Ronnie Shaw, MA African Studies, UCLA – Executive Director
Ronnie Shaw founded The Sankofa Center non-profit in Ghana while studying abroad at the University of Ghana in 2002 as a community effort to provide a culturally-comprehensible way of educating rural Ghanaians about how HIV/AIDS is transmitted and prevented, using African dance-dramas. In 2004, Shaw subsequently incorporated its sister 501(c)(3) charity in the U.S. to promote ongoing volunteer cohorts of Western interns incorporated into the artistic, teaching, and medical functions of the organization’s outreach. In 2006, Ronnie obtained his Master’s Degree in African Studies from the University of California Los Angeles where he was trained to enhance the structure of the arts-based HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and treatment outreach program. Using the collective knowledge of scholars, artists, and activists within the International HIV/AIDS community he was taught to foster communication on interconnecting issues surrounding HIV/AIDS such as poverty, stigma and discrimination, gender roles, lack of access to education and medical resources, and cultural factors. Shaw shares his time between speaking and fund-raising functions in the U.S. and spearheading outreach tours in villages throughout Ghana.
James Nii Afrah Sackey – Ghana Program General Manager
Mr. Sackey has been an integral part of the Sankofa Center team since 2004. As current Director of Sankofa Center’s sister NGO, and a native Ghanaian, Mr. Sackey’s experience and knowledge about the cultural and economic context of issues within our outreach communities ensure our tailored response consistently has an insider’s perspective. As General Manager, James is responsible for maintaining all local staff as well as arranging program and home-stay logistics.
James Larrick, MD, PhD – Medical Director
Dr. James Larrick MD, PhD is a biomedical entrepreneur with an international reputation in biotechnology (cytokines, therapeutic antibodies, molecular biology, pharmaceutical drug development), having written or co-authored eight books, over 250 papers/chapters and thirty patents in his twenty-five year career. He has served on the editorial board of six journals and has co-founded more than a dozen biomedical companies. Larrick’s work on therapeutic antibodies and other protein therapeutics has spanned the whole range of bio-pharmaceutical product development from target discovery and process science to clinical trials. Dr. Larrick has organized and led a number of biomedical expeditions, including studies of nutrition, malaria, genetics, and adaptation among native peoples of Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Nepal, India, Tibet and China. In 2007, Dr. Larrick visited Ghana to structure the rapid HIV/AIDS testing procedure for Sankofa Center. As a tremendous contributor to Sankofa Center’s efforts he has a genuine interest in fostering entrepreneurial activities and promoting health care among those less fortunate.
Jhana Jordan – Retail Marketing Consultant
With 41 years experience working with a wide variety of buyers from independent retailers to major buyers with extensive properties, Jhana Jordan provides essential marketing consultancy for Sankofa Center’s retail fund-raising enterprise. Our “Products for A Purpose” is a retail and wholesale line of home, fashion, and style products made by our HIV/AIDS Cooperative in Ghana with proceeds benefiting continuing HIV/AIDS education, prevention, testing, and links to treatment programs in Africa. Jordan’s history with art publishers and major museums around the world, as well as international buyers, makes her participation paramount in the success of our most important fund-raising function.
Sylvan Laurence – Technology Director
Geneva-based Laurence has been an essential part of Sankofa Center’s team as the organization’s Technology Director for many years. Receiving his Master’s Degree from Liverpool University in telecommunications management and web design Sylvan is responsible for all of the organization’s web based communications. He currently holds a position as a Senior Microsoft Engineer and Project Manager in a software delivery company.
