Two weeks ago, I was at the London School of Economics (LSE) for the Africa Rising Symposium, a thought leadership platform dedicated to shaping the conversations that matter most to Africa’s future.

The whole event provided some very valuable insights across the business, economic policy, finance, and creative sectors. It impressed upon me the power of connection and building relationships to move forward and bring vision to life.

The session on how Africa’s creative class is turning cultural capital into economic power resonated deeply with me, as the panel discussed, among other things, owning our narratives, so that we can share our stories, our way. And most importantly, not letting others (ie, those outside the culture) revise, reshape, or rewrite our stories to their benefit and our disadvantage.

This both motivated and encouraged me as a writer and comms professional, reinforcing my sense that not only are our stories important, but also how and why we tell them. If we don’t own and shape our narratives, best believe someone will come along and take control of them – often to our detriment.

But when we own our narratives, we have the freedom to celebrate ourselves, to inform and educate others, and perhaps most importantly, challenge perceptions.