Sankofa Travels with Kofi

What Sankofa Travels with Kofi does

Sankofa Travels with Kofi is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Petersburg, Virginia, that connects people of African descent with African heritage through cultural education, heritage travel, and community programs. Its core offering is the Sankofa Scholars Program, a year-round youth heritage education and cultural exchange initiative for high school students ages 13–18 that includes leadership development, African and African American history, entrepreneurship, STEAM learning, and community service, culminating in a 10-day Ghana Heritage Tour. Cohort 1 served 6 scholars, and a Cohort 2 is currently fundraising ($12,600 raised of a $30,000 goal) to fund six additional scholars. The organization received the 2026 Candid Silver Seal of Transparency (EIN 39-3326841).

The organization operates a cross-subsidy revenue model: adult, family, church, and group bookings for cultural heritage travel to Ghana and across Africa, together with donations and corporate sponsorships, fund the Sankofa Scholars Program. Pricing is quote-based for travel and tiered for giving, including a $20/month recurring donor tier, a $5,000 full-scholar sponsorship, and custom corporate partnership packages. Supporting programs include AfroFusion Flow (dance/movement), Sankofa Reset (wellness retreats), the Sankofa Sessions podcast, and the annual Sankofa Diaspora Fest. The organization has 15+ community partnerships — notably a core strategic relationship with Virginia State University's Honors College and Division of Global Leadership, plus Petersburg Rotary and Petersburg NAACP Youth Council — and is led by Founder/Executive Director Kofi Annan and Vice President/Program Director Shelita Augustus.

Name

Sankofa Travels with Kofi

Legal name

Sankofa Travels with Kofi

Website

https://sankofatravelswithkofi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sankofa Travels with Kofi is a Petersburg, Virginia 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects the African diaspora through heritage travel to Ghana, cultural education, and youth programs, with its core Sankofa Scholars Program funding high school students' 10-day Ghana Heritage Tour via adult travel bookings and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Travel & Youth Cultural Exchange

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

History, Heritage & Museum-Focused Study Tours (THAKAGAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student & Youth Educational Tours (THAKAGAA), Culture, Heritage & Arts Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAK)

Keywords

• Cultural heritage travel
• Youth cultural exchange
• Heritage education programs
• Diaspora travel experiences
• Cultural immersion tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Petersburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Cultural Heritage Travel Bookings: Adults, families, churches, organizations, and groups book immersive journeys throughout Ghana and across Africa. All travel bookings are tax-deductible and proceeds directly fund the Sankofa Scholars Program, creating a sustainable cross-subsidy model where travel experiences enable youth programming.
2. Donations and Sponsorships: Individual donors contribute through monthly giving programs ($20/month), one-time donations, and major sponsorships ($5,000 to fully sponsor one scholar). Corporate partners provide custom sponsorship packages supporting students and gaining event recognition.
3. Program Fees: The Sankofa Scholars Program includes educational workshops, leadership development, cultural activities, and international travel opportunities. Revenue supports operational costs of year-round youth programming.
4. Wellness Retreat Programs: Sankofa Reset retreat series provides culturally grounded wellness experiences (rooted in culture, centered in wellness) generating revenue while serving community well-being objectives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sankofa Travels with Kofi curates and sells cultural heritage travel experiences to Ghana and across Africa for adults, families, churches, organizations, and groups, with all bookings being tax-deductible and directly funding the Sankofa Scholars Program. It also operates a year-round youth heritage education and cultural exchange program for high school students ages 13-18 in the Petersburg, Richmond, and tri-cities area of Central Virginia, including a 10-day immersive Ghana Heritage Tour.

Product overview

Sankofa Travels with Kofi is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of cultural education programs and heritage travel services. The core program is the Sankofa Scholars Program, a year-round youth heritage education and cultural exchange initiative. Supporting programs include AfroFusion Flow (dance and movement), Sankofa Reset (wellness retreats), Sankofa Sessions (podcast/community conversations), and Sankofa Diaspora Fest (annual festival). The organization also curates heritage travel experiences throughout Africa, including adventure, business, leisure, and cultural immersion trips. All travel bookings fund the nonprofit mission and Sankofa Scholars Program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sankofa Scholars Program: Year-round youth heritage education and cultural exchange program for high school students ages 13-18, including leadership development and Ghana travel opportunities.
• AfroFusion Flow
• Sankofa Reset
• Sankofa Sessions with Kofi and Kofi
• Sankofa Diaspora Fest

