Champions for Diversity & Inclusion Awards 2024: Linda Ogbah Faas doubles memberships at African Chamber of Commerce
Reported in St. Louis Business Journal
Linda Ogbah Faas has been an integral part of the African Chamber of Commerce in St. Louis for four years, serving as its president for the past two years. In her role as president, Ogbah Faas has increased the chamber's membership list from 300 to more than 600 members and increased active paying memberships by 60% in the past year alone.
In addition, she has advanced the Chamber's partnerships with Greater St. Louis, local banks, nonprofits, schools, businesses, and the World Trade Center St. Louis, where she recently organized and hosted a reception for African delegates from Rwanda and Kenya.
Outside of work, Ogbah Faas has published multiple books, participates in half-marathons, served in the U.S. Navy for seven years, and is currently serving with the Army National Guard.
What personal accomplishment in the past two years has helped advance DEI at your company/organization? My position as the president of the African Chamber of Commerce St. Louis enabled me to create opportunities for African-based St. Louisans to connect with like-minded business owners in the region for opportunities to grow their businesses and/or advance in their professional careers. Some of those include: multi-ethnic chamber mixers; a trade mission to Kenya, scheduled for October 2024; quarterly business women brunch; monthly education series to provide resources; increased membership list from 300 to more than 600 and increased active paying memberships by 60% in the past year.
What are the biggest challenges you face when incorporating DEI in your organization? The biggest challenge that we face in the African Chamber of Commerce is opportunities to receive contracts and/or higher paying jobs due to our limited experience here in America, or our strong accents, or maybe not knowing many of the right people. We are all working hard to open doors and break down barriers on our own, without the influence, support and background of more prominent and well-known key figures in our respective industries. This is very limiting and challenging for our members.
What do you hope to conquer next in regard to DEI work? For diversity, equity and inclusion in our city, I hope to ensure African-owned businesses and professionals are given the opportunity to thrive in their respective fields rather than being sidelined due to our country of origin. I hope to bring more awareness to the incredible work that some of our members already do in the business community. I hope to bring more of our African business leaders on to panel discussions and board positions that allow us to show our diverse and multiple talents within the region.
What advice would you give to other business leaders to boost and sustain DEI within their organizations and in the community? To actively and intentionally be inclusive. Many organizations strive to be inclusive of other diverse backgrounds, however when we approach them, restrictions and limitations tend to hinder some of the progress that we work toward. If restrictions are the reasons for the lack of inclusivity, we could work with these organizations for other nontraditional avenues to increase and improve diversity, equity and inclusion. Such as a temporary position, non-structured contracts or agreements, and collaboration on other events or activities that portray diversification. There is a plethora of ways that diversity, equity and inclusion could be implemented into an organization or business’s schedule.
DEI, as a term, has become politicized. Has that changed how you do your work or make it more difficult? We have always worked on being inclusive in all the work that we do, mainly because Africa is not just one place, it’s one giant place with 54 other one places. In our community, we cannot focus only on one country without recognizing the other countries. As a major African organization that focuses on the business community, we cannot focus on just one of the nations, we have to incorporate all. I like to say that I represent all of Africa. With this approach, diversity, equity and inclusion and its newer referrals in the workplace has given the African Chamber of Commerce another opportunity to advocate for Africans in our business and professional community. It didn’t make it more difficult because we have always been diverse and inclusive in Africa and among our respective African communities everywhere in the world. However, it encouraged us to be more intentional in collaborating with and requesting to partner with other cultures.
More about Linda Ogbah Faas
Title: President, African Chamber of Commerce
Age: 41
Education: Associate of Arts, Coastline Community College; Bachelor of Arts, MBA & Master of Science, all from University of Maryland, University College; Doctor of Business Administration, Walden University
Family: Son, Zachery Ezem Faas, age 13; son, Zeal Obim Faas, age 10.
