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Charlotte set as flagship city for dual-track sports and careers initiative

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA – February 25, 2026 – The SEED Project, together with implementation partners the Pan-African Council, Champs for Change, and the Global Africa Business Accelerator (GABA) Center, has taken a major step toward launching the U.S.–Africa Youth Talent Combine and Sports Careers Summit following a high-level Stakeholder Roundtable held during NBA All-Star Week in Los Angeles.

Convened by SEED Project and supported by SEED founder Amadou Gallo Fall, the roundtable brought together HBCU leaders, African and Caribbean diaspora representatives, city officials, impact investors, sports executives, and youth development organizations. The group aligned around the shared goal of using sport as a platform for education, careers, and economic mobility on both sides of the Atlantic.

Dual-track model: on-court and across the ecosystem

The U.S.–Africa Youth Talent Combine and Sports Careers Summit builds on a historical combine model while adding a second, equally weighted track focused on careers:
A high-performance basketball combine for athletes, featuring standardized testing, positional skill work, and 5‑on‑5 evaluations.

A parallel Sports Careers Summit for non‑athlete and multi‑interest youth, offering personality-based career assessments, hands-on labs, shadowing experiences, and mentoring across media, analytics, operations, coaching, entrepreneurship, technology, esports, and sports diplomacy.

“This is about who gets to build the future of sport,” said Fabien Anthony, Chairman of the Pan-African Council. “We are designing a platform where young people can move from fan to professional on the floor, in the boardroom, and across the global economy.”

Charlotte as flagship launch

Roundtable participants endorsed Charlotte, North Carolina as the flagship host city for the first event, subject to final alignment with the Charlotte Hornets and facility partners. The concept calls for:

• A three‑day program at the Hornets’ arena, combining on‑court evaluation and off‑court career exploration.
• HBCU- and city-led learning experiences, using Charlotte’s history with HBCU tournaments and NBA All-Star as a live case study in major event delivery, cultural impact, and local economic benefits.

“Charlotte offers a powerful classroom,” said Kimberly Nelson, CEO of the GABA Center. “Young people will see how a single event mobilizes hundreds of roles from game operations and storytelling to hospitality, technology, finance, healthcare and city planning.”

Centering youth careers in sport

Champs for Change (C4C) will lead design and delivery of the Sports Careers Summit, ensuring non‑athlete youth are full co‑beneficiaries of the program rather than an add‑on.

“Every young person who walks into this experience should leave with a clearer pathway whether that’s in front of the camera, behind the camera, at the scorer’s table, in the startup lab, or leading in their community,” said Memuna Williams, co‑founder of Champs for Change. “We’re building a generation of African and diaspora leaders who see sport as an industry.”

Next steps

SEED Project and its partners agreed to a 90‑day roadmap that includes finalizing dates and space requirements with the Charlotte Hornets, refining the combine and Summit curriculum, mapping industry roles to HBCU and African university programs, and structuring a shared sponsorship and scholarship fund. A post-meeting report, recording these commitments was circulated among project stakeholders on February 24.

“This initiative is a movement to build prosperity across the continent, elevate youth through mentorship and professionalism, and integrate African talent into global value chains,” the partners said in a joint statement.

About the project partners

SEED Project (Sports for Education and Economic Development) is an International NGO that uses education and basketball to develop the next generation of socially conscious African leaders that have the tools to lead their country. Learn more at seedproject.org.

Pan-African Council (PAC) is the premier global leadership and strategic development organization dedicated to elevating Africa and her Diaspora on the world stage. Guided by its multi-faceted approach, the Council bridges political divides through diplomatic engagement; unlocks shared prosperity by fostering economic opportunities; and empowers communities with targeted social initiatives. Learn more at panafricancouncil.org.

Champs for Change (C4C) is a pan‑African social enterprise that supports young people who want to build careers in sport, both on and off the field. Through resources, mentoring, training, connection to networks and collaboration, C4C helps the people behind the game turn passion for sport into real education, work, and entrepreneurship opportunities. Learn more at champs4change.org and share your interest in working with C4C here.

The GABA Center (Global Africa Business Accelerator) is the diplomatic and commercial bridge connecting the United States, Africa, and the global diaspora. Through its four strategic pillars, Capacity Building, Workforce Development, Venture Building, and Ecosystem Building, GABA delivers integrated programming that strengthens local economies and opens global pathways for entrepreneurs, investors, and institutions. Learn more at gabacenter.com.

