2024 Conference

Speakers in front of a School of Management and All-Africa Student Union backdrop.

Emerge Africa

Ambassador Debrah Hall, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Republic of Ghana, Accra, Ghana

Conference Recap

Students and business leaders from across Africa and the United States gathered for the Emerge Africa conference focused on empowering attendees to rise as changemakers of sustainability, innovation, enterprise and visionary leadership. The event offered participants the chance to engage with distinguished professionals, accomplished business leaders and experienced mentors through keynote addresses, hands-on workshops and practical training sessions.

The conference was a collaborative effort between the UB School of Management, the school’s Center for Leadership and Global Impact and the All-Africa Students Union as part of the school’s 100th anniversary celebration.

Contact Us

Center for Leadership and Global Impact
School of Management
University at Buffalo
UB Downtown Gateway
77 Goodell St., Suite 201
Buffalo, NY 14203

Tel: 716-645-2235
mgt-clgi@buffalo.edu

Meet our team

Conference Agenda

  • Business Analytics - Led by Ananth Iyer, dean of the UB School of Management, this session explored the role of analytics in driving business efficiency and innovation in Africa. Outcomes included a framework for integrating advanced analytics into business strategies to harness the continent's digital potential.
  • Business of Climate Change - Dalia Antonia Caraballo Muller, associate professor of history and Dorothy Siaw-Asamoah, clinical professor of organization and human resources and faculty director of the Center for Leadership and Global Impact in the UB School of Management, guided participants through the complexities of balancing economic growth with environmental conservation, aiming to identify innovative business models that can contribute to climate action. 
  • Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership - Scott Alan Hepford, CEO of Well Cell Global, led a discourse on the interconnectivity of these elements and their collective impact on organizational success. The session explored the nexus between entrepreneurship and leadership in fostering a culture of innovation. This session yielded a set of principles for nurturing entrepreneurial leadership that can steer African economies towards new frontiers of growth.
  • Social Impact of Management - Facilitated by Aditya Vedantam, associate professor of operations management and strategy in the UB School of Management, and Joshua Yindenaba Abor, professor of finance and former dean of the University of Ghana Business School, this session covers how management education and practices can be reoriented to address social challenges. Key outcomes included actionable strategies for integrating social responsibility into management curricula and corporate practice.

Welcome Address
Peter Kwasi Kodjie
Secretary General, All-Africa Students Union (AASU)

Opening Remarks
Dorothy Siaw-Asamoah
Clinical Associate Professor of Organization and Human Resources
Faculty Director, Center for Leadership and Global Impact
UB School of Management

First Keynote
Ananth Iyer
Dean
UB School of Management

Address by Director for Africa Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional
Integration, Republic of Ghana (TBC)

Second Keynote Speech
Scott Alan Hepford
CEO, Well Cell Global

Traditional Dance

Address by Special Guest
Louisa Atta-Agyemang
Deputy Chief Executive, National Health Insurance Authority

Keynote Speech - Guest of Honor
Matthew Opoku Prempeh
Minister for Energy, Republic of Ghana

Vote of Thanks
Jemilatu Mamshie Bawa
Chief Operating Officer, All-Africa Students Union

MC:
Bismark Amefianu
Chief Technical Officer, All-Africa Students Union

World Café Sessions

Plenary Session (Outputs of World Café Sessions)

Facilitators:
Dorothy Siaw-Asamoah
Clinical Associate Professor of Organization and Human Resources
Faculty Director, Center for Leadership and Global Impact
UB School of Management

Peter Kwasi Kodjie
Secretary General, All-Africa Students Union

Second Keynote Speech
Ananth Iyer
Dean, School of Management, University at Buffalo

Closing Remarks
Dorothy Siaw-Asamoah
Clinical Associate Professor of Organization and Human Resources Faculty Director, Center for Leadership and Global Impact
UB School of Management

Table 1 – Business Analytics
Ananth Iyer
Dean, UB School of Management

Table 2 – The Business of Climate Change
Dalia Antonia Caraballo Muller
Associate Professor, UB College of Arts and Sciences

Dorothy Siaw-Asamoah
Clinical Associate Professor of Organization and Human Resources
Faculty Director, Center for Leadership and Global Impact
UB School of Management

Table 3 – Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership
Scott Alan Hepford
CEO, Well Cell Global

Table 4 – Social Impact of Management
Aditya Vedantam
Associate Professor of Operations Management, UB School of Management

Joshua Yindenaba Abor
Professor of Finance and former Dean, University of Ghana Business School