EXECUTIVE BOARD & BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Posso Ganame is a Petroleum Engineer with Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation (OXY) since 2012. He is an expert on data management with a track record of providing quality data management services that have resulted in the reduction of operations cost and increased productivity as the head of his audit team.

Mr Ganame is not just a skilled engineer but also a passionate entrepreneur with strong business acumen who has for over a decade, founded and co-founded several successful businesses in various industries spanning from the financial sector to the automotive and logistics sectors. ​

As the CEO of BG Logistics LLC in May 2018, he received the G7 award which honors Houston's seven (7) Best Entrepreneurs in the U.S., by the Houston International Trade Center. And in June 2019, he received a second award as the Best Burkina Diaspora Businessman.

A young and talented entrepreneur with foresight, Ganame is the President of Texas-West Africa Chamber of Commerce whose vision is to become the premier economic platform between West African Nations and the United States. The Houston-based Chamber of Commerce is open to American and West African firms to increase and strengthen trade ties.

Aboubakar Lougue is an investor, a statistician and a data scientist. He is a Manager of the professional services team at Avalara. He has over nine years of experience in the Oil & Gas Industry with a vast knowledge of the upstream and downstream sectors. He is an expert on excise tax determination and compliance software in the Oil & Gas industry in North America.

Mr. Lougue is a consultant in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence. He is the founder of Daventure, a data consulting company. He enjoys exploring the hidden patterns within big data and transforming them into data-driven decisions. He prides himself in challenging and scrutinizing the myth behind data to arrive at conclusions that bring consensus among strongly opinionated stakeholders. He focuses on model building and predictive analysis.

Lougue was born and raised in a business-oriented family in Burkina Faso in West Africa, where he developed an interest in the business world from childhood and passionately continued on that path until now. In early 2019, he co-founded Texas-West Africa Chamber of Commerce (TWACC) to facilitate Western African integration in Texas and to build the bridge between Texas investors and entrepreneurs and their counterparts in West Africa.

Mr. Lougue is an alumnus of the University of Houston, where he obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information System (MIS) and graduated with the highest distinction conferred by the university, University Honors and Honors in Major. He also earned a Master of Science in Statistics at Texas A&M University, one of the finest universities in the United States that ranks above some ivy-league schools.

Sunny earned his Undergraduate Degree in Mechanical Engineering from India, MS Degree in Industrial Engineering from Mississippi State University and MBA from University of Houston.

In 1989, Sunny founded Sunbelt Medical Corporation, Houston, TX as President & CEO. He also owns a home health company, Medical Tectronics, Inc. Prior to this, Sunny has held several positions at St. Joseph’s Hospital, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Children’s Hospital & Texas Heart Institute, founded Medical Enterprises International and later sold it to Medical Systems Support, Inc. Sunny has been published in healthcare journals and Management Engineering Book. He is a sought-after speaker for many presentations such as, “Building Healthcare” at International Healthcare Conference in Dubai, UAE, and at the 49th Annual ENT Conference in Mumbai, India, he spoke on “Medical Tourism in India – Bringing the Best of East & West”.  Sunny also taught business and management courses at the Houston Community College for many years.

Sunny has many current professional and civic affiliations to include: Co-Founder and Past President of Houston Abu Dhabi Sister City Association; Co-Founder and Board Member of Macy’s Miracle; Founding Member and President of City of Sugar Land’s Legacy Foundation; Founding Member of Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston; Founding Member of Indo American Forum of Fort Bend County; Founding Member of International Associations of Medical Equipment Remarketers; Chairman of the Board of World Chamber of Commerce, Texas; Chairman of the Board of Texas West Africa Chamber of Commerce; Vice-Chairman of Helping A Hero; Board Member of Sister Cities of Houston; Advisory Board Member of India Film Festival; Board Member of Bio Medical Department of San Jacinto Community College.

Sunny served as a Board Member of Houston Mayor’s International Trade & Development Council-Middle East & North America; and Served as Chairman for the Houston Annual Ramadan Dinner. He is Past President of the Greater Houston Hospital Management Systems Society; Served on the board of Houston District Export Council; Served on Supervisory Board of the World Trade Division of Greater Houston Partnership as Past Chairman of the Asia Business Forum, Middle East Committee, and India Business Forum.

He was President of the Fort Bend American Heart Association; Served on Sugar Land’s Mayor’s Multicultural Committee, and leadership committees; he was a Panelist for “Peace between India and Pakistan” sponsored by University of Texas, Dallas, TX; and served as a Member of Advisory Board for Houston Medicine Magazine.