Media contacts

SEED Project – info@seedproject.org
Pan-African Council – media@panafricancouncil.org
Champs for Change – info@champs4change.org
GABA Center – pr@gabacenter.com

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Queuing The Century of Prosperity

LOME, TOGO – December 15, 2025 – The Pan-African Council is honored to have contributed to the 9th Pan-African Congress hosted by the Republic of Togo and the African Union, 125 years after the inaugural summons in London. To witness the closing of one historical epoch and the violent birth of another during this timely and momentous occasion, represents a fundamental turning point in the dialogue of human development. The world is witnessing the dissolution of old hegemonies and the emergence of a new economic paradigm, where Africa’s role on the global stage is finally being defined not by its capacity to endure history, but by its undeniable power to shape it.

During the Congress, Council Chairman Fabien Anthony offered a 4-pillar, Pragmatic Pan-African Action Plan for a Multipolar World in his plenary discourse to nudge Global Africa in the right direction, this included:

1. Defining African rejuvenation from struggle to sovereignty:
   This is an act of reclaiming narrative and demanding agency. It requires moving conceptually from the historical necessity of struggle to the imperative of sovereignty. The 21st century must, therefore, be unequivocally declared Africa’s Century of Prosperity—a designation that mandates a profound ideological and policy shift. This means replacing the limiting discourse of poverty reduction with the proactive ambition of comprehensive wealth creation, demanding sustained and integrated capital formation across every sphere: intellectual, social, physical, spiritual, and financial.
2. Navigating the complexities of a dynamic multipolar landscape:
   Recent geopolitical shifts present Africa with a paradox; unprecedented opportunities to leverage its strategic importance, alongside acute vulnerabilities to new forms of economic dependency and geopolitical maneuvering. African countries will need to shift from a passive recipient of external solutions and development models to becoming an active negotiator setting new terms of engagement.
3. Freeing the youth:
   With a median age of 24 years old in our Africa Equity Group portfolio of 5,000+ businesses and projects financed to date, we must massively scale access to seed funding, strategic capital, and entrepreneurial ecosystems that allow for young entrepreneurs, startups, and enterprises to thrive. The definitive financing of this structural transformation must be anchored in the decisive mobilization of the African diaspora, complementing important Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows by leveraging the sub-class of Diaspora Direct Investment (DDI) to seamlessly translate current consumption remittances into a structured, sovereign source of development capital. This necessitates the parallel issuance of intentional financial instruments, such as Continent-Wide Diaspora Bonds and Investment Funds, to securitize this wealth. To facilitate deployment and scale, the continent must urgently prioritize the simplification and harmonization of business policies across the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), coupled with the creation of a continent-wide skills bank and mentorship network designed to optimize human capital flow and accelerate the transfer of essential technology and knowledge to African firms and SMEs.
4. Accountability:
   We must stop planning in short, reactive cycles. Our plans must be backed by a public, transparent and long-term Pan-African scorecard that measures: Economic integration, diaspora integration, resource control, human development, value-added industrialization, technological sovereignty, institutional resilience, among others. We must move beyond the era of rhetorical declarations to an era of empirical verification, where progress is judged not by the aspirational GDP of individual nations, but by the granular reality of our collective structural transformation.

PAC also joined the 4th Commission Working Group, titled ‘Reinventing African Citizenship,’ to contribute strategic recommendations. This collaborative effort culminated in the inclusion of the group’s findings in the FINAL DECLARATION OF THE NINTH PAN-AFRICAN CONGRESS IN LOMÉ available for download here.

Simultaneously, it was a distinct privilege to accompany the Colombian delegation, led by Vice President H.E. Francia Elena Márquez Mina and Vice Minister Mr. Mauricio Jaramillo Jassir, to the 9th Congress. To trace the arc from our Council’s initial advisory role during the Vice President’s first official visit to the continent in 2023, to now witnessing the culmination of her mandate with the establishment of relations with the Republic of Togo, is remarkable. It speaks directly to the maturity and laser-focused execution of Colombia’s Africa Strategy 2022-2026, marking a sophisticated evolution in South-South Cooperation.

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Saint Lucia – [August 4, 2025]

The Pan-African Council is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Gale T.C. Rigobert as our new Board Advisor for Caribbean Affairs. A distinguished academic, policy strategist, and former Minister of Government, Dr. Rigobert brings a wealth of expertise and visionary leadership to strengthen Caribbean-Africa partnerships rooted in mutual respect, solidarity, and South-South cooperation.

