African Diaspora Network

The African Diaspora network or ADN is a Silicon Valley-based nonprofit organization founded in 2010 to mobilize the intellectual, financial, and social capital of Africans and friends of Africa.^[1] Based in Santa Clara, California, ADN convenes diaspora leaders, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists to advance sustainable development across Africa and within Black communities.^[1] Its largest programs include the African Diaspora Investment Symposium^[2] (ADIS), Builders of Africa's Future,^[3] and Accelerating Black Leadership and Entrepreneurship (ABLE).^[4]

Their founder, Almaz Negash is a distinguished leader in Silicon Valley and the founder of the African Diaspora Network (ADN).^[5] She was appointed as one of the 12 founding members of President Biden's Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States.^[6] Negash has cultivated impactful collaborations with Fortune 500 corporations, universities, investors, and entrepreneurs. As both CEO and founder of ADN, she supports efforts to connect and empower Africans in the Diaspora.^[5]

The African Diaspora Network plays an important role in organizing the African Diaspora Investment Symposium^[7] or ADIS, which is a prominent forum for advancing diaspora-driven development. Hosted in Silicon Valley and Washington DC, the symposium^[8] highlights the creativity and entrepreneurial energy of Africans in the diaspora and their partners all over the world.

Through the Builders of Africa's Future^[9] the African Diaspora Network focuses on highlighting innovative startups making meaningful contributions across sectors such as healthcare, education, energy, and agriculture. Since its launching, the program has supported a wide range of African enterprises by offering business development training, mentorship, and access to influential networks.^[10]

The ADN has launched its third group of participants in the Accelerating Black Leadership and Entrepreneurship (ABLE) program.^[11] This program is designed to strengthen Black-owned businesses, deliver mentorship, training, and networking support across the United States, aiming to promote economic empowerment and entrepreneurial growth. The latest cohort features ventures spanning diverse industries, including education, healthcare, finance, renewable energy, and digital infrastructure.

The African Diaspora Innovation Fund is a program designed to unlock philanthropic capital and channel it into Africa's innovation ecosystem.^[12] It specifically targets African and African-descendant changemakers who face systemic barriers such as limited access to startup capital, high youth unemployment, and infrastructure gaps.^[13] It is a collaboration between the ADN and Myriad USA, combining diaspora leadership with philanthropic expertise.^[14] Entrepreneurs can receive up to $25,000 in funding to scale their solutions, it mostly addresses poverty alleviation, civic participation, education, healthcare, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.^[15]

The organization has brought together educators, policymakers, and diaspora leaders to strengthen academic opportunities and cultural exchange, most notably through initiatives such as the All-African Diaspora Education Summit, which brings together hundreds of educators to reimagine curricula and promote African supremacy and self-determination in education.^[16] These efforts emphasize STEM education, college readiness, and cultural inclusion, helping first generation African and immigrant students transition successfully from high school to college and careers.^[17]