ABOUT UBUNTU MKE
I am because you are.
A philosophy rooted in oneness, humanity, interconnectivity, and shared success
Ubuntu MKE is the first Wisconsin-based cross-cultural incubator lab designed to build a more inclusive, diverse and equitable food community
We will do so by curating, connecting, developing and elevating the talents of underrepresented groups from the African diaspora, particularly LGBTQ+, women and refugees.
Ubuntu MKE will collaborate with local African communities and organizations to support, highlight and elevate talent, concepts, businesses and events that showcase the richness and diversity of African culture and its diaspora.
Ubuntu will forge collaborations, pursue inter-cultural outreach and connectivity for joint projects, joint programming with other ethnic and cultural groups to create communal dinners, joint community projects and mutually beneficial cross-cultural experiences.
By forging connections between the local African community and the social and economic actors in Wisconsin and beyond, Ubuntu MKE will drive sustainable, equitable impact while bridging the gaps created by social and cultural stereotypes and perceptions.
Initiatives through which Ubuntu will accomplish its goals include:
Curating compelling events and inclusive food-based experiences
Designing and offering culturally sensitive educational opportunities
Providing coaching and mentorship programs
Creating the State's first PanAfrican & Global Flavor Lab
Ultimately, Ubuntu MKE aims to position itself as the premiere cross-cultural incubator, connector, curator and accelerator of future talents and concepts related to Africa and its diaspora.
UBUNTU FOUNDER
yollande tchouapi
Ubuntu Founder Yollande Tchouapi is an accomplished Senior Corporate Executive, distinguished Harvard and Wharton trained professor of business and sociologist with experience in food manufacturing, Healthcare Systems, Buildings Sustainability and hospitality in Wisconsin and overseas.
As an established thought leader and ambassador in the African Community, Yollande is passionate about enacting change and supporting success among underrepresented food entrepreneurs and talents in hospitality.
Yollande believes that by incubating and elevating more ethnic concepts, the State of Wisconsin will accelerate its potential as a destination for tourism, business and economic growth.
The Ubuntu MKE philosophy is a game-changing tool that aims to highlight, elevate and increase access and availability to the food culture of Africa and its diaspora on both local and national levels.
