No Limits

His faculty mentors in economics and business “motivated and guided” him as he explored his entrepreneurial side. Emeritus Professor of Economics Barbara Craig “was instrumental in helping me think about what I could use economics to do, and the impact that I could make through it,” he says. 

Classes with Associate Professor and Chair of Business Eric Lin, meanwhile, helped Ampofo gain a solid foundation in business. “[These] courses helped me learn about business fundamentals and apply them to my future goals,” he says, noting that Lin's interactive approach helped him see how business skills applied to multiple fields, including the education and nonprofit sectors. 

Ampofo, who grew up in Ghana, then combined his interests in entrepreneurship, business, and social change in an application for the Davis Projects for Peace Grant during his junior year. He won the $10,000 prize, which funded summer youth development workshops in Accra, Ghana.

 Currently, Ampofo works as an associate at Ares Management Corporation, where he serves in the private equity group and supports recruitment efforts for Black and diverse talent. In addition to his work in investments, he runs two nonprofits: The League for Global Development, an outgrowth of his Peace Grant project that focuses on youth leadership development. His second, Africans Who Invest, is dedicated to building youth financial skills.

“Financial literacy is very important, but a lot of people, unfortunately, do not really have access to that,” Ampofo says. “I decided to found Africans Who Invest to help bridge that gap.” His aim is to help “young people learn how to save money, how to invest money, and how to connect and network.” 

Ampofo saw how empowering knowledge could be during a Model U.N. trip to Spain he took in high school. “At the time, I believed wealth was the only path to creating real impact,” he recalls. But Ampofo was inspired by other students who made the most of the resources they already had. 

“When I went for that conference, and I met other young people from all across the world, and I saw all the things that they were doing in their local communities to make an impact, I thought, ‘I have a lot of these resources. We can actually do this. Nothing limits me.’”

This belief also fuels his work with the League for Global Development. “I partner with financial institutions, leadership organizations, and policy think tanks back home in Ghana, then we hold online sessions or in-person boot camps,” Ampofo explains. “The goal is to help young people realize their potential and motivate them to make this world a better place.”

The impact of this work is significant: To date, Africans Who Invest and the League for Global Development have trained over 1,000 students across Ghana in personal finance, community development, leadership, and more.

Even as he leverages new expertise in finance and investments to support his nonprofit work, Ampofo often reminds the students who attend his programs what he learned in college: Embrace the resources available to you. “I always tell kids, ‘Be proactive. Your environment could be supportive, but if you’re not proactive, you cannot maximize your potential.’”

When you major in business at Oberlin, you have access to powerful networking opportunities with alumni who are as creative and aspirational as you are. Learn more about this course of study, whether you’re diving into the corporate sector, launching a freelance consulting career, or even opening your own business. 

Kristen Evans is a culture writer and critic who has written for BuzzFeed, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, NYLON, and The New Republic.