NEWS

Invest Africa US board member and author, Riva Levinson's book, Choosing the Hero receives INDIES Book of the Year Awards nod. 

Choosing the Hero, My Improbable Journey and the Rise of Africa’s First Women President

Silver Medalist, Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), Finalist, Forward Reviews INDIES Book of the Year Awards

The rise of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to become the president of Liberia and the first woman elected to lead an African nation is one of the most inspiring stories of our time. But Sirleaf could not have done it alone. Among the people who worked tirelessly to help her achieve her victory was Washington, D.C.-based international consultant and lobbyist K. Riva Levinson. CHOOSING THE HERO is Levinson's compelling account of her life and career, and how she joined forces with Sirleaf to fight for a cause bigger than either of them.

With gripping anecdotes, Levinson describes her adventures working in some of the most dangerous places on earth from Mogadishu to Baghdad. But it is her efforts on behalf of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that form the heart of CHOOSING THE HERO. Levinson chronicles her behind-the-scenes lobbying for the exiled Sirleaf in Washington, D.C. as well as her on-the-ground work in Liberia. It took three tries for Sirleaf to finally win the presidency in 2005. Since her inauguration, President Sirleaf, who won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, has transformed her war-ravaged country into one of the world's post-conflict success stories.

CHOOSING THE HERO can be read on many levels. It is an exciting narrative about Sirleaf's struggle to create a future for Liberia. It's a bird's-eye view of the inner workings of the lobbying and public relations business in Washington, D.C. and the making of U.S. foreign policy. But most of all, it is Riva Levinson's personal story of how she found a hero, fought for a worthy cause, and in the process, discovered her soul.

EVENTS

INVEST AFRICA US LAUNCH EVENT - New York City, March 2017

Invest Africa US launched the organization with an inaugural board meeting, followed by a cocktail party to celebrate the occasion and introduce potential new members to Invest Africa US.

The Invest Africa US Board of Directors are a dynamic group that includes Vice Chair, Rosa Whitaker, Mikael Andren, Tom Barry, Mohammed Dewji, Amadou Gallo Fall, and Michael Wilkerson, among other finance and investor power houses and Africa experts.

Board Chair, Paul Hinks and CEO of Symbion Power led the meeting and hosted the private reception afterwards at The Marmara NYC.  The highlight of the night was a live performance by the incredible, multi-talented Rakiem Walker Project, in residence at Red Rooster Harlem. 

Invest Africa events are selective, intimate gatherings that provide its members with an opportunity to engage and network with their peers.