On July 12th, a group of 25 entrepreneurs from 20 African countries visited Goizueta Business School as part of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). It was the tenth time that YALI fellows have visited Goizueta.
YALI aims to empower young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentorship, networking, and follow-up support. The initiative was created through a partnership between Nelson Mandela and President Barack Obama in 2010. Currently, approximately 700 YALI fellows selected from more than 50,000 applicants spend six weeks in the U.S. each year. During the visit, the fellows study one of three academic tracks: business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, or public management. The 25 YALI fellows who visited Goizueta operate in a number of industries, including sustainability, media, technology, agriculture, and cosmetics.
During their time in Atlanta, the fellows are hosted by Clark Atlanta University, and as part of their time in the city spend a day at Goizueta. Benn Konsynski, George S. Craft Professor of Information Systems & Operations Management, coordinates the fellows’ time at Goizueta. Their visit included a full slate of academic sessions with a combination of Goizueta faculty, alumni, and industry experts. After comments from Kristy Towry, John M. & Lucy Cook Chaired Professor of Accounting and Vice Dean of Faculty and Research, and Alicia Sierra, director, Human Resources and Diversity, the sessions began.
Engaging with Experts: Exploring AI, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation
First up was a discussion about artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of work, featuring a team from Microsoft. Bo Beaudion, director, transformation strategy, Microsoft, and Azim Manjee, senior account technology strategist, Microsoft, discussed the fundamental priorities shaping the AI transformation and introduced the fellows to Copilot, Microsoft’s workplace AI tool.
After the fellows spent lunch connecting with Towry, the guest speakers, and Konsynski, the fellows participated in multiple afternoon sessions. The first was “Revving Up Success: Entrepreneurship in the African Automotive Industry.” It featured Vinod Kadadi 12MBA, consulting partner, Automotive, Wipro Limited. Kadadi examined the role Africa plays in the automotive industry—as a consumer, supplier, and innovator. The session also touched on the evolution of propulsion systems and the opportunities such advances present to entrepreneurs in Africa.
Vinod Kadadi’s son,Tejas Kadadi, presented the following session on plastics and the environment. A high school senior at the Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Kadadi is also an entrepreneur. He is the founder of ReycloTech, an app that uses interactive AI to inform the public on how best to recycle and repurpose plastics. He also serves as the lead developer at Fund-A-Box, a company that aspires to connect farmers and plant-growers with donors. Kadadi focused on the transformative potential of generative AI in marketing, product innovation, technology strategy, and the labor market. “The YALI fellows engaged with and offered suggestions on Kadadi’s initiatives,” notes Konsynski.
The session that rounded out the day featured Rajiv Garg, associate professor of information systems and operations management. Garg shared insights on how generative AI is transforming industries. “The YALI fellows were engaged from the beginning and eager to expand the boundaries of learning by discussing the social and policy implications of AI innovation,” Garg says.
Learning from Industry Leaders Across Atlanta
The following week, Konsynski joined the fellows at Clark Atlanta University to discuss disruptive technologies. The fellows also spent time at Microsoft’s and IBM’s Atlanta headquarters during their time in Atlanta. While at IBM, Goizueta alum, Deepa Krishnan 06MBA, vice president of Worldwide Delivery Services, IBM Software, led a discussion on IBM’s cloud and AI initiatives.
Konsynski spent several days with the YALI fellows during their time in Atlanta. He describes them as “a bright, creative, energetic and fun group,” adding, “they return home with a great impression of Goizueta.”
To learn more about YALI, visit https://yali.state.gov/
Goizueta Business School is proud to be an active participant in a variety of organizations and initiatives that support and promote diversity in business and higher education. Learn more about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives at Goizueta.
