How a Brooklyn Entrepreneur Built a $50 Million Bridge Between New York and African Markets

On a humid Tuesday morning in DUMBO, Kofi Mensah walks through the converted warehouse that serves as headquarters for CrossBorder Logistics, a company that has quietly become one of New York's most consequential players in African trade. The 42-year-old entrepreneur, who emigrated from Ghana in 1998, has spent the last six years building a platform that has facilitated over $50 million in bilateral trade between New York-based manufacturers and suppliers across West Africa—a region that represents less than 2 percent of American foreign trade despite holding enormous untapped potential.

"Most American companies see Africa as too risky, too complicated," Mensah says, gesturing toward the rows of shipping containers visible from his office windows overlooking the East River. "What they don't realize is that the infrastructure has changed dramatically. The risk isn't the continent—it's not understanding how to navigate it properly."

CrossBorder Logistics, which Mensah founded in 2020 after a decade in traditional import-export, operates from a 12,000-square-foot space on Jay Street. The company employs 47 people—many with deep family connections to West African nations—and has established partnerships with port authorities in Lagos, Accra, and Abidjan. What sets the operation apart is its technology platform, which provides real-time customs documentation, compliance tracking, and supply-chain visibility that previously existed only for larger multinational corporations.

The company's growth reflects a broader shift in how American business views global markets. According to the Partnership for New York City, international trade revenues have grown 18 percent across the five boroughs since 2022, with emerging markets accounting for much of that surge. For manufacturers struggling with supply-chain disruptions from traditional Asian suppliers, the West African alternative has become increasingly attractive.

One of CrossBorder's key clients, a textile supplier based in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, now sources 40 percent of its raw materials from Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire—down from zero three years ago. The transition cut procurement costs by 22 percent while diversifying supply vulnerabilities.

Mensah's success hasn't gone unnoticed. In March, the New York City Economic Development Corporation awarded CrossBorder Logistics a $2 million grant to expand operations and train 50 additional employees by year-end. The company is also establishing a satellite office in Manhattan's Financial District to attract larger institutional clients.

"Kofi is doing what the city should have been supporting for years," says Maria Chen, director of emerging markets at the Partnership for New York City. "He's not just moving containers. He's rewriting how American business thinks about growth."

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