Black Create Connect Podcast (Black Create Connect)

Michelle De Leon is the founder and CEO of World Afro Day®, 15th September. A global day of celebration and liberation of Afro Hair and Identity, with an estimated reach of 1.5 billion. Michelle successfully combines her broadcasting career of 20+ years at ITV Good Morning Britain with leading World Afro Day CIC. She has overcome her own struggles with Afro hair and was inspired by her 8 year old daughter to set up the day of celebration. Since 2017, her work has influenced the UN, UK government, global brands, international media and major celebrities. Key highlights are the Workplace Hair Acceptance report 2023; contributing to the EHRC guidelines to prevent hair discrimination in schools 2022 and a speech at the United Nations in Geneva 2018.

In this episode Alicia and Michelle discuss:

• The significance of recognising and healing from past traumas
• The inspiration behind Michelle's establishment of World Afro Day
• The journey involved in creating and growing the movement
• The importance of black women embracing their natural hair and the empowerment it brings
• Predictions and aspirations for the future of World Afro Day and its impact on society.

Learn more about World Afro Hair - https://www.worldafroday.com/

Connect with Michelle here 

 

Abraham Adeyemi is a highly accomplished and visionary director based in London, UK. With a strong passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, he has solidified his reputation as a creative force in the film industry. Abraham brings a unique blend of creativity, technical expertise, and a profound understanding of human experiences to every project he undertakes.

His directorial debut No More Wings world premiered and received the best narrative short award at Tribeca Film Festival and he was later selected as the lead director’s mentee on Netflix’s Top Boy season 2, where he directed some scenes including part of the opening montage of episode 2. He is currently developing numerous original projects for film and television, and writing a pilot under the mentorship of Jesse Armstrong (creator of Succession) as part of the Dancing Ledge/ITV New Talent Scheme.

Abraham participated in the prestigious Channel 4’s 4Screenwriting programme and has since been commissioned to write two episodes of an unproduced All3Media drama series and has participated in several writers rooms including Supacell (Netflix), Black Ops (BBC Studios), Fremantle, Bandstand Productions, Joi Productions, 87 Films and Sugar Films/Ringside Studios. In gaming, he has participated in writers rooms for Play Station Studios. 

Abraham strives to tell stories that explore the multiple facets of human behaviour, the range of perspectives they carry and the complex dichotomies of life that exists within that, sans condemnation.

As a London-based director, Abraham continues to push boundaries, challenge norms, and elevate the art of filmmaking. He is poised to make a lasting impact in the industry with his upcoming projects, each promising to further showcase his exceptional storytelling abilities, creative vision, and commitment to authentic representation.

In this podcast epsiode Alicia and Abraham discuss:

- The impact of attending a private school whilst growing up in South London 

- The writers hustle - how to succeed as a screenwriter 

- The motivation behind becoming a writer 

- From Theatre to Award winning short films 

- Why Abe loves South London 

- The importance of having a persevering mindset 

 

Connect with Abe here - https://www.instagram.com/abeislegend/?hl=en-gb 

Watch his short film here -https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=6Lzpgl8PA9I&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dno%2Bmore%2Bwings%26oq%3Dno%2Bmore%2Bwings%26gs_lcrp%3DEgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyBwgBEC4YgAQyB&source_ve_path=MzY4NDIsMjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo 

This Episode is a solo Episode with Alicia Richardson, The Founder of Black Create Connect. She talks honestly about her 2022 journey with building Black Create connect and shares what her plans are for 2023. She also gives thanks to key individuals that have contributed positively to the growth of this platform, and shares her journey with God and how it ties in to her purpose and vision for this community. 

 Adrian is a senior recruiter with over 10+ years of experience in data, tech and digital hiring. He has mastered how to connect with best in class professionals, helping candidates develop great careers. By listening and having open communication, Adrian helps candidates to uncover their personal and career aspirations. Adrian has helped build teams in companies ranging from small start-ups to large corporations across the US, UK, Asia and mainland Europe. He is skilled in 360, end-to-end, full-cycle recruiting, business partnering, building and managing recruitment teams, business leadership, process development and strategic market mapping.

Alicia and Adrian discuss :

- What influenced him to embark in a career in recruitment

- The barriers he came across trying to get into recruitment

- The importance of diverse hiring

- Working for ethnic minority founders

- How to best retain relationships

- How to transition into a career in marketing

Connect with Adrian on Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianmcdonald01/

Sayce Holmes-Lewis is an entrepreneur, sports coach, mentor and activist providing strategic counsel and cultural insight within the public & private sectors, whilst also delivering aspirational keynotes on the importance of community, racial equity, personal growth & resilience.

Sayce is the founder & CEO of Mentivity, an award-winning mentoring organisation, and alternative education provision that provides aspirational support for young people, schools, parents, and carers across London, Brighton, Barbados, Kenya and Uganda. Founded in 2016, Mentivity has touched the lives of thousands of young people with their adaptable, holistic approach and proven record of expertise in coaching, mentoring, and support.

Sayce feels extremely fortunate to be doing work that he truly loves, using his platform and vast network within business, sport, education, and government to advocate for diverse and underserved communities.

In this episode Alicia and Sayce discuss:

• Sayce's experience of being discovered as a talented football player in his neighborhood
• Overcoming life-threatening health struggles and achieving a successful recovery
• The obstacles faced by black male teachers and how to navigate them
• The inspiring story of how Mentivity was born and how the new hub will positively impact his community.

Learn more about Sayce and Mentivity here:

https://sayceholmeslewis.com/my-story 

https://www.mentivity.com/

 

Adrian Daniels is a digital consultant, podcast coach and mentor who has over the past decade has built a versatile skill set and a reputation in the UK Tech and Digital industry; including running startups, agencies and online academies, whilst being the forefront of commercial success at various companies.

Within this time, he’s spoken at and hosted various workshops and events in the UK, picked up notable plaudits and has privately consulted high-net worth individuals and even influencers affiliated with the Royal Family, on their personal digital strategy.

 

In this episode Alicia & Adrian discuss:

• Schooling in Ghana 
• How to be a Life hustler
• The process of Creating content 
• The importance of extra circular activities 
• The reality of starting your own business
• How networking led to the Sound of Accra Podcast 
• Quitting your job and moving on

Connect with Adrian here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielsadrian/

Listen to Sound of Accra Podcast - https://linktr.ee/thesoundofaccrapod 

Lee Chambers is a British psychologist, entrepreneur, male ally and speaker. He is the founder of PhenomGames and Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing. Chambers was inducted as a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences in 2023.

He has been interviewed by Vogue, The Guardian and Newsweek, and is known for analyzing the psychological aspects of the workplaces, wellbeing and intersectionality. He is one of the UK’s leading voices on male allyship and gender equity.

He was named as a Marie Claire Future Shaper 2022, alongside Harry Styles and Tom Daley, and was inducted into the Black Cultural Archives in 2022 for services to Business and Health.

He is trusted by publications such as Medical News Today, the BBC and Healthline, and recently featured as an expert in IKEA’s docuseries, “It won’t feel like home, ‘til it feels like you.”

Lee won the Professional Service Startup of the Year at the National Startup Awards, and has also been awarded the Service Entrepreneur of the Year at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards. He was named as an Exceptional Entrepreneur by the Startups 100 Index and a Man for Gender Balance at the Rising Star Awards.

Based in the North West, and working globally, he is passionate about conscious leadership, equality of health opportunity and menopause awareness.

 

In this episode Alicia and Lee discuss:

• How he founded, built and sold a business before 30 
• Life challenges and successes as a autistic adult 
• Understanding the strengths of autism
• The idea that everyone is on the spectrum 
• The reality of having an autistic black son
• Late Neurodiverse diagnosis - the importance of being diagnosed 
• What motivated him to be a wellbeing consultant 

See more about Lee here - https://leechambers.org/

Tevin is the founder of 1000 Voices, a production company with a vision to eradicate all racial inequalities and inspire a generation of black British changemakers. He has a background in social entrepreneurship and currently works as a financial sales professional as well. Driven by his desire for a more equitable society for all, the 1000 Voices podcast is his first step towards realising his vision.

Tevin is the founder and host of 1000 Voices, a podcast that interviews black British changemakers and aims to empower a generation of black British changemakers. With a background in social entrepreneurship and a current career as a financial sales professional, Tevin is driven by a desire to create a more equitable society for all. Through the 1000 Voices podcast, Tevin is working towards his long-term vision of eradicating racial inequalities and inspiring others to make a positive impact in their own communities and beyond. 

In this episode Tevin and Alicia discuss: 

• Career Transitioning in a short time frame 
• Tevins near death health experience and his new view on life
• Wealth in sustainable fashion 
• The power on generational story telling

Connect with Tevin here:

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tevinkittoe

 

Jusnah Gadi is a music business educator and founder of Young Music Boss which is a resource hub and network building tool for young music entrepreneurs and creatives. YMB aims to prepare the next generation of music industry professionals as well as build an alliance among young music creatives, entrepreneurs and relevant music associations. At the heart of YMB is the desire to empower young professionals through our online content, events, educational tools and consultancy services.

Jusnah is also the Co-founder of Hot N Juicy Shrimp LDN, which brings authentic Southern American flavours to the UK. 

Jusnah is fast becoming a formidable and much needed force in the music industry. Jusnah is also passionate about developing the ecosystem of the Tanzanian music industry and consults various artist teams guiding them on how to maximize income and building a solid infrastructure around their artist. 

In this episode Alicia and Jusnah discuss:

• Building credibility by gaining expertise 
• Her career journey in Law and why Music Law interested her 
• How to handle a No and building long term relationships
• Navigating her way throughout the music industry and why she startedYoung Music Boss
• The successes and failures of running a fast food business - Facing your failures
• Why Young Music Boss awards is Needed and one of the fastest growing award events

Connect with Jusnah Gadi - 

https://www.instagram.com/diamondlanelondon/?hl=en

Young Music Boss - https://www.instagram.com/youngmusicboss/?hl=en  - https://www.youngmusicboss.com/

TES - https://www.instagram.com/tesentspace/?hl=en 

YMG Awards - https://www.instagram.com/ymbawards/?hl=en 

Hot n Juicy Shrimp - https://www.hotnjuicyshrimpldn.co.uk/

 

Franklin Boateng aka @KingOf Trainers is a Consultant, TED X speaker, Collaborator, Author, teacher, twogger (twitter blogger), footwear, and fashion personality. He is the first Black Billionaire and became a millionaire before 26. Franklin is a serial entrepreneur, having written 5 audiobooks, and owning a clothing store, CBD brand and multiple properties.  

He specialises in teaching digital marketing and youth projects and teaches his followers on social media about the latest and trendiest footwear.

Franklin built the first social media site, 'Fabs Network' and within his career as a trainers blogger he has worked with Ellesse to design his own trainers, and he's collaborated with JD sports, Averex, Puma and more. 

In this episode Alicia and Franklin discuss: 

  - How he started social media consulting - The story behind the King of trainers  - How he became the first black male influencer to hit over 100k followers  - His early career in advertising  - How Franklin became a millionaire before 26 - How he created his social media network and grew it successfully  - His earlier relationship with money and investing   Watch Franklins TED X talk here - https://youtu.be/LsKtixzMK5s  Connect with him on - https://www.instagram.com/kingoftrainers/?hl=en and https://www.instagram.com/franklinboateng/?hl=en  Find Jobs in Footwear - https://www.instagram.com/footwearjobs/?hl=en Franklin's Clothing Store - https://www.instagram.com/rxtrostore/?hl=en  Franklin's CBD brand - https://www.instagram.com/greenmachinecbd/?hl=en 

Are you at a point in your career where you feel stagnant ? Unsure what to do next or how to approach applying for new positions? How do you really leverage your network ? In this week's Episode Alicia gives detailed tips and advice on how to best approach your job search from personal branding, reaching out to your network and more !

In this episode Alicia shares insights on:

- How to identify what you want to do next in your career - How to create opportunities with companies - Writing a Stand Out CV and Linked In Profile - How to pitch yourself to companies - How to map out your skill sets and what role is right for you - How to best approach and succeed in interviews

To book a detailed chat about the next step in your career with Alicia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-richardson/ 

You can connect with her on - https://calendly.com/alicialatoyarichardson

 

 

Josh is a Quantitative Trader, who has a background within both investment banking and hedge funds. He was born and raised in Peckham, and passionate about educating young black professionals on economics, and has been running his own blog called Nizzynomics where he educates us on topics around, trading, investing and how he interprets economic trends.

In this episode Alicia and Josh:

• The challenges he had to face and overcome during his upbringing
• How to stay true to yourself and succeed
• Handling educational rejection and biases
• Giving us an insight and understanding of Hedge funds
• How to get your foot in the door with investment banking
• What to expect working within investment banking

To subscribe to learn more about finance and economics from Josh's perspective  https://www.nizzynomics.com/ Connect with Josh on instagram - JoshNizzy

Hosanna Hali, an accomplished Azure Specialist at Microsoft and the founder of The Tech Cornr joins the conversation with Alicia Richardson today. From her humble beginnings as a Computing and IT Management graduate to becoming a Solutions Engineer in Cybersecurity, Hosanna’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. 

Since starting her career in technology over two years ago, Hosanna has been using her experience to help guide, mentor and inspire the next generation of Women In Tech. Hosanna has participated in a number of Women In Tech Initiatives and in 2020 was highlighted as one of the ten influential Black British women who code and break down barriers by People of Color In Tech. 

Using her platform, The Tech Cornr, Hosanna aims to inform, inspire and empower her audience by sharing her story, tech resources and career advice across a number of social media platforms. Hosanna’s goal in life is to help open the tech doors to more women and girls.

In this Episode Alicia and Hosanna dive into

• Hosanna’s Growth Journey: her inspiring path from Congo to the UK, excelling in business, computing, and a thriving career at Microsoft.
• Climbing the corporate ladder from Technology Strategist to Cybersecurity
• Why seeking out sponsorship from senior leaders who can actively advocate for you can help with rapid career progression
• Hosanna highlights the power of networking, mentorship, and self-belief in overcoming corporate hurdles and imposter syndrome.
• Balancing Passions: She candidly discusses juggling her career with content creation and her vision to expand The Tech Corner through webinars and impactful events.

 

Connect with Hosanna here

LinkedIn: (99+) Hosanna Hali | LinkedIn

Instagram: www.instagram.com/thetechcornr/

Charlene Hunter is the CEO & founder of Coding Black Females. Charlene has a strong academic background with a BSc in Mathematical Sciences and an MSc in Computer Science from the University of Birmingham.

She has over 10 years of experience as a Java and C# developer and technical architect and has skills in requirements capture, technical architecture, testing, and various other aspects of building successful software applications.

She has a strong passion to increase and showcase the skills and talents of Black women in tech and is determined to diversify the tech sector.

Charlene set up Coding Black Females because in her years as a Software Developer, she discovered Black women were heavily underrepresented in tech. She wanted this to change, and ensure that Black women were able to discover role models and see familiar faces within the industry.

Charlene has received multiple awards and recognition work she does to support Black women in tech.

 

In this episode Alicia and Charlene discuss: 

• Coding from the age of 8 
• Being brought up with a community mindset 
• How to progress into leadership within a short timeframe 
• The reality of starting a community 
• How to get involved with Coding Black Females 
• The impact of Bootcamps, events and careers fairs

To learn more about Coding Black Females:

https://codingblackfemales.com/ 

Connect with Charlene here - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/charlenephunter 

Akua Nyame-Mensah is a certified executive and leadership coach, recognized facilitator, speaker, and host of the Open Door Conversations Podcast.  She helps leaders clarify where they should focus their time and energy each day through her company ANM & Company.

As a former startup executive, she launched an online platform (Lamudi Ghana) for the first African-based technology unicorn Jumia Group.  Currently based in Accra, Ghana, Akua has lived and worked in the U.S., Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa and has traveled to over 30 countries across the world.

Akua has a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a leadership-focused MBA from the Africa Leadership University School of Business.

Outside of her coaching and speaking work she is a regular mentor and judge for various entrepreneurship-focused organizations, incubators, and competitions, including Stanford Seed, Founder Institute, Seedstars, African Business Heroes, FemGems, The Coaching Fellowship, and is a gold-tier #IamRemarkable Facilitator.

In this episode Alicia and Akua talk about:

• How to effectively sale as an introvert 
• How to sustain a business working for yourself 
• How to cultivate a life that works for you 
• What great leadership really looks like
• How to prioritise your time effectively
• How Akua approaches Leadership coaching 

Connect and book a session with Akua here - https://www.akuanm.com/ 

Listen to the latest episodes of her podcast here - https://www.akuanm.com/blog/78713-reboot-your-operating-system

Connect with Akua on Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akuanm/

 

Romain Muhammad is a is a distinguished professional with over a decade of corporate experience, making significant contributions on both national and international levels. He is the Founder and CEO of Diversify, an agency focused on empowering marginalised communities in the professional world. 

Romain is widely recognised for his expertise in DEI, and corporate social responsibility and is a respected writer and public speaker. 

Currently, he holds the prestigious position of Aziz Foundation Scholar at Birkbeck, University of London, where he conducts research on the histories and cartographies of 'race' and racism, culture, ethnicity, diaspora, and postcoloniality in post-war Britain. Romain earned his Bachelor of Arts in History & Politics from the School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London

His debut book "The Others We Became: Exploring Race, Identity & Belonging in Postwar Britain will be released in 2024

In this episode Alicia and Romain discuss: 

• Untold facts about Black history 
• Why the education system is flawed and encourages racism 
• Why Race, Class and Culture matters in all areas of life 
• How racism and slavery was justified to white supremacist
• The part systematic racism plays in all areas of society 
• The myth behind Black’s having a higher pain threshhold 
• How Diversify helps to dismantle systemic barriers 

Learn more about Diversify here -  www.wediversifytalent.com 

Connect with Romain here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/romain-muhammad-diversify/

Bukola Akinfaderin, Engineering Manager at Carvana, has accumulated over 20 years experience working in Information Technology. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Wesleyan University, CT and a Master’s of Science in Information Systems from New Jersey Institute of Technology.  

Bukola has most notably been recognised for the creation of apps that focus on underrepresented groups. Her first project was Jandus Radio, a mobile application/social network that aggregated over 250 radio stations, a forum/peer to peer chat with a focus on African content. Jandus Radio accumulated over 500,000 registered users.  She also launched Afrocast, a podcast aggregator for underrepresented content providers, Khin, a white label social community platform, and MyComplex, a community app for apartment residents.  Her most recent project is glowup app, a goal setting app for women that allows you to achieve your self-care goals with the support of a community.

Bukola was named as Developer of the Month by Microsoft Africa in 2013. She has been featured on several tech publications including TechCabal, Otekbits, TechMoran, PulseTV Nigeria, Voice of America: Beyond the Unicorns of Silicon Valley, World Bank for their Female Tech Entrepreneurs initiative (infodev). She also won 2nd place in the Microsoft 9ja Apps, a competition which focused on rewarding innovative mobile apps focused on the Nigerian market.

In this Episode, Alicia & Bukola discuss:

• Creating the first app to introduce Afrobeats to the US.
• Exploring the real process involved in app building.
• Discussing how trialing entrepreneurship can positively impact career trajectory.
• Understanding different code platforms and their purposes
• Emphasising the importance of being confident in one's idea.
• Examining the challenges faced by Black women in accessing investment opportunities.
• The true benefits of using the glow up app

See more about Bukola here:

http://www.techcabal.com/girls-who-code-bukola-akinfaderin/

https://projects.voanews.com/beyond-the-unicorn/

SyncVault and Black Create Connect are excited to announce their partnership that aims to connect more black creators to paid opportunities. 

 As a creator, you can earn revenue and make your content stand out by using claim-free music on your YouTube videos and now Tik Tok!

 

Debbie aka DJ Chillz is the Director of New Business at SyncVault. Debbie is passionate About All Aspects of Music, and is experienced in music production, DJ’ing 

Music Production And Composing Original Music Pieces. Some of Debbie’s music has been supported by Magazines and Online blogs such as Complex & Fame. 

Alicia and Debbie discuss:

• How her opportunity with SyncVault came about 
• How Content creators can make money from using SyncVault 
• How music artists at all level benefit from connecting with SyncVault
• Fan Tokens - How do they work ?
• The journey of becoming a DJ and transitioning in her music career 

Sign up and get paid by SyncVault here - https://syncvault.com/?aff=7E2SHY16601

See more about DJ Chillz here - https://www.djchillz.com/about 

Philip Udeh was born and raised in London. He graduated from the London School of Economics with a degree in Economics and Business Management. He is the Director of The Ubele Initiative CIC (https://www.linkedin.com/company/20975761/), which is an African diaspora led, infrastructure plus organisation, working to empower Black &Racially Minoritised communities in the UK, to act as catalysts for social and economic change. Philip has also also sat on the board of The Sickle Cell Society (www.sicklecellsociety.org), an organization that empowers individuals with sickle cell disease to live healthy lives and advocates policy change to ensure their access to quality healthcare. Philip is a serial entrepreneur who has created Brain Füd – The Smarter Energy Drink (www.brainfud.co.uk), which is currently distributed in Marks and Spencer. He has also launched his newest CBD brand, where he seeks to naturally solve the problem of sickness and pain. Connect with Philip to follow the journey of this brand.

In this episode Alicia and Philip discuss:

• How sicklecell affected his childhood 
• How to survive and live normally whilst experience sicklecess 
• His near death experienced that showed him his passion
• How to live a full life living with sickleness 
• Why he had to get a hip replacement in his 20s 
• Striving through life in constant pain 
• Why he paid 2.5K for a brainstorm session with a food technologist 
• The reality of pitching on Dragons Dean 

See more about Brain Fud - https://drinkfud.com/ 

Connect with Philip here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-udeh/

Jess D is a multi-faceted social media creative and entrepreneur. She has grown her knowledge, experience and businesses using social media over the last 11 years.  As a digital professional, she has  with strong beauty, alcohol, food, fashion, travel and FMCG expertise. She has created global campaigns working at and with top companies such as WPP, Ogilvy, Fiat Chrysler Group, Unilever, Heathrow, CIROC, Expedia, Pernod Ricard etc.

As a specialist in social content and influencer marketing, she has amassed a total social media following of 70K from her fashion and beauty site ( www.lookwhatigot.co.uk) and FBL Bloggers, an influencer network with a global following. As if that isn't enough,  she launched her own cosmetics company By Jess D. A  beauty brand focused on creating  affordable luxury products for women of every skin tone. The brand has been featured in Grazia, Popsugar, Stylist Magazine, Country and Town House etc.

  Alicia and Jess Discuss:

• How she got into social media influencing 
• How she mantises from content creation
• How to create highly engaging branded content 
• Understanding social media algorithms 
• Key social media trends
• Why she started her beauty brand

Connect with Jess:

https://www.instagram.com/byjessd/?hl=en

https://www.byjessd.com/

Kelliesha White is an esteemed Marketer who is the Senior Brand and cultural Impact manager at tech platform Depop. She is at the core of youth culture, bringing insights into the wider business and is constantly challenging the business to ask ‘ Why should our communities care?’. Kelliesha has delivered talks at Loreal group, London College of Fashion, Youth Marketing Strategy, BIMA, Samsung, Performance Marketing world Unlocked & more – exploring topics such as Gen Z,  Culture and Community Marketing and creating access to the creative industry. Outside of her work Kelliesha mentors Fashion university students and is on the Advisory board for Youth Violence Charity Power The Fight. 

 

About Depop

Depop is a peer-to-peer social shopping app1. It is an online marketplace where people can buy and sell clothes2. Depop was founded in 2011 by entrepreneur Simon Beckerman at man on man, an Italian technological incubator and business start-up centre1. Its headquarters moved to London in 2012

 

To Apply for jobs at Depop visit - https://blackcreateconnect.co.uk/job-board/ 

Follow the BCC Depop Content Creators

https://www.instagram.com/bamikuteyi/ 

https://www.instagram.com/mabel.tech/ 

https://www.tiktok.com/@cyberdaniella

 

In this episode, Alicia recaps the experience of attending Cannes Lions Festival with 3 Black creatives and professionals she attended Cannes with, along with 50+ Black creatives. See the bio of each episode feature below:

Denise 

Denise Maxwell is the multi genre international Photographer behind Lensi Photography; covering genres such as sports, fashion, events, portraits and photojournalism, workshops and mentoring to name some.

She has been named as 1 of 7 female documentary photographers to be highlighted by the BBC during lockdown. Her art work has been exhibited at The Midlands Arts Centre, The Harris Museum and The Photography Show. She has had work published in major publications such as OK Magazine, The Independent and Metro. Denise is 1 of 15 female photographers chosen to be exhibited by F22 of The Association of Photographers

Was the award winning photographer behind the Starling Bank “Make Money Equal”

Campaign. She guest lectures at various International Universities and UK Colleges .

In 2022 she had 8 features in mainstream photography magazines and has delivered

Masterclases on the Super-stage at The Photography Show. Alongside continuing to create imagery for clients including Uber, Google, Government Departments, Gumtree and the BBC; Denise continues to speak across the UK sharing her knowledge and experience with over 12 years in the field, specialising in teaching photographers how to set up multiple streams of income and creating 

Subscribe to Denises Mentoring site if you wish to learn more about Photography - patreon.com/LensiPhotography 

See more about Denises work -  https://lensilearning.co.uk/ 

Sinead 

Sinead has campaigned for diversity and inclusion since her youth: co-founding Google’s AfroGoogle Network, launching a social enterprise to support the LGBTQ community, and founding the charity, We Are We to combat discrimination against women and to end period poverty in the UK. 

Outside of the charity, she is also a powerhouse consultant, having worked with over 80 multi-million dollar companies listed on the London, Euronext and New York Stock Exchanges. 

Her 10 year experience expands across world leading companies such as Google, Shopify Plus, SocialTalent and Salesforce where she travels the world engaging in consultative relationships focused on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategies focused on changing mindsets, breaking biases and removing barriers to create a truly inclusive and psychologically safe environment for all. 

She also runs a construction company with her partner, where they buy land in the U.K. and build commercial spaces and residentials

Connect with Sinead - IG - @sineadsir & https://www.linkedin.com/in/sineadrose

Bolaji 

Bolaji has over 18 years of corporate experience working for top investment banks, Bolaji has directed many multi million dollar enterprise implementations and has notably secured over £6,000,000 in sales for one of his clients a top SAAS company.

He has also spearheaded multiple high ticket business launches and has recently been helping business owners and entrepreneurs use their online profiles to create highly profitable online courses and academies

To book a consultation with Bolaji - https://go.bolajiolatoye.com/consultation 

Akbar is Burundi born and London bred.   He is the: - Director, Recruitment @ Metafy. - Founder @Maarusi - Mentor @ Black Valley and an advisor @ Udder   He has built international tech teams for the last 12 years from China to the US, UK and more. A proud refugee and advocate for equity he has been able to contribute to building better businesses and communities.    In this Episode Alicia and Akbar discuss:   - How to become a recommendable individual  - How to identify where you best thrive  - Why moving "back home" is the long term plan  -  Engaging with clients using a personal approach  - How to be a consistent person of value  - Managing inclusive hiring with stakeholders - Scaling startups and identifying what your role could be - Secrets to high-volume hiring - How to progress effectively within your career    Connect with Akbar here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akbarkarenga/ 

As a creative freelancer, Charley has produced over one hundred hours of radio. The shows have included interviews with media personalities, professional TV & film actors, NHS staff, community youth-leaders, and other notable individuals across various sectors. For each show, Charley curated a diverse playlist, presented a news segment, ran special features and hosted interactive games. Flex FM radio is the most recent platform on which Charley produced and presented a weekly brunch show between 10am and 12pm to a mixed audience from age 15 upwards. The show reached thousands of listeners and is available to replay via Mixcloud (search: Charley Jai Mixcloud). Some of Charley's other career highlights include her extensive work as a Young Persons Guidance Coach, following a career with Chain Reaction Theatre as an Actress and Workshop Facilitator where Charley would perform and/or deliver educational plays. Sessions focused on lifestyle and personal development, covering topics such as healthy eating, positive relationships, confidence, the importance of boundaries and more. To date, Charley has worked alongside Channel 4, Rich Mix Arts & Cultural Centre, Theatre Royal; Stratford East, Talawa, Deja Vu FM, Itch FM, Shoreditch radio, Newham Recorder, and Amor Magazine to name just a handful of platforms where she has exercised her talents within media and entertainment. In this episode Alicia and Charley discuss: 

- Helping people you don't always like  - Knowing what battles to pick in life - The art of being brutally honest  - Coaching Youth the process and results - Identifying where you can exhale - The importance of being relatable - A career in radio Connect with Charley Jai - https://linktr.ee/charleyjaiuk IG: https://www.instagram.com/charleyjaiuk/

Shocka is a Mental health advocate Ted Talk speaker, Artist and signed Poet. He originally started his career as an artist in 2008 alongside Double S and Vertex in a popular Grime group called Marvell. Shocka was popular within the grime scene amongst artist such as Tinie Tempah, Chip, Skepta and Diversity. During his time as an artist, Shocka worked with Ghetts' Grime collective "The Movement", alongside Devlin, Wretch 32, and Scorcher. Marvell was eventually signed by Grime label Risky Roadz in 2011. Over the years although Shocka experienced being sectioned on multiple occasions he has thrived, developing his advocacy in mental health and becoming an inspirational speaker, and poet. Shocka has just released his most recent music video "Don't be ashamed" where he shows his most recent experience of being within a mental health institution. He also wrote a poetry book during this time which is due to be published later this year.    In this episode Alicia and Shocka discuss:  

• Navigating his career in music 
• Miracles that led to his group getting signed 
• Having encounters with music mogul's such as Drake and Rihanna 
• Why his group was dropped from his Label and how that affected him 
• Being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and defining it
• The process of being in and out of a mental health hospital 
• Coping with mental health and identifying your triggers 
• Loosing mum in 2022 and the impact it has had on Shocka's mental health 
• Becoming a Ted Talk, influential speaker and a mental health advocate 
• The change and growth in his music career 
• New music, New signed deal, New Poetry Book etc.

