Our Story
Built by the Diaspora, for the World
BERTHA is more than a marketplace — it is a movement to connect African excellence with global opportunity.
Why We Exist
Our Mission
To empower Diasporan entrepreneurs, strengthen communities, and build generational wealth through innovative marketplace solutions, strategic partnerships, and world-class educational and financial services.
Where We Are Going
Our Vision
To be the leading global commerce and empowerment ecosystem for Diasporan-owned businesses and communities, driving inclusive economic growth and lasting impact worldwide.
How It Started
The BERTHA Story
BERTHA was born from a simple but powerful idea: what if the global African diaspora had an economic ecosystem built to connect its businesses, consumers, communities, and opportunities across borders?
At the center is the BERTHA Marketplace—a global digital destination where consumers can discover and purchase products and services from Diasporan-owned businesses while vendors gain access to customers, marketing, technology, financing, fulfillment, and international distribution.
But BERTHA is designed to become much more than a marketplace. Behind every purchase is a growing enterprise ecosystem connecting commerce, logistics, financial services, technology, AI, workforce development, community investment, and global trade. From its international headquarters in Baltimore to its Africa headquarters in Accra, BERTHA intends to build economic bridges between the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and the broader diaspora.
BERTHA's long-term vision includes fulfillment centers, advanced transportation networks, digital financial infrastructure, physical retail destinations, maritime commerce, and investments that strengthen the communities it serves.
For Marketplace users, the experience begins simply: discover something extraordinary, support a business, and make a purchase.
But collectively, those purchases can become something much bigger.
BERTHA is where shopping becomes economic participation—and participation becomes generational transformation.
What Drives Us
Our Values
Authenticity
Every product on BERTHA is genuine. We verify vendors, inspect listings, and stand behind every sale.
Empowerment
We exist to grow African businesses. Our tools, training, and global reach give vendors the platform they deserve.
Community
BERTHA is built on Ubuntu — the belief that we rise together. Every purchase supports a real person, a real family, a real community.
Innovation
From AI-powered recommendations to multi-currency checkout, we bring world-class technology to African commerce.
The People
Meet the Team
Mac McNeil
Chief Executive Officer
Visionary Chief Executive Officer
With 15 years of experience in corporate leadership, Mac has a proven track record as an executive in financial services and banking, including 20 years with JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Synchrony Bank. A published author and recognized as one of the 10 Most Influential Black Corporate Leaders to Watch by CIO Views Magazine.
Ed Brinson
Chief Operating Officer
Logistics Innovator
Published author of The BRIDGE and The BATTLEGROUND, Ed is a strategic operations executive with over 25 years of experience across commercial aviation, logistics, and ground operations. He oversees BERTHA's end-to-end operational strategy including fulfillment, infrastructure, last-mile delivery, and customer experience.
Harouna Cherif
Chief Operating Officer — Africa
Africa Negotiator
With over 15 years in African dealmaking and negotiations, Cherif brings expertise in market entry strategy, joint venture structuring, and government relations. He has secured permits for a €40M FMCG rollout in Nigeria, facilitated MoUs unlocking €25M in FDI, and won $12M in tax relief for clients across DRC, Angola, and Guinea.
James Boyce
Chief Global Air Freight & Flight Operations
Global Air Expert
James brings over 15 years of experience in aviation and corporate leadership, spearheading high-impact logistics initiatives across multi-country capacity planning, enterprise stakeholder alignment, and scalable operations enabling global diaspora trade.
Mike Thompson
Chief Special Operations Security Officer
Security Authority
A career security and investigations executive with a 35-year record spanning sworn law enforcement — including the U.S. Park Police and Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD — and private-sector fraud investigation. A graduate of the Executive Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School.
About BERTHA Marketplace
Connecting the World to Diasporan Excellence
To empower Diasporan entrepreneurs, strengthen communities, and build generational wealth through innovative marketplace solutions, strategic partnerships, and world-class educational and financial services.
Soft Sales Launch
November 26, 2026
Limited launch opens the marketplace to founding Merchant Vendors and early shoppers worldwide.
2027 Pilot
U.S., Africa & The Caribbean
Focused pilot expanding Merchant Vendor onboarding and buyer reach across the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean.
2028 Global Launch
Full Global Marketplace
Full global marketplace launch — bringing Diasporan-owned products to consumers in every corner of the world.
BERTHA Marketplace is a 100% proprietary design, built and owned by BERTHA.
The Ecosystem
Part of the BERTHA Ecosystem
BERTHA Marketplace is one pillar of the broader BERTHA Global platform. Explore our ecosystem: