Idrissa Eddy Coly is a son of Senegal. In addition to spending childhood summers in Sebikhotane’s Tangor neighborhood with his maternal grandmother, Eddy lived in both Dakar’s Medina neighborhood and Rufisque. As a Diasporic Soul who has also lived in Marseille, France and the United States, Eddy is fluent in French, Wolof, Serere, and English.
During his fifteen year-plus tenure as learning and development specialist and talent acquisition (HR) professional with Schwans Manufacturing in Florence, KY, Eddy played the important role of cultural navigator, bridge builder and translator for a diverse workforce. In fact, in spite of deeply entrenched cultural differences, including language, race and religion, Eddy successfully designed and implemented the company’s first cross-cultural competency training and established English language learning classes for his colleagues.
Additionally, Eddy’s accomplishments include redesigning the hiring process to require demonstrated mechanical acumen, automating payroll for 1200 employees, and securing over $2 million in workforce development grants from the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation (BSSC). He also provided the leadership needed to revise entry-level job descriptions and pay scales in order to remain a competitive employer in the Greater Cincinnati|Northern Kentucky region.
In addition to his chemical and environmental engineering education in France, Eddy holds a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and is a Langevin certified facilitator.
Eddy’s vision for the Tangor Café has resulted in a destination where members of the Sebikhotane community, the Dakar region and as well as travelers can find a warm welcome, good food, great coffee and a bit of Diasporic Soul as they join us under the mango tree on our beautiful, flower-filled terrace.
Check out “Onion Sauce & Soul” – an article about Eddy in the Black Americans Living Abroad Magazine. Or learn more about Eddy in We Got Soul; We Can Heal: Overcoming Racial Trauma Through Leadership, Community and Resilience