Today, we celebrate the amazing women who have been guests on our podcast. These women are leaders, trailblazers, and change-makers in their respective fields, and we are proud to have had the opportunity to feature them on our platform.
From entrepreneurs and activists to artists and educators, our guests represent a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, but they all share a commitment to excellence and a passion for making a difference in the world.
We hope that this blog will inspire and empower our readers, particularly women of color who are seeking to pursue their own passions and make a mark in their chosen fields. By sharing the stories and advice of these incredible women, we hope to build a community of support and inspiration, where all women can thrive and succeed. So without further ado, let’s celebrate these women!
1. Selina Morgan-Gayle
Selina is UK’s first black female Multi Award-Winning civil commercial, employment and workplace mediator. She is also a speaker and mentor and the Founder and CEO of SMG Meditation. SMG was born in 2012 when Selina decided she needed a work-life balance. Despite her law background and desire to be a barrister she took an accreditation course to become a mediator. She advises that with passion and purpose, you can have a work life balance. Listen to the full Podcast Episode with Selina.
2. Rebecca Daramola
Rebecca is the founder of Gaphwiz and a trainee solicitor at Allen and Overy. She is a member of our black create community. She studied Biochemistry before transitioning into law. She moved to the UK from Nigeria at the age of 12. Having to attend a school that was tough and making it through to Oxford University. Her agency, Gaphwiz promotes access to work or study opportunities for students and graduates. Listen to the full Podcast Episode.
3. Leoni Tawiah
Leoni is a tech talent partner at Joint Talent, a company that provides businesses with technology, manpower and expertise required to enable hiring and onboarding of talents. She is on a mission to champion black excellence within recruitment and TA. Leoni is passionate about creating a space for blacks to develop through recruitments. As a recruiter she believes there aren’t many black people in senior positions and there is a need to push harder to get there. She’s of the opinion that it is not only about bringing women or black people into companies but also the conditions that will make them stay. Listen to the full Podcast Episode.
4. Nadine Haughton
Nadine is a Google Marketing Platform Sales Manager and a Psychology graduate from Brunel University. She has also held Sales positions in companies such as Oracle, Microsoft, Acxiom and Adobe. As a sales professional, Nadine works with agencies to help businesses develop marketing strategies that can keep up with current technologies at the best time. Listen to the full Podcast Episode.
5. Bami Kuteyi
Bami is a graduate of Toronto University. 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, confident and fearless influencer, with a global team of over 20 dance fitness instructors worldwide. Listen to the full Podcast Episode.
6. Beverly Akuffo Addo
Beverly has a BA Hons in Mass Communications from University of Hertfordshire and a Master of Arts in television journalism from City University, London. She 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. Listen to the full Podcast Episode.
7. Denice Koduah
Denice has a BA in Film and Television from University of Hertfordshire. She is a Development Coordinator at DBK Studios and a Sales Operations Manager at WMNS Wear. She is an experienced Sales professional who is skilled in Leadership, Strategy and Coaching. Denice is a Sickle-cell warrior and a Creative Assistant. She has been living with sickle-cell from birth and is passionate about raising awareness of sickle-cell. Listen to the full Podcast Episode.
8. Sophia Leach
Sophia is the founder of the Black Card Lottery, Uk’s first black owned subscription lottery licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission. She is an award-winning retail professional with 15 years in retail management in world recognised prestigious British brands. 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. Listen to the podcast with Sophie.
9. Charlene Brown
Charlene holds an LLB from University of Westminster. She 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. 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. Charlene is also a life and business coach, and 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). Listen to BCC podcast with Charlene.
10. Charley Jai
Charley is a Young person guidance coach, panel host and radio presenter. She 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. 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. Enjoy this Podcast with Charley Jai.
11. Bolu Faseun
Bolu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management, Innovation. Sustainability and Entrepreneurship from The University of Manchester. She is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion lead, and 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. Bolu is also passionate about property investment and runs a property management business called RentBuddyUK with her sister. Listen to the full podcast featuring Bolu Faseun.
12. Bose
Bose is the founder of Belong Women’s Network, a community that develops female entrepreneurs through mentorship, motivation, networking and support. She 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. Listen to the full podcast with Bose.
13. Lola Abitogun
Lola holds a Masters in HR Management from University of Westminster. She is a strategic HR consultant and the Founder of Alchemy HR, . 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). Lola made a career change into HR and has held a number of senior appointments, before founding Alchemy HR in 2021. Lola also co-hosts Everybody Hates HR, a weekly current affairs podcast with a HR focus. Listen to BCC podcast episode with Lola.
14. Nuria Manuel
Nuria is the 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 is a GTA Voices in Shadow II book nominee. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from Teesside University. She is a software quality consultant with strong technical experience in managing startups, SME and large enterprises. Listen to BCC Podcast with Nuria.
15. Jessica Debrah
Jessica is the Founder of By Jess D, a beauty brand focused on creating affordable luxury products for women of every skin tone. She 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. 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. She is also a co-host of The Hustle Hotline Podcast. Listen to BCC podcast with Jessica Debrah.
16. Bella Barnes
Bella is the Founder and CEO of Weight Wanters, a community that helps people to gain healthy weight naturally or develop themselves. She 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. She is also a freelance model and a certified trainer. Listen to BCC Podcast with Bella Barnes.
17. Ngozi Cadmus
Ngozi is the CEO at 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. She holds a Doctor of Science, Social work and Social care from University of Essex. Ngozi is a Mental Health and Leadership Expert, a dynamic and highly trained Psychotherapist, and a Business Coach. Listen to BCC Podcast with Ngozi Cadmus and hear more about her journey.
18. Dr. Olivia Rose
Dr. Rose is 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 a Ph.D. in Sociology of Leisure and Sport from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom. 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.
19. Akua Nyame-Mensah
Akua is the Founder and Executive Leadership Coach at ANM & CO.She is a 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. Listen to this Podcast and learn more about Akua Nyame-Mensah.
20. Sabrina Clarke
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. Listen to BCC Podcast on the Episode with Sabrina Clarke.
21. Jasmine Douglas
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 ’s 2020 Young Innovator Award and came Highly Commended in 50 Under 50 BAME Entrepreneurs, and recently featured in GUAP’s 30 under 30 Blacklist 2022. Listen to this Podcast as Jamine talks about her journey.
As we come to the end of this blog celebrating the incredible women who have graced the Black Create Connect podcast, we are left with a sense of awe and inspiration. From entrepreneurs and activists to artists and educators, these women are breaking barriers, shattering stereotypes, and making a difference in the world. Listen to the Black Create Connect Network here https://open.spotify.com/show/3w9gphJEjb9jQx7WRsXwd1
