Award recipients of The Africa Center Studio: Women's Creative Exchange Fund
As part of our recently-completed Women's Creative Exchange virtual workshop series, we selected three participants to recieve a grant of USD2,000 towards their businesses. The selected winners were part of an exceptional pool of applications, and had submissions that best reflected the goals of this initiative. Grantees include:
1.Jolie Den
Jolie Den was founded by Mantjita & Fatoumata, two Malian girls born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, with a deep love for their culture and hometown. Jolie Den is a brand inspired by the nostalgia of Malian pop culture, brought to life in modern fashion. A culmination of bold New York City street style and vibrant West African culture, Jolie Den aims to platform the new wave of Malian creativity and artistry from the diaspora.
Mantjita earned her B.S. in Earth & Environmental Engineering from the Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science at Columbia University. She currently works in the civil engineering industry managing construction projects. She is committed to advancing sustainable design within the built environment, particularly in underserved urban communities around the world.
Fatoumata earned her B.A. in African Studies from Yale College. She currently works at Roc Nation in Partnership Marketing, assisting in the execution of brand deals across the label’s roster. She is committed to elevating African voices within media and entertainment, ensuring that stories from the continent and its diaspora are authentically represented and celebrated.
2. Nmadiuto James
Nmadiuto James is the founder and managing partner of NOJ Treats, where she advocates for women's health by making organic and nutritious food products accessible and affordable across Africa. She is a story gatherer passionate about building communities and creating for social good. For over a decade, she has worked across media, technology, non-profit, and hospitality sectors, with storytelling and engagement at the center of her work. Her approach blends creativity and empathy, using stories to connect people, ideas, and impact. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Berea College, Kentucky, USA.
3. Kayrafet
Laganéh Fade- Cofounder of Kayrafet was born and raised in the Bronx and is of Malian and Senegalese heritage. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in African Development Studies from New York University and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and African International Relations at the African Institute in Sharjah, UAE. Her studies focus on Africa’s global engagement and development as she hopes to work on international policy that highlights African leadership and intelligence. She is also a devoted wife and mother to a beautiful 1 year old.
Fatima Dioumassy- Cofounder of Kayrafet was born in the Bronx and raised in Senegal, and is of Senegalese and Mauritanian heritage. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the City College of New York and currently works in the nonprofit sector in New York City, supporting educational access for underrepresented and vulnerable communities. She hopes to use her education and experience to create a career-readiness program for young students in Senegal.
Kayrafet:
Laganéh & Fatima founded Kayrafet from a deep love and passion to be able to bridge the two worlds that cultivated in a strong love and appreciation for preserving Senegalese traditions of beauty and culture. Beginning from vending at local community events amongst friends and at college campus events, Kayrafet always had affordability and community in mind when engaging with their buyers. Today, our brand is still about building community for the diaspora, not just by highlighting jewelry that reflects senegalese heritage, but pieces that invoke feelings of nostalgia for those in the diaspora. Through Kayrafet, we are also intentionally stepping into the African creative and economic space, gradually investing our time, labor, and creativity back home in ways that feel genuine and sustainable to us. We want our kayrafet girlies to feel as though they carry pieces of home with them, even if they haven’t been to their home countries in a few years or at all! Through nostalgic photo shoots, reenacting vintage Soninke music videos, and celebrating independence days of West African countries in different photo shoots, we always find a way to make our community feel beautiful in addition to feeling connected to their roots.
