Smashing Boxes’ Operations Manager Joan Yabani will speak at the 2109 Georgetown University Africa Business Conference (#GTABC2019) next Friday, Feb. 2, 2019. The fourth annual conference, "Transforming Africa: A New Business Revolution", is hosted byGeorgetown's McDonough School of Business in conjunction with the Walsh School of Foreign Service’s African Studies Program. The purpose of this event is to showcase the growth and impact of the private sector across the African continent and facilitate a discussion on opportunities to continue this success with a particular focus on the role of governance in economic growth.“Transforming Africa: A New Business Revolution” will bring together 30+ leaders from across Africa to discuss the development of various industries including banking, energy, healthcare, and entertainment. The conference will be attended by 600+ people from various businesses, governments, nonprofits, and academia interested in learning more about business and governance in Africa. Joan will be speaking as part of a panel on The Impact of Technology on Business in Africa. Technology is gradually gaining momentum and transforming business operations across different sectors in Africa. From agriculture to banking and finance, the growing use of digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, and big data are creating many opportunities that are yet to be exploited. The rise of these technological trends has engendered new business models, partnerships, and strategies that are currently redefining the business landscape in Africa.A native Ghanaian, Joan is a key contributor to several creative and community initiatives in Durham and helps Smashing Boxes push the envelope in Diversity & Inclusion. Considering herself the love child of strategy and creativity, Joan is also a gifted artist who has had several installations at, among others, the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.