  Listen and Watch Shocka's latest video and single 'Don't be ashamed" - https://youtu.be/zoxU3ezliU4  Youtube - Shockatv - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRjgZMoyzXcHuPRU4gJ21Gg  Connect with Shocka on Instagram - https://instagram.com/shocka_artist?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Read more abut Shocka here -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shocka#2008-2011:_Career_beginnings_and_Marvell   

 

Tobi Demuren has established himself as a visionary and compassionate leader in the realms of Tech and Advertising. Currently, he excels in his role at LinkedIn, the preeminent global platform for professional networking, where he spearheads advocacy marketing for the advertising business globally.

Before joining LinkedIn, Tobi gained valuable experience leading European marketing for IBM& Salesforce practice, as well as working at top-tier creative agencies. Throughout his career, he has consistently demonstrated a commitment to innovation, creativity, and excellence in marketing.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Tobi is deeply dedicated to charitable work, notably in the areas of equity, diversity, and inclusion. He actively leads the strategic partnership between LinkedIn and 10,000 Black Interns, a non-profit organization committed to promoting equity and diversity for black individuals in the workplace.

His passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) extends to championing people-first organizations and leading with compassion. Tobi's well-rounded career path and dedication to positive change have earned him a respected position in his field, both within his current role at

LinkedIn and in his broader contributions to the industry

• In this episode, Alicia and Tobi discuss the following:
• Being the Token black student in school and standing out positively
• Knowing how to converse with different types of people
• The life-changing conversations with white teachers that shaped Tobi's worldview
• Advocacy marketing @ Linked In
• The 10,000 Black Interns initiative and its impact

Connect with Tobi here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobi-demuren-594a7088/

Niall Simpson is the Founder and Director of. Pursue Talent and Black Tech Sales Network, he recently spoke at Black tech Fest 2022, sharing insights on how to develop a career in tech sales, and is a respected leader with the tech sale space.  Niall has been passionate about tech sales since 2017, and even more passionate about under represented sales professionals excelling within the tech industry. If you're interested in joining the Black Tech sales network,  you can join using the link below, and if you're looking at hiring sales. professionals,  then touch base with Niall using the contact details below.   In this episode Alicia and Niall discuss:   -The motivation for getting into Tech Sales  - The importance of being well-traveled  - Solo travel trips to Mexico  - What a stand out sales professional looks like - How much money you can make in tech sales - 6 figures in. 2 years  - Successfully growing an online community   https://www.linkedin.com/company/btsn/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuetalent niall@pursuetalent.com

David McQueen is an international speaker, executive coach, and board advisor. His experience spans over 30 of speaking to corporate, public, and third-sector audiences. David has worked with the likes of Sir Richard Branson, Shell Livewire, Startups Awards, SFEDI, Social Enterprise and Unltd

He has also served as a pitch coach for companies across Europe to raise over £100 million in funding, currently sits on the board for Forbes Family and he is the Founder of Black Founders Hub, a tech incubator for Black Founders. His vision is for his company to be part of a wider narrative empowering Black techies to take their futures into their own hands.

David also hosts two podcasts: BRAVE Leadership on his own and Working Progress with his wife. He was also the Presenter on Virgin Media Pioneers and Channel 4’s Vocation Vocation Vocation.

In this Episode Alicia and David Discuss: 

• The impact growing up in church had on his confidence & character 
• The secret to delivering memorable & compelling talks 
• Manifesting meeting Richard Branson and then working with him !
• The value of learning from others 
• What relationships can do if they’re used correctly 
•  Knowing what you’re good at and recognising the right time 

See more about David here - https://davidmcqueen.co.uk/about 

Andy Ayim MBE is renowned for his deep expertise and experience coaching founders strategically towards achieving product/ market fit. He is a go-to expert on angel investing.

He has become a leading voice across Europe for training the next generation of angel investors and supporting startups with scaling responsibly.

His angel training programmes have empowered over 400+ new angels including the Black Angel Group spun out of Google's Black Network which has invested over $3.5m in over 28 startups.

He consults through organisations such as Psalt and Elixirr to advise organisations on executive coaching and creating high-performing agile teams.

His expertise in designing inclusive early-stage investment vehicles has seen him consult in the creation of startup accelerator programmes for organisations such as Backstage Capital, Black Equity Organisation and Impact X among others.

Andy was recognised in 2021 with a Queen's Honours MBE medal in recognition of his contribution to diversity and technology in the UK.

 

In this Episode Alicia and Andy Discuss:

- Andy's global adventures in wild life and character building activities 

- The importance of being in new environments 

- The impact of travelling and building international relationships

- Insights and opportunities from working internationally 

- The reason he started Angel Investing School 

- How people can become investors with small amounts of capital 

 

Learn more about Andy here:

https://andyayim.com/ 

Bejay Mulenga, a multi-award-winning serial social entrepreneur, with over 10 years of business-building experience, having trained over 10,000 entrepreneurs as part of his work.

He is the youngest award winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in the UK. Passionate about teaching entrepreneurs the skills they need to take their business to the next level, Bejay is the founder of Supa Network, the Business Building Club, and more ventures dedicated to this ultimate goal.

Bejay has worked with brands such as Barclays, River Island, BBC, The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, Sony, and more.

 

In this episode, Alicia and Bejay discuss:

• How Bejay started investing into businesses 
• The realities of being an entrepreneur 
• His entrepreneur journey starting from school
• Creative ideas to scale companies 
• The challenge Black entrepreneurs' may face with investment access
• Investing into smart people 
• Blocks 2 Blacks & SupaNetwork

Learn more about Bejay & his work via the following links 

https://www.bejaymulenga.com/ 

https://www.blocks2bags.com/ 

 

With over 20 years experience, Torin Ellis is a DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Coach, Consultant, public speaker and published author (Rip the Resume). Torin is a Board advisor at WORQDRIVE and Get-Optimal, he addresses talent development and recruitment through the leadership lens. He's an expert is surgically sourcing and securing high impact talent, curating conversations around bias/race and inclusion in the workplace.  Torin is a trusted Practitioner and former Executive Producer and Host of Career Mix, a weekly show on SiriusXM. His voice has also become requested and trusted by some of the biggest conference organizers in the US and abroad. He's been featured in Forbes, Voice of Job seekers, Fuel50 and more. He hosts his very own podcast called "Crazy and the King" featuring Julie Sowash.

 

In this episode Alicia and Torin discuss: 

- What companies can do to have a lasting impact on diversity equity inclusion

- Why Torin wrote "Rip the Resume"

- What a great DEI result looks like 

- Valuing yourself as a consultant 

- How to thrive as a leader as a black professional 

- The best way to seek a mentor 

 

See more on Torin here - https://torinellis.com/ 

Follow Torin on Twitter - https://twitter.com/torinellis?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor 

To connect with Torin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/torinellis/  

https://www.crazyandtheking.com

Buy Torin's Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Torin-Ellis/e/B01E7PAEJK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share 

Carol Stewart is the founder of Abounding Solutions and author of Quietly Visible: Leading With Influence and Impact as an Introverted Woman (listed as one of the 10 best self-development books written by women to read during lockdown by BeYourOwn). She is an Executive, Career and Leadership Coach, specialising in introverted women who are senior leaders. Carol coaches women to lead with confidence, influence, and impact. She also delivers workshops, webinars, and talks on career development, personal development, and leadership development to organisations who want to develop their talent.

 

She has been the featured expert in Women and Home magazine, Good Housekeeping magazine, the Telegraph, and other media publications.  She is a LinkedIn Top Voice UK, 4 years running, and has received awards for her work developing women leaders, including a We Are The City Rising Star Champion Award.

In this episode Alicia and Carol discuss:

• How to be a successful authentic leader 
• How to stay relevant as you evolve 
• How to grow a personal brand being an introvert 
• Becoming a credible professional
• Pivoting careers strategically and successfully 

Understand more about Carol's business here- https://aboundingsolutions.com/ 

Listen to Carol's podcast here - https://aboundingsolutions.com/quietly-visible-podcast/ 

Connect / Follow Carol here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolstewart1/

Email carol@aboundingsolutions.com to discuss coaching or speaking.

Crosby Enninful is the founder of Egbenn Accountancy Services and a Chartered Accountant.

He is 32 years old and has over 12 years experience in finance and accounting. He has been running is own firm for 5 years and works with small and medium size businesses dealing with all areas of accounting.

In this episode, Alicia and Crosby delve into:

• The shift from managing contracts to managing a business
• Overcoming and emerging from periods of depression
• Exploring the significance of faith in Crosby's personal and professional journey
• Strategies for optimising time management to achieve personal and professional goals
• Prioritising relationships over professional pursuits

 

You can connect with him on:

Email: info@egbenn.co.uk

Instagram: @egbennaccountancy

LinkedIn: Crosby Enninful (FCCA)

Website: www.egbenn.co.uk

Sandra Adu is a design director, multidisciplinary design educator and cultural policy researcher, who has harnessed her myriad design talents over the sprawling decade of her illustrious design career. She has always associated herself with branding and design initiatives that have effectively fostered positive organisational growth and behavioural changes.

She is the founder of Black Girls in Design and has over the years played a crucial role in helping agencies to deliver exceptional creative projects for a diverse and exciting client base across multiple platforms. Her journey as a designer began with a mission to help small businesses to fight their corner. Her notable clients have been Hsbc, Net-A-Porter, REN, L'Artisan Parfumeur, META, JP Morgan, and Puma.

 

In this episode Alicia and Sandra Discuss:

• The challenge raising a daughter as a single mum and attending uni
• The importance of stripping back culture habits to succeed 
• Why Leaders need to be coached 
• The value in design and career opportunities 
• How black girls in design will work with the education curriculum 

Connect with Sandra here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-a-3a845237/

In this week's episode, we're celebrating Black History Month with our founder, Alicia!

Alicia opens up about why she feels Black History Month is so important and how it's helped her grow as a person. She also shares some words of encouragement to the black community, talks about key black women in her life, and touches on plans for the future with BCC—how we plan to continue to elevate black professionals.

Remember to connect with Alicia here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-richardson/ 

And Follow BlackCreateConnect on all social platforms 

Join us to celebrate Black History Month 19th Oct in London @ ASOS head Office  in collaboration with Black Recruiters Network - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brn-bcc-present-black-resistance-tickets-726846767247? 

Johanne Penney is the Founder & CEO of Amp Up Your Voice, a progressive anti-racism and diversity, equity, and inclusion consultancy that partners with modern and progressive brands and businesses who are on their journey to authentically diversify their business and who want to be true advocates. Working up to and mainly at C-Suite level Johanne helps drive real change and elevates brands by ensuring inclusion and belonging and to authentically be part of the Racial Equity change movement.

She does this through a range of media: providing expert DEI consultancy services, devising long-term DEI strategies and delivering high energy, unique, educational engagement sessions. She is also a public speaker and mentors’ organisations that want to change and proactively champion DEI. Johanne also coaches individuals who need support around DEI, to navigate and grow their careers and those who are affected by systemic barriers to success.

She prides herself on being a positive disruptor and is also a culture writer and author of the eBook ‘The Road Map to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’ - a guide on how to take positive action and drive inspirational change.

In this episode Jo and Alicia discuss:

• The upbringing within the Jehovah's Witness community
• Her journey discovering Caribbean culture
• Overcoming discouragement from pursuing higher education
• Experiencing extreme overt racial discrimination and its role in launching her business
• The mission of Amp Up Your Voice in assisting organisations

www.ampupyourvoice.com or download the eBook: https://lnkd.in/e92iAYGB 

IG: @ampupyourvoice

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanne-penney-2114511a/

Tyy is a young, Gen Z professional who wants to help other Gen Z's get started in the corporate space. He is the Gen Z advisor at Dentsu and is passionate about public speaking, presentations, and delivering first-party Gen Z insights. He owns a website design agency and hosts his podcast, the energizer pod.

 

In this episode Tyy and Alicia Discuss:

- How he started and has sustained his web-design agency 

-The importance of companies retaining Gen Z

-Consistently channeling your energy in the right places 

-The importance of paying it forward 

-What companies can do to retain Gen Z

 

See more info about Tyy’s work and podcast here:

 https://www.tyycreates.com/ 

https://www.energizerpod.com/

Oyin Is a Serial Tech entrepreneur and Angel Investor. She has built her businesses from bootstrap to 7 figures. She runs Niyo, a multi-award-winning company specialising in using technology to empower black women economically.

