Afoali Ngwakum Akisa

Afoali Ngwakum Akisa is a Montreal-based creative mind, storyteller, and founder of 9:16 Stories, a video production company specializing in emotionally resonant, goal-driven narratives. Inspired by her father’s love for capturing family memories, Afoali turned her passion for storytelling into a thriving career, helping businesses and creators cut through the digital noise with content that connects and drives results.

Her work has delivered measurable impact across industries. Afoali’s expertise helped Swab the World raise over $232,000 through social media campaigns, secured $614,000 in funding for Sayaspora’s mission to empower African women, and supported Juno in raising $300,000 to innovate menstrual health solutions. Known for blending creativity and strategy, Afoali ensures that her clients’ stories resonate and inspire action.

In her workshops, Afoali empowers participants to create engaging content that not only captures attention but delivers real results. By sharing practical techniques, creative insights, and actionable strategies, she equips business owners, marketers, and creators with the tools to stand out in today’s crowded content landscape.

Afoali Ngwakum Akisa

other stakeholders

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Diane Gistal

Diane Gistal is a cultural producer and independent curator of Haitian-French descent, recognized for her dedication to promoting Afro-descendant and African artistic creation. As the founder and director of Nigra Iuventa, she works to amplify the practices of visual artists from these communities. With expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as extensive experience in cultural project management, Diane is a committed leader in Quebec’s cultural sector.Her career has led her to collaborate with prestigious institutions such as the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Phi Foundation, the Goethe-Institut, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Le Livart, and the UNESCO Chair DCMET. Her curatorial practice—at the crossroads of visual arts, literature, and the humanities—delves into the literary, visual, and cinematic representations of the Black Atlantic.

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Moridja Kitenge-Banza

Moridja Kitenge Banza, Chairman of the Board of Culture Montréal and a Canadian artist of Congolese origin born in Kinshasa in 1980, is a graduate of the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Kinshasa, the École des Beaux-Arts de Nantes Métropole and the Université de La Rochelle. Winner of the grand prize at the DAK'ART Biennial in 2010, he was awarded the Prix Sobey in 2020. His work has been presented at the AGO, the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, the National Gallery of Canada, the Phi Foundation and internationally. His work can be found in many public and corporate collections, including BMO, RBC and TD Bank.

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Dejha Carrington

Dejha Carrington is a practitioner and leader in the arts.

In 2017, Dejha co-founded Commissioner, an art membership that helps peoplecollect the work of contemporary artists in their cities. She serves as ExecutiveDirector and has thus far introduced the program in Miami, Detroit, New York,Montreal, Mexico City, and New Orleans.

From 2015 to 2022, Dejha served as Vice President of Strategic Communications for YoungArts, the national foundation forthe advancement of artists. Previously, she led public relations initiatives with Kimball Art Museum, the Medellin Biennial inColombia, and the National Film Board of Canada.

Dejha is a board member of the national performance arts funder MAP Fund in New York, and The Black School, an experimental schoolhouse in New Orleans. She is also a professional advisory member of Miami-Dade Art In Public Places, New York University’s Center for Black Visual Culture, and University of Miami’s Center for Global Black Studies. 

Dejha teaches the Business of Art at New World School of the Arts at Miami-Dade College.

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