Minnesota Africans United hosts U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment Summit Promoting New Markets and Business Opportunities

Stevie Kloeber
Jun 27
4 min read

Updated: Jul 21

For Immediate Release

June 30, 2025

The 2025 U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment Summit will bring together individuals, businesses, and government representatives to discuss the current state of trade, policy, and investment.

June 26, 2025 (Minneapolis, MN): This summer, Minnesota Africans United (MAU) is hosting a series of events to promote trade, investment, and business development between Minnesota and the continent of Africa as well as to provide beneficial business growth opportunities for Minnesota’s African diaspora community to network with industry leaders in agriculture, energy, and technology. These events focus on bringing together business leaders, representatives of African countries, and local entrepreneurs of the African diaspora to network and discuss topics on trade, policy, and investment for exploring new markets and promoting global partnerships.

The premiere event will be the U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment Summit, hosted at The Commodore in St. Paul on August 1. Sponsored by Commonwealth Companies, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, and Seeding the Future Foundation, the summit will discuss new opportunities for two-way trade and investment between the United States and Africa. The first day will feature speakers and panels to promote African diaspora business opportunities while day two will be filled with topics on understanding the current state of trade while still promoting investment opportunities. As the foreign policy of the United States continues to evolve, this summit will provide a much needed opportunity for dialogue and discussion around how to navigate these changes and identify existing and new potential for partnership, investment between the two regions.

“We want to create a space for people to come together and have healthy dialogue about the current state of trade and policy as it continues to evolve with the current federal administration,” said Basil Ajuo, chief executive officer for MAU. “We are expecting to host a diverse crowd for plenty of opportunities for people to network and find their next big business opportunity.”

Event Details:

U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment Summit

Friday, August 1 - 1:00pm - 5:00pm

The Commodore, 79 Western Ave N, St. Paul, MN 55102

MAU leads delegates on trade missions to explore high-impact agribusiness investment opportunities

Complimenting the summit, MAU will be leading three trade missions with a delegation of representatives from African countries along with members of Minnesota’s African diaspora community. The purpose of these trade missions is to cultivate business connections by engaging with industry leaders in agriculture and energy, and to explore opportunities for new marketings, potential partnerships, and high-impact investment.

These curated events wrapped around the summit will head to Iowa from July 28-29 where the party will meet with major agricultural and industrial technology companies including Vermeer for facility tours and meetings with the state’s industry leaders including opportunities with food processing companies, education leaders, equipment manufacturers, biofuel producers, livestock producers, and providers of production and processing equipment.

The Iowa mission will be followed by a delegation to Farmfest in Redwood County, Minnesota from August 5-7 and to Dakotafest in Mitchell, South Dakota from August 19-21. Both Farmfest and Dakotafest will focus on making introductions to leading agricultural services, products, and technology providers for farm business owners and those interested in exploring opportunities in agriculture.

“When I joined MAU for Farmfest last year, I was only interested in exploring and learning more about the agricultural industry in Minnesota because I had an agricultural background of my own,” said Anita Fondikum, MAU member and an agribusiness owner. “But I was so inspired by what I saw and all the connections that I made. With support from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, I launched a farm in Minnesota and am now expanding to Africa to promote 'Made in Africa' goods that will drive trade and business collaboration with Minnesota.”

The goal of these trade missions is to forge impactful relationships that promote new opportunities for business development and partnerships, particularly between the United States and Africa. MAU prides itself in supporting both large businesses and entrepreneurial startups with creating impactful connections and providing essential resources to navigate everything from business best practices to international trade and investment. The trade missions are an extension of MAU’s mission in cultivating economic development where communities and businesses can thrive.

Trade Mission Details:

July 28-29: MAU Trade Mission to Iowa, Pella, Ames & Des Moines, IA

August 5-7: MAU Agribusiness Trade Mission to Farmfest, Redwood County, MN

August 19-21: MAU Trade Mission to Dakotafest, Mitchell, SD

MAU is a diverse network of members of Minnesota’s African diaspora community as well as business leaders from a variety of sectors with both local and international footprints. These events are open to both MAU members and nonmembers and provide a unique opportunity to make valuable connections for business growth and help drive the next wave of blue economy investment.

Space for these events is limited and those interested will want to register and secure their spots as soon as possible.

To learn more or to participate in these events, visit mnafricansunited.org/summerseries2025

About MAU

Minnesota Africans United (MAU) is a coalition and statewide organization for all African immigrant communities in Minnesota. MAU supports Minnesota’s African Immigrant community with representation from 55 African countries. We act as a connection for the network of African immigrants in Minnesota and for local African immigrant community organizations, and small businesses. We also support strengthening partnership and collaboration between Minnesota and the continent in Africa to create and expand opportunities for two-way trade for both U.S.-based and African businesses. Learn more at mnafricansunited.org.