Hi, I'm Akinyi.
Me in short:
By upbringing, I’m a globalist. By training, I’m a political scientist. By choice, I am a creative — a writer, media strategist, and policy consultant passionate about driving the development of emerging markets. I care deeply about innovation and opportunity in Africa, and making the case for more sustainable trade and investment across the continent.
My background:
I am an MSc candidate at the London School of Economics, where I study how dynamics of globalization shape the behavior of individuals, communities and corporations in emerging markets. I hold a BA with distinction in Political Science (Concentration: International Development) and African Studies from Yale University. Following my time at Yale, I was a Princeton in Africa Fellow.
I write and speak regularly about business, culture, and politics in Africa as well as on diversity and women's issues. In the past, I've written and blogged for think tanks like the Center for American Progress, CIAM-Public Health Research and Development Centre, and WellDone, as well as media outlets such as NPR, Quartz, Slate, Roads and Kingdoms, Harvard Africa Policy Journal, She Leads Africa, Fields Magazine, Bella Naija, and more. I'm also a contributor for OkayAfrica, the largest digital platform for contemporary African culture and politics, and was a founding team member and Executive Editor at Ayiba Magazine, where I highlighted the creativity of Africa and its diaspora through innovation, technology and design.
The fun stuff:
I also love to cook. The newest addition to this site is Jikoni (Swahili for "kitchen"), my love letter to the foods and flavors of Africa and its diaspora. Growing up, food in my home was a vibrant pan-African fusion with unique combinations like supakanja (okra stew) and ugali (an East African maize-based side dish similar to polenta). Over time, my pan-African outlook extended from the kitchen to the classroom to the workplace. Jikoni is part celebration of Africa's history and cuisine, part exercise in cultural anthropology as I sleuth through the origins of many of these dishes. I'm an amateur chef, so there will be a lot of trial and error, but hopefully a lot of learning and a great deal of fun.
Check out my Twitter for things I find interesting, or my LinkedIn to learn more about my professional life.