Meet Akua Pipim | Fa Anigye LLC, Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Akua Pipim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Akua, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting my business was a combination of experiences, industry observations and a strong desire to challenge the perceptions about Africa. As a first generation Ghanaian-American, I’ve experienced the best of both worlds: the beautiful culture of my Ghanaian-Americanheritage and the vast opportunities & promise of the United States. In my travel experiences over the years I always found beautiful handcrafted goods from each country I’ve visited and when I return, friends, family, and strangers alike admire. It was a sweet way to bring a bit of that place home. So when thinking about my business idea, I thought, if people cannot go to Ghana, why not bring Ghana to them! Ensuring our culture is respectfully represented and shared in a way that makes people feel connected and inspired to visit one day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a proud graduate of the Howard University School of Business, where I studied International Business Management. I was intrigued by different cultures and ways of life from a young age and knew that I wanted to have a career that connected me to the world beyond the US. After graduation, I moved to London to complete a post-graduate internship and spent a wonderful year there working at one of the most prominent law firms, Clifford & Chance LLP., while also doing courses with Cambridge and Oxford. When I returned to the US, the country was in an economic recession with very few job opportunities for fresh graduates, particularly in their field of study. I never imagined finding a job would be so challenging, but I wasn’t willing to compromise working in the international arena. By the grace of God, I stumbled upon an opening with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in their Office of International Affairs. I came in as a contractor and worked my way up to becoming a Foreign Affairs Specialist. What I love about my job is all of the phenomenal people around the world that I get to work with while advancing our core mission of aviation safety. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s rarely been boring.

What I’ve learned along the way is that you should do everything with excellence & kindness so that becomes your personal brand; in turn, people will speak your name highly in rooms you have not entered and open doors to new opportunities you could not have imagined. I have also learned that it’s important to speak confidently about yourself and your accomplishments when the time comes to advocate for your career advancement.

I want the world to know that my brand, Fa Anigye, is the realization of my grandparents dreams. I founded Fa Anigye to honor my Ghanaian heritage and create a platform for its talented artisans to share the work of their hands. It is rooted in Ghanaian luxury & legacy – so rich and beautiful with time honored tradition. I want the world to know that luxury is not defined by Europe and the West; that African luxury is here and deserves the same respect as its counterparts. We are taking the pen back and becoming the author of our own stories.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh this is fun!

We would definitely have a casual breakfast at First Watch Cafe in Bowie, MD on arrival. They have yummy organic meals and fresh squeezed juices.

Definitely must see in the DMV

– Early morning hike at Great Falls
– Dinner at 12Stories
– Breakfast at Homemaid in Baltimore
– Brunch at Wicked Sisters
– Book your appointment at the Spa at the Gaylord hotel early.
_ Late night Drinks and lounge at the National Harbor
– Pick up your tea/coffee/lemonade at the Village Cafe then head downtown to stroll through the gardens at the Smithsonian Castle and visit the African Museum. Walk down to monument, snap picks then head over to the African American History Museum. Be sure to end your visit in the reflection room.
– Head to H street for lunch at Nandos and Sorbet at Pitango.
– Do a little shopping at Montgomery Mall.
– Mechos has the best Mangu con Queso Frito if you’re looking for a traditional Dominican breakfast
– Choose a relaxing afternoon to go to Chasing Tails in Arlington for the most scrumptious seafood boil – wear some casual.
– Stay in for a chill night night and Uber Eats some yummy Ghanaian food from Cape Coast or Hunger Tamer. Order the Fried Fish with Pepper sauce and Waakye from Cape Coast !
– The DC Wharf is beautiful year round with plenty of dining options. If you are in the mood for fresh guacamole, tortilla chips and strong cocktails, Mi Vida is the place to go.
– Must have DC Sweet Potato cake
– There is usually an event or concert of some sort at the historic Howard Theatre for us to go to.
– Of course you can’t leave DC with out an order of wings with mumbo sauce and a side of fries.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I love to eat and all my activities will always lead to food.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shout out my big sister, Ama Ramos-Pipim. She is a full time mom of two who tapped into her creative passion and turned it into thriving business designing paper life-like florals. She is self-taught and her most recent work was commissioned for Netflix!

She encourages me often and is my go to for love & support. We love bouncing business ideas off of one another and hyping each other every time we hit a goal. I love that her daughters are able to see her achieving incredible things as a result of a hard work doing something she truly loves.

Check her out on IG @wildfleurblooms

ersonalAkuaPipim__FaAnigyee

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FaAnigye

Instagram: https://instagram.com/faanigye?utm_medium=copy_link

Linkedin: Akua Pipim

Twitter: @FaAnigye

Facebook: Fa Anigye – Choose Joy

Yelp: https://yelp.to/2Khxm2Wx5ob

Image Credits
Sapo credit – Photographed for FA ANIGYE LLC by Taylor Brumfield