

When I moved to New York City in 2022 to join the United Nations, it was both a culmination and an upheaval. I was leaving behind a thriving company I had built — a life I loved — and stepping into the unknown in a new country, a new system, with a heavy heart.
On the 28th of March, 2025, I had the privilege of presenting my MSc thesis findings at the AGSA Conference under the theme “Narrating Africa Anew: Leveraging Global Research for Africa’s Success.”
Having worked for a year as the MSU MBA ‘2026 Career Liaison, I’ve found myself more deeply interested in career building. And the unending conversation at the moment: what is the future of careers? I think it is the the exact question many young professionals should be asking right now.
As I stepped into Cravings Gourmet Popcorn, a Black-owned business in Lansing, Michigan, my first instinct—perhaps shaped by years of operating in African markets—was to check the price. The price of a bag of gourmet popcorn? $9.95. My initial reaction, influenced by my Malawian upbringing, was: That’s a lot for popcorn!