Kumah, Isaac
Isaac Kumah
Dr. Isaac Kofi Kumah is a Ghanian born, internationally-educated business and economic professional specializing in development. He lectured at several northeast Ohio colleges and universities, teaching Cultural Diversity, Demography for International Marketing, World Regional Geography, and Regional Geography in the United Soviet Socialist Republic. In addition to lecturing, Dr. Kumah was the Director of the Minority Business Assistance Program sponsored by the Ohio State Department of Development’s Division of Minority Business Development.
Dr. Isaac Kofi Kumah was born and raised in Ghana. Dr. Kumah attended Friendship University in Moscow, the University of Warsaw, and Columbus University in OH for a Ph.D. in International Economic Relations, North-South Political Economy. He completed his degree in 1975. His academic pursuit to study international business led him to move to Northern Ohio in 1982. He attended Kent State University and studied Entry Mode Strategies in International Business. He graduated in 1992 with an “All But Dissertation” designation.
Dr. Kumah spent much of his life working and studying economic development abroad. He holds professional certifications from economic development organizations in Poland, Japan, and India.
From 1975 to 1982, he worked for the Ghanaian government drafting Ghana’s economic plan as a member of the National Economic Planning Council and later oversaw foreign finance planning for development projects across the country. From 1980 to 1982, he led development projects in the rural impoverished areas of Ghana as the Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors of the Western Regional Development Corporation.
Dr. Kumah taught for the College of Education at Ahmada Bello University in Nigeria. Dr. Kumah served as a senior lecturer at the University of Akron from 2006 to 2008 before he retired. Before this, he taught at Kent State University, Baldwin Wallace College, and Cuyahoga Community College. As a university lecturer, Dr. Kumah developed a nurturing but firm demeanor with his students.
In 1995, the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation (EANDC) named Dr. Kumah Director of the Minority Contractors and Business Assistance Programs (MCBAP), a state and locally-funded program providing technical business management assistance, counseling, and training, as well as micro-loans to minorities in the Akron and Canton region. As Director, he oversaw and administered many programs designed to assist minority entrepreneurs and to form small businesses. The programs include workshops and seminars teaching technical assistance in management, marketing, finance, and accounting. The relationship-building skills he gained from working at various universities became an asset working with prospective business owners with big dreams.
One of the biggest challenges that Dr. Kumah faced in his role at MCBAP was encouraging minority businesses to get into the high-growth industries where minorities are typically underrepresented.
Throughout his career, Dr. Kumah mentored and supported many minority business owners. “Dr. Kumah was very firm and realistic with me. He helped me prioritize my business needs,” says Kelly Scott, owner of Kidservice and an MCBAP client, in a published report (The Reporter, 1998). “When I left the office that first day, I knew where I stood and felt positive about the plan we put together.
The Reporter. (Akron, Ohio), 1998, September 19. Dr. Kumah Appointed as MCBAP Director. Retrieved July 13, 2023 from https://ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p16007coll68/id/18380.
Dr. Isaac Kumah. nd. Home [LinkedIn Page]. LinkedIn. Retrieved July 13, 2023 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-isaac-kumah-8167b065/?originalSubdomain=gh.