and the United States. He was a Structured Credit Analyst doing performance analysis on collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) at Fitch Ratings Inc “Fitch”, an international bond rating agency in New York City.

In Ghana he has held a diverse range of roles including research analysis, investment management, compliance, corporate finance and most recently operations management for a payments focused fintech. Beyond finance and investments his professional interests also include infrastructure development, economic development, strategy and business development.

Francis holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA.

Programs

Apiorkor Seyiram Ashong-Abbey

Apiorkor [Seyiram Ashong-Abbey] is a Ghanaian-American Poet, Writer/Author, Literary Scholar/Critic, Media Practitioner, TED Speaker and Activist.
She is the author of “The Matriarch’s Verse” and “When The Person Who is Called COVID Came” (two collections of Poetry, which are available on booknook.store and Amazon). She weaves poetic and journalistic styles together (Verse Journalism).

She is also the founder of TeamApiorkor – a group that runs on the tenets of Creative Entrepreneurship and Art Business, focusing on Creative Artist Development, Marketing & Communications, Creative Product Development, Creative Event Production and general consultancy for Artistic endeavours.

In 2018, TeamApiorkor and Fablinks Media instituted The Matriarch’s Verse Poetry Concert – Ghana’s largest annual Poetry event, hosted by an individual artist, having featured over seventy Artists, with an audience of almost ten thousand people.

Apiorkor has led a campaign to document Ghanaian/African Poets/Poetry/Artists in local media sources and on Wikipedia. Wikimedia in Ghana is progressing, in this regard.

She is a member of the Poetry Association of Ghana Executive Board and a Director-At-Large of the Democrats Abroad Africa Committee’s ExCom, as the Coordinator of Democrats Abroad – Ghana.

Again, Apiorkor is a member of a standing committee of the Creative Arts Agency (Ghana) Initiative on developing Creative Arts Education, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture – Ghana.

She is a Fellow and the Moderator-in-Residence of the Institute of International Affairs, Ghana and an Editorial Advisor of the Influenc(Her) Project — https://influencherproject.org/, working alongside phenomenal women to elevate the global voices of women; especially in Journalism. Furthermore, she is a member of the Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) Advisory Board, a member of the World Bank’s Ghana Youth Voices Committee, as well as a Board Member of Ahaspora Young Professionals.

She is the Head of Programmes Production at Accra-based Citi 97.3 FM/Citi TV, and hosts “Diplomatic License” and “What’s Cooking?”.
Additionally, she is Multi-format/ Multi-scale Television Producer & Programmer, with 11,000+ content hours, to her credit. She is also a Multi-format Radio Producer & Programmer, a Compère, Moderator and Event Producer.

Public Relations and Communications

Nadia Takyiwaa-Mensah

Nadia, a British-born Ghanaian is the founder and owner of Sixth Sense Marketing Agency and agency that has successfully worked with brands like, Vodafone Ghana, Sage, Merck Pharmaceutical, Viber, WorldRemit, Prudential and many more; and Sai Wine Cafe, West Africa’s first wine café.

Nadia in January 2020 self-published her first book ‘How to Get Ahead in Ghana’, which is a 10 step, self-help, motivational book written for Ghanaians by a Ghanaian. The book sets out to encourage Ghanaians to embark on a journey of self-discovery allowing them to be the change they want to see in the world. Moving them away from blaming the government, family, their circumstances and situations for their lack but rather looking within for the solution. In February 2021, she published her second book ‘Imajin!!!’, which is a satire short book, which looks at some of the unimaginable things which take place in Ghana’

At Ahaspora, she is the board member who leads PR and Communication Development. Besides all these in 2016, she won Women Entrepreneur of the Year in Ghana and has been featured in many interviews, university talks, event panels and of late webinars as she shares her experience, knowledge and wisdom in all things God, purpose, culture, business, entrepreneurship, leadership, marketing, motherhood, wine, being a diasporan and much more.

Strategy

Yaw Attua-Afari

Yaw Attua-Afari is an investment professional with over 12 years’ experience across private equity, investment banking, project development and strategy in developed and emerging markets. Yaw is currently focused on commercial real estate investments.

Yaw is Managing Director of EYJ Group, a project development and advisory firm, and was most recently the promoter and co-developer for 335 Place, a commercial office building in Accra. His experience also covers energy, oil and gas, infrastructure, and he currently sits on the board of GFX brokers, a fixed income and commodities trading firm based in Accra.

Previously, he had roles at Oasis Capital, Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch.

Yaw holds a BA degree in Economics with honors from Howard University in Washington DC.

Career Development/ Human Resources

Aba Enyimayew

Aba is currently the Human Resource Manager at Ashesi University College. She is a Work and Organizational Psychology Practitioner with over six years’ experience in Human Resources (HR) Management in Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria, as well as customer care experience from the United Kingdom. She has also worked with developmental researchers in areas of health, youth development, girl child education and work psychology. With diverse experience working with several multinational companies, she has insight into developing organizational culture that balances high performance, while providing freedom and flexibility to be innovative.

When she is not managing human resources, Aba facilitates career development activities and contributes to implementing the mentoring program with the Ahsapora team.

She also takes personal interest in raising funds and useful items for street children and has served as a resource person for Orphan Aid youth rallies. She is currently developing her passion for baking into voluntary lessons for interested youth to occupy themselves.

