Piece by Gifty Aiyegbeni
ELIZABETH OGABI
Elizabeth Ogabi is an entrepreneur, a communications consultant, a speaker, and an educator. Elizabeth has worked in different industries over the past couple of years. She has also worked across different continents. She started her career in communications at Unilever then proceeded to work for a global investment bank, managing branding and communications. In recent years, she functioned in the capacity of a communications director at Ogilvy. While in this role, she sat on the Inclusion Board and was Vice Chair of Ogilvy Equals.
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She is the founder of For Working Ladies which she founded in 2016. This platform is a digital media platform that aims to provide women with the knowledge and resources they need to have successful careers, whether that means launching a side business, shattering the corporate glass ceiling, or pursuing full-time entrepreneurship. The platform’s ultimate objective is to help women lead the lives they want. She also serves as the host of the podcast How I Made It Happen, which aims to provide you with business advice from women.
Elizabeth is also a co-founder and CEO of Leicour. Leicour is a technology-powered coaching platform designed to accelerate women in middle management into positions of power and leadership. The aim of this private membership network is focused on accelerating women within organisations into leadership roles. She authors the book, Side Hustle in Progress which she termed ‘A Practical Guide to Kickstarting Your Business’.
Forbes, and The Dots, among other prestigious magazines, have given Elizabeth recognition for her contributions. The Dots recognised her as a Rising Star Inspiring Change in both 2020 and 2021. She was appointed a UK Ambassador of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day and one of 100 women transforming the creative industry by The Dots UK in 2019 on International Women’s Day established by the UN. In 2020, she was named one of the 100 top inspirational female entrepreneurs in the UK and a 2022 Silver Award winner in the Best Business Women’s Awards. To get in touch with her and order her books can done on her website at https://www.elizabethogabi.com/
Sources: SpeakOut, Google, elizabethogabi.com, HarperCollins, wearethecity.com, Apple Podcasts
KIKE ONIWINDE
Kike Oniwinde is an ex-British javelin thrower and the co-founder of BYP Network. Oniwinde was born in 1992 and grew up in East London with her mother and two brothers. She received 3 “A” grades in both Economics and Double Maths at A-Level. She attended the University of Nottingham and earned a BSc in Economics with Upper Second class in 2014. She continued her education at the University of Florida with the aid of a track and field scholarship, earning an MSc in Management.
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Since 2005, she has competed for Havering Athletics Club in the javelin event after which she transferred to Enfield and Haringey Athletic Club in 2012. Her talent with the javelin was recognized. 2011’s European Junior Championships in Tallinn marked her debut as a Great Britain representative.
While a student at the University of Nottingham, she competed in the British University Championships and took home three medals, despite having a back problem that hindered her. She competed in the USA Collegiate javelin competitions while a student at the University of Florida and placed in the top twenty with her performance. She met the criteria to compete in the Commonwealth Games. She competed up until 2017.
After graduating, Oniwinde worked for a financial technology start-up after serving as an intern at Goldman Sachs and Citi Investment Bank while still a student. She established the BYP Network App in 2016 to link corporations and black young professionals. There were 30,000 members in 65 countries as of 2019. She participated in the NEF Fast Track program to help her grow as an entrepreneur.
BYP Network, frequently referred to as “LinkedIn for black professionals”, has expanded to become a platform with tens of thousands of users worldwide. A Senior Leadership Conference organised by BYP Network in 2019 had 900 people and featured guest speakers who were senior executives from the tech and finance sectors. Through an equity crowdfunding campaign with seedrs in August and July, BYP sought to scale their firm. Within five days of coming public, they had secured £500,000 from more than 1,000 investors. Kike joined the group of 35 female founders who have raised more than $1 million when BYP announced a total raise of over £850,000 ($1.1m) in August.
Kike has won several awards; her MSc in Management and participation in athletics earned her the Southeastern Conference Academic Honour award from the University of Florida. Oniwinde was listed on the first list of the Top 100 UK BAME Leaders in Tech released in 2018 by the Financial Times and Inclusive Board. She was one of the 2019 Maserati 100, a list compiled by Maserati and the Sunday Times, and she was listed among the young leaders in technology in Europe on the Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in 2019. At the University of Nottingham’s Alumni Laureate Recent Graduate Award ceremony in December 2019, Oniwinde received recognition.
Sources: Wikipedia, kikeoniwinde.com
FEMI OGUNS MBE
Femi Oguns, also known as Olufemi Temitope Ogunsanwo MBE, is a renowned British agent and former actor who established the Identity School of Acting and Identity Agency Group born on 28 October 1977 in Paddington, London, United Kingdom. He grew up in west London and earned a joint honours degree in Race and Culture and Performing Arts after attending drama school, where he was inspired to create a drama school that would provide a platform for actors of all ethnicities to express themselves fully.
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Apart from his career as an agent, Oguns has appeared in numerous acclaimed TV dramas and films, such as “Strange,” “Take My Heart Dogma,” “Prime Suspect,” “La Chinoise,” “Last Chance Harvey,” and “The Good Lie.” Furthermore, he has ventured into writing, with his debut play “Torn” receiving the MSVA Award for Best Stage Production in 2008. Subsequently, Oguns worked on his second play, “Sponge,” in collaboration with the Royal National Theatre and The Royal Court.
