Akunna Cook’s career path is as compelling as any screenplay. From serving as a U.S. diplomat in global hotspots and advising President Biden, she’s now pioneering a revolution in Africa’s entertainment industry. Her unique journey is driven by a powerful vision: to unleash African storytelling on the global stage.
Her key insight arrived working with President Obama, witnessing how complex policy issues, like gerrymandering, found their way into hit shows like *Scandal*. This proved the immense power of media to shape public understanding and influence.
Later, while focusing on U.S.-Africa policy, Cook saw Africa’s creative industries exploding. With the youngest population globally—over 60% under 25—she recognized African narratives as a strategic asset, poised to redefine global media, soft power, and economic growth.
These convictions led her to establish the Next Narrative Africa Fund (NNAF). This ambitious $50 million investment vehicle channels vital funding into film and TV projects from Africa and its diaspora. NNAF tackles crucial structural gaps: undercapitalized development, limited IP ownership, and the tendency for global studios to treat African content as peripheral. For Cook, the question isn’t *if* African storytelling will achieve global scale, but *who will own it* when it does.
NNAF is moving swiftly, having assembled a veteran advisory board and preparing to unveil its first slate of projects, chosen from over 2,000 submissions. Cook passionately believes Hollywood’s smartest money should look south, investing in well-crafted, meaningful African narratives that will not only entertain but also offer “African solutions to global problems” on the world stage.
