Bintou Fofana, originally from West Africa, is an ambitious and multitasked individual. She is best known for her political poetry podcast, “Things Just Got Spicy 🌶️ 🔥” — and her 2023 student-faculty collaboration research regarding podcasting and building gen-z political participation— of which she began during her sophomore year at Allegheny College. With the goal of giving students an opportunity to not only express themselves/tell their story but to bring awareness to issues dear to them. This is also why Bintou began Apicturesthatspeak in 2019 to capture the human story.

At Allegheny College, Bintou Fofana is a rising senior pursuing a degree in International Studies with an area focus on West Africa. She is double minoring in Political Science and French. Bintou’s passion for and attentiveness regarding social justice issues and political hot topics has led to her appointment as a 'Vote Everywhere Ambassador’ with the Allegheny chapter of the Andrew Goodman Foundation, which strives to increase youth voter participation. She is also a fellow at the college's Center for Political Participation, in which she is a peer mentor for students interested in law and public policy. Bintou was selected to be part of the 'Global Citizens Scholars' program, a distinction granted to just 20 incoming first-year students. She is a recipient of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives awards for her collaborative work in anti-gun violence in the city of Philadelphia.

Outside of university, Bintou wishes to continue her small business, Bintou’s KRAFTS, which she started in 2017.