Phoenix Global’s CEO Larisa Miller Discusses Working With Akon In Senegal
Last August, Krista Larson of the AP reported that Grammy Nominated artists Akon would be moving ahead with his plans to create a futuristic pan-African city, and construction for the $6 billion project would begin in 2021 despite the uncertain future of world tourism.
Akon initially announced the idea for a real utopian city back in 2018. He has also been on the record comparing it to “Wakanda,” from Black Panther.
Akon also talked about the project employing Senegalese while also being a “home back home” for African Americans and others who have been victims of racial injustice.
“The system back home treats them unfairly in so many different ways that you can never imagine. And they only go through it because they feel that there is no other way,” he said.
“So if you’re coming from America or Europe or elsewhere in the diaspora and you feel that you want to visit Africa, we want Senegal to be your first stop.”
Someone, who has the opportunity to work with Akon throughout this process has been Phoenix Global CEO, Larisa Miller.
Phoenix Global is a consulting and business development firm that is a subdivision of Phoenix Global Purveyors. They have worked with companies in the sustainable food and beverage industry around the world.
I recently sat down with Miller and asked how the opportunity to work with Akon came about.
“Akon represents a mind that can see well beyond where we are now in our current environmental challenges that we have economically, socially, and environmentally. He is thinking, well ahead of our time and works with sustainability at the heart of everything that he does. I met him several years ago with Akon Lighting Africa when I was working with the royal family in Abu Dhabi,” said Miller.
“He traveled with the foundation that I was the head of for them. We came together for Akon Lighting in Africa and the foundation of the United Arab Emirates. We have traveled to several African countries where Akon would install solar street lights in the communities and schools where energy poverty is a big challenge in some rural, regional areas in Africa. And that simple act of donating light allows society as a whole to reimagine its future.”
She would continue, “I was very fortunate enough to be a part of that journey with him in several places. He came an contributed in on of the refugee camps in Jordan truly in collaboration in the fact that we are all global citizens and that we have a responsibility to uplift and empower one another. Now, Akon is building a large smart city in Senegal and there will be others. “
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