The Diaspora Academy is a diaspora intelligence, strategy, and leadership development firm. We work with diaspora leaders, institutions, and organizations who are ready to move from intention to measurable action. If you’ve been waiting for a space that takes diaspora expertise seriously, you found it.
Diaspora communities invest billions in time, talent, and treasure across borders every year. The infrastructure to support that investment has lagged behind.
The Diaspora Academy was built to close that gap. We are a diaspora intelligence and strategy firm that develops the frameworks, programs, and advisory systems that diaspora leaders and the institutions that engage them actually need. We work across three lanes: consulting for organizations and institutions, leadership development for individual diaspora changemakers, and advisory for leaders who need tailored strategy.
Our work is grounded in one conviction: diasporas are not a peripheral demographic. They are a primary driver of cross-border development, policy influence, and community transformation. We build the spaces and systems that make that influence measurable.
Our mission is to give diaspora leaders and the institutions that engage them the strategy, frameworks, and operational tools they need to produce measurable outcomes. We build the infrastructure for diaspora investment — across financial capital, advocacy, development, and cultural leadership — so that diaspora communities can lead with authority at every scale.
We envision a world where diaspora communities operate with the strategic infrastructure that matches the scale of their investment. Where diaspora intelligence informs policy. Where diaspora leaders hold seats at every table that shapes international development, migration, and economic growth. TDA exists to build toward that standard — one leader, one institution, one engagement strategy at a time.
At TDA, how we work is as important as what we deliver. These six principles guide every program we design, every partnership we build, and every leader we support.
Semhar Araia has spent 25 years at the intersection of diaspora engagement, international development, and global policy. As the daughter of Eritrean immigrants, she grew up understanding firsthand what diaspora communities invest — in their home countries, in their adopted ones, and in the generations they’re raising across both.
That lived experience became professional conviction. Semhar spent years advising institutions, governments, and global organizations on diaspora strategy, and saw the same gap repeat itself: diaspora communities were showing up as the world’s most committed investors of time, talent, and treasure, with no formal infrastructure to match that commitment to outcomes.
She founded The Diaspora Academy to build that infrastructure. TDA now works with diaspora leaders, multinationals, INGOs, and government agencies to design the strategies, frameworks, and programs that turn diaspora potential into measurable impact.
Semhar is a policy advisor, diaspora entrepreneur, and a builder. She also hosts That Second-Gen Life with Semhar, a podcast for children of immigrants navigating identity, leadership, and purpose. She has built her career around one conviction: you must create the spaces you wish existed.
The Diaspora Academy is powered by a network of high-performance advisors, policy experts, and strategic consultants. Our team brings decades of collective experience in international development, policy, research and market insights to every engagement. We are dedicated to providing the technical oversight and visionary leadership required to help our partners navigate the complexities of the global diaspora ecosystem.
Dr Bashair Ahmed is the Founder and Former CEO of Shabaka and a Research Associate at the Sussex Centre for Migration Research. With over 20 years of experience working with UN agencies and international organisations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe, she has established herself as a
Darius is a seasoned public affairs strategist and global convenor with over 13 years of experience in U.S. foreign policy, racial equity, and diaspora engagement. He most recently served as the Senior Advisor to the U.S. State Department’s first-ever Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice, where he helped
Fabienne Goldgaber is an accomplished Government Relations and Public Policy Executive with over a decade of experience driving impactful federal, state, and local policy agendas. She has advised C-suite leaders on strategic and legislative priorities and most recently led the domestic policy
Heyab M. Ogbasion is a communications and program development professional with over a decade of experience advancing mission-driven initiatives across global NGOs and nonprofits. She specializes in designing and implementing communications strategies that strengthen organizational visibility, drive
Dr. Kirstie Kwarteng is a migration and diaspora specialist with nearly 15 years of experience working with international organisations, policymakers, academic institutions, and community organizations worldwide. She holds a PhD in Development Studies from SOAS, University of London with a focus on
Patrick Freeman is a program and strategy leader with over 14 years of experience in international development and philanthropy. He started his career as an educator and youth counselor, supporting underserved students through academic enrichment and mentoring — work that shaped his belief that lasting change begins with trust and co-creation.
TDA’s web, marketing and operations infrastructure is built and maintained by the team at Stalnaker Virtual Solutions. SVS handles TDA’s web development, brand execution, marketing systems, and operational design — so that TDA’s online presence reflects the same standard we hold in our work. We’re grateful to have a partner who understands mission-driven work and builds accordingly.
Tonisha Stalnaker is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Stalnaker Virtual Solutions (SVS), a business operations and systems consultancy supporting growth-focused organisations. With extensive experience in operational strategy, systems design, and workflow optimisation
Amy is a Digital Strategy and Marketing Systems Specialist. With expertise in structured marketing frameworks and data-informed growth strategies, she supports organisations in strengthening visibility, engagement, and conversion through integrated digital ecosystems.
Sarwa is a Brand Identity and Web Development Specialist with expertise in translating organisational vision into cohesive and strategically structured digital experiences. She supports organisations in establishing strong, consistent brand presence across web.
TDA works with INGOs, multilaterals, foundations, government agencies, and corporate partners to design diaspora engagement strategies that produce real outcomes. We bring the intelligence, the frameworks, and the operational support your team needs to move from outreach to partnership.
If your organization is ready to treat diaspora communities as primary partners in your mission, we’re ready to build with you.
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