Bisila Bokoko

Bisila Bokoko is an Afro-Spaniard Businesswoman, Award-winning Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Global Brand Ambassador.
Bokoko is the Founder and Chairperson of the Bisila Bokoko African Literacy Project (BBALP), a non-profit organization committed to promoting literacy across the continent. BBALP has built libraries in Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Uganda.
She is also the CEO and Founder of Bisila Bokoko Embassy International Services (BBES), a New-York based business development boutique agency that represents, promotes and markets brands internationally. She also works as an International Brand Ambassador and Business Developer for companies where she helps to create pathways and opportunities. An active participant in Empretec Women Programs at the UNCTAD in Geneva, Bokoko helps to foster entrepreneurship capabilities among women in Latin America and Africa.
Her ability to develop and cultivate relationships with foreign Heads of State, Ministries of Commerce / Economy and International business leaders has honed Bisila Bokoko as one of the 10 most influential Spanish women in the American business. Bokoko’s goal has always been to be a catalyst for change, working with global leaders to foster cooperation among countries focused on a unified goal of peace and mutual respect.
Family and education
Youth and Origins
Bisila Africa Bokoko Tchoa was born on June 26, 1974 in Valencia, Spain to a father who practiced law and a pediatric nurse mother. Her family roots stemmed from the Bubi Tribe in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The meaning of "Bisila" would be equivalent to "the Virgin Mary" for the catholic church and "Mother of all Bubis" according to the Bubi tradition.
Bokoko's parents migrated to Spain to pursue their careers. Bisila Bokoko and her three brothers belong to the first Afro-Spaniard Generation. In an Huffington Post article of January 2015, she says: "I am a cultural hybrid. I was born in Spain from African parents, became an American citizen, and have been living in New York City for the last fifteen years." At 24, Bokoko relocated to the United States and interned for the Regional Government of Valencia.
Education
Bokoko received a Law Degree from Universidad San Pablo-CEU with a focus in International Corporate Law and Economics. There, she graduated with an MBA in Business Administration and Economics in 1998. That same year, Bokoko earned a Certificate of British Law at the University of Manchester and achieved an MA in International Relations at the City College of New York in 2003.
Career
From 1997 to 1998, Bisila worked as a Legal Assistant at Carbo & Martinez Law firm, which specializes in labor, corporate, and international law.
Directing IVEX
From 1999 to 2005 Bokoko was the Director of IVEX, The Valencia Institute of Export, a regional trade agency. IVEX promotes the internationalization of Valencia based companies. Her task was to develop and implement marketing strategies to tap the US market within the following sectors: food, home textile, wines, furniture, lighting, toys, ceramics. During her tenure, Bokoko organized and coordinated a number of events in the US on behalf of Spanish businesses.
Executive Director of the Spain US Chamber of Commerce
From 2005 to 2012, Bisila Bokoko was Executive Director of The Spain-US Chamber of Commerce, a private U.S. non-profit membership organization dedicated to fostering trade and investment relations between Spain and the United States. There, Bokoko worked closely with the Tourism Office of Spain. She promoted and produced events for Navarra, Valencia, Barcelona, Madrid and Galicia. She built cultural awareness around Spain through events such as a Paella Party hosted in Central Park and introduced Disney products made in Valencia to the US market. Bokoko helped organize the Spanish SoHo Mile, an annual event that takes place during the month of June as an initiative to promote the Spanish Fashion Industry in New York.
CEO and Founder of BBES
Bisila Bokoko is the CEO & Founder of Bisila Bokoko Embassy Services International, or BBES, a New York City-based boutique consulting firm established in 2012. “We are in the business of doing good.” is the company motto. BBES consults international businesses in the fields of fashion, beauty, lifestyle, as well as arts and culture to effectively tap into global markets sustainably and ethically.
Global Brand Ambassador
Bokoko is a Spokesperson and Brand Ambassador for international businesses such as: Pikolinos, Foodie Channel TV, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and Amparo Chorda where she also develops communications and marketing strategies to expand internationally.
In 2014, The Liceu Barcelona Opera House US Foundation appointed Bisila Bokoko as “Global Ambassador”. Bokoko has This appointment coincided with the acceptance on the part of Queen Sofía of the honorary presidency of the Board of Trustees.
in June 2014, Bokoko attended the official presentation of the Foundation at the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute of New York. In attendance were The Queen Sofía of Spain herself along with over 200 US cultural, social and economic public figures such as Nancy Kissinger. This was Her Majesty’s last official event as the Queen of Spain.
Commitments
Fashion, Arts and Culture
Embracing a solid passion for Fashion, Arts and Culture, since 2006 Bisila Bokoko has collaborated with top fashion brands, such as Tous, Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, Custo Dalmau, Desigual, Camper and Jaime Mascaró, assisting them with establishing a presence in foreign fashion markets.
Bokoko actively contributes to numerous charity fashion events and has been widely featured in publications such as Harper's Bazaar, Tropics Magazine, Afro Elle Magazine, Modern Ghana, Zen Magazine and The Sunday Times. As of January 21, 2015 Bisila Bokoko is a contributor for the Huffington Post.
Non-profit Organizations
Bisila Bokoko sits on the advisory board of many African, European and American organizations, such as: Macdella’s Coooper Foundation, Feacoba, African Development Institute, , Fashion for Development and Africa Fashion Week NY.
Participation in additional non-profit events include the Maasai Gala at the United Nations she organized and hosted on behalf of Pikolinos Shoes at the United Nations. The gala, which took place on April 17, 2013 in collaboration with ADCAM and BBALP was to support the Maasai tribe in Kenya. Through the Maasai Project, more than 1,600 Maasai women hand embroider the leather onto Pikolinos shoes and bags and are able to earn a stable income while preserving their cultural heritage and way of life.
Multi-lingual Lecturing and Event Hosting
A multi-lingual event host and guest speaker, Bokoko is fluent in the Spanish, English, French, Catalan, Italian, Bubi and German languages. Utilizing her business and humanitarian experiences to teach, inspire and uplift - topics often include: business strategy, education, sustainability, emerging markets, philanthropy, female entrepreneurship and motivational speaking. As of January 15, 2015 Bisila Bokoko is represented in the US by the Washington Speakers Bureau along the likes of former US President Georges W. Bush, Nicolas Sarkozy and Anderson Cooper.
Bokoko has served as host for numerous international galas, events and conferences including The United Nations, The Rotary Club Madrid Velazquez International, The Zimbabwe Youth Development Foundation Trust, United Colors of Fashion(UCOF), and the EMPRETEC Women in Business Awards in 2010 and 2014. Broadcasting live in over 60 countries, Bokoko co-hosted the 2013 Miss World Tourism in Equatorial Guinea, an international pageant which “aims to endorse the beauty of both contestants and the countries they represent”, including local tourism and culture.
Enterprises, Sponsoring and Conferences
In 2010, Bisila Bokoko launched Bisila Wines : an international award-winning wine brand made in Spain which she is the face of. Bisila Wines is listed as one of Europe's top wine brands. Bisila Rose won Best Sparkling in China Interwine November 2012 and Bisila Wine’s Eclipse won a Silver medal that same year in Germany. At ProWein 2013, Bokoko’s Organic Wines won Silver (Crianza and Cava) and Bronze (Chardonnay).
Luxe Corp
Recognizing that luxury is about providing an above and beyond customer experience, BBES addresses the business challenges of companies by focusing on the digital economy and digital luxury in the year 2015, and produces new ways of selling, promoting, and communicating with customers. Through BBES, Bisila has developed a very close relationship with Luxe Corp Founder & CEO, Uché Okonkwo.

Sponsor at Africa Fashion Week NY

Utilizing her close knit relationship with Adiree, Bisila Bokoko played a key role in connecting Pikolinos as a sponsor for events pertaining to Africa Fashion Week in New York. This included two promotional receptions at the Pop-Up Store, as well as the runway shows.
IHT Luxury Conference

The International Herald Tribune's luxury conference series is the first annual forum for business and creative leaders from across the global luxury goods industry. With Bisila’s connections, Pikolinos was able to sponsor the 2012 IHT Luxury Conference in Rome and Singapore.
Philanthropist
Bisila Bokoko African Literacy Project
Founded by Bisila Bokoko, BBALP is a non-profit, non-partisan international organization headquartered in New York City with subsidiaries in Ghana, France, and Spain. The aim of BBALP is to promote literacy among African people by building well equipped, modern and sustainable libraries that share the gift of ideas and education with Africa. BBALP shares and embraces the motto: “with a book, you are never alone”.
With a deep passion for philanthropy, Bokoko works closely with African people to improve education and to support them in achieving a better life. Bisila's blueprint is to ultimately create sustainable platforms for the growth and development of African nations. Bisila Bokoko has integrated BBALP into her other projects, such as Pikolinos and Bisila Wines.
Bokoko worked as an advisor for UCOF, a fashion philanthropy organization. United Colors Of Fashion runs a fashion education program in New York City, which provides under-resourced youth with opportunities in fashion while introducing them to the fashion industry in the form of mentorship. A Gala and International Fashion Show was held on September 9, 2011 to benefit the UCOF Charity Care program & BBALP.
Distinctions
Bisila has been the recipient of numerous global honors including:

2010 Woman of the Month (Lady Magazine’s International)
2011 Woman of the Year MCP and African Committed to Excellence (Face2Face)
2011 Fascinating African Committed to Excellence (Face2Face Africa)
2011 Woman of the Year (Macdella Cooper’s Foundation)
2012 Bisila wine’s Rose
Best Sparkling
(China Interwine)
2012 Bisila Wines' Eclipse -
Silver Medal
(China Interwine)
2013 Bisila Wines' Crianza and Cava -
Silver Medal
(ProWein)
2013 Bisila Wines' Chardonnay -
Bronze Medal (ProWein)
2015 20 Influential African Women Entrepreneurs In America To Watch In 2015 (Ventures Africa)

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