Pan-African media company Face2Face Africa is proud to announce the honorees for its prestigious pan-African achievement awards, The FACE LIST. The signature event of the annual Pan-African Weekend, the FACE List Awards honor pioneers and trailblazers in business, leadership, sports, entertainment, technology, health, and non-profit sectors who have contributed toward the progress and development of the pan-African community.
Just as in previous editions, this year’s honorees are a group of inspirational heroes with uniquely fascinating stories to tell.
RELATED: Pan-African Weekend: Meet the 2015 Young Africans Committed to Excellence
Meet the 2015 Honorees:
Ashish J. Thakkar
Founder/Managing Director
Mara Group/Mara Foundation
Entrepreneur Award
Ashish J. Thakkar escaped the Rwandan Genocide and established his first business at the age of 15 with a $5,000 loan. From its genesis as a small IT business in Uganda, Thakkar’s Mara Group has grown into a globally recognized multi-sector conglomerate that has earned him the title of Africa’s youngest billionaire.
Founders
Sophie’s Voice Foundation
Humanitarian Award
Actors and power couple Boris and Nicole founded Sophie’s Voice Foundation in honor of their daughter Sophie who was diagnosed with spina bifida at birth. Today, Sophie’s Voice has become a leading organization that supports global health and wellness initiatives in multicultural communities and educates families on the importance of building healthful lifestyles worldwide.
Fumbi Chima
Chief Information Officer
Wal-Mart Asia
Trailblazer Award
Fumbi Chima has had to break through the thickest of glass ceilings to rise to the upper echelons of corporate America as the Chief Information Officer at Walmart Asia. In doing so, Chima has cleared a path for young women of color in technology and business.
NBA Vice President and Managing Director for Africa
Leadership Award
Senegalese native, Amadou Gallo Fall, is leading the NBA’s efforts to grow the game and build the NBA business in Africa. He oversees the NBA’s grassroots basketball development initiatives and its partnerships with marketing, media and consumer product companies.
Mimi Plange
Fashion Designer
Fashion Award
When she graduated from University of California with a degree in Architecture, Ghanaian born Mimi Plange had no idea she would emerge one of the most important and successful African fashion designers of today, garnering attention from notable personalities including First Lady Michelle Obama, Rihanna, and others.
Donna Katzin
Founding Executive Director
Shared Interest
Ubuntu Award for Service
Donna Katzin founded Shared Interest in 1994 to provide opportunities for South Africa’s lowest income communities of color post apartheid. Since its inception in 1994, Shared Interest has helped to create more than 180,000 new small and micro-enterprises, 1.9 million jobs, and 120,000 affordable homes – benefiting more than 2.2 million economically marginalized South Africans.
Executive Director
West Harlem Group Assistance (WHGA)
Community Development Award
As Executive Director of the West Harlem Group Assistance (WHGA), Donad C. Notice leverages public and private support to develop affordable housing for Harlem residents. WHGA, though Notice’s leadership, has positively impacted African communities in Harlem by providing access to the social support and resources needed, especially as new immigrants.
These vignettes capture the extraordinary journeys and commitments of Face2Face Africa’s 2015 honorees.
The FACE LIST Awards Dinner
Date: Saturday, July 11
Venue: ESPACE Ballroom
Address: 645 West 42nd Street, NY, NY
The awards dinner will be held on Saturday, July 11th, at the luxurious ESPACE Ballroom in Manhattan, N.Y. Pre-reception/Red Carpet will commence at 6:30 p.m. promptly followed by dinner and the awards show. Guests will enjoy a night filled with camaraderie and entertainment, and an opportunity to hear our honorees’ journeys in their own words.
The Pan-African Weekend is generously sponsored by Guinness, Brussels Airlines, and Giants of Africa.Tickets, Group Registration, and Advertising are available. For more information, visit www.panafricanweekend.com/tickets, e-mail info@f2fafrica.com, or call 888-505-1299.
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