 

Niyo Hair and Beauty is a brand looking to reimagine the end-to-end beauty experience for black and brown women starting with their AR and AI mobile platform. Customers get to try on hairstyles before they book appointments in the exciting and exclusive premium salon. The beauty tech company has served over 1000 clients across the UK whilst economically empowering hairstylists through an academy to get accredited. Niyo Bootcamps is a learn-to-earn ed-tech platform focused on enabling 1 million black women globally to be upskilled. She has worked with clients like Goldman Sachs, KPMG, The Department for Education and much more.

 

Her work has been recognised in BBC News, The Voice, Metro, Black Beauty and Hair Magazine, Nottingham Post and many more. She has also won many awards including Women in Tech Innovation Awards, Great British Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Barclays Social Impact Awards, MBCC Entrepreneur of the Year and Female Innovator of the Year. She has spoken at Women In Tech Festival, Vodafone UK, KPMG, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Africa Tech Week, Birmingham Tech Week and many more.

 

In this episode, Alicia and Oyin discuss:

• The misconception of being raised in Nigeria 
• Where her desire for helping others comes from 
• How she won awards and was recognised for noteworthy achievements from the age of 14
• The journey of Niyo Bootcamp and Niyo Hair 
• Managing finances and a profitable business from a young age
• Investing in Black women tech businesses 
• The future for Niyo

See more about Niyo & Oyin here:

https://www.niyo.co/

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/oyinkansola-adebayo 

https://www.oyinadebayo.com/

Having previously worked as a Recruitment Consultant across various industries, Bolu recently transitioned into a Diversity & Inclusion role. During her years as a recruiter, she encountered clients struggling to embed D&I in company values and candidates from minority backgrounds who were forced to seek new opportunities due to the challenges they faced in the workplace, which included discrimination in the recruitment process, being overlooked for promotion/pay rises, lack of training or support etc.

In her current role as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion lead, Bolu is part of the driving force that ensures underrepresented groups are represented fairly in the recruitment process, as well as helping organizations recognize the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Outside her full-time role, Bolu is passionate about property investment and runs a property management business with her sister, Dola, called RentbuddyUK . Bolu and Dola are both landlords who combine their love of property, local knowledge and bespoke service to provide clients with solid rental returns and peace of mind—delivering the service they wanted as landlords, driven by high quality, transparency and integrity

  Alicia and Bolu discuss:   - Building wealth in the UK  - How and Why Page Group created a Diversity lead role for Bolu - How Bolu started her property business - How Bolu became self made and bought a property before 25  - How slavery still affects us today - Why the black community need to be elevated  - The difference between low and high return property investment  - Why we loved our job in recruitment 

Connect with Bolu 

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bolu-faseun-43494397

https://instagram.com/miss_fash?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

Rent buddy : 

https://instagram.com/rentbuddyuk?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/592015097012980206?fbclid=PAAaaueLZWJkgT7jovz9f3iskBEvB8FKke-3eYzHYQ78GMyqWA-lBhOe9fQ3Y&_set_bev_on_new_domain=1669989769_ZmQ4MmYyZTNmNDQ5&source_impression_id=p3_1669989771_TcH6KGy%2Fyu9A3wha

 

Ngozi Cadmus is a qualified Psychotherapist, Social Worker and Business Strategist. She has a coaching & consultancy company that helps women of faith to become leaders in their respective industries and help them start, build and scale up their wellness business. Our consultancy focuses on assisting corporations in achieving their Equity, Diversity & Inclusion objectives through training to help identify, train, and retain Black Female Talent in their companies to create a representative leadership team that reflects their diverse workforce.

CEO & Founder of Frontline Therapist, an affordable and accessible culturally sensitive online counselling service for Black and Asian Minority Ethnic Individuals and all Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds nationwide."

Alicia and Ngozi discuss:

• Experience suicidal thoughts and self harming   
• Growing in a home of Domestic Violence without knowing
• Experience sever bulying throughout childhood 
• Why her life is better off not growing up in Lagos 
• Why Ngozi had to physically fight her way through life 
• Why she started FrontlineTherapist and why it's different to other therapist platforms

Sign up to Frontline Therpist here - https://frontlinetherapist.com/ 

Connect with Ngozi here - https://ngozicadmus.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngozi-cadmus-54986b247/ 

https://open.spotify.com/show/7EXe2RYFNGmwtjSrasrqYN

Remel London is an accomplished British TV and radio presenter known for her vibrant personality. With a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Leeds, Remel was a lead presenter on SKY One's "What’s Up TV" and host of CAPITAL XTRA's Saturday Afternoon show. She's a sought-after voice-over artist, lending her talents to organizations like the BBC and BT Sports. She also served on the MOBO Awards panel and hosted their Red Carpet events. Remel's passion for encouraging young people from diverse backgrounds to pursue a career in media led her to create The Mainstream platform. A creative platform offering networking opportunities, workshops and a thriving podcast that features industry experts such as content creator Nella Rose and actor Jimmy Akingbola.

In this episode, Alicia and Remel discuss: 

• Youtube, Blogging, Facebook, and the beginning of social media 
• Being young, confident and creative
• Why she chose to be an Entertainment present over a News presenter
• The journey to getting her own show on Capital Xtra 
• The Mainstream UK, purpose, podcast and live show!
• Various income streams for presenters
• Future Goals – what’s next

Attend the Podcast show This Thursday here - https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/remel-london-the-mainstream-present-the-big-live-show/ 

See more about Remel here - https://remellondon.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/remel_london/ 

Follow The Mainstream - https://www.instagram.com/themainstreamuk/ 

Listen to the Mainstream Podcast here -  https://open.spotify.com/show/0C9XV3v0n2qeIDDy6jpGzT 

Sabrina is the Founder of Lateral Theory, the media and entertainment arm

of Build Global. Lateral Theory executive produces original content, TV and

Film productions. Sabrina is the creator and executive producer of the

world’s first audio-visual podcast for the hungry mind, BRKIN Bread. Sabrina’s

Executive Producer credits also include Back to the Motherland (2020), All

the little things (2021), Revelations (2022), Il Moro (2021) and Finding Sherpas

(2022).

 

Sabrina is the Founder and President of the Liberian Business Alliance, a

social enterprise committed to the economic development of Liberia.

 

Sabrina is a Royal Society of Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce Fellow. A

sought keynote speaker, Sabrina’s credits include TEDx Fidelity International,

Mediatel, Harvard Business School, House of Lords, Atomicon, Mediatel and

Pension Protection Fund. Sabrina is a writer, sharing her insights and analysis

as a columnist for The Media Leader.

 

As a responsible business owner, Sabrina started the Build Global Fund, a

monetary fund that allocates 5% of the Build Global revenue to non-profit

organisations, social enterprises and charities, particularly focused on

underrepresented groups.

 

Sabrina is an award-winning entrepreneur, Sabrina’s accolades include BEFFTA

Legend Award recipient, Women Appreciating Women Honoree.

Sabrina was named Top 50 Most Inspirational Black women in the UK by

African Glitz Magazine.

 

In this Episode Alicia and Sabrina discuss:

• How she learnt to navigate in predominantly white spaces
• Why she dedicated to embrace her natural black beauty 
• How to best manage with professional betrayal 
• When it’s appropriate to be confrontational 
• Why she plans her life in 10 year blocks 
• Why it’s important to always be on brand 
• Why having a sustainable business strategy is the key to building a profitable business 

See more about Sabrina here - https://www.sabrinaverse.com/ 

Connect with Sabrina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrinaclarke/ 

See more about Build Global here - https://buildglobal.com/ 

Nadine is Alicia's longest and closest friend, they've worked together, studied together, lived together, travelled together, they're practically sisters ! Nadine is a highly influential sister and mentor to Alicia, and based on her experience and expertise Alicia felt that it was only right to have Nadine on as a special guest. Nadine graduated in Psychology at Brunel university and is a Google Marketing Platform Sales Manager, she's previously worked with Oracle, Adobe, Microsoft and Axiom, in Sales positions and has successfully developed in her career as a leading tech sales professional. Nadine is available for 1 2 1 consultations, chats and talks, connect with her using the contact details below.

 

In this Episode Alicia and Nadine discuss:

- Going to private school and transitioning to a "black" school

- How to develop your mental health from a young age

- Tackling Bullying in the workplace

- Identifying and combatting Impostor Syndrome

- Ethnocentrism & the effects it has on psychological diagnosis

- The Student- life Hustle juggling 3 jobs studying

- Thriving in a career within Tech Sales

- How to stand out in a competitive Sales Tech market

- Self-promotion and adding value within the workplace

- How to keep valuable external relationships

- Why putting YOU first is important

- How to get a job at Google or a top tech company

- Writing a stand out CV and Cover letter

To connect with Nadine - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadine-rochelle-haughton-69392a109/

Contact - nadine_haughton@hotmail.com

Mildred is a LinkedIn Personal Branding Speaker, Trainer & Coach. She has spent the last decade mastering the art of personal branding.

She trained as a Journalist and worked in the media before transitioning into PR and then Communications. Along the way, she started several businesses, authored four books, and had the privilege of speaking to and training many audiences across different countries (virtually and in-person).

LinkedIn has always been her preferred platform, and she has helped hundreds of women to find their voice, accelerate their careers and grow their businesses by building an authentic personal brand on LinkedIn.

In this Episode, Alicia and Mildred discuss:

✅ Wanting to be a millionaire before the age of 30

✅ The process of writing her books

✅ The role that God plays in her life

✅ Building her personal brand

✅ Using LinkedIn and helping other people with it

 

Connect with Mildred:

Website - https://www.mildredtalabi.com/

LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mildredtalabi

#BlackOwnedBusiness #Podcast #WomenInBusiness

Nuria is a GTA Voices in Shadow II book nominee and Founder & CEO of Veriom, a software quality analytics and diagnosis business on a mission to ensure that software remains safe and reliable no matter how complex it becomes. She has worked in various roles in the engineering and software industries and frequently speaks about technical subjects including data being a driving force of better software good, big data and software quality.  

In this episode Alicia and Nuria discuss:

• Why and how Nuria studied Chemincal engineering 
• Why she was determined to study engineering despite the fact she was a minority 
• Why she declined a well paid internship opportunity 
• Why she started Veriom Ltd 
• Rejecting an incredible scholarship opportunity 
• How she became accomplished within her field quicker than the average 
• The challenges being a black women working in engineering 
• Nuria’s experience working internationally 

Connect with Nuria - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nuria-manuel/ 

Jamelia Donaldson is the founder and CEO of TreasureTress — a monthly product subscription service for girls and women with kinky-curly hair and also the co-creator of The Teen Experience, a monthly workshop series which offers young black women to attend a series of personal development workshops, network with other like-minded individuals and be inspired by mature and successful women. Workshops to date have included creating vision boards and discussions about self-care.

 

Since launching in 2015, with a huge online community, and an active and thriving offline presence, Treasure Tress has proven that natural hair and black sisterhood can truly go hand in hand. 

 

As a solution to the beauty industry’s difficulty connecting to their Black, female consumer in the UK, Jamelia added a consultancy arm to  TreasureTress as a way to guide brands in the US on the unique experience of the Black, UK natural hair consumer. Providing them with strategy, social, digital and influencer marketing.

 

Jamelia has been featured in Forbes, Buzzfeed, Good Housekeeping and Pride Magazine just to name a few.

 

In this episode Alicia and Jamelia discuss:

• Her experience as an intern in NYC 
• Studying 7 subjects at A level 
• Why she started Treasure Tress 
• How Treasure Tress can save black women 100s a year 
• Overcoming challenges; building a product based business at home 
• Winning over 100k work of TV ads & Billboard space 

Learn more about Treasure Tress here - https://www.treasuretress.co.uk/ 

 

Connect with Jamelia Here - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jamelia-donaldson-73952237 

Theo-Lee Houston is the founder of Slinger. A platform to help young people to thrive in the gig economy.

In this episode Alicia and Theo discuss:

- The realities of growing up in a working-class home 

- Why failing in business isn't that bad 

- The impact networking had on his business opportunities 

- Why and how he built a community for Slinger Staff 

- The impact that Slinger staff is having on the job hospitality industry 

- Why CV's shouldn't matter 

- How to get 6 figure investment for your start up

 

Download Slinger here - https://www.slingerstaff.com/ 

Follow Slinger here - https://www.instagram.com/slingerstaff/?hl=en

Connect with Theo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/theo-lee-houston-b8b0572b/ 

Oden and Alicia crossed paths whilst they were both employers at an advertising agency. They connected on the basis that they were both one of the only black Caribbeans from South London within their agency. They found that they could connect on similar challenges and experiences and developed a way to support one another. Oden started off in a career in marketing and transitioned into a career in new business is now an Associate Business Director at a leading advertising agency. 

  In this Episode Alicia and Oden discuss:   - Reacting to discrimination in the workplace - How to change set-backs to comebacks - How to truly have impact within an organisation as a black professional  - Making unharmful change - What defines great leadership - The biggest learnings working in New business within an ad agency   Connect with Oden here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oden-c-99337a34/ 

Pashcan’el Mitchell is a name you need to know in the world of hairdressing. With over a decade of experience, Pash has transformed from a salon stylist to an award-winning hairstylist, creating iconic looks featured in Vogue, Wonderland, Spell Magazine, Viper, Schick Magazine and Black Hair & Beauty, as well as creating high end hair looks on set for video shoots and live shows.

Starting his career in salons, he spent a number of years at Junior Green in Kensington, specialising in afro hair and solidifying his name in the scene.

Part of the Avlon education team, his work speaks for itself as he continues to shake up the afro hair scene with his unwavering passion, talent and creativity.

More recently, Pashcan’el was appointed lead educator for afro and textured hair across the Blue Tit salon group, running the training programme specific to this hair type.

 

In this episode Alicia and Pash discuss

• The evolution of hairdressing from traditional techniques to modern tools like YouTube, and the critical need for diverse skills in consultations and cultural awareness.
• Pash shares his journey from barbering to hairstyling, overcoming societal stigmas and finding his path with mentorship from Patricia Hope at Caprius Salon.
• Blue Tit London and its commitment to creating an inclusive, diverse space for both clients and stylists 
• The rich history of black hairdressing and the challenges within the industry, promoting the importance of understanding client demographics and cultural contexts.

