The Black Men Business Talks will offer Black men a space to learn effective growth strategies for business development and career success. With interactive talks and group discussions led by stand-out business men and senior leaders, this event will offer you practical advice and insights on how to be your best authentic self as a Black man in industry, lead in whatever capacity you find yourself in and create success on your own terms. This is one you do not want to miss. There will be a chance to network with speakers, business leaders and industry professionals, following the event.
Who is this for?
We invite all Black men, Black Women and allies of the Black community who would like to develop, be inspired, and have real, honest and open discussion in an environment that supports learning and growth. Regardless of your race this is a fantastic session for you to attend.
Ade Ahmadu, an expert in leading strategic transformation, boasts a 13-year track record of delivering large-scale change programmes in the financial, pharmaceutical, and technology sectors. Ade served as a Senior Legal & Compliance Project Manager at Meta (formerly Facebook), where he has made significant strides, protecting over 3 billion users and mitigating potential fines exceeding £2b.
Ade’s practical experience, coupled with his academic prowess—an Executive MBA from Warwick Business School—has enabled him to enhance business performance. He has managed and consulted on high-profile transformation projects for FTSE 100 organisations such as Anglo American, Barclays, GKS, and HSBC.
In 2021, driven by his desire to support the black community’s growth in the corporate world, Ade founded Cerculate. Ade accelerates career progression for mid-to senior-level executives as an accredited career coach. Every endeavour Ade undertakes is motivated by his passion for business transformation, being an activist for racial equity.
A former gang leader turned activist, campaigner and entrepreneur, Karl has spent the past decade of his life advocating for a fairer and more inclusive business ecosystem.
Karl saw his first shooting at the age of 12. He grew up on a gang-ridden estate and went on to be shot at, stabbed, cut in the face and witness to his close friends’ murders.
After the intervention of a Church-run anti-youth violence project, Karl was able to denounce his gang involvement and turn his life around.
Now a successful campaigner, Karl offers consultancy and advisory to high profile individuals and decision makers, such as Prince Harry and Sam Branson. His philanthropic efforts have helped raise millions for charities in the UK. He is the Co-founder of DBK studios, which creates film and television content led by Black
producers. A gifted orator and poet, Karl is regularly invited to speak at corporate, public and charity events including TEDx Talks. He is also the co-founder and chairman on Black Seed, Europe’s largest Black fund for Black founders by Black founders.
Marv Brown is a Director, Content Creator & Social Media Consultant, who has been making waves within the film & online media industry for the past 12 years. Marv is the founder and CEO of Marv Brown Films, a creative video production company based in London.
He is widely recognised for his work as the Creative Director and partner to UK comedian, Michael Dapaah creating iconic work such as filming and directing the “Man’s not hot” music video which currently sits on over 418 Million views on Youtube.
Marv is also well-known for his luxurious & cinematic wedding films and his unique gift for storytelling which has captivated audiences across the globe.
With his work now expanding into the social media world, he is transforming brands online through his consultancy and content creation strategies. With clients that span over an array of fields, from business owners, to fitness influencers such as @Just_Geen, who has taken her from 15k to 120k+ following in 3 years.
Robert is a sales, strategy, and product development executive with over 20 years of business development, product management, marketing, technology, sales and consulting experience. He is a domain expert in Foreign Exchange, International Treasury & Cash Management, Financial Services Technology and Capital Markets e-Commerce. Prior to returning to J.P.Morgan, he spent several years at Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Citi, across Foreign Exchange and Treasury Services, building and commercializing cross-currency electronic payment and hedging solutions. At JPM, he previously led a variety of strategic business initiatives across Consumer and Corporate Banking. He started his career in telecommunications running large-scale marketing programs. Robert holds a MBA in Marketing and Finance from the Simon School of Business and a BS in Molecular Genetics from the University of Rochester.
Gregory Robinson is a Managing Director within the Moody’s Analytics Central Product Group based in New York. He acts as the principal program leader across MA acquisition integrations to ensure achievement of the aspirations and synergies associated with the business case. Additionally., Greg is also responsible for the delivering insight to Moody’s leaders by partnering with domain strategists, relationship managers and others to understand and improve Moody’s competitive positioning in current and future markets. Furthermore, he serves as the Program Lead for Creating Opportunities for Racial Equity (CORE) – core.moodys.io., an outreach program to engage, empower and invest in multicultural stakeholders. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Cornell University (2001) and a Master’s in Business Administration from Columbia Business School (2010). He also holds the following charters/ designations: Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).
Raphael Sofoluke is a serial entrepreneur, author, visionary & Founder and CEO behind UK Black Business Show, UK Black Business Week, Birmingham Black Business Show & Black Tech Achievement Awards.
Ava Estell founder, Yaw Okyere, has long been in the business of entrepreneurship, setting up small profit-making businesses since the age of 16. Following a successful four year university degree in Engineering the British based Ghanaian also used that time to launch the second of his successful start-ups that saw Okyere deliver restaurant food to campus for a mark-up profiting over £20k in his first year.
It wasn’t until Yaw met his now wife that he realised his expertise in product formulation could be used to help instil confidence in the black community. Yaw developed a natural range of cosmetic products designed address problematic skin concerns with a focus on black skin in a way no western beauty brands were. Ava Estell was created in Oct 2020 and has since grown into a full line of products with melanin in mind, set to bring confidence in complexion, generating multiple 8 figures in revenue.
Eddy Datubo is the Director of Operations and Transformation for the BBC and a Global Leader in Business Transformation & Strategic Change. Over the last 27 years, he has led several multi-million pound projects and strategic initiatives across several blue-chip companies within the Technology, Consulting, Banking & Financial Services, Energy and Media sectors, where he has achieved proven success.
Eddy has worked with a number of recognised global organisations such as IBM, Reuters (now ThomsonReuters), Lloyds Banking Group, BP, Tullow Oil, and Neptune Energy in various Project Management, Strategy and Transformation roles. At the BBC, Eddy is responsible for improving operational efficiency and setting the tone for transformational delivery across the organisation.
Eddy holds a number of academic and industry certified qualifications including an MBA from Cranfield School of Management. He is a certified Project Management Professional, a Toastmaster and a recognised public speaker.
Mahari is an experienced engagement, innovative thinking and people focused leader with over 18 years experience in the highly complex and dynamic financial services sector. His passion for technology and storytelling ability, including translating complex information into simple and effective content, has seen him have a very rewarding career, especially in his current role as Director in the Lending, Trade and Working Capital team at Lloyds Bank. Mahari is also the Co-chair of the highly influential colleague network – B.O.L.D. The network has created a safe place for Lloyds Banking Group Black colleagues to obtain the support they need to progress their careers.