Sunny has many Charitable affiliations. He has been President of various Rotary Clubs and was elected to serve as a Rotary International District Governor for the Houston area. Through Rotary, he has served and worked on various domestic and international service projects in Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Russia, and has donated supplies and medical equipment to Mexico, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Russia, and matching Grant to equip a hospital in Mumbai, India. In Haiti, through Rotary, Sunny led a team and Designed and Developed a “Bio Medical Equipment Repair Training Program”. He was Invited to Speak at Rotary’s “Volunteerism in Healthcare”, in Salvador, Brazil.

As a Rotarian, he has been honored as “Rotarian of the Year”, Rotary’s highest award, “Service Above Self,” “Citation for Meritorious Service.” He has also received “Excellence in International Business Services”, “International Innovator of the Year”, “Fort Bend Humanitarian of the Year Award”; “Outstanding Board Member” of the American Heart Association and “Outstanding Service Award” from Haitian community.

Sunny was Commended by Governor Rick Perry of Texas for Leadership and Charitable Efforts. In honor of Sunny, June 11, 2010 was declared as “Sunny Sharma Day” for humanitarian efforts by Harris County Judge, Mayor of Houston, Fort Bend County Judge, Mayor of Sugar Land and the Mayor of City of Bellaire.

Roger Boissy is an international business consultant, business developer, and a business negotiator and mediator who has helped several companies to achieve their full potential by maximizing opportunities to fulfill their mission and vision. He is the CEO of G.A.P. Consulting, a consulting firm that provides advisory services for companies looking to expand their business across borders. And he has been instrumental in developing a strategic road map for G.A.P. as well as establishing key partnerships for the company.

He previously served as Vice President of Hyland William Consulting Company based in Cleveland Ohio, a global management consulting firm and world leading advisor on International business, export and import, business mediation, key negotiation, strategic connection, diplomatic mediation, and facilitators of communication between governments. He has also served on the boards of several other notable organizations including the JCI, AACC and Give1project. As a global leader, he has been active in promoting global efforts directed towards bilateral trade, commerce, economic development, education and cultural exchange.<

Boissy provides his expertise in public relations, business development and government relations for several organizations in the private and public sectors. He is a political strategist and consultant for many electoral campaigns and a motivational speaker who speaks and writes in French and English fluently.

He has visited many countries, received numerous distinguished awards and has featured on several national and international media outlets.

He studied International Affairs and Political Science at the University of Houston and earned a Master’s Degree in Finance at the Intercontinental University of Fes-Morocco.

Boissy was born in Senegal in West Africa and currently lives in Houston Texas.

Dr. Yinka is an International Business Consultant with over 15 years of industry experience, connecting businesses, mentoring startups, and brokering mutually beneficial relationships among organizations at private and government levels. She graduated from University of Ibadan (UI), Nigeria with a B.Sc. in Geography, and M.Sc. in Geographical and Information Systems (GIS). She later proceeded to the United Kingdom to obtain another M.Sc. in Project Management from Queen Mary University of London.

In 2018, she bagged a doctorate degree from Walden University, Minnesota, USA, where she specialized in Entrepreneurship and Organizational Leadership. Yinka is PRINCE2 Certified and has been privileged to attend several local and international trainings/workshops in the U.S., United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and Nigeria.

Dr. Yinka is the Founder & CEO of Trade Expo Africa (TEXA), a U.S. registered, Houston based company focused on promoting bilateral trade relations, investment opportunities, educational advancements, international collaborations and information exchange between business in the U.S. & Africa. She does this through exhibitions, study trips, B2B Meetings & trade missions. She has received Certificates of Recognition from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, State Representative Shawn Thierry and Mayor of Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turner for her tremendous efforts at promoting trade and investment in Houston.

She is also the Founder & CEO of TEXA Property Group, a Sister Company to Trade Expo Africa, focused on empowering individuals through real estate investments. A result-oriented Realtor with proven sales & marketing experience, Dr. Yinka’s business ethics is centered around a “win-win or no deal.”

She is also the founder of Thomas O. Women Network (TOWN), a not-for-profit organization aimed at connecting, empowering, and celebrating Nigerian women involved in selfless community service.

Her professional strengths are Innovation & Strategic Thinking, Management & Leadership, Brand Management, Sales & Marketing, Project Management, Business Process Improvement, Team Building, Coaching & Motivation.

Romuald Louyindoula Mayamona is the Chief Executive Officer of Kukiaa LLC, a privately held company, headquartered in Houston – Texas, and Johannesburg – South Africa.

With Business management acumen, international professional experiences acquired while working across the world for over 20 years within the Oil & Gas, Engineering and Construction Industries.

Romuald started his career in Congo from 2001 to 2009. He held the positions of Logistics & Services Manager, Operations Manager, then Managing Director for Renco SpA. From 2009 to 2017, he served at Schlumberger as Supply Chain Manager, Central West Africa Procurement & Sourcing Manager, Global Supplier Manager and Change Management & Deployment Manager.

