I Carry My Home With Me: Lessons for Diasporan Entrepreneurs

by Wordran Naa Wilson

I have lived in Ghana, Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and now Italy. Every place has given me something special, but also challenged me to start again. When you move across cultures, you learn quickly that home is not only a place. Home is what you carry within you.

Finding Home Across Cultures

As a young girl in Japan, I was a Ghanaian child learning to navigate a world far from my roots. Later, in the United Kingdom, I studied, built businesses, and grew a strong network of women entrepreneurs. Today in Italy, I continue to adapt—sometimes stumbling over language or customs—but always finding ways to feel rooted.

What has kept me grounded is a simple truth: wherever I go, I carry my home with me. Home lives in the values my parents taught me. It is in the traditions I keep alive through food and culture. Home is also the community I create around me, which often grows into a business network, even when it begins with just one friend.

This perspective shapes my passion for supporting African diasporan entrepreneurs. Many of us are building across borders, blending our heritage with the cultures where we live. We are not only surviving in new environments; we are creating something vibrant that unites the best of both worlds.

The Business Advantage of the Diaspora

Travel has taught me that cultural differences are not obstacles but opportunities.

Erin Meyer’s book The Culture Map explains this well: every culture has its own way of communicating, leading, and building trust in business. A direct “yes” in one country may carry the weight of commitment, while in another it may simply mean “I hear you.” Understanding these nuances is essential for entrepreneurs.

For women in the diaspora, this awareness is a unique business advantage. We already live in two or more cultural worlds, which allows us to translate, adapt, and bridge.

Three Cultural Insights for Entrepreneurs

From Ghana to Japan to Italy, these three lessons have helped me grow as a global businesswoman:

Listen for context, not just words

In some cultures, communication is high-context, meaning much is left unsaid but understood. In others, everything is spelled out clearly. Pay attention to both.

Adapt your leadership style

What works in Ghana may not work in Switzerland or Italy. Notice whether a culture values hierarchy or prefers equality, and lead in a way that fits.

Build trust differently

Some people build trust through results and performance, while others rely on relationships and shared time. Learn which approach matters most in the culture where you are working.

Turning Cultural Fluency into a Superpower

As diasporan entrepreneurs, we often move between these worlds every day. Instead of seeing this as a struggle, view it as a superpower. Our experiences give us the ability to connect, translate, and create businesses that thrive globally while staying rooted in who we are.

To every reader of Global Woman: do not wait for the perfect place or the perfect time. Wherever you are today, you can create, belong, and build. You already carry your home with you.