Speakers
Kike Oniwinde Agoro, is the Founder and CEO of BYP Network,
Kike Oniwinde Agoro, is the Founder and CEO of BYP Network, a platform that connects black professionals to each other and corporations. She is a BSc Economics graduate of The University of Nottingham, University of Florida MSc scholar, and an ex-Great Britain javelin thrower.
After gaining work experience in investment banking, Kike then worked in Business Development at a fast-growing financial technology for two years because she realised ‘tech is the future’. Her motivation for starting BYP Network was to “change the Black narrative” and the platform has since grown to over 150,000 members and over 1000 corporate clients including Facebook, Burberry and Goldman Sachs. BYP members have been upskilled through mentorship, thought-leadership events and industry specific insight along with an enhanced network.
Kike is a Forbes 30 under 30, Maserati Top 100 Most Innovative Founders and a Computer Weekly UK Top 50 woman in Technology. She is on the board of the London Chambers of Commerce Black Business Association, Getting on Boards and is a London Tech Ambassador. Kike is a proud wife and mother to her daughter, Yetunde, who was named after her mum that passed away 7 months before her birth.
Calmetta Coleman – Chief Operating Officer of the Chicago Urban League
Calmetta Coleman was named Chief Operating Officer of the Chicago Urban League in January 2022. She has a deep commitment to helping drive the organisation’s mission of advancing equity for Black families and communities through social and economic empowerment. As COO, she provides strategic
oversight for the organisation’s programs, external affairs, and internal operations. She previously served as Executive Vice President of External Affairs & Programs.
Prior to joining the Chicago Urban League in October 2017, Calmetta served in several communication leadership roles, including Director of Communications for Civic Engagement at the University of Chicago; Senior Vice President, Director of Editorial Services and Corporate Media at global public relations agency Ketchum; Vice President, Senior Communications Manager for JPMorgan Chase & Co.; and Vice President, Media Relations Manager for Bank One.
She began her career as a national business journalist, serving as a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal from 1995 to 2002.
Calmetta is a member of Judson Baptist Church in Oak Park, where she teaches Children’s Church, a charter member of the Alpha Beta Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, and a Life Member of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. She also serves on the board of Entrenuity, Inc., a Chicago nonprofit that supports minority entrepreneurs.
Calmetta lives in the Galewood neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago with her husband. They have a daughter in college and a son in graduate school.
Elaine Grell – Chief People Officer EMEA at Ogilvy
Elaine has over 25 years’ experience in strategic human resources; leading people and culture
solutions in global FTSE100 and entrepreneurial scale-up businesses in Europe and the US. She has held Executive HR roles at British Airways, IHG and The Collective. As Chief People Officer EMEA at Ogilvy she leads a people first strategy to make Ogilvy the employer of choice in the marketing industry and the best place for creatively driven people to grow their careers.
She holds an MBA, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD) and a
Mentor for the CIPD Aspiring HR Director Mentoring programme.
Emmanuel Asuquo- International speaker, renowned financial advisor and wealth-building entrepreneur
Emmanuel is a qualified Financial Adviser with over 15 years in the industry and stands as a beacon of financial literacy. Renowned for captivating talks that have reached over 50,000 people nationwide; he has graced major media platforms and served as a financial expert on BBC Radio, Channel 4, Jeremy Vine and ITV, putting him in the homes of millions of viewers across the UK.
The Founder of the Eman Effect and a partner at Belvedere Wealth Management, he empowers
individuals, families, and businesses towards financial independence. Emmanuel is also the author of
the Amazon bestseller, “Get Your Money Right,” which demystifies finance and promotes a healthy money mindset. As an ambassador for the NSPCC, Prince’s Trust, and MyBnk, Emmanuel is committed to imparting financial wisdom, breaking the chains of economic hardship through financial education and becoming the financial adviser to the nation.
Adeife Onwuzulike – Global DEI Director at Euromonitor
Adeife is a Global DEI Director delivering DEI and wellbeing strategy across APAC, EMEAI and AMERICAS. She is a global people leader driving inclusion, engagement, culture & transformational change, and well-being through her work.
She was the previously Head of Diversity and Inclusion at the CBI driving DEI across the business internally and helping them be one of the first businesses in 2018 to launch an Ethnicity Pay Gap with an action plan. Adeife also supported clients and leaders across the FSTE 350 on their DEI Journey with a focus on Gender and Ethnicity representation, inclusive leadership, pay gap data and disclosure.