In 2006, Femi Oguns founded the Identity School of Acting, Britain’s first ‘black’ drama school, which focuses on providing acting training for minority actors and has shown considerable success. Femi Oguns, who handed out flyers to young people around London offering the chance to learn at the UK’s first-ever Black-centric drama school, launched the Identity Agency Group (IAG) to get students into paid work at a time when agents and casting directors often overlooked diverse talent.
Three years later, in 2009, he established the Identity Agency Group (IAG), an acting agency. Identity Agency Group is a prominent talent agency located in London. The agency specializes in representing a wide range of innovative and diverse talent who are active in the fields of Theatre, Television, and Film, both within the UK and on an international scale. The IAG US division was created in 2011, joining forces with top agencies and management companies in the United States to represent clients in both the UK and North America. Notable clients of the IAG include John Boyega, Malachi Kirby, Letitia Wright, Melanie Liburd, Charlie Covell, Cecilia Noble, and Alexis Rodney.
Oguns’ remarkable accomplishments have garnered significant recognition. In 2010, he was honoured as a UK Film Council Breakthrough Brit in the fields of Acting and Writing. He also earned a place on Powerful Media’s Power List, which highlights the top 100 most influential figures of African/Caribbean descent. Furthermore, in 2017, he was the first agent in the UK to be awarded a special jury prize from the British Independent Film Award (BIFA) for his significant impact on the British film industry. In 2014, Oguns was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his services to the acting industry.
Sources: Wikipedia, The British Independent Film Awards, creative review, The Habari Network, celebsagewiki
DUMI OBUROTA
Dumi Oburota is a British artist manager and the founder of Disturbing London born in 1982. Growing up in South East London, Dumi attended Haberdashers’ Askes’ Boys School, where he discovered his passion for music. Despite initially pursuing studies in Sports Science at Greenwich University and later Youth and Community Studies at Goldsmiths University, Dumi couldn’t resist the pull of the music industry and decided to leave university and fully dedicate himself to his newfound passion.
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Over the years, Oburota has broken some of the industry’s biggest stars. His success led to a joint venture with Warner Music and a partnership with Parlophone, a subsidiary of Warner. These collaborations have elevated Disturbing London to new levels of success, solidifying Oburota’s position as a respected figure in the music industry. In addition to his accomplishments in music management, Oburota is also recognized for his impeccable fashion sense.
Dumi has been featured on GQ’s Best-Dressed Businessmen list, showcasing his style and serving as an inspiration for others. He was also included in the 2019 edition of the Powerlist, ranking the 100 most influential Black Britons.
Oburota’s journey serves as a testament to the challenges of breaking into the music industry, both as an artist and behind the scenes. Through hard work and determination, he has overcome obstacles and achieved remarkable success. He encourages aspiring music professionals to seize opportunities, work hard, and remain humble and focused on their goals.
Sources: disturbinglondon.com, gq magazine, startups.co, standarduk.co, Wikipedia, cityshowcase
TOMI MAKANJUOLA
Tomi Makanjuola is a London-based Vegan Chef that grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. She cherished her family’s traditional Yoruba meals, but she couldn’t ignore her inner conflict about consuming meat. When she moved to the UK at the age of 14, she discovered the ethical and health benefits of veganism.
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While in France at a point, she started her blog as a way to share her culinary experiments with the world. It started as a simple passion, a way to connect with others who appreciated her culinary creations. Then in 2013, while studying English and French at Oxford University, she made the life-changing decision to embrace a vegan lifestyle, driven by her concern for animal welfare and her well-being. After graduating from Oxford University, she began working as a chef in London.
In 2016, she took a bold step and began hosting pop-ups and events in London. The pop-ups proved to be a turning point, as clients raved about the delectable dishes and sought Tomi’s expertise. She started attracting private clients, and her passion project slowly transformed into a thriving business. The joy of sharing her culture through food became a source of inspiration and growth.
With each event and every satisfied customer, Tomi’s reputation blossomed. What once was merely a hobby had now evolved into a meaningful culinary venture. The blog that started it all became a stepping stone, paving the way for her to bring her delicious creations to life in the heart of London. In 2018, published her first cookbook, “Plantain Cookbook.” This book celebrated the beloved Nigerian plantain with an array of delightful vegan dishes.
As her influence and success grew from the UK to other countries, Tomi embarked on a remarkable culinary journey, crafting “Vegan Nigerian Kitchen.” This cookbook featured over 100 traditional recipes from various Nigerian tribes, all given a plant-based twist. Through her creations, she became an inspiring figure, showcasing that vegan food could be both vibrant in color and flavor, while still honoring her cultural heritage with love and compassion.
Tomi Makanjuola earns money through various means related to her expertise in vegan Nigerian cuisine. She conducts cooking classes and workshops, hosts pop-up events, and offers private catering services. Additionally, revenue comes from her cookbook sales, online content partnerships, vegan coaching, and public speaking engagements. Through her passion for plant-based food and her cultural heritage, Tomi has built a successful and diverse income stream.
Sources: vegetarian society, issuu.com, sarx.org.uk, medium, vegannigerian.com, greeenqueen.com
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