S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 | 1 7 A T H L E T I C S The COVID-19 pandemic shined light on the importance of people from different places and backgrounds working together to solve problems. For Michael Tahiru ’22, it created an opportunity to form a club that did just that. In his first year at Lehigh, Tahiru dreamed of starting a club geared toward creating opportunities to give back and improve development on his native African continent. When the pandemic struck and most were forced to press pause on their daily lives, Tahiru, a member of Lehigh’s men’s soccer team, felt the timing was perfect. He founded and became president of the Lehigh Africa Business Club. “As an athlete, you get the opportunity to incorporate yourself into the campus community quite easily,” says Tahiru. “However, for the normal African student on campus, it can be difficult to make friends from different parts of the world, so I was thinking about a platform that could enrich the experience of Africans on campus and non-Africans as well, to learn about each other and learn about business on the African continent and around the world.” An Africana Studies class helped Tahiru begin thinking about the club, but he specifically wanted to incorporate business in Africa into Lehigh’s College of Business. Business and economics, he says, are good ways to bring people together. “Business is a language that everyone understands, regardless of your background, race or ethnicity,” Tahiru says. Now with more than 50 members, and events open to all, the club meets once a month in a hybrid format. They host a speaker series and organize fireside chats with business leaders where they discuss everything from technology to the supply chain. “We bring people and companies on board, who can provide internships for students,” says Tahiru. “We also bring leaders who talk about policy all over the world. So all these leaders from Africa, America and Europe are able to engage each other, compare their ideas, connect with each other and create networking opportunities. Students can use that platformto also gain some ideas, ask questions and build their networks.” Tahiru is hoping their main event, the Lehigh Africa Business Club Annual Conference, which will be held for the second year this spring, grows to become one of the first conferences people think about in America and world-renowned. In partnership with the Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation and companies around the world, the club is also starting a venture competition, which Tahiru says is bringing numerous institutional and individual investors on board. “This new competition will give entrepreneurs from the African continent and companies (from early-stage startup to medium-sized businesses) the opportunity to pitch their ideas through a year-round process.” The club has essentially turned into a full-time job as Tahiru says he has been traveling to Africa and working with business leaders and governments across the continent. Separately, he has started a business, a venture capital company conducting business throughout the African continent, in his home country of Ghana. Tahiru’s work ethic—and success—does not come as a surprise to Lehigh’s men’s soccer coach, Dean Koski. With the way Tahiru spoke and carried himself during a recruiting visit to Lehigh, Koski believed that the finance major would also make an impact in the campus community. “I had no idea how or when,” Koski says. “I just knew he had some special qualities that would exceed what he was capable of achieving on the soccer field.” One of the more memorable moments for Koski was when Tahiru introduced him to a rear admiral for the Ghanian Navy. Koski was impressed, to say the least. “Of course, Michael just smiled humbly,” Koski says. “In a nutshell, that’s who Michael is—a humble leader, an entrepreneur, a teammate and someone who has the ability to change his community and his nation. … I continue to be amazed, impressed and in awe of his ability to connect with so many different business leaders in the U.S. and Africa.” Tahiru’s focus isn’t on himself, though. He says it’s all about helping others. “I’ve grown in knowing that success in life is not just about myself, but also giving back to other people. In this case, creating a platform where people can learn about Africa, get internships [and more],” Tahiru says. “Impacting other people’s lives has been a really, really transcendent experience.”—Justin Lafleur Africa Business Club Creates Connections Lehigh soccer’s Michael Tahiru ’22 is also making an impact off the field by creating the Lehigh Africa Business Club. C H R I S T A N E U / H A N N A H A L LY
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