SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight on Gina Worthey: A Trailblazer in Leadership, Advocacy, and Community Impact

Gina Worthey is a dynamic leader, internationally recognised speaker and the Founder/CEO of Worthey Solutions International.

With over two decades of experience, Gina has built a reputation for empowering organizations and individuals to achieve their full potential. Her Washington, DC-based consulting firm specialises in delivering project management, leadership training, and executive coaching to senior-level clients across government, non-profit, and Fortune 500 companies.

Spotlight on Jessica Walker: Redefining Movement and Diversity in Arts and Film.

Jessica Walker is a force to be reckoned with—a trailblazing Jamaican-German Choreographer, training Stuntwoman, and Founder of WALKER Movement Theatre Company. With a passion for breaking barriers and blending art forms, Jessica has crafted a unique space where performance art and meaningful participation collide, moving audiences to think and feel deeply.

Spotlight Q&A with Dawn Heels: Empowering Women Through Advocacy and Education on Fibroids.

Dawn Heels is a beacon of courage, resilience and empowerment. A multi-award-winning fibroid advocate and campaigner, Dawn has transformed her personal journey of overcoming 16 fibroids into a global mission to raise awareness, amplify voices and educate women battling this silent yet prevalent condition.

Meet Patrice Gordon, a trailblazing business executive and founder of Eminere, a dynamic leadership consultancy that’s redefining the way organisations approach leadership and inclusivity. In 2022, Patrice took a bold step to fully invest in her passion for creating positive change, leaving behind a successful corporate career to focus on transforming leadership practices through reverse mentoring, inclusive leadership programmes, executive coaching, and strategic business development consultancy.

Spotlight on Stephen Bourne: Celebrating Our Unsung Heroes

Stephen Bourne is a self-employed community historian, author,  and a voluntary Independent Advisor to the Metropolitan Police, widely respected for his dedication to uncovering and sharing the rich, often overlooked history of Black communities in Britain. His work gives voice to the stories that have been side-lined in traditional Western narratives, particularly those of Black individuals who contributed to England and Europe during the World Wars.

As the 2025 President-Elect of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), Farzana Baduel is leading the way in transforming the PR industry. An NBWN Ambassador, Farzana has made an undeniable impact with her unwavering commitment to diversity, inclusion, and innovation.

Hyacinth J Myers is a powerhouse of resilience, compassion, and purpose. Having faced and overcome more than 30 years of personal adversity—from growing up in a challenging environment in Hackney, London, to becoming a solo parent and enduring the profound loss of her son—Hyacinth’s journey is a true testament to the strength of the human spirit. Despite the odds, she has not only survived but thrived, using her experiences to empower and uplift others.

Dion is an ex-midwife and Director in Public Services, where she pioneered, coordinated and led special services serving highly vulnerable and marginalised client groups.

Now, a multi-award-winning women's champion with the re-powerment of women at the heart of her work, Dion works behind the global leadership scenes as Master Coach, Strategic Ally and trusted advisor to some of the most influential women across sectors and industries.

Careeta stands as an exceptional ICF-certified life coach and the visionary mind behind the acclaimed ‘Born with a GIFT’ coaching practice.

A trailblazer from the outset, she etched her name in history in 2010 as one of the youngest certified black female coaches in the UK.

Akua is a Chartered IT Professional within the Group Technology Team as a Senior Associate at LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group).

Akua is also a Neurodiversity advocate (self-identifies as Dyslexic and has ADHD), Cajigo Technology Mentor, charity ambassador, fundraiser and a keen sports volunteer for Netball England and British Athletics.

Award winning solicitor Dawn Brathwaite LLP has had an illustrious career to date and has used her platform to promote diversity, equity and inclusion for many years.

Chi Onwurah was born in Wallsend and raised in Kenton and is deeply rooted in the vibrant city of Newcastle.

Now, as Labour's representative for Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (Central), she strives to ensure that every child has the opportunity she was fortunate to receive - a chance to learn, grow and contribute to this democratic society.

Helen Grant OBE is a politician who has served as the MP for Maidstone and The Weald since 2010.

Helen was the first black woman of mixed heritage to be elected as a Conservative MP and selected as a candidate to stand for a Conservative-held parliamentary seat.

Toks is a British-Nigerian businesswoman and the founder of The Baby Cot Shop, a luxury baby furniture brand based in London.

She also hosts the acclaimed podcast, Living Inside Out with Toks, and is a sought after speaker best known for her authentic storytelling style.

Meet Joanne Blake, entrepreneur, mother and carer who has created the fabulous Swimscarf to inspire more people from the Black Asian community to worry less about wet hair and more about the many benefits of swimming, irrespective of length, locs, weaves or curls!

Pooja is a strategic, optimistic, and fun-loving person in her circle. She comes from India – the land of diverse cultures and spirituality. She is an author and contributing bestselling author of four books. She is a Global Speaker and the Founder of Lotus Soul 9.

We're back with James. Since our last chat he was shortlisted for the Entrepreneur of Excellence Award in the National Diversity Awards 2022, recognised as ‘One to Watch’ in Social Entrepreneur Index 2022 and was named “Accelerate Entrepreneur of the Year 2021” by EY Foundation.

Domestic abuse survivor Victoria Griffith is a multi-award-winning transformational life coach and trainer. She is a best-selling author of Unshakeable You, as well as a much sought after inspirational speaker.

Jenny Mein describes herself as an artist and designer first, but used her love of art and Jamaica to launch the elegant and stylish Jenny Mein Designs.

Sharon Simpson works in residential interior design but her background is in life coaching & portrait photography.

Sophia Bailey-Larsen is a Napoleon Hill Certified Leadership Instructor, teaching Think and Grow Rich principles to women in business via online events; as well as being an award-winning Vision Creation Mentor.

Patience (aka The Visionary Introverted Woman) is a Business Strategist for leadership, corporate training and speaking.  She has leveraged her introverted strengths to thrive and stand out in an extroverted world.

Super reliable, dependable and driven, Bayo Igoh is known to back people to the hilt.

Rohit Nanda set up Palgrave Consulting in 2019 to help support small and medium-sized businesses to grow. They focus on helping business owners create competition-crushing marketing, whilst also enabling an increase in both revenue and profits through a range of different services including a 1:1 consulting program, a group coaching package and also an e-learning system.

As a Self-Love Coach, Ishea Muhammad is committed to serving mums suffering from burnout.

Another sit-down with Julian, the multi-award-winning, educator, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Ultra CIC; the UK’s #1 provider of entrepreneurial education in schools and clubs.

Not one to shy away from supporting organisations to achieve their strategic goals and wins; Geoff Jones is a natural leader with a truckload of experience in the complex world of business.

If you are sick and tired of putting yourself last and ready to live a more authentic life, then Yvonne is the go-to woman.  She is an award-winning self-care coach and is well known for successfully blending life-coaching with practical activities.

She's back! Aleka Gutzmore is a financial advisor; who has worked in the self-employed space for sixteen years. In addition to this activity, she is the director of AG Finance HUB, a company focused on raising the nation's financial capability through mentoring and training.

Fondly known as the ‘busy body’ award-winning entrepreneur, distinguished food journalist and restaurant publicist Iqbal Wahhab, OBE is a Bangladeshi-born British businessman.

Find out how an 80th birthday celebration for her father prompted Shirley to look at creating a range of drinks based on her love of her mixed cultural upbringing.

Rianna is a British television host, journalist, producer and director who is best known for her work on UK national television. She is also recognised as Britain’s first black weather presenter.

Edith is the CEO of Arielle for Africa and has created 50,000 jobs for young people across 12 African markets. She’s a true inspiration. Find out more about the work she does in our latest Spotlight.

We’re shining the spotlight on award-winning Bukola Adisa, who is the founder and CEO of Career Masterclass as well as a Senior Governance, Risk and Controls expert.

Brenda is not only one of our wonderful Patrons, she is also the Arts,Culture and Entertainment Correspondent for BBC London News.

Diana Dahlia is the Founder and Creative Director of Diana Dahlia PR, She’s a presenter, actress and model with a wealth of experience with global brands.

In this edition of NBWN Spotlight series, we shine our light on Scholar, CEO, Trustee and renowned speaker Tolu Olaniyan to find out who she is, what she does and how her experiences shape the world.

Mark Martin is a teacher, educational technology evangelist and the co-founder of UKBlackTech. He is recognised around the world for his insight and passion for education and technology.

A fantastic Black History Month Spotlight showcasing Maths teacher Charlotte Francis, who creates dolls to give little black girls the courage to be the boss!

Julian Hall is the CEO of the award-winning Ultra Education. They teach 7 to 18-year-old Entrepreneurship in schools & communities.

Dr. Ruth Oshikanlu MBE is an award-winning independent nurse, midwife, health visitor and pregnancy mind-set expert. A self-described ‘soul mama’ with an infectious smile.

London-based Fashion Designer and Style Consultant, Adebayo Jones, is synonymous with exquisite fashion.

Molly is the Greater London Authority Conservative candidate for Brent & Harrow. She campaigns strongly on issues like homelessness, social justice, knife crimes & anti-bullying.

Ishea is a life coach, content creator and host of the Ishea Muhammad Podcast. She is dedicated to helping women to become the best version of themselves.

Jenny Garrett OBE is Award Winning Executive Coach, Leadership Development Specialist, Keynote Speaker & Board Advisor on Gender Balance, Diversity & Inclusion and we’re delighted to catch up with her again.

We celebrate excellence in Black History Month 2020 by speaking to author and certified relationship coach, Nigel Beckles.

Not only is Sherry Ann one of our patrons, she’s a multi-award-winning International Speaker, Lecturer, Journalist and the Founder of Women On The Crossroads

1st Choice Maintenance Ltd are a small business, but they have been providing and servicing Canon photocopiers for 25 years.

Mulenga has always had a great passion for people, their equality and fairness and wanted to make a difference in people’s lives.

Ellenor McIntosh is the founder of Twipes.  Her company has created wet wipes which contain no alcohol whilst being antibacterial.

Funmi Akisanya is a Polymath, Purveyor of African Arts and a Social Entrepreneur with multiple income streams.

Tamsin works for Constant Contact UK who provide digital marketing tools for small businesses and are best known for its email marketing tools and world-class free customer support and training.

Lavinia Osbourne is the founder of Butterfly Wealth Creation. They are an online holistic personal finance and empowerment organisation that promotes financial education, awareness and understanding.

Jak founded Nubian Jak as a pioneering concept in 1994. It now includes an educational academy that delivers bespoke workshops and learning activities using multi-media, publishing, apps, film, and field trips.

James Adeleke is Managing Director and Founder of Generation Success which provides a range of trail-blazing initiatives that help thousands of people break barriers to professional and entrepreneurial success

Tony Biola’s life’s mission is to engage, support and transform the lives of individuals serious about re-defining and finding their own definition of success, based on his personal wealth of experience.

Cathy is known for branding from the heart and intuitive business coaching, and works with coaches, consultants, therapists and other conscious entrepreneurs who are serious about creating a business and a brand that’s aligned with their authentic self and their higher purpose.

Daniel runs My Black Markets whose mission is to help black businesses and their customers to build a black economy.

Susan runs Conning Towers Ltd; a Human Resources consultancy specialising in Transformation and Talent Management.

Berna Sarikaya is the managing director of Creatif Designz, a results-focused, London based design agency providing personal, bespoke graphic and web design services that add value to client’s brand, increase their profitability and exceed client’s expectations.

Leigh runs The Sales Consultancy which helps businesses get more sales, through training, coaching, mentoring or a combination of all of these!

Carl Foster is the inspirational author of a new self help book called ‘SELFMADE’ all about promoting the positive lifestyle.

Bidemi is the founder of BusinessExcel UK, a business strategy and management consultancy that supports entrepreneurs, small and medium sized businesses and social enterprises with developing their business strategies and plans.

Usha started Dare to Dream in 2008, when she was part of the women’s issue network for the Ministry of Justice.

Keeley’s personal journey of growth and change began in 2000, when she reached an all-time low.

Shiloh PR is a leading PR agency with a strong track record of producing effective public relations campaigns for major urban music events, both here in the UK and in Jamaica.

