Black-owned businesses to connect with
From mindset coaching and mentoring to membership platforms and directories, here we’re putting the spotlight on amazing and inspirational Black-owned businesses - and the founders behind them.
HIGH FIFTEEN
Vanessa Belleau, founder of High Fifteen, supports companies of any size with strategy, consumer and society insights, along with business coaching, so they can become more resilient, relevant and successful.
Vanessa has fifteen years of experience working with over fifty brands in a range of industries. She started High Fifteen as her way to answer the key business need of fusing strategy with insights, passion and commerciality and, of course, putting people first.
AFRICA BROOKE
Africa Brooke is a London based mindset coach and motivational speaker who aims to help highly committed female entrepreneurs move away from self-sabotage, so they can confidently create the life and business they truly want.
Africa closely supports women in getting to the bottom of the reality they’re currently experiencing. She put together a sustainable plan that will allow them to ditch the negative self-talk and meet themselves at a level they might not believe is possible.
PEPPER YOUR TALK & THE JUNIOR NETWORK
Dior Bediako is the founder of Pepper Your Talk and The Junior Network. An access-all-areas platform, Pepper Your Talk support the career needs of fashion’s next generation. Founder, Dior Bediako, was quickly hit with imposter syndrome after she landed her dream and was in desperate need of a pep talk. After speaking to other fashion newbies, she quickly realised that everyone felt the same. There is such a jump between education and early employment; this is what Dior wants to change. Pepper Your Talk shares real insights from its industry network of top fashion houses, brands and business, as well as hosting inclusive events and workshops, providing practical solutions to everyday professional obstacles.
Pepper Your Talk is the big sister of The Junior Network, a fashion members club for young professionals. Dior understands that building a lasting career is more than just ‘doing the work’. It’s about making great friends, meeting and connecting with seasoned mentors, having access to events and building your character. The Junior Network offers all of this allowing young professionals to boost their career opportunities.
RAINCHQ
The brainchild of Davinia Tomlinson, rainchq aims to help women take control of their financial futures. Whilst working in marketing for a mainstream and alternative investment company, Davinia found herself asking: why don’t more women invest in these?
With that in mind, she created Rainchq, a platform designed to provide you with access to financial education, introduce you to a qualified and regulated financial adviser, and offer you invitations to annual events, all with the objective of giving you confidence in making sound financial decisions for yourself and your loved ones.
THE INSPIRATION SPACE
The Inspiration Space, founded by Liana Fricker, make it easier to start, grow or scale a small business. It connects their members to a community, providing access to a network of stakeholders, partners, like-minded entrepreneurs and seasoned investors.
It offers training through workshops, mindset coaching and one-to-one mentoring, as well as an online hub where members learn, network and collaborate with other ISP members.
BLACK DIRECTORY UK
Launched on the 10th of July this year, Black Directory UK is a new platform aiming to not only showcase and help get black businesses discovered by customers, but to also assist businesses and creatives gain access to the capital and knowledge they need to build and expand.
BDUK also allow you to shop great brands and enjoy exclusive discounts with their free membership.
BIANCA MILLER
After becoming the runner up of the BBCs business competition, The Apprentice, in 2014, Bianca Miller continued to work on her idea for a diverse range of nude hosiery. In November 2015, this became a reality and by 2016 Bianca Miller London was launched in Topshop, QVC and the Morleys Group in 2017.
As well as running a business and being a business mentor, Bianca is known as a popular keynote and guest speaker, discussing topics like; her inspirational journey, making dreams a reality, overcoming issues of diversity, being a woman in business and just generally how to motivate yourself to get ahead.
WOMEN WHO
Founded by Otegha K. Uwagba in 2016, Women Who is a network and platform devoted to helping women think, work and live better. It helps thousands of working women around the world solve problems, gain skills and build their network, so they can take their careers to the next level.
Otegha is the author of Little Black Book: A Toolkit For Working Women, a best-selling career guide for creative working women. She also runs the podcast In Good Company.
ONWARDS AND UP
Having worked in international business development for over 12 years with many of the UK’s leading and emerging fashion, retail, lifestyle and consumer brands, Toyin Laketu is now helping smaller brands grow their business - and their confidence.
From strategic consultancy and mentoring, to website SEO evaluation tailored business support. Onwards and Up delivers holistic fully integrated business strategies, to help businesses achieve their goals online and offline.
BLACK BALLAD
Black Ballad is a UK based lifestyle platform that seeks to tell the human experience through the eyes of black British women. Journalist Tobi Oredein was frustrated at the lack of representation of black women in mainstream media and the workplace. In 2014 she created Black Ballad with her co-founder Bola Awoniyi, a platform which allowed black women to talk about the issues that are important to them.
Discussing a range of topics; mental health, beauty, careers, politics, disability, dating and higher education, everything is written by and for black women. It has recently run a successful crowdfund transition into a membership platform. The purpose is to create conversations, empower black women through its events and bring attention to the best black-owned brands, by giving its members exclusive access to its directory.