Annansi Chronicles

Talking African business elsewhere

This is just a note to announce that Annansi Chronicles has joined a group of authors in launching a new social entrepreneurship section of “the world’s #1 site for small business motivation and strategies”, www.evancarmichael.com. Titled, Sustainable Development Through Entrepreneurship: African Accounts, the new section will focus on the African perspective in business and entrepreneurship. Among the authors who already write for the site are Donald Trump, Michael Gerber, Zig Ziglar, Seth Godin, Jay Conrad Levinson, Guy Kawasaki, and more.

With nearly half of its population living in conditions of extreme poverty, the economic realities of Africa are harsh.

And yet, the promise of sustainable development remains bright.

By creating economic growth, African entrepreneurs are proving to be at the heart of that promise, and a key weapon in the fight against poverty.

These are their stories.

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The age of conversation is here!

Trained as a visual communicator, I have always held communication in the highest regard. Communication, to me, is at the center of everything we do, especially in today’s world. Whether you are an individual or an organization, it is most important to be able to communicate your ideas and be a part of conversations which, through the growth of technology are already shaping the world we live in. No-one is immune from the power of the conversations today. Through the advances in technology the playing field is being leveled in all industries, and it is most important for Africa to understand and take advantage of the change. For years we’ve struggled to be heard both at home and abroad and participate in the conversations which determine the development of our communities. But today, we are faced with the opportunities to broadcast our own conversations and chime in on others. Never before have we been given the opportunity to directly affect others a world away. And never before have the major players been so focused on the every-day person’s opinion for direction. As individuals we wield a great power, and how we communicate and build on conversations is more important than it ever was. The new book “The Age of Conversation” taps some of the most brilliant thinkers in today’s conversation-driven world. I have authored a chapter titled From Aid to Opportunity: Afri-Activism transitions into a new consumer market. You can read more about the book “The Age of Conversation” in the new Books & Products area of this site or at AgeOfConversation.com. Buy the book as an e-book, a paperback, or a hardcover at Lulu.com/ageofconversation. 100% of the profits from the book will go to a children’s charity.

Africa Enterprising articles part 2

The second edition of the Africa Enterprising blog carnival has been published on African Loft. The carnival features some very engaging content from many of the African blogging community The posts touch on topics such as trade vs aid in Africa, entrepreneurship in Africa, business and investment in Africa, and universal business tenets. Head over to Imnakoya’s African Loft for links to an inspiring collection of ideas.

The Conversation gets louder

As you all might remember I recently co-authored a dynamic book called The Age of Conversation. Based on the concept of how new communication tools facilitate conversations and shape communities, the book features multiple authors’ insights. I’ve gotten word that the book will be available for purchase a week from today with a special cover design by David Armano. Here are the particulars with more info to come real soon:

Launch date: Monday, July 16th

Formats/Prices:
Hardbacks $29.99
Paperbacks $16.95
E-book $9.99

Background

Authors:

Gavin Heaton, Drew McLellan, CK, Valeria Maltoni, Emily Reed, Katie Chatfield, Greg Verdino, Mack Collier, Lewis Green, Sacrum, Ann Handley, Mike Sansone, Paul McEnany, Roger von Oech, Anna Farmery, David Armano, Bob Glaza, Mark Goren, Matt Dickman, Scott Monty, Richard Huntington, Cam Beck, David Reich, Luc Debaisieux, Sean Howard, Tim Jackson, Patrick Schaber, Roberta Rosenberg, Uwe Hook, Tony D. Clark, Todd Andrlik, Toby Bloomberg, Steve Woodruff, Steve Bannister, Steve Roesler, Stanley Johnson, Spike Jones, Nathan Snell, Simon Payn, Ryan Rasmussen, Ron Shevlin, Roger Anderson, Robert Hruzek, Rishi Desai, Phil Gerbyshak, Peter Corbett, Pete Deutschman, Nick Rice, Nick Wright, Michael Morton, Mark Earls, Mark Blair, Mario Vellandi, Lori Magno, Kristin Gorski, Kris Hoet, G.Kofi Annan, Kimberly Dawn Wells, Karl Long, Julie Fleischer, Jordan Behan, John La Grou, Joe Raasch, Jim Kukral, Jessica Hagy, Janet Green, Jamey Shiels, Dr. Graham Hill, Gia Facchini, Geert Desager, Gaurav Mishra, Gary Schoeniger, Gareth Kay, Faris Yakob, Emily Clasper, Ed Cotton, Dustin Jacobsen, Tom Clifford, David Polinchock, David Koopmans, David Brazeal, David Berkowitz, Carolyn Manning, Craig Wilson, Cord Silverstein, Connie Reece, Colin McKay, Chris Newlan, Chris Corrigan, Cedric Giorgi, Brian Reich, Becky Carroll, Arun Rajagopal, Andy Nulman, Amy Jussel, AJ James, Kim Klaver, Sandy Renshaw, Susan Bird, Ryan Barrett, Troy Worman, S. Neil Vineberg

