Aniaba Jean-Baptiste N'guessan

שלום (Shalom). Welcome to the Desert. I am an Ivorian Storyteller, 45-degree Leader™, and Revolution Architect surrendering to GOD's design for my life.
Purpose:

Through the Authority, Vision, and Wisdom of the Almighty GOD—the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the GOD of יוחנן המטביל (Yoḥanan ha-mmaṭbil)—Aniaba Moayé Jean-Baptiste N’guessan was born as a visionary architect called to walk the desert path of Faith, to embody the mantle of 45-Degree Leadership, and to lay the foundations of enduring Legacy for generations to come.

His life’s mission is to pave the way for the Global South’s 22nd-century Convolutional Revolution (GSCR)—a transgenerational blueprint of economic prosperity driven by the construction of decentralized research cities, facilitation of cross-border trade, and catalyzation of cultural innovation. This blueprint forms one pillar in a larger divine strategy to birth a sustainable and thriving future at the dawn of a new century.

Reflection:
"At the crossroads of faith, second chances, and leadership, I keep marching forward despite the vicissitudes of youth, the roadblocks of academia, and the weight of societal expectations.​"
Born and raised in the heartlands of Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, Aniaba Jean-Baptiste N'guessan hails from a lineage of storytellers, dreamers, and leaders. In August 2018, at just 16 years old, armed with Google Translate, a suitcase filled with his mother's Ivorian delicacies, $100 pocket money from his father, and the covering of God, francophone Aniaba embarked on his first plane ride, for a leadership journey at the African Leadership Academy (ALA, 2018-2020) in Roodepoort, Johannesburg—5,000 miles away from Abidjan.
But no journey—no matter how promising, and no triumph—no matter how bright, is without its share of stumbles, pain, and suffering.
In May 2020, as his high school graduation approached, Aniaba faced one of his most defining moments: Declared ineligible for graduation due to breaching ALA’s code of academic integrity, he was left to grapple with guilt, solitude, and resilience. After enduring an internal suspension and retaking his Cambridge A-Levels, Aniaba finally graduated in November 2020. Alone on the cold quad, his dean handed him his certificate with the two simple words forever etched in his memory, "Congratulations, Aniaba." His father's wisdom rang true: "Fils, les hommes sont des élèves, la douleur est le maître, on apprend par la douleur” ("Son, humans are students and pain is the master; we learn through pain"). This experience marked a new beginning, instilling a steadfast determination in him.
A year later, after a hard reset during an unexpected gap year back in Côte d'Ivoire, Aniaba would cross the Atlantic on an Oprah Winfrey Scholarship to Morehouse College in Atlanta, triple majoring in Economics, Mathematics, and Computer Science. As an international student at Morehouse—which he affectionately calls the African American Leadership Academy (AALA)—Aniaba found kinship in the school's brotherhood and the Maysian ideal that "low aim is sin."
His experiences, from almost not graduating high school to his difficult gap year, shaped his reflection on faith, purpose, and second chances. On campus, he cultivated a network of brothers committed to empowering communities across the Global South by building cross-cultural coalitions to advance the region's economic futures.
He has spoken at pivotal college events, including introducing Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege at his honorary degree reception in September 2023. During Founder’s Week in February 2024, he introduced Atlanta business legend Mack Wilbourn at the 36th Candle in the Dark Gala, hosted in Georgia's largest hotel ballroom, The Centennial Ballroom.
Aniaba also took the stage at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, sharing his vision for Morehouse College as an “axis-mundi” of global leadership, in support of the college’s historic $500 million "Making Men of Consequence" Capital Campaign. Most recently, he delivered a Crown Forum address at Morehouse’s MLK International Chapel on the eve of King’s Day, offering profound reflections on global leadership transitions, crises shaping our world, and Morehouse's role in preparing leaders with thoughtfulness, sagacity, and his coined concept of "45-degree leadership."
Best,
In Statu Nascendi.