Community Highlights: Meet L. Nzingha Samuel of E + Z Enterprises

Today we’d like to introduce you to L. Nzingha Samuel.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have a background in Community Development and Education. I am completely committed to supporting the upliftment of my people, so I wanted to use all of my resources to engage the social, political, racial unrest that plagued Atlanta recently. I was driving in the Village of Stone Mountain and I was frustrated at the standoff that happened at the base of the mountain involving guns which blocked my son and I from being able to walk around the mountain. I was also annoyed that the mountain remains a strong symbol of racism in Atlanta’s history. I reached out to the Mayor of the area and she passed me to Dr. Alan Peterson. I was leaving for Ghana soon after so we decided to reconnect after I returned home.

At the same time as all of this, I was flying back and forth to Kumasi, Ghana every six weeks and building a home with my fiancee who I’ve known there for 19 years, Evans Owusu. Our close friends began to inquire about the home building process and we helped facilitate their land purchase and build as well. The word quickly spread and 15 Atlanta residents have now purchased 20 plots of land in our Community and began building! We started to spread the word and build an intentional micro-community as a pipeline to support healthy relationships and business between here and there. We began hosting tours to Ghana and showcasing the movement that was budding organically between Ghanaians and many of us throughout the Diaspora.

Dr. Alan Peterson and I reconnected between trips and we put together a Sister-City relationship between the city of Stockbridge, GA (where he is currently the Economic Development Director) and the Afigya-Kwabre District in Kumasi, Ghana. This relationship was official in January 2022 and we hope it will further the mission to support cultural and business development initiatives between the two areas.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Honestly, it has been a rather smooth road! Evans and I communicate consistently and honestly throughout the process and we have great relationships on the ground in Ghana with our vendors. We utilize WhatsApp to communicate real-time with our people throughout the Diaspora (now we are spreading beyond Atlanta), and we manage all parts of the process for them. In a perfect world, we would like to open more businesses, launch industries, and promote the wonders of the local environment in Kumasi, but we understand it is a process that requires capital and relationships. The Mayor (DCE) and the Chief of the area in Kumasi are both very supportive of the community, and we are currently working on building a bridge at the entrance. This community is not exclusive to Americans. Your neighbor can be Ghanaian, Ghanain and living abroad, or from anywhere throughout the Diaspora. We think this is the beauty of what we are creating.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
E+Z is a subset of Enjoi Life. E+Z is a family owned community development firm. We have business relationships between Atlanta, Tampa, and throughout Kumasi, Ghana. We facilitate connections throughout the Diaspora with a focus on assisting in the development of Kumasi, Ghana, and creating opportunities for all of us to return home and support the success of Ghana. We would love for more of us to source products from Ghana and continue to provide jobs and career development opportunities for the local artisans there. We would also like to use our collective training and skill sets to work alongside Ghana as strategic partners.

E+Z is founded by myself, a Black woman of Caribbean descent born in Brooklyn, NY. I have lived in Atlanta for the past 20+ years and I have launched several successful businesses in Atlanta, GA. The other side of this business is Evans Owusu, born and raised in Kumasi, Ghana. He has also worked abroad for almost a decade. We met 19 years ago at my godfather’s home in Kumasi, Ghana and we have been close friends ever since. This is a family business steeped in culture, passion, love, and a mission to facilitate healthy communities throughout the Diaspora. We understand the needs and culture on all sides of the water. We have a virtual office in Atlanta, Tampa, and Kumasi, Ghana.

We are most proud of our budding community forming in Kumasi, the success of our tours, and the facilitation of the Sister-City relationship. We have been featured in Essence, Travel Noire, and Black Enterprise and featured on Cheddar TV and we are so grateful the word is starting to spread! E+Z assists those who would like to purchase land and build their home or business with all facets of the process until keys are in hand! We are also now assisting those who have already purchased land in different parts of Ghana but they would like a trusted partner on the ground to assist with modern builds.

Our website is almost complete and we can currently be reached via the site above or by email: ez.starculture@gmail.com.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something very interesting that punctuates this mission includes: My family history reveals we were always free on my paternal grandfather’s side. My uncle traced our migration from North Africa to the Caribbean islands and then to New York. My grandparents were the first generation in our family to come to the Bronx and Harlem and my grandfather was at the forefront of Calypso music gaining popularity during his time. My father’s mother was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. On my mother’s side, we trace back to Ghana to a more somber collective history that many of us know. I am a child of the Diaspora and very proud of my culture on all sides. When I started visiting Ghana almost 20 years ago, I felt at home and completely connected to the land and the people. I would stay for months on end throughout the years.

This project is a part of my life mission and was born inside of me.

Contact Info:

• Email: ez.starculture@gmail.com
• Website: www.enjoilife.co
• E + Z Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eandz_co/
• Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zingha_za33/