MansA Lab is hosting its “Story Factory,” a meet-up open to the public that explores cultural entrepreneurship as a tool for storytelling and transformation in African and Afro-diasporic communities. Featuring a discussion with two leaders of incubated projects and a pitch session by the first cohort, the event will highlight practices that examine representations, legacies, and the dynamics of transmission.
On April 29, 2026, the MansA Lab incubator is hosting its first public meetup, titled “Story Factory: Cultural Entrepreneurship as a Tool for Telling the Stories of the African World.”
Far from being a mere presentation of the incubator, this event is intended to be a genuine forum for dialogue on the role and relevance of socially conscious cultural entrepreneurship. While this can initially be viewed as a vehicle for transmitting African cultures in the broadest sense, it is above all a powerful lever for transforming narratives, in a context where perceptions of the African world remain marked by reductive colonial legacies.
By combining artistic creation, documentary research, and professional training, the projects developed at MansA Lab help redefine contemporary representations of the African diaspora. They challenge existing frameworks, open up new narrative perspectives, and help bring to light diverse voices that are sometimes still marginalized or silenced.
What stories do these entrepreneurs choose to share? What realities and obstacles do they face? How can skill development become a strategic tool for breaking down stereotypes and reshaping perceptions? And above all, how can we build a community out of diverse cultures, each shaped by different histories and forms of expression?
Through this first meetup, MansA Lab is laying the groundwork for a collaborative space where creativity, reflection, and engagement come together to rethink narratives and their impacts.
PROGRAM
6:00–7:00 p.m.
Discussion with Koura-Rosy Kane (Platform) and Moos Coulibaly (LES GRIOTS), startups incubated at MansA Lab.
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Pitch session featuring the first cohort of MansA Lab incubatees.
Meet the Class of 2025/2026
8:00 p.m.
Closing reception and informal conversation.
SPEAKERS
Koura-Rosy Kane – A cultural strategist, researcher, and author, Koura-Rosy Kane explores fashion as a field for sociological and anthropological analysis. Through PLATFORM—which serves as a research lab, strategy agency, and editorial media outlet—she has created a leading platform dedicated to emerging and alternative trends. She has collaborated with organizations such as WGSN and The Future Laboratory, as well as with brands like Nike, Adidas, and Google, while contributing to publications such as Dazed Magazine and Nataal. Her work aims to make culture a true lever for structural transformation.
Moos Coulibaly – A filmmaker, choreographer, and artistic director, Moos Coulibaly is the founder of LES GRIOTS, an ecosystem dedicated to creating and sharing stories of the African diaspora. Through LESGRIOTSxSTUDIO, he develops a transdisciplinary approach to storytelling, blending audiovisual production, artistic direction, and narrative strategy. He collaborates with artists, brands, and agencies to design powerful, embodied visual narratives, from identity to visual execution. He works notably with Rilès, Vacra, and Imagine Nation, and regularly speaks to share his expertise in visual storytelling and content strategy.
Natasha Bibi Derenne (moderator) – Associate Director of International Programs at HEC Paris
