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EMMANUEL ONAH
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY INITIATIVE REACH EDMONTON COUNCIL AND CO-FOUNDER AND VICE-PRESIDENT OPERATIONS, AFRICAN CANADIAN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COUNCIL (ACCEC)
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Since joining the Africa Centre in 2017, Onah has sought out opportunities that align with his commitment
to creating safe spaces where every individual, regardless
of background, can 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 com- munity, we can all rise.”
Onah is currently building the Timbuktu Innovation Hub, an African inspired space designed to empower African descent youth through inno- vation, creativity, and entre- preneurship. “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.”
— BREANNA MROCZEK
When Emmanuel Onah arrived in Edmonton from Nigeria
as an international student in 2005, he remembers “one
of the first lessons I learned was that I was 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 integ- rity and uplifting others instilled by his hard-working parents, informed his professional path.
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