The African demographic

One of the points many of us Africans raise when arguing about the need for a re-branding of Africa is the inaccuracy of the image which represent us. While I can go on and on about the problems with the image the global community has tagged the continent and it’s people with, I often choose to spend my energy emphasizing an alternative definition of Africa(ns). My question though is, I know many of us agree on the need to change the image of Africa, but what would describe that image as? Certainly I’m not talking about how we go about promoting the successes of Africa’s business and people, but rather what we would describe those alternative images as. It can be regional, national, or continental. I know it’s a loaded question, but I’m putting together a post on the African demographic (if you could call it that) and would like some input. I’m sure everyone has their opinions about whether we should classify all Africans, but what I am looking to pinpoint is the similarities AND differences between the various regions and cultures. Call it an impromptu survey if you will. You can comment below, use my contact form, or email me at blog(at)annansi.com. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Taking a break

I’m taking a much needed vacation this week. I’ll be returning to posting on Annansi Chronicles next week. In the meantime check out these excellent African blogs:
BeninMwangi.com (African Entrepreneurship & international media)
Africaincorp (Following the Money Trailing the Afri-urban Movement )
Bankelele (Banking analysis and the financial sector in Kenya)
African Path (View of Africans in the Diaspora)
Deoluakinyemi.com (Daily Motivations & Development for people and organizations)
Tech Mambo (Profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies)
Odegele Nyang Investments (Business and investment news in Kenya and East Africa)
Kenya Startup (Start Ups in Kenya)
WhiteAfrican (Where Africa and Tech Collide)
Afriville (Community Portal)
Grandiose Parlor (Thoughts on Issues)
Yemma (nspiring Excellence)
Alt Nigeria (Nigerian Business)
Upnaira (Consumer Investments)
Rafiq Phillips (South Africa Technology and Web Addicts)
Ryan Shen-Hoover (Investing in Africa)
Leonard Nelson (Web 2.0 with a Zambian Twist)
Whythawk (Sustainable Business and Economic Development)
My Global Hustle

Annansi Chronicles is 1-year old

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since I started this blog. Initially Annansi Chronicles was an outlet for the ideas which I didn’t feel fit into the bi-monthly newsletters I send to my Annansi Clothing Co. customers, but as with any project it has taken on a personality of it’s own. I must admit it was hard to keep up with at first – adapting to a new platform, figuring out what to share and what to keep to myself, and juggling writing with all my other obligations – but I found that the less I tried to create a blog which fit in a pretty little package, the easier it became to develop Annansi Chronicles’ content. Though I’ve kept numerous personal journals over the years, it was hard putting my ideas out there for people who I haven’t met to critique and disagree with. But so far you guys have been very kind. I have to say thank you to all those reading this for choosing to listen to me rant and rave. I especially would like to thank all those who have taken the time to reach out to me either by leaving a comment or emailing me, for letting me know that my ideas are not so crazy after all. I hope we can all continue to share ideas and build a community that we are all proud of in one way of another.
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming….