Our story

From the founder

My name is Tyobista. I’m Ethiopian, raised between the U.S. and Africa. Bridge54 is the most personal thing I’ve ever created.While studying in the U.S., I chose South Africa for my semester abroad when most of my peers picked Europe. That choice changed everything for me. It sparked a deeper curiosity about the continent I come from.

In 2014, I went to Ghana for an internship, and I’ve been returning ever since. I fell in love with waakye on the street, dancing barefoot at beachside parties, wearing vibrant African fabrics on the streets of Accra and feeling so seen. I think about the smell of frankincense and fresh coffee roasting in Addis, and the way mornings begin slowly with conversation and ceremony. I've traveled to other African countries and found that same spark, a sense of belonging, familiarity, and energy that can't be explained, only felt.

People often ask, “Why Africa?” “Why not Europe?” My answer is simple. I feel most alive here. And I want more of us to experience that. I want Ghanaians to sip buna in Addis. I want Ethiopians to dance to live drums in Accra. I want Nigerians to share jollof in Kigali. I want South Africans to wander the souks of Marrakech and more. I want young Africans to see how much we have to offer each other across languages, borders, and histories.

Bridge54 was born from that love for connection, for culture, and for seeing more of each other. It’s not just a company. It’s my way of saying Africa is home and it’s time we start visiting each other more often.

Tyobista Girma

Who We Are

Bridge54 is a movement born from a deep belief that Africa deserves to know itself better. We are connecting African countries through cultural exchange, creative collaboration, and meaningful experiences. Starting with Ethiopia and Ghana, we are building pathways that make it easier for Africans to travel, discover, and celebrate one another. Our mission is to help Africans fall in love with each other’s countries, cultures, and stories.

Why This Matters

Today, it is often easier for Africans to travel to Europe than to visit a neighboring country. Flight routes, visa systems, and lack of intra-African visibility keep us disconnected. But change doesn't always begin at the policy level. It begins with people. With stories. With energy and imagination.

Bridge54 is part of that shift. We believe that cultural exchange is a powerful form of diplomacy. That DJs, designers, chefs, and content creators are building the future of African connection. And that shared experiences through music, food, fashion, and travel can transform how we see ourselves and each other.
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And in the long run, these connections can evolve into business ventures, talent pipelines, and platforms for African-led development. We believe culture isn’t separate from the economy-it’s the spark that drives it.

What We Do

We create spaces for connection through cultural events and nightlife activations that introduce one region to another, fashion and food collaborations across countries, storytelling trips for African culture shapers, curated small group travel experiences between Ghana and Ethiopia (with plans to expand to more African countries), and long-term plans for trade and talent exchange across the continent.
These creative exchanges are just the beginning. As we grow, we’re developing pathways that turn cultural connection into economic impact-fostering trade partnerships, creative industries, and investment opportunities between regions