The Green Threads of Memory — Leadership Lessons from the African Kitchen

Last week, I had the honor of being featured on CNN Inside Africa as a green business. The spotlight was humbling, but what mattered most was what it reflected: years of choosing the harder path—sourcing from smallholder farmers, reducing waste, and treating memory itself as an ingredient.

With Climate Week unfolding in New York, I’m reminded that the work of sustainability is not new. African kitchens have long practiced the rhythms that the world now calls “climate solutions.” They teach us that real change is rarely spectacular—it is steady, persistent, and deeply relational.

Leadership Lessons from the African Kitchen

1. Pace beats panic.
Urgency is necessary; panic is not. The African kitchen teaches us to slow down—ferment, preserve, let flavors develop. Leaders too must resist the rush for quick wins and instead build systems that endure.

2. Value at origin matters.
Every choice—whether buying cassava from a neighbor or sourcing cocoa fairly—shapes livelihoods. In leadership, investing in value at origin means empowering those closest to the work, not just those at the top.

3. Waste less, honor labor.
From nose-to-tail cooking to leaf-to-root meals, African kitchens model circular economies. Leaders can learn to maximize resources, respect labor, and design organizations where nothing is discarded too quickly.

4. Memory is a guide.
Climate Week is about futures, but progress also requires memory. Remembering where we come from—our histories, communities, and foodways—grounds us in principles strong enough to carry forward.

A Call to Leaders

As we gather for Climate Week, the question is not only about policies and pledges. It is also about practice. What small, steady choices will you make to ensure your leadership nourishes rather than depletes?

👉🏾To bring these lessons into your boardroom or leadership summit, book me here.

🎥 Watch the highlights from my CNN Inside Africa feature here.