When Emmanuel Onah arrived in Edmonton from Nigeria as an international student in 2005, he remembers “one of the first lessons I became aware of what it meant to be Black.” But he also quickly recognized “there were people who were going through hardships, who were struggling in life, and who were not as privileged as I was.” These early life lessons, as well as values of integrity and uplifting others instilled by his hard-working parents, informed his professional path.
After he joined the Africa Centre in 2017, Onah sought out opportunities that aligned with his commitment to creating safe spaces where every individual, regardless of background, could thrive in Edmonton. From creating a no-cost basketball program for youth at the Africa Centre, to a youth entrepreneurship program at the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council, Onah says his goal is “to always build a community where our diversity is not just acknowledged, but celebrated as a source of strength, and to uplift others so that as a community, we can all rise.”
He is currently at director of Community Initiatives at REACH Edmonton and works in areas such as gang prevention and relationship-building,.
Onah is currently building the Timbuktu Innovation Hub, an African inspired space designed to empower African descent youth through innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. “Having access to mentors who can really spend time helping them understand how business works, or what they need to do to be successful in business, is so important.”
This article appears in the Nov/Dec 2024 issue of Edify