 

Connect with Pash

https://www.instagram.com/pashcanel/

Emmanuel is an award winning experienced Insurance Advisor with a history of providing businesses, individuals and families with bespoke tailored insurance policies to match their needs. Emmanuel is skilled in Financial Planning, Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover, Mortgage Insurance, Business Protection As Well As Other Types of Protection.

In this Episode Alicia and Emmanuel discuss:

- Having a “we’re in this together forever” mindset

- The importance of investing in life insurance

- Overcoming discrimination in uni and

- Understanding your strengths and building a career from them

- The importance of building your network

Connect with Emmanuel https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmanuel-jones1188/ @ejay_diamond1 - Instagram

Email - e.jones@preciseprotect.co.uk

Vanessa is an award-winning ESG (Environmental, social & governance) tech entrepreneur, Podcaster and Writer based in London. She is the Founder & CEO of award-winning global organisation, Girls Talk London that develops products and services to connect businesses with female talent in 37+ countries through digital products and content, bespoke programmes & events. Their aim is to democratise access to opportunities and jobs in male dominated sectors and to empower women to develop the skills and confidence to progress in their careers.

Through this agency, Vanessa has worked with companies such as Apple, Amazon, Beats by Dre, Meta, HSBC UK, Goldman Sachs, Snap Inc, Virgin Media O2, Zalando, BT and Vodafone + many more to connect them with diverse talent across all levels within their businesses.

Vanessa is a Podcaster and Host of The After Work Drinks Club debuting at Number 4 on the Apple Business Charts and her online talk show, Girls Talk, being viewed by nearly 1 million people worldwide interviewing influential global leaders such as Tsitsi Masiyiwa & Munroe Bergdorf. 

Vanessa has held several Senior roles in the financial services, Law and Public Sector for over 16 years and has worked for companies such as Standard Chartered Bank, HFW, HSBC, Barclays, JP Morgan and UK Parliament.

In this episode Alicia and Vanessa discuss:

• Her experience attending an all black university 
• The reality of working in investment banking as a black woman 
• The true art of networking and advancing in the corporate workplaces 
• How she initially started Girls Talk London and grew into a career intro DEI
• Why collaboration is key to success 
• The reasons why the US invest more in personal development 

Connect with Vanessa:

https://www.vanessasanyauke.com/

Check out  Vanessa’s Podcast 

https://www.instagram.com/afterworkdrinksclub/?hl=en

Rebecca Levy, the powerhouse who traded stilettos for sneakers and PR for People Operations, becoming a driving force at sustainable fashion platform Depop. 

In this captivating episode, Rebecca takes us on her remarkable journey from the vibrant streets of San Antonio, Texas, to leading People, Culture and Impact at one of London's most innovative fashion-tech companies. She shares her fascinating path from writing fan letters to fashion designer Anna Sui to transforming workplace culture within her industry.

Join Rebecca, as she shares her inspiring career journey and personal reflections. Rebecca's story is a masterclass in authentic leadership, cultural identity, and the power of embracing change.

Key moments include:

• The surprising pivot from fashion design dreams to PR and ultimately HR
• Navigating visa challenges and building a career in London
• Leading culture initiatives at Depop 
• Balancing motherhood, career, and personal style (yes, those heels became sneakers!)
• Preparing for an enviable one-month sabbatical in South Africa

Perfect for aspiring leaders, culture enthusiasts, and anyone interested in authentic stories of career transformation. Join us for honest conversation about representation, resilience, and redefining success in the modern workplace.

Connect with her

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-jordan-levy

Whether you're contemplating a career change, facing impostor syndrome, or simply love a good story of perseverance, Rebecca's insights on building genuine connections and fostering inclusive workplace cultures will leave you inspired and ready to take action.

Episode 19 of this weeks podcast is dedicated to National Sickle-cell awareness month.  Denice is a Sickle-cell warrior and a Creative Assistant. She has been living with sickle-cell from a birth and has managed to successfully graduate up to degree level and balance work and life demands, and recently successfully becoming a homeowner. Denice is passionate about raising awareness of sickle-cell, and as apart of her efforts to raise awareness, she has partnered up with Soho House for an event on 21st September in Brixton. This episode will give you more information on sickle cell overall and what actions you can take to support other sickle-cell warriors. In this Episode Alicia and Denice discuss:  - The definition and discovery of Sicklecell  - How Sicklecell has affected Denice’s life  - Dealing with Sicklecell crisis  - Juggling work and the ongoing effects of Sicklecell  - Managing your mental health as a sickle cell warrior  - Why Sicklecell awareness is important  To ask Denice any direct questions contact her on https://instagram.com/denicekoduah?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Sign up to attend the free sickle-cell awareness event at soho house here -https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sickle-cell-diaries-tickets-414738151977

 

Sabrina Chevannes is the founder of N0BS - a members’ club for highly ambitious entrepreneurs, which also has an in-house creative agency – the No Bullsh*t Agency. Sabrina is an award-winning creative, having led her agency for over a decade and having the privilege to work with high profile clients such as NATO, Sony and the NHS.  

She has been recognised by the British Interactive Media Association as one of the top 100 creatives to watch for 2 years in a row. 

Sabrina is also an International Chess Master and an international poker player. She played chess for England and competed in multiple Chess Olympiads, and has recently competed in two European Poker Tours in Cyprus and Prague. 

As well as all this, Sabrina runs TEDxShoreditch and is an international public speaker herself, gracing the stage in 12 different countries. She is also the self-development leader at Forbes, a bestselling author, a podcaster and an MBA lecturer. 

• Her early career; the challenges and triumphs of running a global business, 
• She offers a unique insights into what it takes to build a no BS community and thrive in competitive industries.
• Her other life endeavours such as being an International Chess Master

 

When she’s not working, she’s cuddling up to her Chow Chow, Bella.

Connect and Learn more about Sabrina here:

https://sabrinachevannes.com/

sabrina@sabrinachevannes.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrinachevannes/?originalSubdomain=uk

 

Bev was the ACS president at the time Alicia started University of Hertfordshire, she is one of Alicia's favourite examples of great community leadership. Since University, they've kept in touch and supported one another on various projects, events and business ventures throughout the years. Today, Bev is a confidence & Creativity coach, Leadership & Belonging Consultant and International Public Speaker. She's been running her own consultancy VYBE365 for almost a year, as a Leadership Consultant and Confidence & Creativity Coach, Bev works with organisations and individuals to help creative women show up, stand out, and succeed in their personal and professional lives. Using her 10+ years of experience in communications, journalism, project management, Higher Education, and community-organising, Bev has developed bold strategies that are essential to driving the results you need for a sustainable approach to performance, progression, and retention.    In this episode Alicia and Bev discuss:   - The reality of journalism  - The REAL story working in Journalism as a black woman - UNI, ACS and Studying abroad in LA - Build your experience in Uni - Body Confidence choosing health  - How to be a Trustee or Board Advisor  - Trading, Investing and Loosing  - Starting the entrepreneurial journey - KEY TIPS      SERVICES Bev Offers include: - Bespoke 121 or group coaching and consulting services to individuals and organisations who are truly committed to equity and inclusion, and ready to change the game amongst their peers. -  Engage in keynote, guest and panel speaker bookings that align with my mission in long-lasting change with empowering women in the workplace.     Connect with Bev on - hello@vybe365.co.uk or https://www.linkedin.com/in/beverleyakufoaddo/    Links discussed in Podcast:

https://www.gettingonboard.org/

https://dynamicboards.co.uk/roles/

https://www.womenonboards.net/en-gb/home

Lesha is the Black Create Connects Program Director, and she has extensive experience in the project management industry. She has a passion for software technology, so she decided to dive into that world and gain various professional qualifications. She knows how to build relationships on all levels by interacting with business clients, personal clients, and the public. Through her love of speaking with people she went on to study business management and become a business consultant who educates others about business tools and opportunities available to them.

She's also a self-published author who has written three goal-setting planners (with her latest planner featured in the Black Pound shop in London), as well as workshops on goal setting, social media training, and business management classes for teenagers and adults alike.

In this episode Lesha and Alicia Discuss:

• Why Lesha decided to work with BCC and where her passion comes from
• Her desire to elevate others and be a cheerleader
• Why it’s important to build side projects and new skills 
• The importance of having the right people around you to build you 
• Understanding your position - not everyone can be the main character 
• Knowing when and how to ask for help 
• Why she started her planners and what that process was for her

Connect with Lesha- https://www.amazon.co.uk/2022-Journal-Lesha-Graham/dp/1914442091

Buy a planner - https://www.leshagraham.com/ 

Amazon- https://www.amazon.co.uk/2022-Journal-Lesha-Graham/dp/1914442091

Eric Annan, Founder & CEO of Aya. Eric is a Serial Entrepreneur, Community Builder, and Defiant Optimism Blog, and has mentored over 1200 Young People Across 17 African Countries Pan African Builders Forum Convener. Travelled to over 17 African countries, 5 in Asia, 4 in the Middle East, 2 in Europe and counting, giving him over 15 years of experience working with diverse teams.

In this episode Alicia and Eric Discuss: 

• Networking in Accra, Ghana
• Poverty in West Africa, why it exists and how to help
• How polictics inspired his career 
• Travelling and living in up to 17 countries in Africa 
• The reality of building something from scratch 
• Why Nigeria is supposed to be the Superpower of Africa 
• How and why he founded Aya 
• How he overcame business betrayal 

Connect with Eriv here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-annan/ 

See more about Aya here - https://linktr.ee/Ayagigs

 

Solomon is an investment banker, speaker, and founder of TotalFiit, a data-driven on-demand wellness platform that helps companies retain their employees. He regularly speaks about Faith, Fitness, and Business and recently competed in his first Bodybuilding Natural Men's Physique competition. Some of the companies he has supported include Microsoft, Nike, Fresh Fitness Food and more.

In this episode Alicia and Solomon discuss 

• The importance of training your mind to see past reality 
• How faith has impacted his success 
• Why we need to consume progressive content 
• How to create an investable business 
• How Wellbeing links to ROI 
• Failing in business and starting again
• Working through career barriers 
• How to build up a successful subconcious mindset

Connect with Solomon here -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/solbamidele/

Or  email solomon@totalfiit.co.uk

Multi-award winning musician Triple O (Oluwatobi Oluwatobi-Oyefeso) is an east London based artist who has been pioneering Christian rap music in the UK for over 15 years.  By fusing high energy raps and combining them with his trademark fast paced delivery and introspective content, Triple O is an artist with a style matched by very few.

Triple’s music has received countless airplay on radio stations such as Premier Gospel, Premier Radio, Capital Xtra and BBC 1Xtra to name but a few – this is in addition to international radio spins, which have help widen his appeal into more international territories.

His debut album “Flatline” was released back in July 2011, and did extremely well on iTunes, culminating in a UK Tour. ‘’The Flatline Roadshow’’ took Triple O on a 3-city UK tour, which ended up being a highly acclaimed venture. This was later rewarded in October 2011 with a MOBO (Music of Black Origin) – the European equivalent to the BET awards. 

Fast forward to September 2022 Triple O released his 3rd studio album ‘Everything Left Unsaid’ – a release which had been two years in the making serving as the perfect follow up to the ‘Cry Like a Man’ EP. 

In this Episode Alicia and Tripple O discuss:

• Key music influences 
• The challenges of being a self-managed musician
• What inspired this albulm
• The commercial side to music 
• His faith and blending it with his passion 
• The art behind making his music 
• Making conscious music,  why this is important 

Listen to Tripple O's latest albulm on all media outlets. 

Connect on Instagram @TrippleOmusic

This is a Christmas special with Alicia and 1 of her sisters Simone. They discuss:

 

- The importance of mending broken relationships with loved ones

- How to mend broken relationships 

- How God proves himself time and time again

- The Richardson menu on Christmas Day 

- Christmas games suggestions section 

 

To connect with Black Create Connect on all platforms follow @blackcreateconnect

Lola is an Early Career and 1st level leader Strategist. Through her BOLD and Inclusive Leadership offerings, such as The Launchpad Programme, she specialises in working with firms to create comprehensive developmental frameworks for ALL entry-level and rising talent, as well as inclusive and equitable leadership behaviours for first-level leaders. She also offers business organisations talent retention services to help them support and keep their entry-level and emerging talent. 

Lola was able to advise entry-level workers thanks to her corporate experience, which helped them improve their performance and confidence while also demonstrating how to successfully negotiate the business environment. After being laid off in 2017, she decided to coach full-time and start Soluman Consultancy as a result of her exciting and fulfilling work.

In this episode, Alicia and Lola discuss: 

• Thriving in a career within investment banking 
• Why investing in early Black talent is important
• Why hard work isn’t the key to progressing 
• Why Black employees have a part to play in DEI 
• Writing a job description and ADDing to your company
• Why companies are failing to hire black leaders
• How she started her own consultancy and why 
• How to join the BOLD moves club cohort learning 

Connect with Lola here -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lola-bejide/

Join the BOLD Moves Club - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdA_aJYVjRmGn9JZk8spDWVqvpnE65ocLdTQ0tlcOoFVr0MIg/viewform?usp=send_form 

See more about Soluman Consultancy - https://solumanconsultancy.com/

Leah Brown FRSA (https://linktr.ee/leahbrownfrsa) is a professional speaker, freelance writer and recovering corporate M&A lawyer. She is Founder & CEO of Broadstairs Consulting, a crisis advisory and mediation firm specialising in sports, media and politics. She hosts a weekly crisis podcast called The Longest Day (https://pod.link/1684217939), and is a regular political commentator on Mid-Atlantic Podcast (https://www.acast.com/midatlantic). When Leah isn’t navigating difficult situations, through Leah Talks Ltd she’s running the legal function in early stage businesses, being paid to speak her mind, or squirrelled away in a nook writing another non-fiction book. She lives in Broadstairs with her micro dog, Saphy.   In this Episode Alicia and Leah discuss: 

• The importance of being in a peaceful environment  
• Being the main care-taker for a family member with mental health challenges
• The realites of starting a faith based business 
• Choosing and changing careers 
• The reason for her book
• Why her Faith plays an important part of her business

To Connect with Leah: Instagram: @seenheardspoken / @broadstairsconsulting / www.broadstairsconsulting.com / www.leahtalks.com 

Andy Davis is on a mission to transform investing and empower Black entrepreneurs. This week's episode brings you an intimate conversation with Andy Davis, founder of 10x10 and former Director of Backstage Capital London.

