The AfriKin Team is a collective of curators, strategists, educators, legal minds, and creative practitioners united by a single conviction: that the art and culture of the African diaspora belongs at the center of the global conversation — not the margins.
Together, they design and produce cultural experiences that move between institution and intimacy, between archive and living practice. Their work is precise, intentional, and rooted in a long view of what culture can accomplish.
The People Behind the Work
Professionals across the arts, law, strategy, and education — each bringing depth, discipline, and a shared commitment to the AfriKin vision.
Alfonso D. Brooks
Founder & CEO
Joseph L. Underwood
Art Curator
Vanessa Williams Brooks
Chief Strategy Officer
Mannie Belo
Chief Investment Officer
Shanakay Moss
General Counsel
Violet Asmara Tafari
Operation Director
June Cole
Program Director
Lee Pin
Business Development Manager
Martin Ilievski
Multimedia Manager
Mitzie Bryan
Fashion Coordinator
Yrneh Gabon
Board Member
Leah Nadia Gayle
Board Member
Yassu Lidj Tafari
Board Member
Genesis Tafari
Board Member
Work With Us
AfriKin draws on a wide network of artists, curators, educators, and cultural practitioners. If your work aligns with our mission of championing Global Africa through art and lived experience, we welcome the conversation. Reach out to explore how we might collaborate.