In 2020, founded a community of Black and Brown DEI professionals focused on establishing a safe space to grow and develop. In 2022, she also founded a “mum and me” community supporting mothers as they navigate life transitions with good mental health whilst advancing in their careers.
Professionally, she is a seasoned DEI and culture expert, global speaker, qualified mentor, and coach, she is also a chartered fellow FCIPD in HR.
Personally, Adeife is a wife, mum and is passionate about mental health and wellbeing.
Dr. Patricia Britto – Qualified Educational Psychologist
Dr. Patricia Britto is a qualified Educational Psychologist (HCPC Registered) and a mother with practical and research experience. Her qualifications include a Doctorate in Professional Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology (DEdPsy) from UCL, Institute of Education, an MSc in Mental Health in Learning Disabilities and a BSc in Psychology. Dr Patricia works Independently at the prestigious Harley Street and within Local Authorities Educational Psychology Services to promote children and young people’s (age 0-25) learning and social, emotional and mental well-being. Dr. Patricia offers families, communities, and educational settings support through consultation, individual psychological assessments suitable for children and young people, and systemic work (e.g., training, workshops and organisational psychology support). She empowers parents and professionals to utilise practical solution-focused strategies and better understand how to support children and young people‘s behaviours (e.g., evidence-based parenting and behavioural management techniques) and other experiences such as Emotional-Based School Avoidance, EBSA), mental health difficulties and other special educational, developmental and neurodiverse needs (e.g., ADHD, ASD, Dyslexia and many more). Dr Patricia is on a mission to make a systemic change in the educational system and how children’s mental health needs, learning difficulties and other psychological needs are understood and supported. She hopes to support and inform government policies that would make a systemic change.
Vanessa Sanyauke – Founder of the Hill app
Vanessa is the Founder of The Hill app, the largest global platform that connects businesses with female talent in technology and finance. Our aim is to connect 1 million women from 140 countries to jobs and opportunities.
Vanessa is also the Founder & CEO of Girls Talk Corporation connecting 60,000 women across 37 countries to global businesses such as events, programmes and digital content.
Vanessa has worked with companies such as Apple, Amazon, Beats by Dre, Meta, HSBC UK, Goldman Sachs, Snap Inc, Virgin Media O2, Zalando, BT and Vodafone + many more to connect them with diverse talent across all levels within their businesses.
Vanessa has 17 years of experience building global communities and driving strategies to support businesses with innovation, employer branding and cultivating great workplace culture. She has worked in the financial services, technology and government and has been recognised as a leader in her field listed as #15 in the Financial Times, Yahoo Finance and EMpower top ethnic minority future leaders in Europe, U.S and Canada.
Vanessa is also a Business Podcaster with her podcast, The After Work Drinks Club debuting at Number 4 on the Apple Business Charts.
Vanessa has also been recognised as one of 30 people changing the world by the London Business School, one of London’s most influential people by the Evening Standard Newspaper and has featured in The Guardian, Cosmopolitan magazine, Sunday Times Style magazine, Stylist magazine, The Evening Standard newspaper and the Financial Times.
Lee Chambers is an award-winning psychologist, Founder and CEO of Male Allies UK
Lee Chambers is the Founder and CEO of Male Allies UK. After a diverse career, from corporate finance to building and exiting tech company, he is now focused on supporting organisations to engage men in inclusion and promote effective allyship. He has been featured on the Startups 100 Index, has received a Great British Entrepreneur Award, and sits on the board of CMI Women, Regenerage UK and the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. In 2024, he received the Freedom of the City of London for services to equality in business.
He is a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences in the USA, the first Black British scientist to be awarded in it’s 33-year history, received for his work on health inequalities. He is the 2023 UN Women Changemaker of the Year, and is an ambassador for the UK Governments Lilac Review for Disabled Entrepreneurship. He speaks globally on allyship and intersectionality, having taken the stage at One Young World, ChangeNOW and the Bloomberg Global Equality Summit, and is the author of the upcoming book, Momentum: Reboot Your Career, Unlock Your Potential.
Personally, he shares his experiences as a Black autistic man, a stay-at-home dad, and his journey to learn to walk again after acquiring a chronic illness. He lives near Preston with his three children.