This isn't your typical "started from the bottom" story. Andy takes us on a raw, unfiltered journey through his unique path to success - no university degree, no corporate ladder, just pure hustle and determination shaped by his Sierra Leonean mother's entrepreneurial spirit.

A leading angel investor and advocate for Black founders, Andy’s journey is one of resilience, innovation, and collective growth. As the Founder of 10x10, Andy has dedicated his career to breaking barriers and building opportunities for underrepresented communities.

In this deeply personal episode, Andy opens up about:

• Why he's committed to transforming the European tech investment landscape
• Building the ground breaking 10x10 Fund from scratch
• The profound loss that shaped his urgency for success at age 17
• Real talk about therapy, resilience, and maintaining mental health as a founder
• Practical strategies for democratising venture capital

Perfect for your commute or morning walk, this episode is packed with actionable insights for founders, investors, and anyone passionate about creating lasting change in the investor space.

If you enjoy this episode, leave us a rating and review to help other listeners find this valuable content!

In this episode Alicia discusses and explores the educational and workplace barriers that the black community face until today. She reads through and comments on an EY 2022 report where over 1000 black professionals were surveyed and statistics were shared on why black professionals have set - backs in the workplace.    To discuss more about how you can make long term changes for black. employees, please email alicia@blackcreateconnect.co.uk   Link to full report here - https://www.ey.com/en_uk/diversity-inclusiveness/breaking-down-workplace-barriers-for-young-black-people 

Jason is the founder of Kaleida International, a B2B marketplace for tenders. In his former life, he worked as a financial services professional in both banking and sales. He was frequently reminded of his diverse identity—from the lack of representation in boardrooms to being made aware that his 6’ 5” frame was intimidating. Jason experienced prejudice, bias and discrimination that impacted opportunities.

In 2021, Jason launched Kaleida International to help buyers find and assess diverse suppliers to tender with. As a father to two daughters, Jason enjoys golf and long walks. He also has a passion for military jets!

In this episode Jason and Alicia discuss: 

• How your environment influence your ambition 
• Overcoming the challenges Integrating with white corporate culture 
• Tips on how to build a valuable network
• Having real conversations about Bias and the implications 
• The reality of being singled out as Black person in life
• Getting real results by selling effectively 
• Why and how he started a business to support diverse suppliers 

Connect with Jason here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlrob/

See more about Kaleida here 

https://www.kaleida.co/founder

 

Meet Haydn, a highly experienced Social and Digital Marketing Consultant

focusing on Arts and Non-Profit Organisations. With over 15 years of experience in

social media and digital marketing, Haydn has worked with a range of brands,

including Coca-Cola, Unilever, Campari Group, Kickers, and more. His work on

award-winning experiential, social, and digital marketing campaigns is highly

regarded.

Haydn has worked in the Arts and Culture sector for the last seven years. He was

a part of the team that established the Digital Culture Network as a Tech

Champion for the Arts Council England. His work with Bloomberg Philanthropies

as a tech fellow for the UK arts and culture organisation The Yard helped them

implement new digital platforms and tools.

Haydn has collaborated with over 300+ organisations from England and

internationally. Some of these include The ICA, Horniman Museum and Gardens,

The Southbank Centre, The Brooklyn Museum, and more.

Thanks to his Digital Marketing and Social Media expertise, Haydn has been

invited to speak and create workshops for The Roundhouse, The Dots, The

Barbican, Today at Apple, and Trinity Laban. He has also been a guest lecturer for

the Executive Master's programme at the Royal Academy of Arts.

In addition to his work within the arts, Haydn is also a founding partner of We Are

Stripes. The organisation works to increase opportunities for people from diverse

ethnic backgrounds in the creative industries. Working with Disney, Microsoft, The

National Gallery, The London Stock Exchange, and more, providing opportunities

for diverse work and voices. 

 

In this episode Alicia and Haydn discuss: 

- Haydn on Tour - creating and playing in a successful band

- Starting a career in advertising late 

- The power of a mentor and Sponsor

- Marketing Consulting & Different approaches to effective digital marketing

- Is the advertising industry for black people?

- Being apart of wearestripes and the impact they've had

- Next step in the USA 2024 

 

Connect with Haydn here - https://www.haydncorrodus.com/

Alicia and Bami are DEI business partners, good friends, and practically now sisters! They've been working closely together for 3 years. Within their first 6 months of working together they reached over 5,000 employees globally at some of the most credible organisation s including Nike, Google, Meta, Analog Folk, Shopify and more. In 2018 Bami Kuteyi decided to risk it all and quit her job as advertising specialist and Black Googler Network Lead at Google to focus on diversifying the fitness industry to create the inclusive award-winning dance fitness movement 'Twerk After Work'. In 2020, with the increased focus on the BLM movement she decided to expand her DEI efforts and pour them back into the industry that she came from. Today Bami is a wellbeing, confidence and fearless influencer, with a global team of over 20 dance fitness instructors worldwide.  

In this episode Bami and Alicia discuss:

- Dating as a successful Black woman in London - Moving from Canada to Dublin to work at Google  - The birth of Twerk after Work  - Knowing when to leave your 9-5 - How Bami and Alicia connected  - Getting the B2B bag - Moving to Mexico during lockdown & Growing in spirituality  - Making "feel good" business decisions - Working with friends, how to make it work   Connect with Bami on the links below Bamikuteyi - IG & Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/bamikuteyi/ https://www.bambamboogie.com/twerkafterwork https://www.instagram.com/twerkafterwork/?hl=en  

James is an award-winning social media expert and founder of Shogun Social, a company that helps companies create and post content like content creators. He specializes in helping companies create engaging content for their social media platforms.

Born in Southampton, England to a Caribbean family, James has worked with clients ranging from Barclays and Southampton City Council to Hubfit and more.

 

In this episode James and Alicia discuss:

• How he fell into a career in advertising 
• How to nail every interview and be a stand out candidate
• Why companies marketing strategy should focus on being social first 
• Why people perform best under pressure 
• What triggered James to starting his business and growing it in a short period of time
• Why brands can start to build communities vs relying on influencers

See more about Shogun social here - https://shogundigital.co.uk/whysocialmedia/ 

Connect with James Gayle here - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/james-gayle-the-social-shogun 

Bella is a young influential entrepreneur, and qualified personal trainer with 4 years experience. In 2019 Bella created Weight Wanters to stimulate a change in the fitness industry and produce a space for people to feel empowered on their weight gain journey and/or recovering from eating disorders. She helps to bring light to how damaging skinny shaming can be and how to support anyone's body goals even if it doesn't fit with societies 'Norms'. Bella has a love for personal development and mental health which she tries to implement in every part of her work and life whilst intending to further inspire others on their personal development journey, specifically with emotional intelligence to becoming a modern day spiritual queen Bella also does freelance modelling whilst advocating for change in the industry to be 'fair' for all ethnicities.

In this episode Alicia and Bella Discuss:

-Why Bella created a fitness brand to gain weight  -What inspired her to get into personal training  -The double standard of body shaming -Finding peace in not being motivated  -The beauty and challenges with growing up mixed race 

See more about Weight Wanters here: https://weightwanters.com/pages/about

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeSDpR1NppftzclRcN5j-Zw?app=desktop 

https://www.instagram.com/weightwanters/?__coig_restricted=1

Connect with Bella:

https://www.instagram.com/beeingbellaaa/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bella-barnes-2b8993172/?originalSubdomain=uk 

Personal email - Bella.barnes99@hotmail.com Weight Wanters email - Info@weightwanters.com

 

James is an experienced copywriter, blogger, and social media manager with a proven track record of assisting growing businesses in connecting with their audiences and positioning themselves as industry experts. With a strong background in email marketing, blogging, and writing website pages, the individual excels at capturing the voice of a brand.

Having worked on successful B2B business development teams, James has generated millions in revenue for employers. His expertise in sales cycles allows them to effectively identify prospects and tailor their messaging based on demographic and brand familiarity.

In his previous role as Head of Music Partnerships at Fever, James oversaw various event campaigns, providing input on strategies, content, and delivery for multiple sold-out events. His skills extend beyond copywriting, as they also possess the ability to consult on strategy and guide teams in optimizing delivery.

As a published author and creative writer, James passion for storytelling translates into crafting enjoyable and impactful sentences. His business development experience ensures that every piece of writing has a clear objective and is successful in achieving it. In summary, his focus is on delivering visible results with style.

 

In this episode Alicia and James discuss:

• Being Black in China 
• The realities of teaching in China 
• Some of the beautiful experience you gain from living in a different country 
• Why James wrote his book Teacher Black
• Dealing with racist CEO’s ans workplace environments 

Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Teacher-Black-My-Year-China-ebook/dp/B08R7X919T

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jprescottkerr/

Insta - https://www.instagram.com/jamespkwrites/

Writing Portfolio - https://www.canva.com/design/DAFopiDkdZo/W55E9Y5glJBbmcQ9trcIPg/view

Ola, the founder of All Things Money, created the online platform to help adults navigate the financial challenges of adulthood. The platform was launched in 2020 during the first lockdown, following her journey of self-teaching how to invest in the stock market. Feeling overwhelmed by the process, she quickly realised how little is taught about investing and other crucial personal finance topics in schools and universities.

 

Motivated by this gap in education, Ola began sharing personal finance tips on social media to help young people manage their finances effectively. Since then, All Things Money has grown into a thriving online community of over 24,000 members, and even hosts a personal finance podcast.

 

In addition to the online content, Ola offers interactive personal finance workshops to colleges, universities, and organisations, aiming to address the financial literacy gap both in the UK and beyond. Passionate about making personal finance more engaging, she is on a mission to transform the way it is perceived.

 

In this episode, Alicia and Ola discuss:

• "All Things Money": A personal finance platform for young adults, started during the COVID-19 lockdown.
• Ola’s career shift and growing her platform due to the pandemic
• The launch of "All Things Money" in April 2020
• Investing Basics that Ola learned
• The growth of All Things Money
• Ola’s experience of overspending
• The importance of personal interactions in financial education
• Future Aspirations

Connect and Learn more about Ola here:

https://www.instagram.com/allthingsmoney_?igsh=MWs1NXA1amN6MW04NA==

 

https://linktr.ee/allthingsmoney_

 

 

Dr. Rose is a a licensed Sport Psychologist in Jamaica and a Chartered Sports Psychologist in the United Kingdom. She works as a consultant in Jamaica and the English-speaking Caribbean for the past 15 years to numerous athletes and coaches of 13 different sports. She is the expert voice on Sports Psychology related matters for various media houses in Jamaica. She completed both her B.Sc. in Psychology and M.Sc. in Applied Psychology at The University of the West Indies, Mona.  Currently she holds Ph.D. in Sociology of Leisure and Sport from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom.  

Across her academic career she has earned several honours including the Prime Minister's Youth Award for Excellence in academics in 2009, a distinction in her masters being the first student to achieve this honour in the history of the programme, is the first person to be appointed Sport Psychologist on all of the campuses of the University of the West Indies and was the youngest awardee of the Hall of Honour – High Achievers Through The Seasons at Westwood High School.  

Dr. Rose is a trained teacher and has lectured and served as curriculum developer for Sports Psychology courses for the Jamaica Football Federation, the National Netball Association, and the University of Technology, Jamaica, Excelsior Community College and G. C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport and a board member for two high schools and a college in Jamaica. She is a PetroCaribe Jamaica 50th scholar. In her free time Dr. Rose loves Fashion, going to the movies, hanging out with friends, volunteering reading,traveling and painting.

Alicia and Olivia discuss:

• The importance of Sports Psychology for athletes 
• How you can look after your mental health as in a competitive profession
• The way to thrive as a women in sports 
• The difference between working within UK vs Jamaica 
• Challenges working as a Sports Psychologist
• The importance of surrounding yourself with positivity 

Connect with Olivia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-rose-ph-d-b5a05a52/

Purchase Olivia's books here

Liv Appreciating Others: Guided Appreciation Journal https://a.co/d/84CrXLI

Liv Letting Go!: Guided Forgiveness Journal https://a.co/d/c6wlB1o

ABCs of Caribbean Sport - Marketing and Psychology https://a.co/d/9IWAuP1

Alicia decides to interview her biggest inspirations for a Christmas Special, who are her parents. Alison and Barrington have been married for 30 + years and have 4 daughters including Alicia. They have managed to successfully run various family businesses, from a restaurant to a security company, and invested heavily in property back home in Jamaica.

In this Episode Alicia and her parents discuss:

- Their childhood - growing up underprivileged

- How they discovered that they were meant for each other

- How they work in partnership to acquire a life of flexibility and financial freedom

- What they're most grateful for and why

- What motivated them to want more for themselves

- Their experience of Racism in the 90s and how they dealt with it

 

To connect further with Alicia if you haven't already follow her on Instagram and Tik Tok - @alicialatoyldn

Bisi Alimi is the founder and the Executive Director of the Bisi Alimi Foundation, an organisation working to accelerate social acceptance of LGBT people in Nigeria.

Alimi has a BA in Theatre Arts (2004) from the University of Lagos Nigeria and MSc in Global Governance and Public Policy (2011) from Birkbeck College University of London.

Alimi is a multitalented storyteller, actor, activist and angelic troublemaker. He has over 15 years experience working on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Africa.

Before starting Bisi Alimi Foundation, he was a lecturer at the Humboldt University in Berlin teaching “Pre and Post Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Africa”.

In his spare time, he loves to read, watch television and cook. He lives in London with his husband and his two dogs.

 

In this episode Alicia and Bisi discuss: 

• Battling his sexuality and religion
• Why Bisi is The Angelic Troublemaker 
• Why he came out at Gay on Nigerian National TV 
• Near death experiences based on homophobic behaviors 
• The experience of seeking asylum in the UK
• Why he became a HIV activist 
• How he has achieved his credibility and success during his career
•  

See more more about Bisi here

https://bisialimi.com/ 

https://www.bisialimifoundation.org/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CvuTYFHtO3w/?hl=en 

 

Victoria Omobuwajo, a visionary entrepreneur, is the driving force behind Sunmo, a brand that redefines health-conscious living with its innovative product range. 