Knowledge Management

Mary Asante-Asamoah

Mary is currently the General Manager of Barbex Technical Services, a 25 year old business providing mining support services to the mining industry in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Prior to joining Barbex she was an Operations Associate with TransAfrica Forum, a non-profit organization based in Washington DC that serves as a policy, educational and organizing center that influences US foreign policy concerning Africa and the Diaspora and promotes African American solidarity with civil society.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Global Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo Canada. Also, she recently began her journey to become a CIMA qualified professional.

Outside work, Mary loves to spend time with her family and loves the opportunity to mentor others and give back to society. She has participated in several volunteering programs such as Reach for Recovery: Cancer Awareness and Bike for Aids. She is also an ardent supporter of Joyful Way Incorporated, a ministry that is focused on youth evangelism.

At Ahaspora, Mary runs our knowledge bank, making sure that all our meetings and activities are adequately documented to promote effectiveness and sustainability of the organization.

Business Strategy

Nii Shippi Quaynor

Nii Shippi Quaynor is a finance and real estate entrepreneur with over a decade of experience. His expertise spans financial services, investment management, strategy, and project development across various markets.

Currently, as Managing Partner of Loft Real Estate Partners, Nii leads strategic initiatives and project development, notably contributing to residential ventures like Aklama Beach Resort & Residences, The Silver Lotus, and The Square at C10, fostering community growth in Ghana.

Before Loft Real Estate Partners, Nii co-founded ProSquare Property Acquisitions, LLC, a real estate investment and property management firm headquartered in the Greater Atlanta Area. His expertise extended to managing residential projects in select cities throughout the United States and served as Managing Partner at QT Management Group, specializing in financial services, market entry strategy and investment consultancy in Africa.

Nii is a founding member of Ahaspora, and continues to contribute in the strategic management of the organization. Through Ahaspora, Nii provides mentorship and guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals and is dedicated in helping to empower young Ghanaian professionals in shaping the future of Ghana’s workforce.

His background includes roles at prestigious firms like Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, and he holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Howard University. Nii’s focus on real estate development and community empowerment continues to drive meaningful contributions to both industries and communities.

Finance and Administration Coordinator

Patrick Moore

Patrick Moore is a versatile professional with over 5 years of experience in finance, fundraising, and partnership development for nonprofits. Currently serving as the Finance and Operations Coordinator at Ahaspora, Patrick plays a crucial role in steering the organization towards its financial goals and operational efficiency.

With a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Ghana and certificates in Marketing and Integrated Communications from the Chartered Institute of Marketing UK, Patrick brings a diverse skill set to his role. His expertise encompasses financial management, fundraising, diaspora engagement, and operational support.

Patrick collaborates closely with the Ahaspora Finance and Strategy Managers to devise strategic financial plans, manage records, ensure compliance, and prepare budgets and payroll submissions. He identifies funding opportunities, develops proposals, and cultivates partnerships with diaspora groups and institutions to expand Ahaspora’s reach and impact.

Prior to his current role, Patrick served as an Ahaspora Mentor and played an active role on the Ahaspora Mentoring Planning Committee, demonstrating his dedication to mentorship and community service. Patrick’s commitment to excellence and inclusive leadership makes him a valuable asset to the Ahaspora team and the broader community.

DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

Obaayaa Asantewaa Dagadu

Obaayaa Asantewaa is a dynamic professional with a proven track record of stakeholder engagement, operational management, and strategic planning. Currently serving as the Diaspora Engagement Coordinator at Ahaspora, Obaayaa plays a pivotal role in developing programs tailored for diaspora engagement, and building partners within the diaspora community for both those are abroad and returnees.

Returning to Ghana from her experiences abroad, Obaayaa brings a unique perspective and deep understanding of both local and international contexts to her current role. She is passionate about leveraging her connections and expertise to foster meaningful collaborations between diaspora communities and Ghana.

Her tenure as the External Affairs Support Manager at the Department of Health & Social Care and The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) further honed her skills in stakeholder engagement and partnership development, contributing to successful cross-departmental initiatives and heightened community awareness levels. With experience in managing fundraising projects and restructuring committees to enhance efficiency, Obaayaa has demonstrated her ability to drive positive change and deliver tangible results. Her leadership roles at Kwame Amoako Tuffour Foundation and the British Orthopedic Association also emphasize her commitment to optimizing organizational process and driving strategic growth.

Obaayaa has a strong passion for building relationships, driving innovation, and making a meaningful impact on communities.

She has a degree in Social Policy & Criminology and a Master of Art in International Relations from the University of Kent, Canterbury.

PROGRAMS OFFICER

Emelia Appiah Minka

Emelia Appiah Minka is a Programs Associate at Ahaspora, a position she comes to with a diverse background in program administration, HR, operations, stakeholder engagement, youth development, and research. At Ahaspora she will focus on supporting diaspora engagement, fostering building partnerships, strategic planning, human resources, and rolling out Ahaspora programs.

Emelia is a dedicated professional with extensive experience in stakeholder engagements, operations and advocacy. She has been deeply involved in youth development initiatives across Ghana, South Africa and other African nations showcasing her commitment to social impact. She has a proven track record of working and volunteering for non- profits on social inclusion initiatives to empower marginalized individuals by providing access to resources, amplifying voices, and upholding rights. Key to her experience were the PAD A GIRL Project which sought to promote menstrual hygiene among girls in deprived areas, and Project 360 which sought to train young kids on computer programming in the Bono region. She is also an alumnus of the Young Diplomats of Ghana. Emelia’s also contributed to the African Development Bank’s Ghana’s Socioeconomic Development in Africa highlights.

She has a degree in Information Studies with Economics and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the University of Ghana.