From Houston To Monrovia: How Karton Zawolo Built A Purpose-Driven Business In Liberia

Fifteen years ago, Karton Zawolo knew he needed to make a change. Unsure of his future business prospects in Houston, the serial entrepreneur decided to take his biggest leap of faith to date by moving to Monrovia, Liberia.

This wasn’t a completely blind buy experience. Zawolo had always wanted to visit his father’s homeland and reconnect with his roots. So, after facing a few business setbacks in the United States, he decided to embrace the expat life with a fresh start in Africa.

“I began to see what many people didn’t immediately see,” Zawolo tells Travel Noire. “I saw opportunity in a country that was rebuilding.” What started as a pivot quickly turned into more than a decade of entrepreneurship, cultural connection, and family life across continents.

Flanked by his wife, Barkue, Zawolo has built business throughout West Africa, raised triplets abroad, and created a lifestyle that bridges the United States with the expanse of the world’s largest continent. But for the Zawolos, their lifestyle is rooted in purpose as much as profit.

Building The Ecosystem: Karton Zawolo’s First Leap In Monrovia

Looking back on his early days as an expat in Liberia, Zawolo recalls that his transition was far from seamless. The country’s many systems were practically built from the ground up as it was still emerging from decades of civil war (1989 – 2003). Where many, especially foreigners, saw limitations, Zawolo saw potential — spaces of opportunity where a thoughtful and patient entrepreneur could make a real impact.

“Entrepreneurship in Liberia is very different from the United States,” he explains. “You’re not just building a business, you’re often building the ecosystem around it, too.”

The best business ideas tend to be deceptively simple. That axiom proved true for Zawolo’s first venture on the continent: parking.

Back in the early 2010s, Zawolo quickly noticed that Monrovia lacked a structured parking system, so he engineered a collaboration with the city to introduce a parking management solution that streamlined on-street parking, created jobs, and generated revenue. The parking system’s success became foundational for Zawolo as a businessman, cementing his credibility in the region, helping him forge relationships, and providing a deeper understanding of how to build within the context of local enterprise.

Expanding The Vision: Agribusiness, Hospitality, And Long-Term Thinking

Fast forward to Karton and Barkue expanding their business portfolio as husband and wife. Together, they launched an agribusiness operation cultivating over 200 acres of cocoa and greenhouse produce. Additionally, they opened a high-end lounge that imported international wines and Cuban cigars. With their combined penchant for curating exclusive experiences, the lounge quickly became a gathering place for Monrovia’s professionals, creatives and government officials.

Unfortunately, the lounge later closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple then expanded their business interests to include real estate, focusing on modern residential and oceanfront projects designed to bring new lifestyle experiences to Liberia’s coast.

“Success in Africa is less about speed,” Zawolo says. “It’s about consistency, trust and long-term thinking.”

The Balancing Act: Raising A Family Across Continents

Surprisingly, while building businesses, the couple had also begun building their family legacy, raising triplets (Piper, Skylar, and KJ) in a country that was, in essence, in its infancy as a nation.

“Balancing entrepreneurship and family life is never simple,” Zawolo says. “Doing it abroad adds another layer.”

Balance. That’s the key word. For the Zawolos, balance came in more ways than one. While Karton was an expat from America, Barkue was a native of Liberia, who was then raised in the United States.

“I don’t see myself as a traditional expat,” she explains. “I live across both worlds.”

Creating stability meant the couple needed to be intentional about building community, establishing routines, and developing a support system from the ground up. That, of course, included their young family.

Growing up abroad exposed their nine-year-old triplets to different cultures, environments and ways of life, an experience that has shaped their young worldviews in powerful ways, according to the couple. That experience served as a solid foundation for the children when the Zawolos decided to reestablish roots back in the United States, in the wake of the pandemic.

Now, the family has been able to address concerns around the kids’ access to adequate healthcare and long-term stability with a second home in Atlanta. But as much as they are enjoying life in Atlanta, their connection to Africa, especially Liberia, has never wavered. They still maintain their permanent residence in Monrovia, and Karton continues to spend months at a time on the continent managing projects and pursuing new ventures.

“We operate in both places,” he says. “Atlanta is a global city with strong ties to culture, entrepreneurship, and the African diaspora. We call both places home.”

Barkue’s Global Influence: Culture, Community, And Connection

The fact that Karton and Barkue balance each other out has been important to their success. 

Where the former thrives in infrastructure and development, the latter has carved out her own lane rooted in culture, community, and global connection. Barkue thrives as the Global Chief Community Officer at ESSENCE, where she oversees partnerships, sponsorships, and talent engagement across major platforms, including the company’s marquee attraction: the ESSENCE Festival.

Additionally, she enjoys curating travel experiences that go deeper than traditional tourism, through ventures such as Be Africa Luxury and Enroute54. What separates both companies is the focus on storytelling, cultural immersion, and authentic connection to the continent. 

“It’s not about coming in feeling like you know more,” she says. “It’s about collaboration, shared ideas, and building something together.”

Her work often intersects with major cultural moments, including involvement in coordinating travel logistics tied to the recent IShowSpeed Africa tour, where she helped manage operations in Nigeria.

Barkue describes herself as a “service architect,” someone who builds ecosystems that connect people, businesses, and communities across borders.

“The future of Africa is rooted in ownership, growth, and global influence,” she says. “But it starts with community.”

Service And Strategy: New Ventures And Advice For The Diaspora

Monrovia is still home, but the Zawolos are primarily based in Atlanta for the triplets, while continuing to expand their footprint in Africa via Karton’s extensive stays in Liberia. His newest venture, King & Carter, is a lifestyle brand rooted in hospitality, service, and excellence.

“The brand is inspired by two historic figures who represent Georgia’s legacy of leadership and service — Martin Luther King Jr. and Jimmy Carter,” he says. “Our entry point into the market is luxury transportation, but the vision is much broader than that.”

“At its core, the brand reflects a philosophy that has guided much of my work over the years — that great businesses are built around service. Whether it’s developing properties, creating hospitality experiences, or launching transportation services, the goal has always been the same: to elevate the experience for the people we serve.”

Through his Palava Hut Build & Design, Zawolo also provides for those looking to build property in Africa by connecting clients with vetted developers and providing real-time transparency into construction projects.

“We saw a lot of people sending money back home without visibility,” he says. “We wanted to create a system that changes that.”

Whether they’re in Atlanta or Monrovia, the Zawolos’ work remains centered on one idea: connection.

The Zawolo Strategy: Clarity And Advice For The Diaspora

For those Black professionals considering a move to Africa, Karton and Barkue emphasize that success starts with the right mindset.

“Africa is not one place,” he says. “It’s many cultures and many different economies. You have to spend time on the ground and build real relationships.”

Potential expats also need to have clarity and intention.

“Be clear on your why,” she says. “Plan realistically, build community, and take care of yourself, not just your family.”

Another thing to consider at the front end is that relocation doesn’t have to be permanent or one-directional. For many modern expats, the reality of balancing family and business can be more fluid. Living between continents isn’t just a compromise for the Zawolos, it’s a strategy. Because success isn’t tied to one place — Africa or Atlanta — it’s defined by the bridges they continue to build between them.

“Living and building in Africa changed how I see entrepreneurship,” he says. “It’s not just about profit. It’s about community, culture, and creating something that lasts.”

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