Elliott Rae- Speaker, Author & Founder Parenting Out Loud
Elliott Rae is the founder of the parenting platform MusicFootballFatherhood, called the ‘Mumsnet for Dads’ by the BBC. He is the curator of the bestselling book, DAD, presenter of BBC One documentary ‘Becoming Dad’ and co-founder of the Working Dads Employer Awards.
Elliott created the Parenting Out Loud campaign which supports employers to build workplace cultures where dads can be loud and proud about their caring responsibilities at work.
Elliott is the ex-Head of DEI Delivery at HM Treasury and one of the UK’s most prominent speakers on fatherhood, men’s mental health and masculinity.
He has written for publications such as The Independent, The Telegraph and Grazia and frequently appears across the media, including a feature on Loose Women and regular contributions to Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London.
His work on gender equality has been recognised by the United Nations and he was awarded the #HeForShe award by UN Women UK.
Derrick Alexander- Serial Entrepreneur, Speaker & Thought Leader
Derrick Alexander is a Serial Entrepreneur, Thought Leader, Philanthropist, Speaker, and Mentor. From the age of 10, Derrick knew he was destined for leadership, a quality he began exercising early in school. Growing up in a modest home with a struggling mother, he was driven to create a better life for her. Almost a decade ago, Derrick embarked on a journey in leadership and business with a mission to make a difference. He has since traveled to over 20 countries, helping thousands achieve growth in their financial, spiritual, and personal lives. Derrick’s goal is to impact over 1 million people and their families in the coming years, empowering them to believe in their potential regardless of their background. Alongside his wife, he has built leadership teams across Africa, the Americas, Europe, the UK, and Asia, spoken on major stages, and received numerous awards in Business Leadership and Entrepreneurship. Derrick has had the honor of learning from great leaders such as Tony Robbins, Eric Worre, and John C. Maxwell, and was inspired by Les Brown to become a speaker who helps others become their greatest selves.
Simeon Quarrie-Innovator / Founder of VIVIDA / Trustee of the Ideas Foundation
Award Winning Storyteller, Technologist, and Empathy Builder. Simeon Quarrie, founder of VIVIDA, is a respected industry leader merging storytelling, technology, and innovation to drive societal change. As the founder of VIVIDA, he has developed unique approaches to building empathy within organisations, such as the transformative initiative ‘In Their Shoes’. By using immersive technology and storytelling, Simeon enables individuals to experience life from the perspective of a person of Black heritage, driving powerful behavioural change working with organisations like HSBC and the Civil Service.
He has featured and directed a series for the Department of Work and Pensions to reframe
Disability.
Simeon and his team collaborated with Canon, to launch the world’s first 3D interactive film school for Africa, attracting 12,000+ aspiring storytellers in a month and making his knowledge accessible to diverse audiences. As a Mentor and Advisor for YouTube & Google’s Black Voices, he nurtures young Black creatives and shares his expertise with numerous educational institutions.
A renowned international speaker, Simeon has keynoted for Apple in San Francisco and delivered award-winning presentations on diversity in tech for EY. His involvement in Burberry’s Inspire programme highlights his commitment to equity and inclusivity in creative industries. Business Insider recognised Simeon and VIVIDA’s work, featuring their VR experience “7 Minutes in the Body of a Black Man.”
He has been recognised as one of the BIMA100’s most influential champions for change and one of Great Britain’s Top Creative Entrepreneurs to watch. The Times asserted that Simeon and VIVIDA are paving the way for the future.
With his unwavering passion for progress and steadfast dedication to making a difference, Simeon Quarrie has emerged as an undeniable force in the industry. His work continues to inspire, educate, and challenge the status quo, cementing his legacy as a true industry leader.
Danielle Cudjoe-Michalski (TEDx Speaker & CEO Thinking Light Coach
Danielle Cudjoe-Michalski, a Project Manager and founder of ‘Thinking Light Coach’, who also served as co-founder and co-lead of the Neurodiversity Network (NDN) at GSK. In her role at NDN, Danielle spearheads initiatives to empower neurodiverse individuals within the organisation. Danielle’s mission is to create a space where neurodiverse people feel not only empowered but actively leverage their unique cognitive strengths. Her expertise in neurodiversity spans multiple domains: certified as an ICF ACC coach, consultant, TEDx speaker, and trainer. Leveraging her extensive 18-year corporate career and personal experience as a neurodiverse individual, Danielle supports individuals, facilitates groups, and offers invaluable insights to organisations seeking to create a more neuro-inclusive workplace culture.
