Rethinking Economics
African economies inherited systems shaped by extraction, fragmented production, weak industrial bases, imported curricula, interrupted political continuity, and young populations trying to enter a global economy already shaped by others. These conditions still influence how African countries produce, trade, educate, govern, and imagine development.
Made in China
Growing up in Malawi, “Made in China” suggested something cheap, something temporary, something that might break sooner than expected. If a product was Made in China, it was often viewed as an inferior alternative to goods from Europe, America, or Japan. The label became a shorthand for low quality.
Lessons: Book Series [6th July 2026]
Over the past decade of my career, I have had the privilege of moving through very different worlds. From working with the Malawi Government as an intern and a Revenue Officer, to establishing a Cyber-Physical Infrastructure company in the United States.
Doors
Justin Onwenu is running for Michigan State Senate District 1, covering Detroit, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, River Rouge, and Wyandotte. I first knew Justin through Detroit’s entrepreneurship and economic opportunity ecosystem, particularly because the Detroit Tech Residency Fellowship I am part of falls under his jurisdiction in the City of Detroit.
