Episode 321: On Being a Benevolent Savage with Remi Adeleke

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week we commemorate Africa Day across the African Diaspora. Reflecting on the journeys of liberation that Black people have endured in trial and triumph, I am ever reminded that those that laid the groundwork will never in my heart, mind or acts have done so in vain. As the pillars of imperialism are finally weakening--though, not without reverting to its tried and tested battle techniques--the new next is taking shape in all manner of action and practice across the globe. So today, as I do in some way every day, I salute us all for staying the course and redirecting the path as necessary on the #PanAfricanProgress mission that is imparative to human evolution and a sustainable existence here on earth. Speaking of existence here on earth and the ways that we inhabit it, I came across my guest this week via a connection that I made last year at the Charter Cities Summit in Nairobi. Remi Adeleke, a former U.S. Navy SEAL and entrepreneur, serves as Chairman and Co-Founder of the Small Farm Cities Africa Resilience Fund, a for-profit venture developing sustainable, agricultural communities to combat poverty and human trafficking. He is actively scaling this model across Africa, including projects in Malawi, Zambia, and other regions, focusing on economic empowerment through infrastructure and land ownership for local farmers. Following a successful career as a Navy SEAL, in 2016 he found himself pursuing a careers in writing, speaking, and acting, including the 2017 franchise film Transformers: The Last Knight, SEAL Team CBS, and the 2022 Universal thriller Ambulance. He served as a consultant on Netflix’s 6 Underground and Apple+ TV series Invasion. As an educator he co-founded Muskegon Michigan’s OPS Academy which opened to inner city students K-8th grade in Fall of 2022. His story is captured in his HarperCollins bestselling autobiography, Transformed: A Navy SEALs Unlikely Journey From The Throne Of Africa, To The Streets Of The Bronx, To Defying All Odds. As you’ll hear in our conversation, Remi is also the founder of Kejo Wear a brand changing negativity to positivity one shirt at a time and where he is marrying this social entrepreneurial enterprises with activism; a portion of proceeds go toward supporting efforts to end human trafficking. Where to find Remi? Small Farm Cities Civil Watch Technologies On LinkedIn On IMDB On Instagram On YouTube On the Down Range Podcast What’s Remi watching? Bad Boys The Rock The Unexpected Short Film Other topics of interest: The Story of Banana Island and the late Chief Adebayo Adeleke Victoria Island, Lagos About San Diego, California About the making or the Small Farm Cities Resilience Fund What are Critical Minerals? About the game of MonopolySpecial Guest: Remi Adeleke.