Sunday, August 23rd at 2 pm PST: Join us as we welcome back Jacqueline Ngo Mpii Founder/CEO of @Littleafricatravel in conversation with Robin Bates, founder of @Maisonnoireamericaine to discuss Afro-Parisian culture, Little Africa's social impact mission, and her new project/Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign which includes the creation of a Paris exhibition space and artist residency for African diaspora artists from around the world.

You can learn more about and support Little Africa's Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign here.

Born in Cameroon and raised in France, Jacqueline NGO MPII is the Founder and CEO of Little Africa, a multi-faceted French company dedicated to elevating all things AFRO and AFRICAN in Paris and beyond;  The main mission of the company is  to help individuals, associations and businesses connect with the best of African culture in Paris and beyond. This mission is accomplished through Little Africa’s digital media content, custom tours, publishing and experiences focused on African culture in Paris and around the world.

In 2016, Jacqueline published the City Guide- Africa In Paris, the first guidebook highlighting Afro-Parisian culture under her Little Africa Editions publishing house. She wears many hats:  cultural ambassador, curator, author, publisher and philanthropist. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed.  Jacqueline has garnered the attention of publications spanning the globe and was featured in Huffington Post as one of the three Travel Entrepreneurs to follow, and Paris Vogue’s feature “How to travel to Africa without leaving Paris?” and most recently, Jacqueline was nominated among the 10 Black startup founders in Europe to watch in 2020 and beyond by EU-Startups.com, the leading online magazine about startups in Europe.

As a result of her tireless efforts, Jacqueline has become the go-to cultural ambassador and promoter of the unlimited creative and entrepreneurial talent of the African diaspora in the City of Lights.  Presently, Jacqueline is embarking on an exciting new crowdfunding campaign “Little Africa 2.0: A Parisian Village” which will fund the creation of a new cultural/exhibition space and concept store in the heart of the La Goutte d’Or neighborhood in Paris.

Robin has dedicated over 20 years to highlighting the Black Diaspora in France. Robin studied French language and culture at the Université de Paris, Sorbonne and returned to her native San Francisco with the vision to bring Paris’ Black culture to the forefront. In 1998, Bates launched the award-winning, Café de la Soul * Your Black Paris Portal, the first website to highlight the African American community in Paris.

Bates began her foray into Black Paris tourism in 2000 and has since continued to lead annual African American heritage-themed tours to France. In 2008 Bates published her travel guide “Soul on the Seine, Your HIP Guide to Black Paris”, based on recommendations researched and shared via Café de la Soul over the years.

In 2013, Bates expanded upon the concept of Café de la Soul to create Maison Noire Américaine, a more comprehensive organization and resource with an additional focus on fostering friendship and a deeper sense of community between diverse French, African American & Afro-Francophone cultures.

In addition to her ongoing commitment to connecting and championing the Black Diaspora in America and France, Bates is an avid supporter of increasing African American student participation in study abroad programs. Bates resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her two children.