DIASPORA 
STARS

London’s fashion circuit is crowded with talent. Very few designers, however, are building a brand that is as politically conscious as it is aesthetically bold. Tolu Coker is not just designing clothes; she is constructing a cultural conversation. A British-Nigerian creative based in London, Coker graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2017 with First Class Honours, a distinction that immediately positioned her as one to watch. Before launching her eponymous label, she sharp

Influencers are everywhere. Industry shapers are rare. Jackie Aina belongs firmly in the second category. Born in Los Angeles to an African-American mother and a Nigerian father of Yoruba descent, she did not just enter the beauty space,she disrupted it. What began as YouTube tutorials evolved into a sustained campaign that forced global cosmetic brands to confront their blind spots. Her path was anything but conventional. After two years in college, Aina joined the United St

Richard Ayodeji Ikhide stands out as one of the most intellectually grounded voices among Nigerian artists in the diaspora today. London-based but firmly rooted in his Nigerian heritage, Ikhide’s practice sits at the intersection of ancestry, imagination, and global cultural memory. His recent solo exhibition, Cosmic Memory , presented by Steve Turner, marks a significant milestone: his first exhibition in the United States and a clear statement of his evolving artistic visio

Martins Isoken Imhangbe’s rise in global entertainment is a story defined by persistence, craft, and quiet excellence. Born on July 7, 1991, and originally from Edo State, Nigeria, Imhangbe has emerged as one of the most respected British-Nigerian actors of his generation, successfully bridging the worlds of elite theatre and mainstream international television. Imhangbe’s early life reflects the layered identity common to many in the African diaspora. He spent part of his ch

Djimon Hounsou’s story is not a polished Hollywood fairytale; it is a hard, global journey shaped by survival, talent, and persistence. Born in Cotonou, Benin, Hounsou left home as a teenager for France, where life dealt him a brutal hand, homelessness, dropped schooling, and uncertainty. What followed was not luck, but resilience. A chance encounter in Paris led him into modelling under legendary designer Thierry Mugler, opening doors that eventually carried him to the Unite

At just 18 years old, Ethan Nwaneri is already rewriting the rules of modern football. Born in North London to an Igbo Nigerian father and an English-French mother, Nwaneri has quickly become one of the most talked-about young talents in Europe. His rise has not only captured attention in England but has also sparked pride across the Nigerian diaspora, who now watch his every move with the kind of excitement usually reserved for established superstars. Nwaneri’s journey began

Temi Coker is a Nigerian-born multidisciplinary artist whose career reflects the realities, risks, and rewards of building a creative business in the global diaspora. Born and raised in Lagos, Coker relocated to the United States in 2004, a move that would later shape both his artistic voice and professional trajectory. Initially guided toward a traditional academic path, Coker studied biomedical engineering after high school, largely to meet parental expectations tied to mig

Noel Robinson, better known online as Noel Goes Crazy, is one of the rare social media stars who built an international audience from a simple idea: dance in public, surprise strangers, and make the world smile. Born on May 14, 1996, in Germany, the dancer has become a global phenomenon thanks to his viral TikTok videos, where he reveals his afro from under a hood and instantly launches into energetic choreography. With over 43 million followers on TikTok and 11 million on In

Tade Oyerinde has emerged as one of the most influential voices shaping the future of education technology in the global diaspora space. As the founder and chancellor of Campus, an online higher-education institution, Oyerinde is challenging long-standing assumptions about who education is for, how it should be delivered, and what outcomes truly matter in a rapidly changing economy. Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt alongside fellow startup founder Teddy Solomon, Oyerinde offere