Candice is a Jamaican-born, U.S. raised director. Candice Vernon's directing career launched the moment she quit her ad job and bet on herself, resulting in writing, directing, and producing her award-winning short film, Make America Great?, which screened at festivals worldwide and was highlighted by The Hollywood Reporter and Decider.com. This success led Candice to be recognized by The Russo Brothers' production company where Stevie Wonder hand-picked her to direct The Dream Still Lives, a powerful short docu celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., featuring icons like The Obamas, Stevie Wonder, Common, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Meryl Streep. The project has amassed over 1 billion impressions, firmly establishing Candice as a distinguished voice in storytelling.

Candice previously served as an ad agency Executive Producer and Head of Production, collaborating with high-profile brands and acclaimed directors who encouraged her to go after her dreams.

Born in Jamaica and raised between the USA and Germany, her multicultural upbringing deeply influences her storytelling. Drawn to comedy-drama, Candice often emphasizes the importance of finding humor even in life's most challenging moments. Recognized for her genre-blending filmmaking, documentaries, and commercial work, Candice has directed celebrated talents including Academy Award winner Regina King, Niecy Nash, Jenny Slate, and Sterling K. Brown, to name a few.

Her directorial portfolio includes projects for major brands such as HBO, Spotify, Buzzfeed, NBA2K, Febreze, Cascade, Tillamook, and Vaseline. Candice has also had a few firsts in her career. She became the first Black director to direct a Febreze campaign, as well as the first woman to direct a campaign for NBA2K. This extensive body of work ultimately earned Candice her membership in the Directors Guild of America (DGA).

Currently, Candice is actively showcasing two new short films on the festival circuit, 117 Years of Movie Bullsh*t and Cave Canem, which has already garnered two best short horror film awards. She earned her BA in Film & TV from Temple University and now splits her time between Los Angeles and Accra, Ghana, where she is developing an institute dedicated to creative arts and technology, as well her debut feature film to be shot between Washington, DC and various parts of Ghana.

ID Cabasa (born Olumide Ogunade) is a Nigerian music producer, singer, and founder of the Coded Tunes record label, credited with shaping the careers of many top artists like Olamide and 9ice. He is known for his unique production style, blending traditional Nigerian sounds with modern rhythms, and has also pursued a career in leadership roles outside of music, including pastoring at Global Impact Church and providing creative consultation.

Early life and education: Born on July 29, 1975, in Lagos, Nigeria, Ogunade began making music as a teenager. He later studied Economics at Lagos State University and earned a Master's degree in Management Economics from the University of Lagos.

Career in music: He started his music production career around 1995/1996 after briefly working in the banking industry. He founded the record label Coded Tunes, which signed and helped launch the careers of artists such as Olamide, 9ice, 2Shotz, Reminisce, and Banky W. His production style is a blend of traditional Nigerian music and contemporary beats, influencing the sound of Afrobeat and Afropop.

Beyond music: ID Cabasa has also become a public speaker and leader in other fields. He is a pastor at Global Impact Church and runs a company that offers creative consultation and branding services. He is known for his work in leadership and mentorship, with a focus on blending creativity, business, and faith.

“Gaise Baba” – Akinade Ibuoye – is a polymath, an entrepreneur and an award-winning Afro-fusion artist who performs in Yoruba, English and the West African Lingo, Pidgin. He has a first degree in Economics and holds a diploma in Music Business from Berklee College of Music.

Beyond writing, recording and performing music, he is the founder of social impact platforms that serve youth audiences & communities, and the nation at large. Some of these include LightOut – an Initiative that tours High Schools, leveraging Music & Art to engage and support students in their educational, social and personal development, and has reached over 29,000 teenage and pre-teen students. He is also the founder of ARAMANDA – an Afro-Urban Music and Arts Festival that connects young Africans to alternative Christian sounds, genres and expressions. In December 2020, Gaise Baba founded Lounge464, a residency for his music, art and essence with his growing audience and community.

Widely referred to as Culture Architect, Gaise Baba travels the country and beyond, delivering outstanding musical performances and building a groundbreaking movement around his brand.

Seyi Akinwale was until recently a Senior Vice President at GE Energy Financial Services. In this role, Seyi was responsible for developing and providing creative financing solutions to aid GE customers across Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) gain access to GE’s equipment and services. Seyi is an experienced executive with over 20 years proven track record of originating, developing and executing infrastructure related projects in SSA. He has a sound knowledge of debt and equity markets and has attracted financing to very complex projects in challenging African markets. He has also helped build GE’s investing footprint and capabilities in the region leveraging on various financing solutions for the benefit of customers. During his GE career, Seyi has held various senior positions with our Industrial Finance and Treasury Capital Markets businesses.

