Black Create Connect Podcast

Ep 67 - Everything you need to know to get investment for your business ft. Kenneth Thomas

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/

Ep 66 - South London we love you ft Abraham Adeyemi

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 

Ep 65 - OMG You’re BLACK ! Ft Tobi Demuren, Global Head of Advocacy Marketing, Linked In

 
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/

Ep 64 - I created and pitched my own Gen-Z role to the CEO Dentsu

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/

Ep 63 - Why Black people need to be at Cannes Lions festival; Proximity, Impact & Connections

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 

Ep 62 - The secret behind building a respectable personal brand ft Flavilla Fongang

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/

Ep 61 - Therapy For Black Men, Why and How ? ft Alex Holmes

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

Ep 60 - Helping Diverse Suppliers gain access to more commercial opportunities ft Jason Roberts Founder Kaleida

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
 

Ep 59 - Quietly Visible - Tips for introverts

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.

Ep 58 - Be BOLD & Create your own Job Description ft Lola Bejide

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/