By Tihut Tamrat, Contributing Writer
Born in Montreal, Canada and raised in Cote d’Ivoire, Johanne Gnagne, CEO and Founder of Klaman & Co, heads a company with a brand aimed at showcasing the broadness of African culture. With Klaman & Co, Gnagne envisions “a platform to involve all Africans that were born on the continent, as well as the whole diaspora regardless [of] where they are from.” Gnagne is on a mission to introduce the African experience to adults and youth alike, bring local African organizations together, and to encourage entrepreneurship in the younger generations.
Klaman in the Akan language means “beauty” or “sophistication”, the very reason Gnagne named the organization as she did, “to carry the beauty of Africa,” she says.
Growing up in Cote d’Ivoire molded her into the woman she is today, Gnagne says. Her multicultural background and extensive professional expertise in Project Management led her to identify a significant industry gap—an absence of authentic experiences reflecting the true essence of African cultural richness. Her mission with Klaman & Co is to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of African culture by connecting people of all backgrounds through authentic experiences. Experiences include but are not limited to, cultural events, education, African artwork, textiles, and other curated products.
“The idea is to use our culture and our identity, not ignoring where we are from and who we are, but to use it [to become] great entrepreneurs,” states Gnagne.
Gnagne tailors her events to create exposure to African countries attendees normally wouldn’t experience and get to know. “People can’t just travel there easily, but when you attend an event you meet with people, you try the food, you have stories to tell, and you have a whole vibe you can enjoy,” Gnagne emphasizes.
As a current Project Manager for the Clinical Services and Financial Affairs for UC San Diego Health Sciences International Department, Gnagne develops, implements, monitors, and manages projects with UCSD partners. Applying similar skills to her platform, Gnagne is working on launching the nonprofit side of Klaman & Co in the next year.
Gnagne aims for the launch to center around entrepreneurship and mentorship, focused on amplifying cultural representation efforts with the younger generation. “The idea would be to work on capacity building and coach youth and young adults into mentorship for 2025,” states Gnagne.
“The environment has so much influence on the mindset,” reflects Gnage, “Everybody should have an entrepreneur mindset whether they intend to have a business or not. It makes day-to-day life easier. How to connect with people, the importance of connecting with people, relationship building, a network, the importance of acquired knowledge, the importance of knowing that the sky is the limit and you can do anything regardless of your skin color. My main goal is how I can impact the younger generation.”
Gnagne’s inspiration arose from wanting to show the beauty and rich culture of Africa. Working with like-minded individuals, organizations, and businesses to amplify cultural representation, she believes, will in turn uplift Africa’s infrastructure with tourism.
But this started from “our parent’s generation”, says Gnagne. “They came here as refugees, not all of them had an education. Our moms were taught how to cook and do things with their hands, but as they moved here they never really had the mentorship or coaching to sell what they have and make it as an income.”
“Our idea is to be the platform where we can be the providers of catering restaurants, performers, artists, painters, and everything that is around the African continent, as a way to promote what they do and for bigger platforms to find out about them as well. We want to bring all the elements together.”
The goal for Klaman & Co is not to be another organization in San Diego but to be a platform where African organizations in San Diego can all come together and have one strong voice.
“It has been challenging trying to contact African organizations that want to be a part of something bigger than themselves in San Diego,” explains Gnagne, “As Africans of African descent, we’ve come to this country and we were taught a lot of things. ‘Oh, because you are Black you are not going to pass this limit’. [Or]‘Because of the language barrier’.”
“If you are able to make a difference, people will not care about your skin color,” Gnagne says, “Only [your] own limitations will limit [you].”
Gnagne is hoping that with Klaman & Co’s Annual Africa Vibe Festival, African organizations around San Diego can come together to bring the spirit of Africa to life.
“I don’t believe in working in silence. You may have a vision but you cannot execute a vision yourself. I cannot pretend to know other cultures. It’s about how we can work with different organizations and different groups from the theme, the music, the artwork, the vendors. At the end of the day when people come to an event their perception changes about Africa. That’s all we can hope for.”
