Meet Our Visionary Speakers
Step into the world of our esteemed speakers and discover their remarkable journeys, accomplishments, and insights.
Linda Foinding
Founder of Amazingly Africa
IT Professional at Brown University
Meet Linda, a community leader, inspiring speaker, and IT professional at Brown University's Office of Information Technology.
As the Founder of Amazingly Africa, she is dedicated to empowering young African Americans and individuals from the African Diaspora to thrive in the technology industry. Linda's mission is to promote digital inclusion, inspire transformative leadership, and address United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
4 - Quality Education, 5 - Gender Equality, 8 - Decent Work and 10 - Economic Growth, and Reduced Inequalities.
Linda's influence extends beyond her professional endeavors. She serves as Chair of the Volunteer Committee on Brown University's President's Staff Advisory Council and has held leadership positions in esteemed organizations like U.S. Funds for UNICEF and the Pan African Diasporan Youth Association (PADYA). Linda's commitment to fostering dialogue between Africa and its Diaspora is evident through her captivating podcast, Umoja Sessions, where she shares inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and facilitates thought-provoking roundtable discussions on socio-cultural topics.
Olympic Figure Skater, Entrepreneur
Representation Ambassador
Maé-Bérénice Méité
In September 1999, Maé-Bérénice took her first steps on the ice in Vitry-sur-Seine. Since then, she has had the opportunity to contribute to France's global reach on the most prestigious competitive stages, including Worlds & the Olympics. At the same time, she pursued a dual project, which allowed her to obtain a master's degree in management and marketing with a specialization in business development in June 2021. Skating represents much more than a sport: it is an opportunity to convey important messages, to be an example of representation, and to use her growing notoriety to support societal causes that are important to her.
Freddy Coleman
Assistant VP at Mizuho Financial Group for IT Strategy and Digital Innovation Group
CEO of GhanaMade
Prior to his current position at Mizuho, Freddy enjoyed a career in technology consulting for Accenture and, EY where he advised premier banking institutions.
He is also the Founder and CEO of GhanaMade, a cultural digital media company with a footprint in New York, London, and Accra.
Freddy serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Lehigh University and was a former executive board member for Region 1 Professionals of the National Society of Black Engineers. His sustainability work includes promoting and supporting black higher education efforts with a focus on the African student community in the US and from his ancestral country of Ghana. He graduated with masters in engineering and bachelors in business from Lehigh University and an MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology.
Dr. Oludurotimi Adetunji
Associate Dean of the College for Undergraduate Research at Brown University
Executive Producer of @Sci_Toons
Dr. Oludurotimi Adetunji is the Associate Dean of the College for Undergraduate Research and Inclusive Science and an adjunct assistant professor of physics at Brown University. Prior to Brown, Dr. Adetunji was Assistant Dean for Natural and Mathematical Sciences and principal investigator on National Science Foundation grants at The Ohio State University, and a physical scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC.
Dr. Adetunji oversees Brown’s Undergraduate Research Office and advises students including STEM-intending concentrators, and leads the Brown University Science Cartoons (SciToons) program.
Dr. Adetunji is a member of the leadership team of the Advancing Research Impact in Society and he chairs the Ivy Plus Undergraduate Research Group, and serves as co-advisor for Brown University SACNAS Chapter.
Dr. Adetunji has presented broadly at over 60 national and international conferences. He received two BS degrees from Fisk in Physics and Computer Science and his PhD in Condensed Matter Physics is from The Ohio State University. He holds an MLE Certificate from the Institute for Management and Leadership Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Kimberly-Ann Francis
Director of Engineer at Acushnet Company
MIT Alumna
Hailing from Roxbury, Massachusetts, Mrs Kimberly-Ann Francis proudly emerged from the halls of Canton High School and further honed her skills at MIT, earning a Bachelor's of Science in EECS. Her insatiable appetite for knowledge led her to Georgia Tech, where she achieved a Master of Science in EE.
With over four decades immersed in the engineering and engineering management realms, she lent her expertise to industry giants Exxon, Polaroid, and Acushnet.
Today, she stands retired alongside her partner in adventure, enjoying golfing, gardening, and sailing.
Beyond her engineering journey, she has devoted over 15 years to Our Sister's School in New Bedford, MA. Volunteering as a STEM educator and co-coaching a robotics team, she finds profound fulfillment in guiding the next generation.
As she set sails into the future, her grand plans feature navigating the waters on her 39 ft catamaran, "BUBISTA II". Embracing the digital horizon, she is dedicated to sharing her tales on social media, and passionately advocating for causes dear to her hearts.