Des Massicott – Chief Information Security Officer
Des is a highly motivated cyber/information security professional with an IT and Information Security career spanning more than 20 years which has led to a wealth of experience being acquired in information security management, information security audits and compliance monitoring, risk assessments and information security policy development all with experience of large multinationals and their multicultural environment.
Prash Theva – CEO Carlton Leisure
Prash Theva is creating the world’s First International shisha lounge experience while Growing a Travel Legacy
Over the last ten years I have grown my brand based on growth, passion, loyalty and more importantly fun. Combining that by learning about the travel industry as Chief Executive Officer at Carlton Leisure, I have learnt the values I believe in everyday must be part of what I do everyday.
Through my own self development, I have learnt each step of the way on this journey that any dream is possible. Having worldwide offices, call centres and hospitality venues, I have learnt acceptance of different diversity, cultures and experience is what will make any dream a reality.
Amani Simpson- Award-Winning Coach, Filmmaker and Entrepreneur
AMANI SIMPSON is an award-winning youth coach, social impact filmmaker, and visionary dedicated to empowering current and future generations to overcome personal challenges. Drawing on his own inspirational story of transformation, he combines creativity and expertise in youth engagement to challenge, uplift, and enrich lives.
Most notably, Amani is the producer and protagonist of the acclaimed short film AMANI, featuring Hollywood actor, Joivan Wade, which received over 1 million views in four days! In addition to his role as the UK South Representative for the Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council, Amani is the founder and CEO of AVIARD Inspires, a social enterprise that has launched impactful youth initiatives in collaboration with The Mayor of London, Goldman Sachs, and two-time Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua.
Dean Aston, People & Talent Director- Carwow
Dean Aston is global People & Talent Director at Carwow and sits on the Senior Leadership team. He is responsible for leading global teams across Business Partnering, D&I, People Operations and Talent Acquisition. Most notably, his team have recently won the prestigious Culture 100 award in 2024, in recognition of fostering a high-performance, growth orientated culture.
With over 15 years of experience, he has developed a track record in scaling high-growth businesses such as Babylon Health and was part of the original team that successfully went public on the NYSE stock exchange after growing the business from £100m in 2017 to a billion-dollar company by 2022. Prior to Carwow, Dean has held senior leadership roles at Trainline, Google and Epam.
He is a graduate of the highly regarded Kinnevik Young Leaders program and holds a Law degree (LLB, bachelor with honours).
Jaz Marfo – Certified Coach
Meet Jaz Marfo, a certified coach, community manager and ambitious careers expert, and lover of tea and R&B. Jaz is on a mission to help high-achievers create limitless careers without overwhelm or underwhelm so they can avoid the Sunday-night dread and dream big instead.
Instead of waiting for someone to make space for her dreams, she created them, armed with business cards aged 14 she embraced the very ambition that continues to be her catalyst today. With over 10 years of experience empowering folks to make changes in their career, she brings candour and clarity to her clients so they too can embrace their ambition and become the person they’ve always been.
Featured in and partnering with BBC’s Radio 1, Reed Recruitment, Monzo Bank, Air B&B, Tortoise Media & more. Jaz’s signature straight-talking style is both powerful and authentic, leaving people both inspired and equipped to get back in the driving seat of their careers. Her community love Jaz because of her practical approach, result-oriented training, and commitment to transforming 10,000 careers by 2028.
Remel London – Host/Broadcaster
Passionate, driven and at the very forefront of innovation within entertainment, Remel London is one of the most exciting breakout names in British broadcasting.
Already the face of Sky One’s What’s Up TV and host of her own radio show on Capital Xtra, Remel is also the founder of much celebrated creative platform The Mainstream which provides key networking opportunities, live events, workshops/seminars and podcasts to support exceptional diverse talent in developing their career in the mainstream media space.
A defining voice within the culture, she’s played key roles in the development of the iconic music platform Link Up TV, working as lead presenter and producer to win partnerships with Footasylum and Boiler Room TV as well as being weekly host of London’s top live music event ILUVLIVE.
Her extensive knowledge of music and entertainment led to her joining the MOBO Awards panel before going on to host the MOBOs official Red Carpet. A passionate advocate for young creatives, she has hosted the Music For Youth Proms at the Royal Albert Hall a record seven times and is resident host of the Rocking Ur Teens Girls Conference.
