The phrase “Africa to the world” can serve as a wake-up call to those sleeping on what the continent has to offer. Some of the world’s brightest minds come from Africa. Still, the lack of mainstream visibility and connections creates barriers to opportunities, which is why Ronnie Kwesi Coleman’s mission is to keep African talent from having their skills overlooked.

In 2019, the Ghanaian tech innovator co-founded Meaningful Gigs, a D.C.-based startup that connects highly skilled African designers with top companies and enterprises such as Starbucks, IDEO, Bloomberg, and Meta. Coleman’s efforts to create the marketplace are linked to filling the staggering gap in African countries’ income classes.

“The thought was how do we create jobs and build a thriving middle class in Africa. And then our vision was to create 100,000 skilled jobs,” Coleman told AfroTech.

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Coleman spoke with us about connecting with African designers, building the Meaningful Gigs community, and the road to the platform’s vision by 2028.

Editorial note: Portions of this interview have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Skills

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