Prince Ellis

For over 20 years, Prince Ellis has dedicated much of his life to helping his local ommunity. In the late 1990s as a student at Northern Kentucky University, he began volunteering on campus and soon connected with a group of fellow immigrants eager to make a difference. Together, several of them founded African Professionals Network in 2010. The opportunity to support others ended up being his own form of support as he continued throughout his life as a Ghanaian immigrant.

“There were several times where I could have easily given up,” Prince says. “What helped me is this work. Finding ways to serve even though I was going through my own life issues. And in doing so, I was able to meet people from different places.”

APNET is a 501(C)(3) non-profit that supports members of the African diaspora through networking, professional development, and community engagement. Prince currently serves as president. He and his fellow co-founders formed the organization as a way to provide mentorship and support to those who came after them. APNET also organizes cultural events like AfriFest Cincy: Taste of Africa. Their work is supported by mostly volunteer members, and funding from various Cincinnati organizations.

“These programs really bring the community together,” he says. “It’s huge. It makes us work towards a common goal. And makes this space a better place for all of us.”

Prince believes that it’s essential to find ways of supporting the community and getting involved—especially as an immigrant. In addition to his work with APNET and the time he spends teaching finance and economics at University of Cincinnati, Prince is one of the commissioners for Ohio’s New African Immigrants Commission.

“We have to be engaged in those discussions at that high level,” he says. “If not, decisions are going to be made on our behalf.”

Through his work with APNET, Prince teaches others how to organize themselves so they can effectively seek support from the city and state, like APNET has done. Their organization has been going strong for 14 years, and Prince says this is a testament to their teamwork and ambition. Prince aims to set an example for the change people can implement in a community when they put their mind to it and work as a team— even when times are hard.

And they will be. Everyone struggles at some point, but serving people through the hardships is not only possible, but a remarkable way to make a difference in the community and in one’s own growth.

“If you believe in your abilities and persist in face of all challenges,” Prince says, “Remember that success is just … a few blocks away.”

Prince wants to make the immigration learning curve easier, and APNET is dedicated to being a resource for that change. But, Prince says, in order to change the experience, it takes perseverance, resilience, and a willingness to leave one’s comfort zone. Stepping outside of one’s safe space and building a network within the community is the first step towards making a difference.