Some love stories are simply bigger than themselves. The union of Arian Simone Reed and Benjamin Salah Mougarbel is one of them.
This week, the founder and CEO of Fearless Fund, Her Majesty Queen Wa Arian Simone, begins her royal wedding week in Accra, Ghana, alongside her fiancé Benjamin Mougarbel, a Ghanaian venture capitalist and entrepreneur. Themed “Coming to Africa,” the multi-day celebration brings together guests from across the globe to honor two cultures, two remarkable legacies, and a love story rooted in the very continent Arian has devoted so much of her life to serving. As the first-ever queen of the Dawa people of Grand-Bereby on the Ivory Coast, a title bestowed upon her in October 2022 in recognition of her extraordinary philanthropic work in the region, Arian steps into this chapter of her life as both a bride and a queen. “God is always in the details,” she shared as wedding week began.
A Pre-Wedding Portrait by Laury Bride
Before the week’s celebrations unfolded in full, Arian stepped in front of the lens for a pre-wedding portrait session that speaks to the intentionality woven into every detail of this occasion. Photographed by The Tribe Photography, she wore a bespoke gown by Laury Bride, the bridal label founded by Detroit-native and Cass Technical High School alumna Laurie Underwood Russell.
The connection between bride and designer runs deeper than fashion. Arian and Laurie share the same hometown and the same storied high school, and the alignment felt anything but coincidental. Laurie first captured the attention of the fashion world as a fan favorite on Project Runway Season 14, and has since built Laury Bride into one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary bridal design, celebrated for her bespoke creations and her dedication to honoring the modern bride in her full complexity. Her custom work has been worn by author Luvvie Ajayi and actress Keke Palmer, among others.
For a bride who has spent years building institutions rooted in the belief that representation matters, choosing a gown by a Black woman designer from her own hometown carries its own quiet eloquence. The portrait is luminous and wholly fitting: a queen, dressed for the occasion.
Laury Bride has the honor of introducing the world to this bride first, and as the opening look of a royal wedding week, this creation makes a statement that will be difficult to follow. It is a distinction well earned.
A Vision Built on Fearlessness
Arian Simone’s path to this moment is defined by a fearlessness she has never kept to herself. Born in Detroit and educated at Florida A&M University, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, she has spent more than two decades building and investing in ventures that others underestimated. In 2018, she founded Fearless Fund, the first venture capital firm built by a woman of color for women of color, and has served as its chief executive ever since. The firm has invested over $27 million in women of color-led businesses and has extended grants and investment to African-founded companies as well.
Her connection to Africa is not incidental. In 2022, Arian established the Arian Simone Fearless Leadership Academy, the first elementary school in the Grand-Bereby region of the Ivory Coast, a STEAM institution serving children across Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Ghana, and Guinea. That act of generosity led community leaders to propose she become Her Majesty Queen Wa of the Kingdom of Dawa, a title she accepted with humility and purpose. She now splits her time between Atlanta and Accra, where Fearless Fund Africa officially launched in March 2026.
Benjamin Mougarbel brings his own distinguished story to this partnership. Born and raised in Accra into an entrepreneurial family with deep roots in Ghanaian commerce, he built his business acumen early and has since expanded his portfolio across venture capital, music technology, and BHC Drinks, a hot chocolate company inspired by the cocoa heritage of Ghana and the Ivory Coast, two countries that together export 60 percent of the world’s raw cocoa beans. His Ghanaian roots and royal lineage make him a fitting counterpart to a queen.
What to Anticipate This Week
The “Coming to Africa” wedding week promises to be a celebration as layered and intentional as the couple at its center. Ghanaian weddings are typically multi-event affairs that weave together Western traditions and rich ancestral customs, including a traditional engagement ceremony in which families gather to honor the union through the exchange of symbolic gifts, the wearing of vibrant kente cloth, and the blessing of the couple by religious leaders. The white wedding, held separately, will bring together spoken vows and the kind of ceremony that transcends borders.
For Arian and Benjamin, both born-again Christians with deep ties to faith and community, this week is anticipated to honor the fullness of who they are: the Ghanaian traditions Benjamin carries, the African royal identity Arian has grown into, and the shared belief that has guided them both. With over 400 guests gathering in Accra, many traveling internationally to witness the occasion, the week ahead is expected to be as culturally rich as it is deeply personal.
Royal wedding week is upon us. We are watching, and we are honored to celebrate with them. Stay tuned for more wedding details.
Vendor Credits
- Dress: Laury Bride (@laurybride)
- Photography: The Tribe Photography (@thetribephotography)
- Makeup: Makeup by Zulky (@makeupbyzulky)
- Hair: Studio 7 Clinic and MedSpa (@studio7)
