We hosted an event on Thursday 23rd March to celebrate the achievements of Black and Minoritised entrepreneurs in the South West region. The evening included networking, making new connections, playing games, eating delicious food, and hearing from a fantastic panel. The event was sponsored by Business West, who provided drinks, and catered by Jikoni East Africa. It was held in a beautiful event space at TLT LLP.
Image of attendees playing games provided by Play Wooden during the networking session.
Attendees were welcomed and greeted by our team and invited to have some delicious refreshments. Oluwa Shittu, Founder of Play Wooden CIC, was on hand to get everyone in the playful spirit, showcasing their ethical wooden games designed to nurture curiosity and experimental exploration for people of all ages. Guests were encouraged to join in on the fun, connect, and let their inner child before being greeted by Sibusiso Tshabalala, our Business Support Coordinator.
Image of Sibusiso Tshabalala, our Business Support Coordinator before presenting our impact.
Sibusiso shared his personal journey of overcoming entrepreneurial obstacles and achieving success after moving to this country from South Africa. Next, he presented the impact we've made over the past three years by supporting Black and Minoritised businesses, including the support we provided for 391 businesses and the full funding of 70 other businesses. We were then joined by our three panelists, Julian Mensah, Founder of Voltric, Keri Andriana, Founder of Amschela, and former England cricketer David Lawrence.
Image from left to right of Julian Mensah, Keri Andriana, and David Lawrence.
“Being a Black in the tech industry is very lonely.”
Julian reflected on Voltric’s successes and failures whilst being the only Black person in his own company. He reflected on how the weight of his journey as a Black tech founder often left him feeling lonely. However, when Julian was invited to speak about his company on the Green Skills Programme, he felt a newfound sense of inspiration and was able to share his knowledge with people who look like him. Thanks to connecting with the programme, he has recruited Black and Minoritised interns who now make his team stronger than ever.
“Believe in yourself while you grow your business.”
Keri delved deeply into the challenges she faced when starting her ethical handbag company, Amschela. She emphasized the crucial role that belief in one's own brand plays in driving people to your business. Keri highlighted the power of internal motivation to help individuals achieve great things but also stressed the importance of taking things one step at a time. Through her own experiences with Amschela, Keri demonstrated that perseverance and a strong sense of purpose can lead to success.
“You have to make your dream a reality.”
David discussed his challenges and racist experiences of being a Black cricketer for England in the 80’s and becoming the first Black president for Gloucester county last year. He also spoke candidly about the hardships he faced when opening his own business, a nightclub in Bristol called Dojos. David showed that even in the face of adversity, perseverance and determination can lead to incredible success.
Image of attendee Tia Priest, owner of Lokah Solutions during the Q & A session with the audience.
After an invigorating panel discussion, attendees participated in a dynamic Q&A session with the panelists, where they could share their own business challenges and discuss topics such as the meaning behind their business names, as well as overcoming obstacles such as motivation, funding and procrastination. The group also heard from the team behind the new Transformation Hub a 12-week free tech incubation programme, including mentorship, bespoke training, and networking opportunities. Following on from this the night ended on a high with further networking, drinks, and desserts!
Image of Iman, Co-Director of Jikoni East Africa with a delicious East African pudding.
We extend a huge thank you to all who attended and made this event truly special and we look forward to the next big event hosted by our business enterprise team!