Bio
Rhonna-Rose Akama-Makia, PHRi has almost 20 years of experience in global human resource management and in building the infrastructure that allows institutions to perform at scale.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan alongside a Certification in International Business Development and Business Analytics. She is a JD candidate at Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She holds a PHRi (Professional in Human Resources – International®) certification through HRCI (HR Certification Institute), has earned a certificate in Paralegal Studies through the Center for Legal Studies, in partnership with Washtenaw Community College, and has completed OSHA 30-Hour Outreach Training in General Industry through the OSHA Education Center.
She has led workforce development strategy, multi-state compliance, and organizational development across the nonprofit, civic, and political sectors. Her career spans complex, high-demand environments where the work built a practitioner's understanding of the people frameworks that shape how organizations are built and sustained.
Born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas to West African immigrant parents, she learned early that people's most fundamental drive is to provide for themselves and their families. It is that understanding that has shaped her entire approach to supporting the people who change the world.
She is currently based in Metro Detroit, Michigan, where she is an active member of the Junior League of Detroit and the Global African Business Association.