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Illustration für das Kanou Team

The team behind Kanou

Behind Kanou are three dedicated founders with diverse backgrounds, talents, and experiences. We are united by a passion for making Afro-cultural life in Switzerland more visible and creating a community where everyone feels welcome.

Get to know us and discover what drives us—both personally and professionally.

Aurélie Csillag

Aurélie Csillag

Head of Sales, CRM, Design & Deputy Finance

I’m a professional soccer player for Liverpool FC and play for the Swiss national team. Soccer has shaped who I am. Discipline, endurance, and true team spirit guide me not only on the field but also at Kanou.

I grew up with two cultures, with an Ivorian mother and a Swiss father of Hungarian descent. This blend has been a part of my life since I was little. My mother lives in Ivory Coast today, and I visit her regularly. My heart belongs to both worlds.
As a child, we often attended “Fäschtli” with family and friends from my mother’s community. There was music, good food, lots of laughter, and that special feeling of togetherness. These moments still mean the world to me and are among my fondest childhood memories.

Over time, I realized that this very feeling isn’t always easy to find in everyday life. Not because it doesn’t exist, but because it’s often invisible. I’ve often searched for a long time myself and haven’t always found what I was looking for.

Places, activities, and events where I simply feel at ease. And that’s exactly how Kanou came to be. From the desire to rediscover that feeling.

Lilly Nägeli

Lilly Nägeli

Marketing, Communications & Community Manager

I’m Lilly—co-founder of KANOU and a professional middle-distance runner. Discipline, endurance, and a clear focus on the goal accompany me not only on the track but also in my work on this passion project. The idea for Kanou didn’t stem from a theoretical concept, but from personal experience. Through my own circle of friends and family, I realized that everyday things—like finding a hair salon that suits you—aren’t a given for everyone.

These differences have shown me just how much the Afro-diasporic community lacks visibility and space—even in Switzerland.

I don’t see my role at Kanou as being at the center, but rather in building structures, sharing resources, and creating space—for connection, visibility, and community. We make decisions together, always with the aim of listening and empowering.

For me, Kanou means responsibility, genuine commitment, and a willingness to continuously learn. I am proud to be part of this journey—in sports as in life: with focus, respect, and a firm belief in what community can achieve.

Kofi Nimeley

Kofi Nimeley

Business Development, Finance & Investor Relations

I was born in Ghana and raised in Switzerland—two worlds that have shaped my perspective. As a person of color, I know the challenges, but also the strength that lies in community.

Today, I lead real estate teams across multiple countries, build my own companies, and work as a soccer player agent. In all these areas, I’ve seen one thing time and again: success happens where people support one another and have access to the right networks.

Kanou was born out of this very experience. A platform that brings to light what is often overlooked and connects people who have more in common than they realize.

I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to be seen, especially as a POC entrepreneur.

That’s why Kanou is more than just a project: It’s a step toward greater visibility, more opportunities, and a stronger community.