Creating Pathways for the Next Generation of African Australians

 

Kalows Abdalla is passionate about creating opportunities for others. Alongside a career in banking, he has dedicated himself to building organisations that strengthen, celebrate and empower African Australian communities.

As co-founder of the African Youth Alliance (AYA) and Amari Gala, Kalows has helped create platforms that nurture young leaders, improve financial literacy and recognise Black excellence across Australia. Whether through community programs, mentoring or national awards, his work is driven by a simple belief: when people feel represented, supported and informed, they can achieve extraordinary things.

We spoke with Kalows about balancing a career in finance with community leadership, the importance of representation and the advice he would give his younger self.

Tell us about your career journey.

My journey has always been shaped by two passions running alongside each other: banking and community.

I co-founded the African Youth Alliance long before I became deeply involved in finance because I could see there was a need for greater representation, stronger support networks and more opportunities for young African Australians. That work grounded me in what really matters.

As my career in banking developed, I discovered a genuine passion for finance and built my expertise across the industry. The more I learnt, the more I realised how transformative financial knowledge could be for the communities I care about. That connection between finance and community has always felt natural to me. Financial literacy creates opportunity, and opportunity changes lives.

Through our work at AYA, we also recognised the importance of celebrating success as much as creating opportunity. We wanted to showcase the achievements that had always existed within our community but were too often overlooked.

That's how Amari Gala was born. Created alongside Riddim, it has grown into Australia's first national awards platform recognising Black excellence across business, creative arts, sport, STEM and social impact.

What inspires you in your work?

What drives me is creating more opportunity, more safe spaces and more pathways for the African Australian community.

I've always seen an incredible amount of talent, ambition and excellence within our communities. The challenge wasn't a lack of ability—it was making sure people had the support, recognition and infrastructure they needed to thrive.

The African Youth Alliance exists to help build that foundation. We work with young people while also partnering with established community leaders to create lasting change through leadership development, mentoring and education.

Amari Gala complements that work by celebrating Black excellence on a national stage, recognising achievement across business, music, sport, the arts, social impact and many other fields.

I'm also passionate about financial literacy because access to financial knowledge can genuinely change someone's future.

Everything I'm involved in comes back to the same belief: when people feel informed, represented and supported, incredible things happen.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Start before you feel ready.

I spent too much time waiting—for more experience, more certainty or the feeling that I was completely prepared.

Looking back, the projects I'm most proud of were never built because I had all the answers. They were built because there was a clear vision, a strong sense of purpose and a genuine connection to the people we wanted to serve.

With Amari Gala, we knew what we wanted to create and had the conviction to bring it to life. With the African Youth Alliance, our community became our compass.

I'd tell my younger self to trust that vision earlier. When your work is grounded in purpose, the path often reveals itself as you move forward.

Is there a philosophy you live by?

My faith keeps me grounded.

It's the foundation for everything I do and the principle that keeps me connected to the purpose behind my work.

Whether I'm making decisions in my career, serving my community or thinking about the future, my faith reminds me to stay focused on something bigger than myself.

What are you currently watching, reading or listening to?

I'm currently reading When Breath Becomes Air for the second time. It's one of those books that offers something new each time you return to it.

I also enjoy listening to podcasts. Diary of a CEO and Talking Trophies are two that I regularly come back to.

Hosting my own podcast, Half Smart, has also given me a much deeper appreciation for the craft of a great conversation. There's something powerful about creating space for people to share their stories, challenge ideas and learn from one another.