As a former semi-pro athlete, Remel is also a Nike Ambassador with several branded partnerships including Puma, Spotify, Wagamamas and Apprentice Nation. She is also Notting Hill Carnival’s official annual host.
In 2024, she hosted the Lad Bible Annual Summit, The Brits Red Carpet Coverage and Princes Trust Awards for the media giant. She’s also worked with the likes of Paramount, Capital and became a Keynote Speaker for Media Live!
Hassan Reese- Founder Dam Models
Hassan Reese, a criminology graduate from South London, has transitioned from a former part-time model to the owner of a London-based model agency. Since entering the fashion industry in 2011, Hassan has gained confidence and a new outlook on life. In late 2015, he envisioned combining his business acumen with his passion for fashion, leading to the launch of DAM Model Management in early 2016. The agency has collaborated with renowned brands such as H&M, Puma, Meta, Loci, Aston Martin, Ozwald Boateng, and Benetton.
DAM Model Management has recently expanded to include a sports category, DAM Sports, which represents a diverse range of professional athletes, from boxers and tennis players to gymnasts and footballers. The agency also handles in-house shoots and productions for sports brands. Notably, they secured a deal to shoot Julien Macdonald’s new activewear line, providing the studio, models, and photographer to deliver exceptional results for the brand.
Hassan is proud of the achievements of DAM Model Management and is excited for the future of the agency.
Richard Adeshiyan- Media Consultant and Entrepreneur
Richard Adeshiyan is a former print and television journalist, who over the past four decades has earned an impressive reputation as a versatile media operator. More recently, his public relations and media consultancy has carved out an enviable reputation working with entrepreneurial talent on both sides of the Atlantic.
He started his career at black weekly, The Voice Newspaper, progressing from Sports Editor to Deputy Editor, before moving on to edit its award-winning sister publication, The Weekly Journal. In 1996, he was founding editor of the weekly black newspaper, New Nation before going on to work on BBC’s weekly news and current affairs programme, Black Britain.
Richard has worked on several BBC documentaries including the RTS award-winning landmark documentary series, Windrush in 1998, Black is the New Black in 2016 and Black Hollywood: They’ve Gotta Have Us in 2018. He was Associate Producer on Channel 4’s critically acclaimed documentary Britain’s Slave Trade and Assistant Producer on Dispatches, Channel 4’s investigative current affairs strand. In previous years he has contributed as a member of America’s National Association of Black Journalists organisation and was NABJ Journal’s London correspondent.
Richard started his own public relations and media consultancy in 1999 developing branding strategies for emerging entrepreneurs. He has since diversified the consultancy providing strategic advice to a wide-range of clients within the cultural sector, including The British Museum, Southbank Centre, The British Library, Museum of London, and The London Mayor’s Office. His consultancy has also embraced education and training, previously working with Connexions youth service and Hackney’s Learning Trust
Richard was the UK publicity lead for US television channel, BET International, assisting with its UK launch in 2008, and for several years was tasked with promoting the channel’s marquee award shows and on-screen talent. He also handled the publicity for the Olivier award-winning West End theatre run of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, starring James Earl Jones.
Richard is also co-author of Penguin’s The Voice: 40 Years of Black British Lives, and sits on the Advisory Board of award-winning independent publisher, Jacaranda Books. He has also created and co-produced a short film Finding Sherpas, focusing on extraordinary people who ‘lift as they climb’
Sharla-Jaye Duncan is the founder and CEO of Journi and Day one
Sharla-Jaye Duncan is the founder and CEO of Journi and Day one, empowering high potential diverse professionals and school-leavers from black heritage, female or low-household-income backgrounds from day one to board level.
Prior to creating Journi and Day One, she founded Team Up, a charity that enables pupils from low income backgrounds to meaningfully increase their academic attainment, in order to improve the choices open to them.
Sharla-Jaye holds a BSc from King’s College London and an MSc from Oxford University. She is a trustee of the Adult Literacy Trust and an inspirational speaker.
In addition to her work with Journi and Day One, Sharla-Jaye is a trustee at the Adult Literacy Trust and a Fellow at the School for Social Entrepreneurs. She is an inspirational speaker, having delivered talks for TEDx, NUS, and the Royal Society of the Arts on social action and educational inequality. Sharla-Jaye’s journey from overcoming personal educational challenges to leading impactful initiatives underscores her dedication to creating lasting change. Through Journi and Day One, she continues to inspire and support individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, ensuring they have the opportunities to succeed and thrive in their chosen careers.
