Ameenata Koita, Founder and CEO of Black Wall Street Arizona Inc (BWSAZ)

FWM: Over the past 20-years you have served in non-profit organizations, NGOs, and private businesses. Share your experiences.

The one thing which as really stuck with me over the years is to talk about, A LOT and then talk about it some more. I always thought of talking about yourself and your projects was bragging, especially when running a non-profit/business because the entire point is to serve or provide. It’s a fine line to walk for sure but one that must be mastered. While I don’t brag, I do however take advantage of every opportunity to talk about my work because you never know who might be listening and willing to help or share contacts or resources with you and to your cause. I have to say that PASSION IS CONTAGIOUS! Don’t be afraid to share personal experiences, and ask for help when needed. When you find someone interested, invite them to join with you. Standing in line at the grocery store, long flights, food runs, and other things like these are all opportunities to share with someone. In this digital age, use all of your social media to share your work. Not everyone will have time to volunteer, or money to donate, but they might have contacts that you could benefit from. Just remember every conversation you have has the potential to improve and grow your non-profit/business. Take advantage of all of them every chance you get.  

One other lesson which I think is crucial is to ALWAYS ASK AND NEVER ASSUME. Years ago, my co-workers decided to surprise me with cake and ice cream for my birthday. Knowing that I like chocolate they bought chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream. After noticing that I did not touch the ice cream, one of them asked me why, and I explained that I don’t like chocolate ice cream. This rings true for the community as well. Even if you “think” you know the community you serve and work with, get into the habit of asking. Answers to your questions will leave no room for doubt. You see, my co-workers “thought” they knew me, they assumed that liking chocolate cake meant I liked all things chocolate flavored. It couldn’t be farther from the truth. Asking questions will make things more pleasant for everyone because you know the answer and then can fulfill the need from there. 

FWM: You are the Founder and CEO of Black Wall Street Arizona Inc (BWSAZ). How are you helping Entrepreneurs to increase efficiency and productivity? 

There are a few of things I share with Entrepreneurs which I believe to be very beneficial:  

Give up on the illusion of perfection: Often we get caught up on wanting things to be “perfect” and we waste a lot of time striving for perfection when the reality is, nothing is ever perfect. There will always be room for improvement. Rather than waste time chasing an illusion, it is best to finish the task to the best of your ability (give it your all), and then move on. It is better to complete the task and remove it from your task list than to not finish it at all. You can always come back to it at a later date, reassess and make changes or improvements. The key is to complete the task and have a professional well put together project than to have nothing because it is not “perfect”. 

Learn to say no when it comes to excessive meetings: I have learned over the years that meetings can oftentimes be some of the biggest wastes of time, yet we love to have them, and then complain what a big waste of time it was for us to attend. For me, I always ask myself if the same outcome can be accomplished by phone, email, or a web-based meeting (which saves time on commute).  

Get the “quick tasks” done first thing in the morning: If you have things on your agenda which can be accomplished and completed in less than 5 minutes, do those things first. Taking those off your list early provides you with sense of accomplishment and motivates you for the day.  

FWM: How important is mentorship? 

Great question, mentorship is crucial to the success of everyone. Mentorship provides you the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others, learn practical and effective practices, and promotes personal and professional development. This is why picking good mentors is so important. I think a mentor should be your consultant (for obvious reasons), your counselor (provide guidance but not necessarily the answers), and they should also be your biggest encourager (providing support and enthusiasm). I do believe it is okay to have more than one in different areas. Having more than one will broaden your worldview, provide more accountability, and expand your comfort zone for growth. 

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FWM: Your work and dedication to the African people globally has earned you the title of Magajiya Chigaba of Fulani, which translates to Developmental Queen Mother of Fulani of Ashanti Region of Ghana. What does leadership mean to you?

For me, leadership is really all about service, stewardship, growth of the people, and community building. I always try to hear what is being said as well as what is not being said by the group/individual speaking. Listening is a key part in leadership. In order to serve those around me, I have to seek to know what their need is and make sure to clarify that what I heard while listening is actually what they meant to convey. It doesn’t make sense to spend resources providing a service that is not needed. 

Stewardship is essential because as a leader you are entrusted with taking care of finances and overseeing budgets in many cases. Basically, you have a fiduciary responsibility to the group. This is based on trust and confidence. Good stewardship requires integrity, openness and transparency.  

Leaders should always strive to encourage the growth of the people they serve. Growth should not be thought of in just professional terms because it involves a personal aspect as well. Without becoming overly involved, we should be providing encouragement, resources, and advice where we can to aid in the growth of others.  

Community building is so important to me. Having a team is very different from having a community in my opinion. A team of people come together to work on a common goal, once the goal is completed to satisfaction, they move on to something else either together or separate. A community on the other hand not only works together to accomplish a goal, but they foster fellowship, accountability with compassion, and they foster a sense of togetherness. A community is a group of people from different backgrounds and experiences who come together to form a sense of family. That family works together for the betterment of all in the community.  

