Travis Tokar

Special Guest Blog Post written by Stela Jaqueta   In today’s fast-changing world, Africa’s role in global supply chains is at a tipping point. For too long, the continent has been viewed primarily as a source of raw materials rather than as a strategic partner in value creation. But what if we reimagined everything, from policies and technologies to mindsets and sustainability practices, through an Africa-centered lens? In this blog post, I explore five questions that challenge conventional supply chain thinking. From redefining Africa’s place at the global negotiation table, to elevating cultural intelligence from “soft skill” to strategic necessity, to designing climate-restorative logistics and embracing the digital revolution in a way that includes youth-led and informal businesses, each question is a call to rethink, redesign, and re-center. 1. What would a truly Africa-centered global supply chain look like? A truly Africa-centered global supply chain would shift from a model of extraction to one of empowerment and value creation. It would prioritize investment in local manufacturing, infrastructure, and knowledge transfer, ensuring that raw materials sourced from Africa are processed, packaged, and innovated on the continent. African-led businesses are seen as power players, with a voice and authority at the negotiation…

Get ready to increase your supply chain IQ! We’re looking back on the latest episodes, interviews, conversations, and livestreams from this week right here. On Monday, we released 2 new episodes! In this episode of Digital Transformers,hosts Kevin L. Jackson and Scott Luton learn about the power of the IBM cloud ecosystem from Brian Fallon, Vice President of Global Sales for the IBM Partner Ecosystem. On This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner dives into the rise of Warren Buffet, the completion of the transcontinental railroad, some interesting business birthdays, & the invention of the tubeless tire. On Tuesday, we released 2 new episodes! On this episode of Supply Chain Now, Gugulethu Hughes, Founder of Clinch, joins our hosts Scott and Greg to share the number one challenge for the startup economy in Africa, why corporate social responsibility programs are falling short in eliminating child labor, & more. On TECHquila Sunrise, host Greg White welcomed stealthy startup co-founder and Venture Partner at Kubera Venture Capital, Sena Zorlu, to look into the minds of investors, revealing what makes them tick and how founders can communicate clearly with them. On Wednesday, we released an episode in our Reverse Logistics Series in collaboration…