With a remarkable journey showcasing her tenacity, creativity, and business acumen, Victoria has made a significant impact on both the retail and direct-to-consumer industries. 

Victoria's dedication to sustainability and ethical sourcing sets Sunmo apart in the industry. By carefully selecting ingredients from local suppliers and implementing eco-friendly packaging practices, Sunmo has become a champion of environmental responsibility.

In an exciting development, renowned chef Gordon Ramsay recognised the immense potential of Sunmo and decided to join forces with Victoria as her business partner. His culinary expertise and strategic guidance have propelled Sunmo to new heights, solidifying its position as an industry frontrunner.

As Sunmo continues to captivate palates and revolutionise the food industry, Victoria Omobuwajo remains an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs, proving that determination, creativity, and a genuine love for what you do can truly shape the world.

 

In this Episode Alicia and Victoria discuss: 

• Her health journey and the motivation behind starting Sunmo.
• The factors that led her investors to choose and support her.
• The natural ingredients that contributed to curing her eczema.
• The process involved in launching Sunmo at Selfridges.
• What made her brand stand out at their first exhibition.
• The value and significance of both online and offline branding.
• Her experience of winning £150K on the Gordon Ramsay show.

Connect and Learn more about Victoria and Sunmo here:

https://uk.sunmosnacks.com/ 

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/victoria-omobuwajo-092b1884

Jasmine is the Founder of Babes on Waves, a platform that gives all women, especially Black Women & WOC, the tools, support & guidance to make their dreams a reality. 

Jasmine grew up with low self confidence, low self esteem & internalised racism- often being the only WOC in any environment she found herself in. Now she is on a mission to create a world where all women can make their dreams a reality, and for other women to back them all the way.

'Babes on Waves' is a first of its kind online platform & business community that does just that- with a special emphasis on Black women & WOC. Our community is a majority space by us, for us, with our members being the next-generation of diverse business leaders. Together BOW is changing the face of entrepreneurship and making great connections as they embark on this journey.

Jasmine won Innovate UK’s 2020 Young Innovator Award and came Highly Commended in TechRound’s 50 Under 50 BAME Entrepreneurs, and recently featured in GUAP's 30 under 30 Blacklist 2022.

In  this episode Alicia and Jasmine discuss: 

• Why business started off as an escape and therapy for her 
• How travelling around the world shaped her business
• How she’s still healing from internalised Racism and low -self esteem
• The reality of going to boarding school and why she hated it
• Why and how she suffered with internalised racism 
• How personal relationships impacted her career development 
• How Babes on Waves came about and the how it works for members
• How to acquire Grants successfully 

Find out more about Jasmine and Babes on Waves using the links below:

https://babesonwaves.club/ 

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-douglas-babb559b 

Alex Holmes is an award-winning mental health podcaster, mental health coach, and trainee psychotherapist focused on the mental health of men and boys, as well as the powerful use of healing through the use of literature. He is the author of Time To Talk: How Men Think About Love, Belonging, and Connection. In 2016, he was co-host of the award-winning books podcast Mostly Lit which was a Guardian and BBC top podcast. In 2021, he was listed as Positive.News 20 Mental Health Leaders Supporting The Nation's Wellbeing, and in 2021 he won the Creative Impact Awards for Best Mental Health Awareness. He has featured at Cheltenham Literary Festival 2019, Henley Literature Festival 2021, We Out Here Festival 2022, and Hay Festival of Literature 2023. In 2020, 2021, and 2022 his personal podcast,The Alex Holmes Podcast was listed in British GQ's top 50 podcasts. 

He is an ambassador for Beyond Equality, to help educate boys on masculinity and prevent gender-based violence. He is also an ambassador for Movember, a leading men's mental health charity. Alex is an accomplished speaker, workshop facilitator, coach, and therapist seeking to leave the world in a better condition than how we found it.

In this episode Alex and Alicia discuss: 

• His personal mental health jounrey 
• The importance of vocalisng how you feel 
• Aligning yourself with the people for you
• Time to Talk - The book and the process 
• How he supports men with their mental health 
• The importance of Black men having a community 

Connect with Alex here or book a session here - https://alexholmes.co/ 

Listen to Alex podcast here - https://alexholmes.co/podcast

Buy his book here -  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-Talk-Think-Belonging-Connection/dp/178956221X 

For more information - ALEX@ALEXHOLMES.CO

Lola is the Founder of Alchemy HR, a boutique HR consultancy. She started her career as a Tax Advisor, spending 5 years at Deloitte where she qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) and Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA).

Having discovered a passion for people management, Lola made a career change into HR where she held a number of senior appointments, before founding Alchemy HR in 2021.

Clients of Alchemy HR include Europe’s fastest growing FinTech business and one of the largest VC firms in Europe. 

In 2022, Lola completed a Masters in HR Management where she was able to focus on her specialist knowledge area of Gen Z in the workplace.

She also co-hosts Everybody Hates HR, a weekly current affairs podcast with a HR focus.

 

In this episode Alicia and Lola discuss:

• Why she started her own HR Consultancy
• The realities of working in HR 
• Why we don’t like the term BAME 
• Performative Diversity 
• Understanding how to best navigate your career with timing 
• The importance of having a visible online brand 

Connect with Lola:

https://www.youtube.com/c/AdultingbyLola

https://www.instagram.com/adultingbylola/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/adultingbylola 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lola-abitogun/

 

Leoni is an extremely experienced senior tech talent partner with over 6 years experience, she connected with Alicia through the Black Recruiters Network (BRN), where Leoni is a Co-lead alongside 2 members Arsema and Ricardo. Leoni is passionate about creating a space for black excellence to develop in tech and recruitment, she's doing this through running a network, connecting with black recruiters and launching her very own Podcast coming Aug 2022 !

In this episode Alicia and Leoni discuss:

• The growth Black Recruiters Network
• Growing into a role within recruitment as the only black woman at her agency
• Why there's a lack of senior black leadership
• Why we need to work harder than everyone else
• Opting out of the UK political system
• How PCOS has an effect on woman in the workplace
• Overcoming Macro Racism as a child and in the workplace
• The true power of community and how to find yours

Connect with Leoni here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonitawiah/ Find out more on the BRN network here - https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-recruiters-network/ 

Sophia Leach is an award-winning retail professional with 15 years in retail management in world recognised prestigious British brands.

Sophia is the first African-Caribbean woman to hold a full Gambling Commission licence to operate a lottery within the UK. She is on a mission to establish growth and monetary support for the black community, by using the Black Card Lottery to provide cash prizes, donate to black owned charities and to use the proceeds of the lottery as a form of crowdfunding to pay back to the community.

The Black Card lottery’s goal is to create our own wealth and support systems, to keep our money within our community and to aid growth and support.

 

In this Episode Alicia and Sophia discuss:

• The requirements to create a lottery based business 
• The Black community not being financially protected 
• The reason why Sophia started the Lottery 
• Thee charities and causes the Lottery will support 
• How we can generate sustainable wealth for the black community
• The History behind lotteries

Register for the black Card Lottery using this link:

www.blackcardlottery.com

Sarah Najjuma is the Founder of Virtual Assistant Diary, a Virtual Assistant and Project Management Consultancy based in London, with a global team based in London and East Africa, supporting clients in the UK, US and Africa.

Growing up in Tottenham, London - in a family of 8 children - Sarah was always determined to defy the odds and achieve something great. Her parents fled Uganda as asylum seekers, so she grew up with a strong sense of social responsibility. She always wanted to help others achieve their goals and dreams. 

Virtual Assistant Diary launched after Sarah saw the gap in the industry experienced virtual assistance. Her background as an Executive Assistant, operations manager and project manager gave her the confidence to know that she could be an asset to companies. 

In addition to running her own business, Sarah is also a facilitator for youth workshops. These workshops are focused on personal and professional development, and they aim to give young leaders the tools they need to thrive in their journeys.  Sarah has supported a variety of companies including Amazon Web services, Foundervine, Foxtons, Black Founders Hub and more.

In this Episode Alicia and Sarah discuss: 

• Understanding the right time to start your business
• Why Sarah decided to dpend time in a city that didn’t welcome black people
• The importance of adult hobbies and having intentional fun 
• The beauty of spending time with family and friends 
• Building genuine business relationships
• The Presenter Life, the highs & lows 
• Moving away from the need to perform when networking 
• Pushing through mental breakdowns
• How Sarah started her VA business

Connect withn Sarah here- https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahnajjuma/

Black Men for change - http://www.blackmen-4c.com/ 

Virtual Assiatnt Diary - https://virtualassistantdiary.com/

Kike Oniwinde Agoro is the award-winning Founder and CEO of BYP Network, a multi-million pound company focused on advancing the careers of Black professionals around the world. She is a BSc Economics graduate of The University of Nottingham, University of Florida MSc Management scholar, and an ex-Great Britain javelin thrower. She is also the Vice-Chair of the London Chamber of Commerce Black Business Association, she’s on the board of ‘Getting on Boards’ a charity dedicated to diversifying charity boards and she is an alumni of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers.

​By just the age of 30 she has received over 100 awards from sports to academics to business and continues to be a trailblazer breaking glass ceilings. She is just one of a few Black female founders to have raised over $1m and was recently chosen by the United States Government as a Young Transatlantic Innovation Leader. Kike is also a Forbes 30 under 30, Maserati Top 100 Most Innovative Founder and a Computer Weekly UK Top 10 woman in Technology.

 

In this epsisode Alicia and Kike Discuss:

• The reality of being a GB athlete
• Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 
• The importance of connecting black professionals 
• The journey of developing BYP 
• How the BYP team raised $1M 
• The launch of Javelin AI platform 

See more about Kike here - https://www.kikeoniwinde.com/ 

See more about BYP here - https://byp.network/ 

 

Chloe Jessamy is the founder and Director of Supportal Business Services, a highly acclaimed virtual assistant agency known for its excellence in matching 5* Virtual assistants with busy professionals and SME’s business support needs. Her mission is simple, to help clients do less and achieve more. With a multitude of awards under her belt, and features in esteemed media outlets such as the BBC, she continues to further solidify her reputation as a recognised figure in the industry.

As a certified business foundations coach and mentor, Chloe extends her expertise to empower online service providers and VAs in strategically starting and scaling their ventures. Her remarkable journey spans over 16 years, during which she has refined her skills in organisation, systems, and marketing, earning a stellar reputation. Chloe also uses her digital creative skills to create a wealth of resources and templates to support business owners, particularly those navigating the DIY stage of their ventures.

In this Episode Alicia and Chloe Discuss:

• What keeps Chloe constantly motivated despite health, life and circumstancial set backs 
• Alicia's experience using Supportal Services 
• How Chloe started Supportal and how it supports SME's
• The reason why being organised can make or break your business 
• How Chloe has made life adjustments to work around her disability 
• The experience of being physically disabled for a year of her life 
• How Chloe aquires long term retainers and high paying clients

Learn more here about Supportal:

https://timefreedomlab.supportalservices.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/supportalservices/ 

https://www.supportalservices.com 

Connect directly with Chloe here:

https://www.instagram.com/chloejessamy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloejessamy/

James Mercer is a social media disruptor, and the Founder of Tayp, a new social media app that allows users to communicate through 90 second voice notes. James has extensive experience working as a Social media strategist and director amongst some of the most noteworthy agencies including Misfits, Freuds and WPP. \

In this episode Alicia and James discuss:

- Why he quit working full time to start his own social media app tayp

- Growth and funding plan for tayp

- Social Media strategy, and what key factors to. consider when creating a game changing strategy

- A REAL insight into starting a career within PR - Learning how to adapt your working style where appropriate

- Accurately charging for your time when working within an agency

- How to best build your network online and build a respectable Linked In account

- How to develop a positive social media persona

Sign up for the latest updates on tayp - https://tayp.app/

Connect with James here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamercer/ 

Coodie Simmons is an American film director, screenwriter, cinematographer, and producer. Coodie started directing from his music video fo Kanye West, entitled "Through the Wire", which was nominated for a MTV Viewers Choice Award, and won a Source Award for Best Music Video of the Year. Coodie has continued his music video success directing "Two Words" and the third version of "Jesus Walks" off Kanye West's The College Dropout album, Pitbull's "Culo" video, Mos Def's "Ghetto Rock" video, Erykah Badu's controversial video "Window Seat" and most recently Lupe Fiasco's "Old School Love" video. 

Coodie received acclaim for their ESPN 30-for-30 film, Benji (2012), a film about a high school basketball player who was tragically killed. In 2013 they directed Good Morning, a short film for American Family Insurance. Good Morning debuted at the 2013 American Black Film Festival. In 2022 Coodie released the documentary series jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, Act 1 of which premiered on Netflix on February 16, 2022.

In this episode, Alicia and Coodie delve into a variety of fascinating topics, including:

• Their experiences as tourists in Ghana and the cultural insights gained from the trip

• The artistry, story, and profound impact of Ernie Barnes

• Reflecting on their upbringing in Chicago and the harsh realities they faced

• The motivation behind Coodie's meticulous documentation of life moments

• The journey of losing everything and finding the strength to start anew

• The deep passion and purpose driving their Jeen-yuhs documentary project.

Connect with Coodie here - https://www.instagram.com/coodierock/?hl=en

 

Ryan Gonsalves, Born in England, started his career as a Professional football (soccer) player at Huddersfield Town, before moving on to play semi-professional around Europe and coaching in the US.  That team ethic and the need for a single, cohesive, passionate strategy has underpinned his work in global giants General Electric and HSBC, in Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and now Australia.

Ryan is now the founder of 2ndwind, which inspires high-performing individuals to discover a lifestyle and career they love.

In this Episode Alicia and Ryan discuss:

• His reality as a black Footballer 
• Having a champion mindset and sharing race-related challenges 
• Travelling the world, experiencing living in multiple countries 
• What life looks like as a retired athlete
• Practical steps to transforming into a corporate career 
• The importance of having support whilst transitioning between careers 

Connect here & Listen to his podcast - https://www.2ndwind.io/

Contact - letschat@2ndwind.io

Ken is a New Yorker building a venture capital fund here in London. He also helps companies exit and build commercial partnerships.

Before coming to London, he worked in traditional banking with banks like HSBC.

Since moving to London in 2020 during the pandemic, he worked for two FinTech's while completing two master degrees.