Dr. Rigobert’s illustrious career spans international diplomacy, sustainable development, education transformation, and digital innovation. As Saint Lucia’s Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations, and Sustainable Development from 2016 to 2021, she championed transformative policies prioritizing climate resilience, gender equity, and education reform. A trailblazer, she made history as the first woman and one of the youngest to serve as Leader of the Opposition in Saint Lucia’s Parliament (2014–2016). Her powerful advocacy for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) has amplified the Global South’s voice on critical issues like sustainability and inclusive global frameworks.

With an academic foundation from the University of the West Indies and the University of Cambridge, where she was a Chevening and Sir Patrick Sheehy Scholar, Dr. Rigobert has taught and mentored future leaders in international relations, global political economy, and diplomacy. Her academic contributions include a visiting fellowship at the University of Sussex, teaching at Anton de Kom University in Suriname, and serving as a Visiting Fellow at the University of York’s Interdisciplinary Global Development Centre (2022–2023). Most recently, as Dean of Academics at the University of St. Martin (2023–2025), she spearheaded curriculum innovation and institutional strengthening.

Currently, as CEO and Principal Consultant of Propel Ltd., Dr. Rigobert advises global organizations like UNESCO and UNICEF on education transformation, AI governance, and policy innovation across the Caribbean. Her deep regional insight and commitment to fostering equitable partnerships make her an invaluable addition to the Pan-African Council.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Gale T.C. Rigobert as we work together to deepen Caribbean-Africa collaboration and advance our shared vision for a resilient, inclusive future.

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New Jersey, USA / Cali, Colombia – [June 15, 2025]

The Pan-African Council is proud to welcome celebrity music executives Jamal “Mally” Brandon and Steven “Steve-O” Carless as strategic Board Members, bringing their unparalleled expertise and vision to launch a transformative community initiative in Colombia and beyond. This groundbreaking program aims to uplift the music and creative industries, nurture local talent, and bolster the entertainment business by establishing an artist development program, a state-of-the-art music studio in the heart of Cali’s most marginalized communities, and a distribution strategy to connect local artists with international markets and fans.

Jamal “Mally” Brandon, a seasoned Music Executive and Serial Entrepreneur, brings over a decade of experience in executive production, record production, deal negotiation, music video curation, artist management, and A&R. Known for his mantra of “connecting Creatives as a Creative,” Brandon’s career spans producing records like Fabolous’ “Lituation” to amassing over 1 billion YouTube views as a partner in Shot Selection Media, a venture specializing in targeted digital marketing and social media viewership. His journey from a former artist and record producer to a media mogul reflects his deep understanding of artistry and business. Through his work with MSLM DONS, Brandon promotes peace, discipline, and purpose among Black youth, using Islam as a guiding force to foster brotherhood and empowerment. His commitment to bridging the African American diaspora with Africa through tourism, citizenship, and investment aligns seamlessly with the Council’s mission to foster collaboration and advance Black communities globally in finance, education, and quality of life.

Joining Brandon is Steven “Steve-O” Carless, a renowned record executive, talent manager, tech advisor, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. Carless is celebrated for his work with global icons like Beyoncé, Polo G, and Nipsey Hussle, earning two Grammy Awards in 2020 for “Racks in the Middle” featuring Roddy Ricch and “Higher” with DJ Khaled. As a co-founder of The Defiant Foundation, Carless champions mentorship, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship to address wealth disparities in underserved communities. His leadership roles, including President of A&R at Warner Records and co-founder of the Republic Records Action Committee, underscore his dedication to systemic change in the music industry.

Through his company The Dream Company, Brandon is spearheading the Pan-African Council’s initiative in Cali, Colombia, creating a vibrant ecosystem for local artists. The artist development program will provide mentorship and training, the music studio will offer a professional space for creation, and the distribution strategy will amplify Colombian talent on the global stage. This initiative reflects the Council’s commitment to empowering marginalized communities and expanding our global footprint through cultural and economic collaboration.

We are thrilled to have Jamal “Mally” Brandon and Steve-O Carless on board, leveraging their expertise to drive impact and opportunity for Colombia’s creative communities. Join us in celebrating this milestone as we work to uplift local talent and connect the African diaspora through the universal language of music.

