Meet Akua Obeng-Akrofi of Women Everywhere Believe (WEBelieve) in Metro Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Akua Obeng-Akrofi.

Akua, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a fusion of two cultures that exist in perfect balance with one another. The language spoken in my home, my favorite foods such as Banku & Okra and Jollof rice, and the fire Afrobeats playlist on my phone all speak to my birthplace and home, Ghana. Yet with that, my slang, my “accent” they say I have when I travel up North, and my other trap playlist speaks to the city that raised me, Atlanta. I went to the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta growing up and for me, that is where a lot of my story started.

Being at the Boys and Girls Club, I was exposed to a number of experiences I don’t believe I would have gotten otherwise. I had mentors and people to educate me on potential paths for my future. I was introduced to sports, playing both tennis and running events. I witnessed the power of the black community first hand and the beauty of its unity. Now that I look back, I realize that all of these smaller experiences manifested themselves in a larger form. I realized my love for mentorship and passion to advance the black community which led me to co-found my non-profit WEBelieve. I was introduced to the concept of an Ivy League institution and from then, proclaimed I would attend one, graduating from Columbia University. Lastly, having someone tell me that I was talented in track planted the seed that I needed to actively develop that talent— through high school, college, and beyond.

I believe that words hold great power and that at every stage of my life so far, all it took was a word or an idea to ignite something larger.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t believe that anyone has a smooth road, even if their story is absent of the struggles that we consider to be “major”. My journey has not been an easy one, but I know that every roadblock that I encountered along the way served to teach me lessons that could be paid forward. Being raised as a part of an immigrant household is a challenge in and of itself. Our parents are figuring it out as they go and as a result, so are we. Many of the struggles I faced came from having to learn something the hard way because there wasn’t the guidance to get it easier. When it came to track, the struggle was a mental one. Anybody who runs will tell you that track is 90% mental and 10% physical. Being able to build mental toughness despite what my body was telling me, what competition looked like, or even what past results showed was something I had to be intentional about practicing each day. Through this, I am now able to apply this lesson of mental toughness to all aspects of my life, withstanding any bump in the road that may come.

We’d love to hear more about your organization.
My passions, which have ultimately led me to what I do now is two-fold, yet they meet at a nice intersection.

I am the Co-founder and EVP of a non-profit organization called Women Everywhere Believe, Inc. (WEBelieve). WEBelieve serves to train the next generation of civic and corporate women leaders while centering the voices of women of color. What is evident is that there is a leadership gap that exists in the workforce today and when we assess the number of women who hold leadership positions in both private and public sectors, the numbers are staggering. These statistics are even more striking when looking at women of color. At the root level, this can be attributed to the lack of leadership development programs that are available to young girls of color. By mobilizing college students, WEBelieve partners with middle schools in under-resourced communities to deliver an interdisciplinary curriculum focusing on leadership development. WEBelieve currently has over 20 chapters across eight states and is the fastest growing leadership pipeline of its kind.

In addition to WEBelieve, I spend a large portion of my days training and competing as a track athlete representing the Ghana National Team. My main events are the 200m and 400m. After experiencing the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of a relay team, I told myself that I would be back, and this time for an individual event. Right now, I’m training for the 2020 Olympics that will be held in Tokyo. Running for Ghana has allowed my to compete on an international and elite stage in places such as South Africa, Australia, London, and Brasil. I’ve had the opportunity to expand my network, experience different cultures and learn new perspectives. I believe running on an elite and professional level is much more than money and fame, but it’s a chance to create representation and be a face that children who aspire to pursue athletics can look to— especially the ones in Ghana and across Africa.

One thing that remains consistent in whatever I do is this: my actions are driven by the mission to create pathways and opportunities for black people. Simply put.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was much like who I am today. I was very active and outgoing, outspoken, and curious about everything. I have only one brother and I’ve admired him since I was young, so naturally I tried to be like him and followed him everywhere. It’s safe to say that I was a tomboy. I’ve always had a competitive nature, welcoming all challenges and worked to be the best. Outside of that, my parents instilled the importance of education in us very early on and supported my curiosity for learning. I was the kid who was checking out eight books from the library, only to be done with them and ready to check out eight more within the span of a week. I have always loved art in all mediums and that was embraced in my family. When I wanted to learn how to sew, my parents got me a sewing machine. When they learned I could draw, they bought me drawing notepads and supplies. Having that freedom to tap into my creativity has carried and translated into my interests today. I have grown a lot, but some things, I’d say the best things never change.

Contact Info:

• Website: womeneverywherebelieve.org
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @akuaobengakrofi; @webelieve.inc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/webelieve.nyc/

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