Najja is the founding consultant at Phoenix Innovation Group, LLC, Buffalo, New York, where he serves consumers with awe-inspiring motivational speaking, life-changing performance coaching, as well as teaching and training creative leadership and the Creative Problem Solving process. Naj is said to have those affection skills you just can’t teach. He’s earned a prestigious apprenticeship with the all-star faculty, as well as being a recipient of the Sidney Parnes and Ruth B. Noller Creative Achievement Award with the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State University. He designs and delivers workshops and speeches on resilience, creativity, and innovation for public and private sectors, at retreats, universities, international organizations, community-based agencies, schools, and churches. As a consultant, Naj provides workshops, presentations, speaking, and training events for such organizations as the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, University at Buffalo Law School, UB Educational Opportunity Program, North Pennsylvania Episcopalian Diocese, SUNY Buffalo State Equity & Campus Diversity, and International Pathways Program. Other clients have included Aloma Johnson Charter School, Positive Ladies United Striving for Excellence, Urban Equity Management Group, SereniTea, and numerous other service-industry, government, and business clients across North America.
Naj’s background is diverse. He volunteers his time with service and mentorship to college students, Upward Bound, University College Program, and Buffalo Public Schools, to name a few. He has been an Airman in the United States Air Force, where he served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and has been awarded several medals and coins. In his spare time, Najja likes world travel, journal writing, exercising, reading, and cooking. His travels have taken him to Hawaii, Nassau, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Toronto, and various cities across the United States. Najja hails from the lower East Side of Buffalo, New York. His greatest passion and inspiration for integrity, service, and enterprising excellence is being a father to his marvelous son, Najja Akeem.