 

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Colombia – [January 8, 2025]

The Pan-African Council is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr. Cesar Cabezas as its Special Representative to the Republic of Colombia.

Mr. Cabezas is an Afro-Colombian leader with a distinguished career in economic and social empowerment, human rights advocacy, and historical scholarship. He brings a wealth of experience to this role, serving as the National Representative for Black communities and constituents in the Colombian Congress from 2022 to 2026. With over two decades of dedicated service, Mr. Cabezas has been a tireless advocate for the empowerment and rights of Black people within Colombia.

He has hosted important dialogues and served on esteemed bodies such as the high-level advisory commission for the consultation of Black, Afro-Colombian, Palenquera, and Raizal communities in Colombia. He has also led initiatives on inter-culturality, inclusive urban development, and ethno-education, fostering dialogue and collaboration both within Colombia and across borders.

As Special Representative, Mr. Cabezas commits to:

• Strengthening Africa and Diaspora relations with Colombia, fostering opportunities for economic, social, educational, and political exchange.
• Promoting sustainable regional development by leveraging best practices in modern enterprise, innovation, science, and technology.
• Advocating for just and inclusive governance through the development of local government and civic leadership rooted in diversity and the rule of law.
• Championing environmental protection and sustainable development practices.
• Expanding access to quality education at all levels, including workforce development through vocational training.
• Fostering a cohesive and engaged Afro-Colombian stakeholder community, inspired by visionary leadership committed to peaceful conflict resolution, social justice, and sustainable development.

We are confident that Mr. Cabezas’s expertise and dedication will make a significant contribution to advancing the Pan-African Council’s mission in Colombia and beyond.

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LUSAKA, ZAMBIA  —

Preliminary Meeting on the 3rd Session of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

Back to the Roots: A Pan-African Approach in Fostering an African Renaissance

Date: March 25-27, 2024

Location: Lusaka, Zambia
Venue: The Quorum

Implementing partners: International Coalition for People of African Descent (ICPAD), Pan-African Council (PAC), African Union ECOSOCC, Panda Africa (Zambia), Articulación Latinoamericana para el Decenio Afrodescendiente (ALDA), Black and African Diaspora Program (BAFD) – Dalhousie University, Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC), Baobab Centro de Innovación en Justicia Racial, de Género y Ambiental (Colombia), Plateforme Haïtienne de Plaidoyer pour un Développement Alternatif (PAPDA), Frantz Fanon Foundation (Martinique/France).

The aim of the preliminary meeting is to:

• Strengthen and expand ICPAD and its members, that will meet in person or online before each United Nations Permanent Forum of People of African Descent session to create a working plan and identify key objectives as part of civil society contribution;
• Foster knowledge exchange to promote inclusive and holistic policy recommendations and decision-making capabilities;
• Develop an effective grassroots-driven network that has the tools and resources to support people of African descent globally in dealing with human rights violations and dignity.

For more information and to register for the event, kindly visit: http://panafricancouncil.org/LUSAKA2024.

 

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL  —

Council Ambassador to Brazil, Mr Rogerio Siqueira accompanied the Ambassador of Barbados to Brazil, H.E. Tonika Sealy-Thompson for a high-level meeting with the G20 Rio de Janeiro Summit Committee. In the spirit of cooperation and collective action leading up to the nineteenth meeting of Group of Twenty (G20), the Pan-African Council aims to emphasize Global South participation during the Summit with a special focus on Africa and the Caribbean.

The 2024 G20 Rio de Janeiro summit is scheduled to take place at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Rio de Janeiro on 18–19 November 2024, the first G20 summit to be held in Brazil. The group that brings together 80% of the GDP of the world economy will meet in Rio over the course of a year.

The Brazilian presidency of the G20 officially started on December 1st, 2023, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as chair, under its theme being “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet”.

The country’s National G20 Committee was established on November 23, 2023. Lula highlighted the historic nature of this opportunity for Brazil –– and added that it is time for the agenda around combating inequality, hunger and poverty to be taken up for discussion with the world’s most important leaders. “It is no longer humanly possible to explain how the world can be so rich — that so much money crosses the Atlantic Ocean — and still so many people can be going hungry,” he said.

The Brazilian president also mentioned climate change as another of the country’s priorities in its leadership of the G20. “To Brazil, energy transition is an opportunity that we did not have in the 20th century. Now, in the 21st century, we can show the world that whoever wants to use green energy to produce what is necessary for humanity can come to Brazil: it is a safe haven where people may invest, helping to turn it into a developed country once and for all,” added Lula.

