Startup Story
For those businesses and organizations looking to expand onto the African continent and in need of strategic and organisational support, Farafina Consulting, founded by Adama Ndjol Kouyaté, is there with the right advice. Her specialist consulting expertise is also helping to grow a new generation of business leaders on the African continent and globally.
LoA learned more about this niche and growing business from founder Adama Ndjol Kouyaté.
Tell us about yourself
I am Adama N. Kouyaté, a strategic advisor, transformational leadership coach and a storyteller. I am the founder and principal of both AnKOR Advisors and Farafina Consulting, two management consulting agencies respectively based in New York and Morocco that facilitate the expansion of philanthropic organizations and companies on the African continent. I hold a Master of Public Administration from New York University, a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Bernard M. Baruch College, a Coaching Certification from Team Coaching International, California, and a Ph.D. candidate in international business management at the International School of Management (ISM) in Paris, France.
“My inspiration came from a strong desire to share from lived experience, ignite mindset shifts directly in clients, indirectly in their beneficiaries, and bring creativity and structure all through one agency.”
What does your company do?
Farafina Consulting is an agency based in Morocco, specializing in management consulting services for private companies and philanthropic organizations. We support our clients in the areas of business development, transformational and leadership coaching, brand storytelling and curated well-being events for personal expansion. Leveraging on the founder, and expert partners’ cultural adroitness, language skills, strong understanding of local markets, political frameworks, and business culture, as well as their extensive network and expertise, Farafina Consulting is the right partner in supporting companies and organizations expand on the African continent as well as strengthen their business structure and make personal expansion one of the pillars of their organizational culture. Our aim is to get the client organized and operate with ease so that their focus is on their vision and expansion. On the management consulting front, we develop business strategy, conduct risk assessment, set up seamless operational infrastructures (Administration, Finance, IT, Operation processes) and carry out program implementations. As a Transformational and Leadership Coach, I work on enabling self-actualization. Because a good story is good business, we work with brands to help them tell impactful stories.
What inspired you to start your company?
My inspiration came from a strong desire to share from lived experience, ignite mindset shifts directly in clients, indirectly in their beneficiaries, and bring creativity and structure all through one agency.
“Service has always been part of my DNA, but there has always been an entrepreneurial flame in me that pushed for me to branch out on my own. That flame never left me.”
Why should anyone use your service or product?
The offerings from Farafina Consulting are unique because we are able to execute all projects exquisitely, with rigor, and heart. We are not your typical management consulting agency; we combine creativity with structure seamlessly. We are all about Africa, and the word Farafina actually comes from the Mandigo language spoken in The Republic of Guinea (West-Africa) and it literally means Africa. We ensure that in our delivery we encompass the depth, beauty and wealth that the continent offers. We understand local context, we speak several African languages as well as English, Arabic and French, which facilitates business deals. Contributing to a constructive narrative change through mindset shift and high standard project execution are key for us.
Tell us a little about your team
I am extremely lucky to be surrounded by brilliant minds, gorgeous human beings inside out. They are experts in their fields, and we trust each other fully. Our collaboration on different projects is fun, insightful, and always brings another level of mutual growth. Our aim is to satisfy the client while leaving a footprint that is memorable and impactful.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
Come with me and let’s embark on a voyage that took me from a corporate life to becoming an entrepreneur. It all started in Conakry, The Republic of Guinea, where I was born into a Mandingo family. Mandingos in my part of the world are known to be traders. However, my father did not follow that path, he was a military officer, also held high level political positions in the country. My mother is part Malagasy and Guinean, followed the traditional path of most women of her time, and started her career as a civil servant. Later she got involved in politics. My maternal grandfather was a combatant, he fought the second world war and met my grandmother in Madagascar. My grandmother was a house-maker. Nothing destined me to become an entrepreneur aside from my lineage to the Mandingo group renowned for being exceptional traders.
I moved to America, New York, to be more precise at a young age for my studies and later started my professional life in corporate working for philanthropic organizations with programs on the continent. Service has always been part of my DNA, but there has always been an entrepreneurial flame in me that pushed for me to branch out on my own. That flame never left me. I started with AnKOR Advisors a management consulting agency in New York as a way to test the waters. In 2018, the flame turned into a huge internal fire burning my soul and I couldn’t deny the entrepreneurial fiber in me anymore, I jumped and answered the calling of my heart. I decided to move back to the continent, registered Farafina consulting in Morocco, this time, I did things slightly differently. I combined my love for service, my management consulting skills, my storytelling abilities, and flair for curating well-being events for personal expansion into one entity. I bring creativity and structure into clients’ lives and share from lived experience. This is how both AnKOR Advisors and Farafina Consulting were born. Voilà!
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
The aim is to keep growing our clientele, and to have a large base of international and national entities benefit from our different offerings. As we enter the post COVID-19 period, we are looking to expand not only our management consulting services but put an emphasis on exporting our Leadership and Transformational Coaching service along with curated personal expansion events to corporations in the five regions of the continent and internationally.
“As we enter the post COVID-19 period, we are looking to expand not only our management consulting services but put an emphasis on exporting our Leadership and Transformational Coaching service along with curated personal expansion events to corporations in the five regions of the continent and internationally.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Knowing that my expertise and lived experiences bring ease and tailored solutions to clients allowing them to focus on what matters most, warms my heart and gives me tremendous joy. I am moved by the power of guidance, words, expansion, structure and creativity and how these elements can easily improve and change lives as well as businesses. On a personal level, having the freedom to co-create my life, and not be bound to someone else’s imposed structure are delightful.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Do not dim your light and do stay out of your own way. There is a reason why your desire to start your own business was planted in your heart and soul - YOU can do it! Start with clarifying the reason WHY you want to do this specific business (make sure that making money is not the sole driver) because when the going gets tough and it will, you will have to fall back on your “why” to fill your cup and keep going with grace and determination. Remember that you can always improve, but it is essential to start first and the way will become clearer. As the saying goes “start weaving and the universe will give you the threads.” Do not let perfectionism steal your joy of acting on your desire to provide solutions that will impact and change lives. Have faith, there is always a way!
Contact or follow Farafina Consulting
WEBSITE | EMAIL akouyate@gmail.com
Why LoA loves it….
At Lionesses of Africa, we always love seeing women entrepreneurs who have a big vision and a global ambition, taking the best of Africa to the world. Adama Ndjol Kouyaté is one such founder, bringing her management consulting services to her growing global client base to the five regions of the continent and internationally. Her focus on Leadership and Transformational Coaching means that Adama is able to help grow the next generation of leaders that the continent and the world needs. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa