HMG Welcomes Most Powerful Women in Africa to Tennessee

Former President of the Republic of Malawi, Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda, sits with President Obama during a Africa trade conference.

February 15, 2015 – It was a rare artic evening when representatives of the African diaspora community sat at the table to discuss the arrival of Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda into middle Tennessee. “The truth is incontrovertible. I’m grateful for African Legacies Foundation’s continued support and I look forward to the developing relationship with the African Union’s African Diaspora Health Initiative” stated Hoshana Management Group President Danavan Hylton.

In coordination with African Legacies Foundation, the African Union African Health Diaspora Initiative (AU-ADHI) Chairman Dr. Arikana Chihombori, M.D., hosted a private business meeting at her estate to discuss the itinerary of the fundraising dinner and silent auction for the Joyce Banda Foundation. Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda served as the President of the Republic of Malawi from 2012 to 2014. She is Malawi’s first female president and Africa’s second. Voted as Africa’s most powerful women by Forbes Magazine for two years running and voted as one of the most powerful women in the world. Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda is a champion for the rights of women, children, the disabled, and other marginalized groups.

From front-left to right:
HMG Presdient Danavan Hylton, HMG Managing Partner Malikah Hylton, AU-ADHI Chairman Dr. Arikana Chihombori, M.D., Panafest Executive Director Kwame Ahima, and Justine Ahima, Panafest event coordinator discuss itinerary for the 2015 Joyce Banda Foundation Dinner and Silent Auction.

The Joyce Banda Foundation (www.joycebandafoundation.com) holds offices in both Limbe, Malawi and Washington, DC and offer solutions and initiatives in the area of empowerment of Malawi women, primary and secondary education, orphan centers, youth sports and village transformation. “As a professional women that is a minority, it is an honor as well as inspiring to work with and listen to Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda”, stated Hoshana Management Group’s managing partner Malikah Hylton.

The vision of the African Diaspora Health Initiative is to develop a healthy and prosperous Africa, free of the heavy burden of disease, disability and premature deaths.  AU-ADHI representatives at the meeting included Chairman Dr. Arikana Chihombori who is also the CEO and Founder of Bell Family Medical Centers, and Dr. Nii Saban Quao who is a native of Ghana and a Doctor of Medicine and a Master in Public Health from Yale University. To reach their partnership goal, AU-ADHI and the Panafest Executive Director Kwame Ahima came together to host the dinner in honor of the Joyce Banda Foundation. Panafest is an annual middle Tennessee African cultural festival that allows the New American African community of middle Tennessee to engage with one another, as well as introduce middle Tennessee residents to the African culture.  Kwame Ahima is a native of Ghana and is a music professor at Vanderbilt University.

HMG President Danavan Hylton is scheduled to officially welcome Her Excellency to the state of Tennessee during the dinner and speak on the beautification of Tennessee. “I’m excited to apply action with words and speak from the heart about this great state,” explained Danavan, “Our goal for this project is to attract strategic partners and build funding opportunities for the Joyce Banda Foundation.” HMG’s words of Tennessee will stand genuine as the minority owned business development consulting firm has arranged meetings with decision makers of the Nashville International Business Office in an effort to support Nashville’s international trade alliance. HMG has also scheduled engagements for Her Excellency with Tennessee State University’s Africana Studies department and local media outlets.

In 2014, through African Legacies Foundation, HMG had the privilege to manage the schedule of Panafest’s guest speaker Ndlieka Mandela who is the first daughter to Nelson Mandela’s first son. While in middle Tennessee, Ms. Mandela was introduced to the World Trade Council of Middle Tennessee, Metro Nashville’s Human Relations Commission, and shook hands with the President of Fisk University, Dr. H. James Williams to name a few. Ms. Mandela spent her time in middle Tennessee raising funds for the Thembekile Mandela Foundation, a South Africa nonprofit organization that creates health and education programs for disadvantaged communities in South Africa. The foundation is named after Ndlieka Mandela’s late father, who is also Nelson Mandela’s first son. The fundraising dinner and silent auction will be held Saturday, February 28^th from 4p-8p at the Africa House located in Gallatin, Tennessee. If you are open to attending the fundraising dinner and silent auction, please click here.

Ndlikea Mandela serves as the guest speaker for 2014 Panafest Nashville.

HMG Attends Job Fair Workshop

“We are preparing to take what we do to the next level and attending this job fair training better ensures we reach our objective”, said A Better Nation President, Malikah Hylton. A Better Nation’s senior management team attended the 4 hour workshop to better recruit employers for job fairs. The workshop was held May 6th at the office of HUGGS, Inc., a nonprofit organization that helps ex-offenders become productive citizens. “The workshop was very informative”, said ABN Vice President Chanera Blackwell. The workshop was taught by State of Tennessee Department of Corrections Rehabilitative and Risk Reduction Manager, Emily O’ Mailey-Laursen. 

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The workshop included training in areas such as pitching to decision makers, informing employers of the benefits of hiring ex-offenders, and keeping in contact with employers. There were over ten participants at the workshop and each participant received a certificate of completion for completing a 4 hour training session in sales and communication. The certificates were signed by HUGGS President, Sherri Jackson and OWDS Specialist Emily Maliey-Laursen. 

Hoshana Management Group President Danavan Hylton also attended the workshop as his project management firm works directly with A Better Nation to organize ABN’s job fairs. “The workshop was real enlightening” said Danavan Hylton “from the tax credits employers would receive to government bonds employees are eligible for; yes very enlightening.” A Better Nation is set to complete their second job fair June 13th as they have partnered with District 19 Council Member and HUD to celebrate Father’s Day at J.C. Napier Housing Place.

From Left to Right:

Malikah Hylton, President of A Better Nation, Inc. Sherri Jackson, President of HUGGS Inc., Emily O’ Malley-Laursen, Career Development Manager of the State of Tennessee Department of Correction’s Rehabilitative Services Office of Risk Reduction Services, and Chanera Blackwell, Vice President of A Better Nation, Inc.

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