Products and services

• Sankofa Scholars Program A year-round youth heritage education and cultural exchange program for high school students ages 13-18 that teaches leadership, African and African American history, cultural education, entrepreneurship, STEAM learning, community service, and global engagement with Ghana. Cohort 1 sent 6 scholars on a 10-day immersive Ghana Heritage Tour.
• Heritage & Cultural Travel Experiences Curated domestic and international group travel experiences centered on African and African Diaspora history, culture, and community, including heritage tours and cultural immersion journeys to Ghana and across Africa. Bookings are tax-deductible and fund the Sankofa Scholars Program.
• Adventure & Nature Travel Travel experiences focused on natural exploration and adventure activities in Africa, part of the organization's broader heritage travel portfolio.
• Business & Professional Travel Travel experiences designed for business and professional purposes in Africa, including conferences, delegations, and professional exchanges.
• Leisure & Luxury Travel Upscale leisure and luxury travel experiences throughout Africa, offered as part of the nonprofit's heritage travel portfolio with proceeds supporting the Sankofa Scholars Program.
• Lifestyle & Special Interest Travel Specialized travel experiences catering to specific lifestyle interests and special interest groups, such as heritage-focused or culturally themed trips in Africa.
• AfroFusion Flow An inclusive dance and movement program inspired by traditions from Africa, the Caribbean, and the broader African Diaspora that promotes physical wellness, cultural expression, confidence, and community.
• Sankofa Reset A culturally grounded wellness retreat series created to help participants rest, restore their well-being, and reconnect with themselves, their culture, and their community through movement, mindfulness, nature, creative expression, and meaningful conversation.
• Sankofa Sessions with Kofi and Kofi A podcast and community conversation series exploring Black culture, history, identity, politics, entrepreneurship, and issues affecting communities throughout the African Diaspora.
• Sankofa Diaspora Fest An annual celebration of Black culture from around the world featuring music, food, art, performances, educational discussions, local vendors, and family-friendly activities, with proceeds supporting the Sankofa Scholars Program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6 scholars served in Cohort 1
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Virginia State University Dr. Charlie W. Hill Honors College and the Division of Global Leadership and Academic & Talent DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic educational partnership creating unique opportunities for Sankofa Scholars to expand their educational, leadership, and global experiences. Through this collaboration, students gain access to a college pipeline program, international travel opportunities, the Pan-African Summer Institute at VSU, student internships and experiential learning experiences, and participation in the annual Sankofa Diaspora Fest.
• Petersburg RotarysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership for volunteer projects and service-learning experiences. Scholars participate in hands-on projects and volunteer work through the relationship with Petersburg Rotary, cultivating empathy, teamwork, and a lifelong commitment to making a positive difference.
• Petersburg NAACP Youth CouncilsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for mentorship and advocacy initiatives. Through collaboration with the Petersburg NAACP Youth Council, scholars engage in cultural arts, agricultural learning, mentorship, and advocacy initiatives that develop leadership skills and cultural awareness.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Intrepid Travel: Responsible-travel tour operator offering small-group cultural and heritage tours globally, with mission-driven positioning around community impact. Comparable on cultural-immersive group tours and values-led brand, but at global scale.
• G Adventures: Small-group travel operator with curated cultural, historical, and community-based itineraries worldwide. Comparable on group cultural travel model and emphasis on meaningful local connections, though at much larger scale.
• Tauck: Established guided-tour operator with a strong cultural and heritage itinerary portfolio across global destinations, including Africa. Comparable on the immersive guided cultural tour format but operates at much larger scale with broader geographic scope.
• National Geographic Expeditions: Premium educational travel and expedition brand offering culturally and historically focused trips globally. Comparable on the educational/heritage framing of travel but operates at significantly higher price points and scale.

Direct peers

• African Travel, Inc. Specialist tour operator focused exclusively on Africa, offering curated cultural and heritage itineraries across the continent. Directly comparable on the Ghana/Africa destination heritage-tour product line, though operates at substantially larger scale as a for-profit.
• Road Scholar: Not-for-profit educational travel organization offering learning-focused group tours across the globe, with a heritage and cultural immersion focus similar to Sankofa's adult heritage travel line. Comparable on mission orientation and tour programming style.
• EF Education First Tours (EF Tours): Operates student educational travel tours globally for K–12 groups, closely comparable to Sankofa's Scholars Program model of structured educational travel for high school students. Differentiated by scale (for-profit, much larger) but the most directly comparable product category.

Others

• Travel Noire: Digital media and travel community platform curating travel content and experiences for the Black diaspora. Comparable on the diaspora-audience focus and cultural-heritage travel positioning; serves as a potential marketing/audience channel rather than a direct competitor.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national youth development nonprofit offering after-school programming, leadership development, and educational enrichment. Comparable as a youth-development nonprofit serving underserved communities with structured programs, though without the travel/tourism component.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/sankofatravelswithkofi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sankofa-travels-with-kofi

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sankofa Travels with Kofi