Graduated in Physical Chemistry, from Marien Ngouabi University – in Congo Brazzaville.

Kevin Folly-Kossi is a Senior Oil and Gas Engineer for Hess Corporation and a graduate from Colorado School of Mines in Petroleum Engineering. With over a decade of experience in the energy sector, Kevin has developed extensive skills in field optimization and project management.

As a well-qualified professional in the energy industry, Kevin has gained valuable experience in continuous improvement using lean methodology to establish efficient workflow designed to identify cost savings and production add as a means to the challenges of oil price volatility.

Working for a fortune 500 company has helped Kevin develop the leadership and organizational aptitudes that he uses to positively impact his community. As the President of the Association of Ivorians in Texas-Houston (AIT-Houston) since 2016, Kevin has provided structure and innovation to the Association warranting accolades from the city of Houston and his home country of Ivory-Coast.

Yves Koulidiati is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of SmartPark/SlideX. He is the software architect of all related software applications developed by SmartPark and a creative young man who works relentlessly to achieve his goals.

Yves is an avid reader who has accumulated tremendous software engineering knowledge over the past 15 years. He is passionate about acquiring new knowledge for professional and personal development and lives by the Einstein quote which says “Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.” He does not believe in impossibilities because to him passion is the key to achieving the seemingly impossible.

Yves has worked on projects involving Complex Event Processing in the past, including Machine Learning and 3D Modeling. He is currently working on a prototype “SimMars”-style game-based on NASA Data, which will be a mathematical model of an isolated off-world habitat for the School of Earth and Space Exploration of Arizona State University where he is pursuing a Software Engineering degree.

As a Co-founder of SmartPark/SlideX, Yves has established a partnership with NASA/JSC (Johnson Space Center) to integrate SmartPark/SlideX technology with NASA’s REALM technology in order to improve assets management on the ISS (International Space Station), for the Mars Exploration Program and deep space exploration. The result of this partnership, he believes, will bring about remarkable cutting-edge inventions in the tech sector.

Jane is a powerful change agent in her community. This Houston, Texas native was born to immigrant parents from Nigeria who migrated to the United States for schooling. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University and graduated as the 3rd African American female in Computer Science. Her love for technology led her to further her studies at the University of Houston-Victoria where she bagged a Master’s of Science in Computer Information Systems and became a member of Gamma Beta Phi.  She currently works as independent IT Consultant for D.O.E. subsidiaries across the U.S. implementing Cost and Earned Value Management system and working with Electronic Medical Records systems.

Jane is a former member of the Mayor’s International Trade and Development Council-Africa and she served as the Vice President for Young African Professionals of Houston (AfriPRO-Houston). She also served as the planning chair for the National Association of Health Service Executive’s annual children health event titled Let’s Move.

Jane has been tagged as one of Houston’s next top leaders; she is a graduate of the Houston Black Leadership Institute sponsored by The Greater Houston Black Chamber and was featured in Who’s Who of Black Houston. Jane has a strong passion for empowering others and for culture. Her passion is the driving force behind, Culturally Naija, a group she founded to address the needs of Nigerians in America and embrace Nigerians from all walks of life, regardless of their ethnic and religious backgrounds. Culturally Naija Co-host the annual Nigeria Cultural Parade in Downtown Houston. She is also a member of the African Coalition PAC and serves on the board of the West African Film Festival which brings a more complete and accurate picture of West Africa to Houston through visual media while celebrating the connection between West Africa and African Americans for Black History Month.

Mr. Willy Verbrugghe is the ex-chairman of the city of Houston Mayor International Trade and Development Council for Europe. He also served as the Chairman of the Belgian American Chamber of Commerce of Texas and the Southwest and as Chairman of TransCap, a company that helps young entrepreneurs to take their start-up to the next level. He is also on the board of the World Chamber of Commerce of Texas.

Mr. Verbrugghe worked for seventeen years for Westinghouse building Nuclear Power Plants in Europe and around the world. He was responsible for the transfer of Nuclear Technology to seventeen licenses around the world.  He subsequently ran six companies as President and CEO, all in the Industrial Manufacturing Technology space with more than 200 operations and profit and loss centers in over 180 countries in the world while leading more than 20,000 people in Quality Value Creation. He is now retired but was a serial entrepreneur who established and developed four technology-driven companies until his retirement.

He is highly educated and has three masters’ degrees in the following disciplines: ⦁ Electronics Engineering and Semiconductors. ⦁ Nuclear Sciences, Technology, and Radioprotection. ⦁ Business, Finances, Marketing, and Operations Optimization.