Before joining GE, Seyi was a Director at PwC, where he developed and grew the Deals practice in West Africa, leading the debt and capital advisory business. Previously, he was a Vice President at FCMB Capital; a leading investment bank in Nigeria where he pioneered the project finance team and executed various project finance transactions across key sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Seyi holds a bachelor’s degree in management and Accounting from Obafemi Awaliwo University, Nigeria, a master’s in Finance and Management from Cranfield University, UK, and an Executive MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is also a fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants of UK & Ireland and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He has attended Board Executive Education courses at Columbia Business School, Kellogg School of Management- Northwestern University, Harvard Business School United States, in the United States and IESE Business School, Spain. Seyi sits on several boards and is a non-executive Director of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, the largest electricity distribution company in Nigeria.

Seyi is passionate about the infrastructural development of developing economies and understand the key role education plays in the development of a nation. He is the founder of the Special Foundation; a social impact organization focused on building Africa’s next set of leaders by refining their minds through education. He seeks to achieve this by empowering less privileged, gifted African children through education, mentorship, and leadership opportunities.

Rantiade Benson-Idahosa is a sacred liberator and divine strategist whose life’s work lies at the convergence of justice, identity, and awakening. A Nigerian native and global voice for transformation, she is internationally recognized for her leadership on the intersection of gender-based violence and the economic empowerment of African women.

A trained English Barrister and American lawyer, Rantiade is also a thought leader, speaker, and advisor who brings both legal precision and divine insight to her work with individuals, institutions, and governments. Her expertise has been sought by the Nigerian Parliament, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the UK Home and Cabinet Offices, and numerous international organizations. She has received multiple national and international recognitions for her impact.

As a coach and trainer, Rantiade supports visionary leaders, soul-led entrepreneurs and global changemakers in reprogramming limiting beliefs, aligning with their divine design, and stepping fully into their soul leadership. Through identity/executive coaching and sacred strategy, she guides others in shedding inherited narratives and stepping boldly into authentic reinvention. For more information, visit rebidahosa.com or follow @rebidahosa.

Sess stands as one of Africa's most influential and sought-after music producers, a sonic architect whose fingerprints are etched across the landscape of contemporary Nigerian music. With a production catalogue spanning over 10 studio albums and countless hit singles, Sess has helped define the sound of a generation, crafting the rhythmic backbone for chart-toppers like Falz's "Bahd, Baddo, Baddest," Yemi Alade's "Wonder Woman," Adekunle Gold's "Before You Wake Up," and Terry Apala's "Champagne Shower." His production genius reached its apex with Falz's critically acclaimed album Moral Instruction, which swept the 2019 Headies Awards, claiming both Album of the Year and Rap Album of the Year. This milestone cemented Sess's reputation not just as a beatmaker, but as a creative force capable of elevating entire projects to award-winning status.

Beyond the boards and mixing consoles, Sess has carved out his own artistic identity, releasing two compelling studio albums: OMO MUDA (2018), featuring powerhouse collaborations with YCEE, LadiPOE, Mayorkun, NINIOLA, and Vector; and SPOTLIGHT (2021), which brought together the vocal talents of TENI, SIMI, Adekunle Gold, and Psycho YP. In 2023, he delivered the soulful single "I Promise" featuring the legendary WAJE, further showcasing his evolution as an artist. A master of versatility, Sess moves fluidly across genres—Hip hop, Afrobeat, R&B, Afro House—creating a distinctive AfroFusion flavor that defies categorization. After being called to the Nigerian Bar in 2012, he initially pursued a career as a singer before discovering his true calling in production, transforming the music industry one beat at a time.

Sess's influence extends across the African music ecosystem. His production credits read like a who's who of African music royalty: Burna Boy, Davido, Olamide, Phyno, Adekunle Gold, Teni, Joh Makini, Reminisce, Simi, Yemi Alade, Falz, and Gaise Baba. As a songwriter, he has penned hits for major artists including Tiwa Savage, Omawumi, and Waje, proving his creative prowess extends far beyond the studio console.

In 2022, Sess experienced a profound spiritual awakening following a transformative encounter that brought him into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. This divine moment fundamentally shifted not just his perspective, but his purpose. Today, Sess views his artistry through the lens of faith, considering himself a vessel through which God pours out His frequencies on earth. His music now carries a sacred dimension, blending his technical brilliance with spiritual intentionality, creating soundscapes that resonate on both earthly and heavenly planes.