Lula also addressed the need for changes in the global governance system and in the way the true economic needs of developing countries are understood. it is no longer possible for Bretton Woods institutions, the World Bank, IMF and other financial institutions to go on functioning as if nothing were happening in the world, as if everything’s been solved,” he said.

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL  —

At the invitation of the Consul General of Angola, His Excellency Mateus de Sá Miranda, Pan-African Council Brazil representatives participated in the day of homage to the Founder of the Nation and National Hero, Agostinho Neto, today, in Rio de Janeiro. The Council extends a special thanks to the entire diplomatic core of the Republic of Angola for the invitation and honor of being able to participate in such an important moment.

Angola has deep roots within the social fabric of Brazil where much of the culture is influenced by those who were taking to the country during the disastrous period of slavery.

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Get access to physical or digital copies of the Afri Diplomat Magazine for your reading pleasure. 

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LAGOS, NIGERIA  —

The Pan-African Council is pleased to partner and contribute to the new edition of Afri Diplomat Magazine, covering the latest events, personalities and happenings across the African and diasporic diplomatic landscape.

In the words of the magazine’s Editor-In-Chief, Prince Deji Ajomale-McWord, “the content of this publication will always be about Africa, her diaspora, the rest of the world who operates within her shores and in whose space nations of Africa operate, vis-à-vis international relations. You would be seeing Afri Diplomat Magazine in electronic and print format, for months and years to come. Kindly join us on this journey.”

Physical copies can be found at your nearest international African airport across Nigeria (The Envoy Hotel, Abuja Bolingo Hotel & Suites; Abuja Protocol Lounges: Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport; Muritala Mohammed International Airport), Kenya (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport), South Africa (Airport O.R Tambo International Airport), or at Pan-African Council offices.

Get access to digital copies of the Afri Diplomat Magazine for your reading pleasure. The copies may be downloaded for free here.

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Pan-African Council Ambassador to the Caribbean, Mr Chevy Eugene, is recognised as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) Under 40
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NEW YORK, USA — All roads lead to New York City for the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) Recognition and Awards Ceremony on Sunday, October 2nd 2022, following the opening of the 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). MIPAD will honour outstanding personalities and high achievers of African descent from around the world during this recognition weekend for their positive contributions to humanity.

Mr Chevy Eugene joins the Council’s Chairman in being the second person in the organisation to be honoured with the award of Top 100 Most Influential People of African descent under the age of 40. As an educator, researcher, and international human rights activist, he joins a prominent list of high achievers in the category of “Politics & Governance” recognised by MIPAD.

Previously, Mr Eugene has represented the Caribbean in the Fifth UN Fellowship Program for People of African Descent in Geneva, Switzerland. Upon completing the fellowship program, he worked with the Government of Saint Lucia to launch the International Decade for People of African Descent (IDPAD) in Saint Lucia. As Council Ambassador to the Caribbean for PAC, Mr Eugene currently leads a collective of entrepreneurs, business leaders, cultural ambassadors, government actors, academics and activists from the Anglophone, Francophone, Spanish and Dutch Caribbean in the advancement of the Caribbean across sectors.

Celebrating Five Years

MIPAD celebrates five years of working in support of the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015 to 2024) as proclaimed by the UN General Assembly Resolution 68/237. This year’s theme – Celebrating Five Years Of Telling Global Black Stories of Excellence, Authenticity and Passion – comes at a time of unprecedented truth-telling, as the African Diaspora demands to be heard amidst far-ranging political and social change. MIPAD will also be highlighting and celebrating five honorees, five organizations and five governments who have distinguished themselves in the advancement of people of African descent worldwide.

Congratulations are in order for all MIPAD honourees for their outstanding contributions and service towards the advancement for people of African Descent worldwide. On Africa Day, May 25th 2023, MIPAD will be hosting another global gathering inside the African Continent for all MIPAD honourees since the inception of the award.

About Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD)

The Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD), is a global civil society initiative in support of the International Decade for People of African Descent, proclaimed by United Nation’s General Assembly resolution 68/237, to be observed from 2015 to 2024. MIPAD identifies high achievers of African descent in public and private sectors from all around the world as a progressive network of relevant actors to join together in the spirit of recognition, justice and development.

MIPAD’s Global Most Influential 100 Publications: 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017