Verbrugghe was born in Belgium; he speaks seven different languages and has lived in five different countries. He is happily married for forty years now to his best friend, and together they have three children who have given them lovely grandkids. Verbrugghe is now Chief Spoiling Officer (CSO) for their nine grandchildren.

Inninwe Gerard Dakouo is a highly-motivated self-starter and a multilingual mid-level Business Development Professional with nine years of experience in deal-making within the natural resources sector, government advisory and operational improvements in international organizations both in the public and private sectors with a keen focus on frontier markets. Inninwe thrives in dynamic environments, seeking to strike win-win deals for the exploration and development of natural resources to improve the lives of fellow Africans and create wealth in the World.

Inninwe is a globetrotter who has gained valuable professional experience from leading multinational organizations including: ⦁ SFA International Inc. ⦁ RVM Energy LLC. ⦁ Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Mali and ⦁ Global Medical Equipment LLC.

He graduated from West Texas A&M, Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business with an MBA; and he holds a BAAS in ATPI from The University of North Texas College of Information.

Inninwe is passionate about Africa and promotes transformational leadership for the continent.

He was born and raised in Mali, West Africa, but Trained in the U.S. He is happily married and a father of two. Inninwe is fluent in French and English and has a working knowledge of Spanish.

Professor Nana K. Asare is an Assistant Professor of Health and Kinesiology/Sports Management at Texas Southern University in Houston where he is a lecturer and researcher in the areas of Sports Law, Ethics and Corruption in Sports, Sports Agency and Negotiations, Athletes and Political Activism as well as International Sports and Sports Tourism.

He is the founder and president of Houston based international sports marketing and management firm Nasare Athletics, Inc. and the technology consulting firm Nasare Technologies. He is also the co-founder of Royal Diaspora Group LLC; a travel and tourism company connecting diasporans to the continent of Africa.

Professor Asare is the Vice Chairman of the Ghana Houston Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Board of Directors for the Ghana Association of Houston. He is a member of the 2018 Small Business Association (SBA) Emerging Leaders CEO Program and a member of the Houston Alumni Association of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Asare holds a Juris Doctor in Law from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University, an MBA in International Business from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY; a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from the College of Physicians & Surgeons at Columbia University in New York and a BS in Biology from Texas Southern University.

Vladimir Sani- Agata is a Business development specialist and a Digital Consultant for N3 LLC and Microsoft. He is a graduate of the Michael Coles Business School (Kennesaw State University) in Georgia. He worked a few years in West Africa at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as a Business Development Specialist.

In West Africa, he led a national entrepreneurship project known as BPC and was the private sector focal point. He contributed as a panelist in a few workshops on Entrepreneurship and Innovation and appeared as a guest on National TV to discuss Innovation and development.

Vladimir is also an independent Insurance Texas-based licensed broker.

Margaret Ellis is a Certified International Speaker, Leadership Trainer, Coach and Consultant. She is an International Influence Coach, an author, a certified marriage coach, a writer and blogger.   She is the Founder of Coaches of Influence Foundation (COIF), CEO/Brand Ambassador of Coaches of Influence (COI), and CEO of CLASSIK Consulting. Before she ventured into the world of entrepreneurship, she has worked for 20+ years in the education, training, retail, banking and financial services industries.

She has nurtured a burning passion to empower, partner and teach people (especially women and youth) how to become ‘a person’ of Influence in both their professional and personal life.  Margaret is committed to helping people find passion and purpose in life and this is achieved through collaboration with organizations and people to help them create new possibilities in their lives through training, coaching, mentoring, speaking and teaching.

Dr. Ellis is a great contributor to human development which shines through her contribution to valuable organizations across the globe.  In addition to serving at different capacities in five non-profit organizations, she also serves as board of advisor for the continent of Africa and an appointed Inter-Faith Peace ambassador for iChange Nations along with her recent appointment as World Civility Ambassador.

She can be described in many ways, however; she is branded as being passionate, driven, nurturing and an ultimate influencer who always seeks opportunities to help others discover and walk in their purpose.

Dr. Ellis was born in The Gambia, West Africa where she was raised and culturally nurtured before her emigration to the United States. She is married with four children.

Mr. AAlpha Balde is a Computer Software Engineer. He specializes in JavaJ2EE, Web Development and Online Marketing.

Alpha Balde is a passionate businessman who has founded several businesses in different niches. His wealth of experience in business development and marketing has led him to become a Business Consultant.

He is also a trader and a trading coach. He has published 5 books on the Currency Exchange Market and one of his books was the Best Seller in its category in 2014.

Alpha Balde is also a leader and community organiser who has lead the Guinean Community in the USA as the President of the Federation of Guinean Communities of America since 2018.