Errol and Yvonne founded The British Alliance of African and African Caribbean People (BAACP); a unified voice formed to speak about the issues affecting the African and African Caribbean community.

Paul is the author of ‘It’s Complicated (But It Doesn’t Have To Be)’ and co-host of LoveTown, USA on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Color Blind Cards is the UK’s leading black greeting card and gift company. They publish greeting cards for people who want cards and gifts which represent them and their families.

As well a being an Intuitive Instant Healer & Motivational Speaker, Neha Misra is an amazing cook specialising in modern Burmese and Indian cuisine.

Aaisha works for KPMG; one of the ‘Big 4’ professional services firms (commonly mistaken for an accountancy firm, but what they do a lot of is auditing).

Chantell Walters’ vision of luxury womenswear is embracing both femininity and innovation. Using this, alongside sharp tailoring, futuristic aesthetics, and striking details, is what defines the Chantell Walters brand.

Joy is the Senior Stylist and Director of Potential U. She is a qualified Personal Stylist from the London College of Fashion with over 9 years expertise in the fashion industry.

Marie-Bernard is an Interior Designer who is passionate with turning houses into dream homes with the touch of sophistication you thought you could never have.

Jenny Garrett runs Reflexion Associates, a leadership coaching and development consultancy, which aims to evoke the best in individuals, teams and organisations with depth, personalisation and meaning.

Sheila started Business Support Services (BSS) in 2006 to offer business skills training and financial consultancy services to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Hannah Foxley's business is The Women’s Wealth Expert which gives financial advice to women, with a focus on women facing divorce.

Sharon Warmington runs Suite of Services, a solution-focussed business support service.

Suzy runs One Residential & Land which offers a host of services to people wanting to invest in property.

Obi Abuchi is CEO of Core Leaders International and an author.

Aleka offers Financial Capability Training, Independent Business Mentoring and Independent Financial Advice across all areas however she specialises in Commercial and Residential Mortgages and Protection.

Sharon Eden, aka The Passion Whisperer, guides professional and executive women who feel stuck to connect with ‘Core Passion’, become the magnificent woman they really are and create a life they love.

Carol is a Personal Development, Career and Business Coach.

Maureen runs Tropical Connections, a UK-based company that specialises in helping UK residents avoid pitfalls and save money when dealing with a range of property matters in the Caribbean.

Suzanne Simmons-Lewis (MA, BA Hons) is a professional coach and journalist.  She helps clients to clarify and achieve their true purpose and ambitions in their careers and businesses, drawing out their unique talents.

Meet Sharon McLean, a powerhouse in the world of business training, mentorship, and community empowerment! With over 30 years of experience, Sharon is an accomplished business trainer, consultant, author, and radio presenter. She founded Business With Excellence in 2002, driven by a passion for helping business start-ups and SMEs expand and thrive. Her expertise shines in marketing, business planning, and finance, where she’s developed impactful courses and resources, including the renowned 12 Ms of Marketing series, offering practical monthly business tips.

Sharon's commitment to community impact is unparalleled. She runs money management courses in local communities, provides social enterprise training, and leads business growth sessions that inspire success. As an exceptional networker, Sharon created the BWE Networking exhibition, a must-attend event for businesses to showcase and connect. She also launched RAIN (Referral and Introducers Network) in 2004, fostering business referrals and collaboration.

Beyond her business acumen, Sharon is a dedicated qualified counsellor, director of the Family Therapy Centre, and lecturer. Her latest initiative, the McLeans ABC Cultural Competency Model, addresses diversity in counselling and business training, showcasing her innovative approach to cultural awareness and inclusivity.

Sharon’s motto, “Love what you do and do what you love,” encapsulates her vibrant spirit and commitment to making a difference. She loves giving practical, actionable advice and is a true champion for anyone ready to elevate

Diane Edwards is the General Manager of J Wray & Nephew UK Ltd; a distributor and brand builder of premium spirits with 17 years experience in the UK market.

Donna Joseph is co-Owner and Sales and Marketing Director of SN Travel; an Independent Tour operator specialising in holidays to Caribbean.

Dionne Lewis-Reid is a Career Transition Specialist and Empowerment coach, who works with people to transform their lives and careers.