Written by Sean Kerrigan.

Thione Niang grew up in darkness. He hopes his tale of hope and opportunity shows others the light.

Niang met with members of the Bentley MBA cohort recently to discuss politics, entrepreneurism and progress—or lack thereof—in the United States and his home country of Senegal.

Named one of the 10 Young Activists Who Are Changing the World by Complex magazine in 2013 and one of America’s 10 Most Daring Young Black Activists by the Center for American Progress in 2011, Niang was in the area as part of a book tour in support of his latest release, “Memoirs of an Eternal Optimist.” He was invited to speak by Kader Kaneye MBA ‘16, who met Thione in Washington earlier this fall.

“Thione is a charismatic and inspirational leader that reminds us who we can be, for making the world a better place,” said Kaneye. “His personal story is terrific and he naturally relates it with the message he conveys.”  
 

Thione Niang’s Journey

Not surprisingly given the title of his memoir, that message is one of optimism. But Niang is nothing if not a realist. A native of Senegal, he grew up in a family of 28. Inspired by a teacher who had studied in the United States, he came here in July 2000 with $20 to his name, knowing no one. He worked as a busboy outside of New York, unable to even wait tables because of his limited English. After saving up enough for tuition, he made his way to Ohio and Cuyahoga Community College.

It was there Niang became obsessed with politics. He volunteered for local campaigns (first city council, then state senate), until a young U.S. senator from Illinois came through town during the 2008 presidential campaign. Niang signed up with Barack Obama’s campaign early, and the experience changed his life. After Obama’s historic victory, Niang was eager to do something with the energy he saw in young voters.

“We knew what it took to change a community,” he said.
 

Creating Change Is Possible

He decided to go global, and in 2009 launched the Give1 Project, dedicated to engaging and empowering young leaders toward positive change in their communities through training in leadership and entrepreneurship.

Still, he knew he could do more. Niang yearned to make a change in his homeland, but there were several steep hills to climb. One of the biggest was energy.

“When the sun goes down in my country, the day is over,” he explained. Most have no money for kerosene, so it gets dark. If he couldn’t finish his schoolwork by sundown, Niang would ask his grandparents to wake him at dawn so he could finish.

“When there is no energy,” he said, “there’s no education, no health, no nothing.”
 

So in 2013 he invited the rap star Akon—who spent most of his own childhood in Senegal—to Washington to show him his progress, and to issue a challenge.

“I told him, ‘You’ve got 52 million followers on Facebook. Dr. King didn’t have Facebook. What are you going to do with that blessing?’”

Niang and Akon teamed up on what would become Akon Lighting Africa. The project now provides electricity for 14 African countries, employing more than 5,000 young Africans.

How Niang Inspires Others

During a question-and-answer session following his talk, Niang pressed upon members of the cohort to take advantage of their education and their gifts.

“The world needs you,” he said. “You are the lucky ones. You are the ones who have access to energy, water, higher education. But to whom much is given, much is expected.”

That’s one of the reasons he wrote a memoir while still in his thirties.

“I like to do things against the odds,” Niang said. “And if I can inspire one or two people, why wait? The world needs inspiration.”

What Niang’s Message Meant for MBA Students

The talk was just one way the Bentley MBA exposes its cohort to real-world experience and expertise, something students said afterward was a key part of the program.

“The MBA lasts for 11 months, during which we are revolving all the time around our modules, our learning process and our teams,” said Flavia Stoian, PhD, who is graduating this year with a dual MBA and master’s in Business Analytics degree. “It’s easy at times to get caught up into our academic ecosystem and to forget the big picture. Having guests with critical experience and immediate connections to different environments is what keeps us plugged to what the world needs from us. We’re not isolated in our learning bubble. We’re processing everything we learn also through the eyes of our guests, which is invaluable.” 

“And, especially for the international members of the cohort,” continued Stoian, a native of Romania, “meeting our guests gives us a strong insight into the American cultural and economic environment. It changes and shifts our background perspective, refining the multidisciplinary and intercultural experience of the MBA.”

Kaneye echoed the sentiment.

“When trapped in the daily intensive activities of the Bentley MBA, we can forget the big picture. Having outstanding leaders like Thione helps us not lose sight of what matters the most: Staying focused, building sustainable relationships, contributing to change, being happy.”
 

During the talk, Andy Aylesworth, associate professor and chair of the Marketing Department, sat in the back of the MBA studio and smiled.

“I think it’s important for the students to see someone like that because these students are the best and brightest, they are the future leaders, and seeing someone like Thione shows them that they can, in fact, make a difference,” Aylesworth said after the talk. “I think ‘making a difference’ can seem intimidating. What can I do that is going to make a difference? Seeing Thione shows them that all they need to do is start doing something.”