Oh, I forgot to mention one more thing, insight. Leaders must always learn from the past, consider the current climate, and think ahead concerning consequences of decisions. Did I mention learn from the past? Let me say that again, Leaders must always learn from the past. 

FWM: In the area of intercontinental trade and cooperation you are collaborating with the Country of Ghana on a major food grow and sharing agricultural project. Tell us about this initiative. 

My team and I have partnered with several groups and the Fulani Nation in the Ashanti Region of Ghana to grow food, produce dairy, and fodder to the livestock. The goal is to train local people in the area of how to properly grow the food using the growing system we are bringing to the area; train and hire local workers to produce, harvest, and sell what they grow, thus reducing the need to import goods. We are starting in the Ashanti Region then the goal is to grow from there. We are very excited at this new endeavor and are looking forward to working with our brothers and sisters in Ghana. 

FWM: What lessons have you learned?

Wow, the biggest lesson I have learned in this process is even though we speak the same language, the culture and customs are so very different, and it impacts communication and productivity. I can’t stress enough about getting to know the culture and customs of the local area in which you are going to be working. Speaking the same language is just not enough. Also, the English language is not uniform, I have learned that British English (which is what people in Ghana speak) is a bit different from United States English, this has been a real eye-opening experience to say the least, challenging at times, but fun and worth every minute of it.  

FWM: You also work to support the City of Phoenix and Valley Metro in helping to get the light rail initiative passed which is part of the city’s economic development plan for the future. Share your experience in economic development. What would you like to see for the future? 

Working on the light rail initiative was very fun and exciting. I met a lot of people in the community on both sides of the argument for and against bringing the light rail to South Phoenix. The biggest lesson I learned is that not everyone sees growth and modernization as a good thing for the community. Change is hard and people, in general, don’t like it, and then when you attach millions of taxpayer dollars, well, let’s just say it muddies up the water even more.    

Working in economic development as in all things you must read the small print and make sure you have a complete understanding of what the project is, what is will do and what it will not do. You must have good listening and communication skills to be able to properly answer questions and convey an accurate message to the community.  

What I have learned is that I don’t know enough. There is so much out there to learn and experience. Each situation is a little bit different, and different skills are required. There are so many programs out there; it’s hard to keep up. You have to work with others and make sure to surround yourself with people who know the things you don’t. This will increase the odds of success in my opinion.

What I would like to see moving forward is that all communities are equal with access to amenities, proper education for the children, effective and dependable mass transportation, and companies that actually invest in the communities they make their money from. I get so tired of businesses, companies, and developers, coming to communities and making money but not investing some of that money back into the community in the form of sponsorships, programs, giveaways, etc. That is a practice that must be done away with in my opinion.  

FWM: What are your current projects?

Currently, I am developing a Women’s Health Initiative. Today people in Africa have had to spend so much of their resources traveling off the continent to seek medical attention. The challenge is only those who can afford to travel to Europe or the western hemisphere can engage in such care. The economically disadvantaged people in Africa are the worst hit with this negative trend. I am currently working on some practice solutions to this situation. I also have an Education Trade School Support Initiative. The capacity to get access to quality education is often hampered by the lack of political and financial means. It has led to a situation in which so many young adults have no quality education to participate and compete effectively in the 21st-century world in which we live. The negative consequences of this scenario do not only affect young people but society as a whole. As a result, I have partnered with the SuuduBaaba Foundation in Ghana along with the Kumasi Technical Institute to provide some training to bridge the gap for the youth. 

In my local area, Black Wall Street Arizona is transitioning to a more global role in connecting businesses and providing opportunities in the global market. We are continuing our business training, community-building events, and consulting while we are transitioning. The demand for online services and consulting has increased tremendously over the past year and we are partnering with other organizations to be able to meet the increase in needs. We are looking forward to all the new possibilities to share with our global community. 

I am also developing a weekly podcast called the Goddess Squad focusing on unleashing your inner Goddess and walking in your purpose. This is scheduled to launch in September 2020. We will focus on women’s empowerment, business, health, and all things women. After all, we are the masters of our universe and we should be celebrated. We should also support and celebrate other women in their journey to embrace their inner Goddess. Stay tuned for more on this. I’m so excited to connect with other women and hear their stories of triumph. Get your crowns, tiaras, head wraps, headbands, or whatever you wear in your universe, and lets walk this journey together. 

You can find me on: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themagajiya/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themagajiya/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themagajiya/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLD-iHk_iYU-uXukLXD1nQ

Website: http://www.themagajiya.com/ 

You can find Black Wall Street Arizona on;

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/bwsaz/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bwsaz/

Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/bwsaz/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bwsaz

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOs3_6ZL0rjilG4myTGZ0A/

Website:  https://www.bwsaz.org/