Under the auspices of Amplify Africa, AfriCon is shaping up as a landmark conference and festival dedicated to celebrating Africa and its diaspora.
AFRICON 2025, held September 18–20 in Atlanta, Georgia, is rapidly becoming a defining moment for Africa and its Diaspora.
AFRICON was founded in 2017 by Amplify Africa, a Los Angeles–based cultural organization created by Nigerian-American entrepreneurs Damilare Kujembola and Obi Asika, with the mission of celebrating Africa’s global influence by uniting creatives, entrepreneurs, and leaders from the continent and its diaspora through conferences, music, fashion, and commerce. AFRICON has built a strong track record of success, growing from a cultural idea into a global movement. Since its early editions (notably 2021 and 2022), Amplify Africa has hosted over 250 events including AFRICON, Afro Ball, Afrolituation and others, and has developed a monthly digital reach exceeding 12 million people around the world.
Through these years, Amplify Africa has forged important partnerships with global brands and financial institutions, increased opportunities for creatives and entrepreneurs in the Diaspora, and strengthened trade and investment forums. AFRICON has not only elevated visibility and networking but also facilitated real economic, cultural, and social impact.
A marquee announcement during the 2025 AfriCon was the launch of the Continental Collective, co-founded by Liberians Barkue Tubman-Zawolo and Dora Din Whittley (alongside partners from the diaspora). The Collective seeks to build bridges between Africa, the U.S., and the Caribbean through culture, commerce, and sustainable partnerships—rejecting exploitative models and prioritizing reciprocity, capacity-building, and local ownership.
The Continental Collective offers services in consulting, business development, and experiential engagement, focusing on connecting ideas to action and purpose to scale. Their initiatives have delivered concrete outcomes to small to mid-sized businesses, corporations, and governments, fostering economic empowerment, cultural connections, and sustainable development across sectors.
Beyond the launch of the Continental Collective, AFRICON 2025 showcased a vibrant mix of music, panels, and thought leadership, highlighting key figures and initiatives shaping Africa’s cultural and economic future.
Standout Figures at AFRICON
- Wale: The Grammy-nominated rapper and cultural ambassador appeared in the Culture Track lineup, speaking to the power of music as a vehicle for diaspora connection and African identity.
- Mayor Andre Dickens: As Atlanta’s mayor, Dickens was featured in the Commerce Track, representing civic leadership in forging global partnerships, advocating for investment in African-diasporic hubs, and aligning city infrastructure with diaspora engagement.
- Tuma Basa: A respected curator, tastemaker, and media strategist, Basa’s inclusion added sharp insight into culture storytelling, archival practice, and how to turn attention into sustainable platforms for creatives. Amplify Africa
Liberian Visionaries at the Forefront
- Barkue Tubman-Zawolo — granddaughter of Liberia’s President William V. S. Tubman — has built her career as a strategist, founder of MBL International Group, and now leader of diaspora community engagement at Essence Ventures. Her goal through the Continental Collective is to channel diasporic creativity and capital into tangible projects in Africa and the diaspora, especially for women and youth.
- Dora Din Whittley — originally hailing from Cameroon but a global operator — is CEO of the Whittley Agency, working across branding, media, talent, and strategic communication. She is invested in rethinking how creative economies scale beyond borders without losing local grounding.
Together, AFRICON 2025 and the Continental Collective represent a shift: from spectacle to systems; from one-off trade missions to relationship infrastructure; from influence to legacy. With heavyweights such as Wale, Mayor Dickens, Tuma Basa, and visionary Liberians at the helm, the stage is set for a new era of diaspora-Africa collaboration.