His main goals are to help build up founders and get to the next level.

In this episode Ken and Alicia discuss:

• How to transition in careers 
• The qualities of a successful salesperson 
• How to truly connect with others and add value 
• What investors what to invest in
• Whats makes a business investable 
• The difference between working in NYC vs LDN 

To connect with Ken 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethkashifthomas/

BCC ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Remember to subscribe to our newsletter so you do not to miss any updates on events here. Our end-of-year event will be Dec 2024 - https://blackcreateconnect.co.uk/ 

Subscribe to us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWBjnCLoSUHe6Xpg_-I7mKg 

Grab your TED x Live Ticket here. USE CODE 'ALICIA5' FOR £5 OFF - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tedxshoreditch-women-2023-tickets-749853099807?aff=oddtdtcreator  

Fill in our end of year Survey here, we NEED your feedback to help us help YOU https://blackcreateconnect.wispform.com/0cd4110d

Sign up to the career crafting course here - https://alicialatoyarichardson.com/cashhoutcourse 

Remember to follow us on all socials - @blackcreateconnect

Enquires - hello@blackcreateconnect.co.uk

 

Bose is a strategic visionary who is driven by the desire to use education, entrepreneurship, and community development & engagement to equip and empower women to access career and industry opportunities. 

Bose has worked as a senior leader within UK Local Government for over 10+ years, and specialises in strategy development, operational implementation, improvement planning and innovation design. Because of her keen eye for developing organisations, she also consults for SMEs in relation to branding, marketing and product development.

In this episode Bose and Alicia discuss:

• Why she started BWN - Belongs Women Network
• How she’d become a respected leader 
• How faith plays a part in her journey
• The importance of passing on knowledge 
• How to connect with mentors 
• Managing rejection and how to keep going
• Creating a valuable network
• Key Tips for running multiple ventures successfully 

Connect with Bose - https://instagram.com/bosesworld?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Belongs women’s network - https://instagram.com/belongwomensnetwork?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Rebecca is an incredibly intelligent young lady, she's an Oxford and Princeton Biochemistry graduate, Trainee Solicitor and she is the Founder of Gapwhiz; an organisation that matches students seeking internships or graduate jobs with employers. She runs her own female travel club and takes huge pride in providing support and coaching for graduates to elevate within corporate.

In this weeks episode Rebecca and Alicia discuss:

- Attending a disadvantage school and transitioning into a career in Law

- Having an independent mindset what it means and how to develop this

- Studying at Oxford and Princeton university

- The process in thriving within a Law firm

- Not bringing your full self to work and why

- Why Rebecca started Gapwhiz

- Travel Black women club visiting 27 Countries and counting

Connect with Rebecca here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-daramola-14310178/

Find out more about Gapwhiz here - https://www.gapwhiz.com/

Alan, Founder of Talk DEI is a technology entrepreneur and business developer with experience across multiple startups, including Riskalyze, GoCardless, Zendesk and Splunk. He combines his interest in technology with a longstanding interest in DEI issues. 

In this episode Alicia and Alan discuss:

• Why Alan started Talk DEI 
• How Alan built his network for Talk DEI
• The process of transitioning and being black 
• The power of internal support groups 
• Growing a suicide helpline for Transgender men
• Attending 26 schools growing up

Connect with Alan via Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanbray/ 

Email. - abray@braymedia.co 

https://www.talkdei.io/ 

 

Vanessa Lyall is a bubble tea enthusiast of Ghanaian-Scottish heritage, born in America and raised in London. When she’s not working as a Senior Account Manager at Coolr, she’s creating something including TikTok content, poetry and Zara wishlists. She is an advocate for good mental health and the proud president of the ‘every person should get therapy’ club.

 

In this episode Alicia and Vanessa discuss:

• Life in DC - Childhood & Changes
• Being Young Free and Fearless 
• Creative vs Professional - finding the perfect mix
• The realties of being an Influencer account manager 
• What makes Coolr an enjoyable place to work 
• Tips on applying for a job with Coolr

Connect with Vanessa here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-lyall/ 

Apply for jobs at Coolr here - https://joinus.wearecoolr.com/jobs 

Madeline McQueen is a person who believes that everyone has the potential to be amazing. She bases everything she does on Clarity, Confidence and Empowerment. Madeline is invested in helping leaders and teams to be their best both professionally and personally.  She has a background in sales and customer service, managing a team that brought in over £14 million annually in sales. Madeline has a proven track record of helping clients achieve success through my coaching, consulting, hosting and public speaking. She has worked with individuals and organisations to help them define their purpose, unlock their personal power to take their professional and personal development from strength to strength.

Alicia and Madeline discuss:

• The impact of having people who look like you growing up 
• Building a pricing package that makes sense
• Understanding your value and how to communicate it 
• Why Confidence is the key to your career success
• The reason why Black women go through more challaneges than an avergae woman 
• Why you should always put yourself over everything 
• The value of just asking

See more about Madeline here - https://www.madelinemcqueen.com/

Arsema is an experienced specialist tech recruiter and founder of an independent recruitment agency, hire|py. As a champion to see a more inclusive tech scene, this passion also led to Arsema launching the Black Recruiters Network, a community network to champion Black excellence within Recruitment & Talent Acquisition. 

 

In this episode, Alicia and Arsema delve into a range of intriguing topics, including:

• Arsema's transition from the field of Chemical Engineering to a successful career in recruitment
• The profound influence her parents had on her entrepreneurial journey
• The incredible opportunities that have opened up since Alicia started BRN
• Expert tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile and crafting an impressive CV
• The fascinating story behind the inception of BRN and what exciting prospects lie ahead
• The immense power and impact of building a strong and supportive team

Please see more about Arsema here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/arsema-fessehazion/ 

 

Book in a Linked In / CV service here - 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mylinkedincv/about/ 

 

See more about Black Recruiters network here - https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-recruiters-network/ 

 

Flavilla Fongang is a multi-award-winning serial entrepreneur who started her career in oil & gas, then fashion and she influenced the technology sector. She is now an international and multilingual keynote speaker (English & French).  Computer Weekly named her the number 1 most influential woman in tech in the UK among a list of more than 600 women in tech nationwide. She is a neuroscience brand expert covering strategy, design, marketing and customer experience. She is the founder of 3 Colours Rule, an award-winning branding and marketing agency. Mercedes Benz awarded Flavilla the “She’s Mercedes” businesswoman award among women such as Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook. She is the author of “99 Strategies to get customers”. She is also the founder of Global Tech Advocates – Black Women in Tech, the 1st largest organisation of black professional women in tech. She published since October 2021, an annual book “The Voices In The Shadow”. A book that features stories of black women in tech and is distributed to secondary schools for FREE across the UK and Ireland. The books are now also archived at The British Library to protect their legacy. She is the enabler and is never afraid to challenge the norms.

She is an Entrepreneurship Expert with the Entrepreneurship Centre for Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. She has been a keynote speaker for the most prestigious international events, such as AdWeek, HubSpot, DMWF, MozCon, AdWorld, Upgrade100, CTA, MarTech and many more.

She also delivered corporate talks for the following companies: Meta, Toyota, Zoom, Levi’s, Microsoft, Deloitte, Amazon, HSBC and many more

 

In this Episode Alicia and Flavilla discuss:

• The reality of Growing up black in Paris 
• Why the UK is a better place for Black professionals to thrive
• The importance of diverse representation in the media 
• How to have executive presence 
• How Flavilla built and established her brand 
• The best way to approach new business and sales
• How to make impactful changes within an organisation

 

Connect with Flavilla here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/flavillafongang/ 

See more about Flavilla here - https://www.flavillafongang.com/

Alfred Dzadey is an multi award winning property investor & entrepreneur. Previously served as a contracting Project Manager at Jaguar Land Rover. He is the Founder and Director of a property business, Real Property Ventures. A company that specialises in the acquisition, development and letting of affordable, high specification co-living accommodation in the UK. He won the new property investor of the year 2021 awarded by Property Investor Awards. He also won best entrepreneur in real estate for the 2022 International Business Awards   awarded by Stevie Awards and is also a finalist for the 2022 Great British Entrepreneur Awards for the category Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the West Midlands region.

 

He has ventured into the mergers and acquisitions space and is looking for profitable businesses with revenues of £5 million plus to acquire in the haulage industry.

 

In this episode Alfred and Alicia discuss: 

 

• Raising over 2 million for property development 
• Spending 2 years studying property development before starting it 
• How to raise capital in a short space of time
• Why he charges £3000 for his property development group
• Getting investors to invest without meeting up
• The cost of renovating a property for HMO’s

 

You can find out more about him on the socials

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alfred_dzadey/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfred-dzadey-969326a7/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlfredDzadey

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alfreddjnr/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alfred_dzadey

Website: www.alfreddzadey.co.uk

Mark Maciver, aka SliderCuts, it a multi-award winning barber and has been cutting hair professionally since 2003. During that time, he has nurtured an impressive client list, which includes basketball player Lebron James, world heavyweight champion boxer Anthony Joshua, TV personality Reggie Yates and high-hitting UK rappers Stormzy and Tinie Tempah, amongst others. With over 184k followers on Instagram, and 20,000 subscribers on YouTube, SliderCuts has travelled the globe cutting hair, making him a worldwide renowned barber. His razor-sharp skills make him an expert figure in his field, and his vast knowledge and business acumen has made him a trusted figure within the wider community. As a result, Mark was recognised for his position as one of the UK’s top black business people following his win at the acclaimed Black British Business Awards in 2018, and was nominated for a prestigious Evening Standard Business Award in 2019. Through these things and more, Mark continues to perfect his craft while equipping small businesses, his community and the younger generation with the expertise and self-belief they need to flourish and succeed. Through his craft, Mark has built up a highly recognisable brand in SliderCuts that has stretched his reach and impact far beyond the barbering industry, landing him features in Nike’s “Nothing Beats a Londoner” campaign, Facebook’s “Let’s Get to Work” campaign, features in magazines such as GQ and Time Out to name a few. Not only that, Mark opened the SliderCuts Studios barbershop in East London in 2018; is working on creating a product line; and released his debut book in 2019 titled Shaping Up Culture, where he shares key business insights. Mark’s passion, drive and diligence has allowed him to not only build a successful business, but to also become a role model to many.   In this episode Alicia and Mark discuss:   - Having a "anything is possible" mindset and always finding a way  - How to market yourself and grow an online following - Childhood challenges  - Why listening and supporting others is important - How to grow a profitable service based business  - How to gained credibility from celebrities - Shaping up culture - the book why he wrote it    Connect with Mark: https://www.slidercuts.com/  https://twitter.com/SliderCuts?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor  https://www.instagram.com/slidercuts/?hl=en  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA2B6dVjt-QFigKHIMwP-EQ

With over 18 years of experience in Business, Charitable and Educational Leadership Yinka works at the forefront of women’s leadership and development.

An inspiring and unique business leader, Yinka founded Calla Success Systems to support women in business lead thriving and profitable businesses while living nourishing and inspiring lives. She has a proven track record of developing bespoke solutions for women in leadership and has supported many through their journeys in business, education and the charitable sectors.

Passionate about the holistic approach to improvement and success, Yinka works with women to ensure that the systems, environments, and processes in their lives support their hopes and dreams and enable them to define success on their own terms.

Supporting women with tools, resources and methods that are designed to help leaders thrive.

In this episode Alicia and Olayinka discuss:

• How to priotise your activities based on profit led activities 
• Working according to your financial goals 
• How to make 10K in 2 weeks 
• Why building wealth is important for the world
• How she helps women make their salary in a month

Connect with Olayinka here- https://www.linkedin.com/in/yinka-ewuola/

Charlene Brown is the co-founder and Managing Director of Howlett Brown and has over a decade of legal and financial services experience providing strategic employment law advice on a range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters including, bullying, harassment and discrimination, whistleblowing, culture, diversity and inclusion, data breaches, breach of confidentiality, pay reporting and training. Charlene also counsels on best practice for corporate diversity initiatives, diversity networks and startups. She serves on the UK’s Employment Lawyers Association working party and has contributed to the McGregor-Smith Review and the Ethnicity Pay Gap consultation. Charlene also serves on the advisory board of TNON (The Network of Networks), an organisation focused on the development of network leaders and the strategic advancement of employee resource groups to better serve businesses and diverse communities. In addition to her legal and D&I expertise, Charlene is also a life and business coach, helping individuals embrace change, manage issues of self-doubt and accelerate their career or business. Charlene is also the Founder of Honest Voice, a company created to empower and prepare young people to make more informed decisions about their future and to teach young people the practical business skills needed for career success, that are not ordinarily taught during education. In 2016, Charlene was named the Black British Business Awards Financial Services Rising Star and in 2017 Charlene was named the Legal Diversity Rising Star. In 2017 she was also recognised as a Future Leader by EMpower and the Financial Times (ranked no. 2 out of 30).

In this episode Alicia and Charlene discuss:

-Why she left her 6 figure job to start her own first

-The reality of being a founder

-Why Charlene choose law

-How to effectively call out clients

-Charlene's Music Career- singing , management touring and more

-Overcoming challenging people management and setting boundaries with employees

-What a DEI great professional really looks like 

-Growing internal ERG's effectively

Connect with Charlene here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlenelbrown/ Email - charlene.brown@howlettbrown.com

A few weeks back in the BCC What's App group, a debate arose regarding The Woman King and how it represents Black women. The views varied massively,  some thought it was a bad representation of black women and others believed it was empowering, whilst some members thought the entire storyline was incorrect and misrepresented what actually took place in history.   Alicia thought it would be a great and healthy idea to talk about these different opinions and combine this into a BONUS podcast episode.   Alicia got together with her best friend Nadine, who felt empowered by The woman king and is all for women leadership and power; Akin who is a creative director from the film industry who understands the truth about Dahomey and Chantelle who is the Co-founder of Mango studios and highly passionate about Gender and race equality.   This episode explores:   -The representation of The Woman king  -Black women in society -Film Creativity, what are the boundaries ?  -Gender roles in leadership  -How Black stories should be told to the world    Watch this episode on Youtube on the Black Create Connect Podcast channel!   Special thank you to Mango StudiosLDN in Finsbury Park London for hosting this debate for us See more here - https://www.mangostudiosldn.com/