François Locoh-Donou has several truths he believes Black professionals should apply.

Locoh-Donou’s father was from a fishing village on the banks of Lake Togo in West Africa and was the fourth in a family of 16 children, Locoh-Donou explained on stage during AFROTECH™ Conference 2025. When it was time for his father to start school, admission was determined by height. After three failed attempts, he shares that his father refused to leave the school until he was accepted at age 9 into first grade.

When it was time to graduate, his father then had the option to become a teacher, but he had broader aspirations. Leaving the village to study at a public high school 300 miles away, he graduated in the early 1960s. He applied for and was awarded a full-ride scholarship from the government to study architecture in college, which enabled him to complete projects across Africa.

Locoh-Donou shares that he learned what an “extraordinary figure” his father was. He had not only helped his village by constructing a medical facility and a church but he also continued to invest in his family by providing health insurance and serving as an academic sponsor.

“Over time, I came to understand that the reason that this boy, who was too short for school, had become the tallest pillar in our community was because he never accepted the ordinary achievements that the world offered him. Rather, he pursued the extraordinary at all stages of his life,” Locoh-Donou said.

“The greatest lesson I took from my father’s life is the difference between ordinary achievement and an extraordinary life,” he continued.

Carrying the torch of excellence from his father, Locoh-Donou has followed suit. He secured a master’s in physics and engineering from Centrale Méditerranée, a master’s in optical communications from Télécom Paris, and later an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, per his LinkedIn.

Additionally, he is the co-founder and chairman of Cajou Espoir. This cashew-processing facility exports 400 tons of cashew kernels to the U.S. and Europe and employs many workers from Togo, primarily women, according to his LinkedIn. He also serves as president and CEO of F5, a Fortune 500 publicly traded company that delivers and secures apps.

In the same way Locoh-Donou has carried forward the lessons of his father and his own career journey, he’s now sharing his truth with other Black professionals, in hopes they will shine even brighter.

Here are a few of his biggest takeaways:

Learning Must Be Your Obsession

Throughout Locoh-Donou’s more than 30-year career, he has remained obsessed with learning. He gave examples for attendees to consider, such as pursuing a Ph.D., accepting a job that pays less now but offers greater earning potential long term, and remaining curious by learning as much as possible across disciplines.

The extent of your learning is yours and can’t be stripped away, he says. In fact, it can make you indispensable. He learned this firsthand during his post at Ciena, a telecommunications company.

“I found experts in the company. I made them my private teachers. My goal was to become an indispensable expert. And because of this, not only did I avoid getting fired, but within a year, I had recovered from my imposter syndrome, and I was tapped to become a manager of Solutions Engineers, my first promotion,” Locoh-Donou recalled. “To this day, I still dedicate several hours every week to increasing my depth in certain areas through books, blogs, articles, podcasts, human teachers, and even digital teachers now with AI.”

Recognize And Over-Prepare For Your Moments Of Truth

The next truth is to over-prepare for moments of truth in your career. This applies to high-stakes moments that could make or break your trajectory, whether that is a big meeting, a quarterly business review, or a call with a client. 

“You must be ready to go 50 clicks in any direction about your topic. You have to over-prepare in these moments by selfishly shutting out other tasks,” he said. “The 20 hours you spent investing in a moment of truth will pay massive dividends relative to the 2,000 hours you spend in the next 12 months in your career. You should never aim to pass in a moment of truth. You should aim to blow people away because this is what accelerates one’s career.”

Embrace Your Ambition

Locoh-Donou states that once the first two steps are achieved, becoming unapologetically ambitious is the next requirement. Make it clear to your company or organization the risk in not promoting you, and that can only be done by communicating your value.

“Black people and actually most underrepresented groups are often not inclined to share their ambitions. We fear how our peers would perceive our ambition,” he said. “We don’t have the social capital that others have. And frankly, we are rarely encouraged to be ambitious. 

“But the reality is you will never get anything that you don’t ask for,” he added. “You have to take that extra step. That extra uncomfortable step to push yourself and share your ambition so the right people in your organization know that you want an opportunity and you want it now.”

Become A Giving Leader And Tell Your Story

Locoh-Donou encourages the spirit of generosity, listening to others, and helping them solve a problem. By doing so, people will want to work alongside you and also for you.

He concludes by sharing the importance of making your story known to others.

“Impart your stories through self-publishing your writings, writing a blog on LinkedIn, volunteering to speak at a team event, or company event. Otherwise, the world may interpret your silence, your stillness, your untold story as surrender,” he said.

“Many of you are the first in your family to work in the technology industry,” he continued. “I know there are a number of you who are the first in your family to graduate from college. And for all of you, all of us, the first in a generation of the diaspora to walk into rooms that were never designed for us and refuse to walk back out — nothing about you is ordinary. You are the proof that your achievements do not need permission. You are the broad shoulders that others will stand on. And you honor the path of those who rose with far less.”

Attend AFROTECH™ Conference 2026

Locoh-Donou leaves wise words of encouragement to empower professionals on their journeys. Being reminded of what is possible by hearing the lessons of founders and leaders is one of the byproducts of attending the AFROTECH™ Conference, which returns to Houston Nov. 2–6, 2026.

Feeling FOMO? Don’t miss another AFROTECH™ Conference. Secure your early bird ticket now for 2026.