As an executive partner at PRBLM Entertainment and now based in the United Kingdom, Sess is expanding his vision beyond borders. Armed with a wealth of experience and a divine mandate, he is committed to building and grooming the next generation of musical talent. His mission is clear: to leverage his platform to equip emerging artists with the quality, skills, and spiritual foundation needed to excel in an ever-evolving industry. Sess isn't just producing music—he's orchestrating a movement, one divinely inspired frequency at a time.

Praise Fowowe’s mission is to build a global network of empowered Family Life Coaches, community leaders, and professionals who are equipped with culturally tailored solutions to create positive societal change. By addressing the root causes of family struggles and mental health issues, Praise aims to cultivate families that are resilient, self-sustaining, and prepared to transform future generations.

Through his leadership, families worldwide are experiencing the power of tailored interventions, community collaboration, and culturally relevant strategies that honor both heritage and progress. Praise Fowowe’s work is not just about solving individual family issues, it’s about building a global movement of transformed families capable of influencing and driving long-term societal change.

With a reputation for bold leadership and groundbreaking thought in the field, he has become a global pioneer, reshaping the very foundation of Family Life with revolutionary solutions that address the unique challenges faced by African and Black communities.

In over two decades of transformative impact, Praise has been a trusted advisor to governments, large religious organizations, academic institutions and community leaders globally, providing cutting-edge innovations, coaching, training, and mentorship that delivers tangible results. His work has been integral to building family structures that break generational cycles, address systemic issues, and promote sustainable legacies for future generations.

Praise has pioneered some of the ground-breaking solutions that has transformed families across the continent of Africa including:

• Family Systems Engineering Certification Program: A comprehensive certification program that teaches family life professionals the science of understanding, diagnosing, and improving family dynamics. This will reduce the mental health worker gaps in Africa
• Basic Sexuality Education Kit: A comprehensive guide to child sexual abuse prevention.
• Out of the Box Parenting: A ground-breaking approach to equipping parents with the tools to successfully raise children in the modern world while ensuring cultural continuity and success.
• Human Engineering Programming: A powerful cognitive-behavioral technique that optimizes personal and interpersonal functioning to create harmonious family and workplace environments.
• Strategic Junior Church Leadership Systems: A visionary framework for building effective junior church systems that foster spiritual growth and maturity from an early age.
• Ready for Life Child Development Program: A curated developmental journey that prepares children to thrive in life’s different phases—emotionally, mentally, and socially.
• Premarital Curriculum Design for Lagos State Marriage Registrars to Prevent Domestic Violence in the State.
• First-Year Experience Intervention Course for Babcock University

In the last four years, Praise has had a profound impact in North America, helping over 130 faith-based organizations set up Effective Child Development & Parenting systems, particularly in America, to protect and nurture African children into responsible adults. His work with these organizations has led to the development of sustainable systems that foster positive societal change, ensuring that children grow in environments that promote not only spiritual development but also mental wellness and cultural resilience.

Praise’s commitment to empowering African American families has also manifested in transformative initiatives to assist those in crisis, with massive success stories that have positively impacted countless families. Whether it’s marital support, parenting solutions, or youth mentorship, his approach blends culturally relevant practices with cutting-edge family dynamics models that have changed the trajectory of entire communities. He was invited by the Wilfrid Laurier University’s Tshepo Institute for the Study of Africa Brantford, Ontario to lead a conversation on the future of African children in Canada.

A true visionary, Praise was recently awarded the President's Lifetime Achievement Award by President Joe Biden in recognition of his 4,000 hours of extraordinary contributions to family life, societal well-being, and the cultural upliftment of African and Black families.

Praise Fowowe is the Founder of Praise Fowowe Research LLC, Aubrey Texas, a pioneering Family Life Innovation Hub that fuses research, cultural intelligence, and scientific methods to help build stronger, more sustainable family units across the globe. He also leads the House of Saviours, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that helps with creating effective family life solutions for Blacks within and outside Africa as well as functions as the Lead Researcher at the Institute of Family Engineering and Development Africa, a leading Institute with the most comprehensive culturally relevant certification for Family Life Professionals and Mental Health workers in Africa.

Praise is an Esteemed Member of the Family Life Coaching Association USA, and was a board member (conference chairman) in 2023. Praise has authored 11 life changing Family Life materials with 2 best sellers including his latest book Unbroken – How couples can build marriages that last forever. He coaches families across 5 continents and travels delivering workshops and conferences across the globe.

He is happily married to Oluwatosin Praise-Fowowe and they are blessed with two children David and Imoleoluwa.