AMA LOVE – director of SIMEMA, LLC, Houston, Texas
Ama is the co-founder and managing director of SIMEMA, LLC—a boutique financial and risks management advisory firm based in Houston, Texas since 2012. Ama has become a household name within the African diaspora community for her wealth preservation and cultural enrichment advocacies, and as an award-winning public-private-partnership business development official. Prior to launching her private practice, Ama successfully managed millions of dollars in combined assets during over 15 years’ experience with major Fortune 1000 multinational companies such as Merrill Lynch (a Bank of America company), CIGNA, General Dynamics Corporation, Unum Group, Massachusetts Life Insurance Company, and Prudential Financial.
Ama is passionate about creating opportunities that foster entrepreneurship, generational wealth, and strong legacies for African migrants in the diaspora and on the continent. She was raised in a large family, comprised of pioneers and entrepreneurs. Her entrepreneurial acumen and inspirations stem from over a century family heritage—her (late) paternal grandfather and granduncle are pioneers of modern industrial business conglomerate based in western Nigeria. Ama became an entrepreneur at 15 years old, when she began to design, sew, and sell Ankara-fusion apparels, and secretly drove her father’s minivan as “cabu-cabu” after and during school breaks, to earn and save her own money.
Officially, Ama served for over 2 years on the Export Outreach Team of the U.S. Small Business Administration; and has served on U.S. Congressional Steering Committees for 10 years (on-summons) for local, national, and international outreach assignments. She also served on the City of Houston Mayor’s International Trade & Development Advisory Council for Africa, where she was appointed as the first female Chair in 2014. In 2013, Ama was named a “Honorary Texan” by Commissioner (former Senator) Rodney Ellis and was presented with her first U.S. Congressional Recognition by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee for designing and co-hosting the official trade mission of the Minister of State of Côte d’Ivoire to Texas, Washington, D.C., and California. Ama earned her second U.S. Congressional recognition in 2014 for cochairing and managing the official trade mission of the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Niger to Texas and Washington D.C. These missions fostered immediate public-private partnership engagements between the hosts and guests’ municipalities, and created opportunities for business owners in the education, judicial, mining, sustainable energy, financial, healthcare, and agricultural sectors. She was an official trade mission delegate from Houston to Liberia in 2013; and collaborated with the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce of Texas to promote trade between Texas and Jamaica, and other surrounding Caribbean nations.
In 2018, Ama received the Nigerian American Multicultural Council inaugural “Champion Award” for her service as vice president of business development during the organization’s inaugural year—where she chaired the inaugural Festival of African Arts, Culture, and Entertainment “FAACE” (now called AfriFest Houston) and the inaugural Awards and Fundraising Gala that featured both U.S. and Nigerian Consular officials, business owners and professionals. Ama also served as a business development chair for the American Association of Blacks in Energy—where she received the inaugural “President’s Award” in 2013 for her leadership role in the Houston chapter’s outreach efforts that secured Houston as the 2014 National Convention host city and chapter.
Ama has also received numerous awards for her civic and professional development community service—to include the Bobsled & Skeleton Federation of Nigeria inaugural “Trailblazer Award” in 2018; Walker’s Legacy Foundation “Power25 Houston Award” in 2017; ROADWomen “Business Woman with a Heart Award” in 2014; and her third U.S. Congressional Recognition for her support of the African Fashion Week Houston in 2017 shortly after Hurricane Harvey, when this signature community event was at risks. Ama takes pleasure in mentoring and empowering black and underserved professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs. She enjoys her philanthropy work with the Homeless & Disaster Relief Ministries, Houston Food Bank, Boy & Girl Scouts of America, Star of Hope, Progress in Education (Ghanaian American initiative), Cameroun Professional Society (2013-2018), and programs dedicated to the advancement of blacks in Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).
Ama is a naturalized U.S. citizen, with Nigeria and Sierra Leone ancestry. Ama was raised in Lagos, Nigeria; and she is the oldest of ten children of her blended-extended family. To rejuvenate, Ama enjoys spending time with her family and friends in a variety of interests: travelling (exploring), sporting events, performing arts, festivals, dance, photography, world histories, and anthropology.
PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS & LICENSURES
- Licensed Life & Health Insurance Agent (2011-present)
- Chartered Financial Consultant® “ChFC®” (candidate)—The American College of Financial Services (expected 2023)
- Post-Graduate Studies in Accounting & Information Systems—Middle Tennessee State University (2007-2008).
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC)
o Chancellor’s Award Scholar, Master in Business Administration, honors in finance and entrepreneurship (2003-2005) o Golden Key International Honour Society “Scholar Award” Scholarship Recipient (2003)
o Alpha Society Scholar, B.Sc. in Business Administration, highest honors in finance and economics (1996-2001)
o Graduate Certificate in International Trade (sponsored by the U.S. Commercial Service, 2001)
