The President and CEO of The Adinkra Group, Diallo Sumbry has been listed as one of the winners of the African Travel 100 Global Leaders Award for his remarkable achievement towards the growth of the tourism sector in Africa.
Adinkra Group, is an African cultural resource company dedicated to fostering cultural exchange, supporting small business development, facilitating investment, and promoting African repatriation for members of the African diaspora.
With a professional background in the arts, administration, and education, Diallo is deeply committed to creating initiatives and opportunities that reconnect individuals of African descent with their cultural and ancestral heritage through tourism.
In December 2018, Diallo was appointed as a Tourism Ambassador for Ghana, becoming the first African American to hold this distinguished title.
His leadership was instrumental in shaping the Year of Return campaign, a landmark initiative that commemorated the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the United States.
This campaign elevated Ghana’s status as a premier destination for cultural tourism and vacation experiences.
READ: Tourism: President of the Tour Operators’ Union of Ghana, TOUGHA, Alisa Osei-Asamoah Wins Africa Travel 100 Global Leaders Award
Over the past decade, Diallo has made a substantial impact on Ghana’s tourism industry. He has forged strategic partnerships with organizations such as the NAACP, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and numerous educational and cultural institutions.
Through The Adinkra Group’s Birthright Journeys and Back2Africa programs, he has facilitated travel for over 1,000 individuals to Africa, spanning diverse age groups from infants to elders.
In 2022, Diallo was enstooled as Nkosuohene (Chief of Development) in Nyame Bekyere, a community within Ghana’s Akuapem region, in recognition of his significant contributions. He spearheaded the planning, construction, and financing of the Nyame Bekyere Community Center, a three-story facility that houses a library, STEM lab, and event space.
This self-sustaining center, operated by the local community, provides training and employment opportunities while generating revenue from event rentals to support its ongoing operations.
In addition to his role with The Adinkra Group, Diallo serves as the Director of Partnerships at AfricanAncestry.com, the leading DNA testing company for people of African descent.
He developed the African Ancestry Family Reunions program, which has reconnected hundreds of individuals with their ancestral roots in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
His efforts were pivotal in securing the annual Citizenship Conferment program in Sierra Leone that grants citizenship to individuals who can trace their ancestry to the country through African Ancestry DNA testing.
Now in his second term as President of the African American Association of Ghana (AAAG), Diallo has been instrumental in helping members of the African diaspora
integrate into Ghanaian society.
In 2024, he led initiatives to assist those seeking Ghanaian citizenship, acting as a liaison between AAAG, the Ghanaian Diaspora Affairs Office of the President, and the Ministry of Interior.
Diallo’s ability to cultivate impactful partnerships extends to his partnership with InvestAfrica54’s Journey to 1000 Rooms initiative, which aims to develop 1,000 accommodation units across West Africa through hotels and fractional ownership properties.
He co-manages Chateau Nana Willine, a 12-room luxury boutique hotel in Accra, and is in the process of completing a second boutique hotel in Nyame Bekyere, which will focus on health and holistic wellness.
Originally from Trenton, NJ, Diallo holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of the District of Columbia. Though his work is primarily focused on West Africa, he maintains a home base in Washington, DC, where The Adinkra Group is headquartered.
He also oversees operations at The Adinkra Cultural Arts Studios in Mt. Rainier, MD, a 3,500-square-foot facility offering classes, workshops, and events centered around the arts of the African diaspora.
His team additionally manages Farafina Kan, a West African drum and dance ensemble.
Diallo has been married for nearly 30 years, is the father of two children, and a proud grandfather of one.
