Tyobista Girma is an Ethiopian-born entrepreneur and cultural advocate based in the United States. She is the founder of Bridge54, a platform focused on deepening intra-African travel, cultural exchange, and community building among young Africans across the continent and diaspora. Her work centers on reconnecting Africans to one another across borders, languages, and histories, driven by her personal journey across continents.
Early Life and Education
Tyobista Girma was born in Ethiopia and spent her formative years there before moving to the United States for college. Her transcontinental upbringing played a formative role in shaping her worldview and professional interests. While pursuing her undergraduate studies in the U.S., Girma chose to study abroad in South Africa a decision that would become a turning point in her life. While many of her peers opted for European destinations, she was drawn to the African continent, a choice that ignited a deeper curiosity about her roots and the broader cultural landscape of Africa.
She has a master’s degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution and aims to engage in cultural diplomacy rather than traditional ambassadorial roles like those within the AU or UN.
Travel and Cultural Exploration
In 2014, Girma traveled to Ghana for an internship, an experience that would leave a lasting impression and mark the beginning of an ongoing relationship with the country and its people. Over the years, she has returned regularly, immersing herself in local culture whether by enjoying waakye from street vendors, dancing barefoot at beachside gatherings, or donning vibrant African fabrics in Accra.
Her travels have extended across the continent, including visits to countries such as South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana and many more.
Each journey, she has said, reaffirmed a shared sense of belonging, vibrancy, and connection that transcends borders.
Founding of Bridge54
Girma founded Bridge54 as a response to a growing desire for deeper intra-African connection. The name symbolizes the 54 countries of Africa and the bridges she envisions between them not just in a physical sense, but culturally and emotionally. The platform promotes cultural exchange, cross-border travel, and community experiences among Africans on the continent and in the diaspora.
Primarily Bridge54 connects people through travel, cultural exchange, collaboration and commerce, also connecting different investors, connecting different creators from one country to another country.
Vision and Impact
Through Bridge54, Tyobista Girma advocates for a reimagining of African identity, one rooted in shared experience, mutual respect, and celebration of cultural richness. She challenges the common narrative that positions Europe or the West as the default for exploration or aspiration and instead promotes Africa as a destination for connection, curiosity, and joy.
Her work encourages young Africans to see the continent through new eyes and to embrace the diverse experiences that lie within their reach. In doing so, she hopes to foster a generation of Africans who are not only proud of where they come from, but deeply connected to one another.
Personal Philosophy
Girma often reflects on the small sensory details that connect her to home such as the smell of frankincense and roasting coffee in Addis Ababa, or the slow, communal mornings that begin with conversation and ceremony. These memories, along with the warmth and energy she finds across the continent, fuel her passion for cultural reconnection.
When asked why she chose to center her life and work around Africa rather than Europe or elsewhere, her answer is simple: “I feel most alive here, And I want more of us to experience that.”
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