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.

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!

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/

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

 

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 

 

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/

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 

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

 

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 

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/

 

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/

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/ 

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/

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/ 

 

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

 

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

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/

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 

 

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

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

 

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

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/

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 

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/

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/

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 

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/ 

 

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? 

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/

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/ 

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 

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/

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/

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 

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

 

 

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/

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/

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 

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/

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

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

 

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.

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/

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

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/

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_

 

 

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/

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/

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 

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