Need help reading this page? Click to activate Recite Me popup.
""

Black Business Advisory Committee completes recruitment and calls for community insight

""

All 12 members of the Black Business Advisory Committee have now been recruited and the first meeting was held on 17 February 2021.

Lloyds Banking Group
16 March 2021
3 min read

In December 2020 we introduced the Black Business Advisory Committee, with leading businesswoman and former Cabinet Office advisor Claudine Reid MBE appointed as Chair. 

Since then we’ve worked with Claudine to recruit the full committee of outstanding figures in the Black business community. All 12 members bring with them a diverse set of experience and expertise, which will equip them to investigate in detail the barriers to growth for the Black business community.  

We’ve also commissioned Black Business Network and market research experts Savanta to research the whole entrepreneurial journey for Black people, starting from early-stage education through to establishing mature businesses. The research will be ongoing over the next three years, and the findings will inform our future activities to support the growth of companies owned and run by Black business leaders.

To supplement this research, the committee is calling on the Black business community to take part in the Community Conversation virtual event on 12 April. Committee members will be sharing the highs and lows from their personal journeys and speaking about why engagement is important in order to build stronger, sustainable businesses; they will also be taking part in a live audience Q&A. You can register for the event here.

The first Black Business Advisory Committee meeting was held on 17 February 2021, at which the plans and ambitions for their work was discussed. The next meeting is scheduled for May 2021, at which time they will review the first findings from the quantitative phase of the research and begin to steer on recommended actions..
 

Claudine Reid MBE, Committee Chair

Claudine Reid

“With a stellar line up of experts on board I’m certain we’ll be successful in our collective ambition to shed light on the needs of and barriers faced by the Black business community. Not only this, we’ll then be able to create a tangible set of recommendations for Lloyds Banking Group to implement and others to learn from about how the world of business can transform to become fully inclusive of the Black community. 

 

Today, I’m calling on fellow business people and aspiring entrepreneurs to come forward. We want to hear from you. Your insights will be truly invaluable in helping us develop our recommendations and make sure they really resonate with businesses up and down the country. Ultimately, we believe it will help our fellow Black business owners to have the best opportunity to start, grow and thrive.”

We’ve also partnered with social enterprise Foundervine to launch their first Accelerator programme in April. The Lloyds Investment Readiness Programme will be a four-week course for Black entrepreneurs seeking investment to help scale-up their business. The programme will cover topics such as: understanding options when raising investment, what makes a successful investment proposal, gaining support and introductions to experienced investors, and opportunities to build and deliver a compelling pitch. Applications for this will open on 17 March.  

 

Black Business Advisory Committee members

Antonia Burrell

Owner of Antonia Burrell Holistic Skincare. Selected as a top 100 industry influencer by Professional Beauty UK, and appearing in global trend reports such as Mintel. A regular guest speaker on topics relating to women in business, both in the UK and abroad.

Cecil Adjalo

Director at award-winning social enterprise, Foundervine. Oversees the Business Intelligence department at rapidly growing Danish Tech Scale-Up, Dixa. Listed by the Financial Times as one of the 100 most influential BAME Leaders in UK Tech. 

Claudine Reid MBE (Chair)

Award-winning business psychologist and social entrepreneur. Voted one of Britain’s top 100 women entrepreneurs by Real Business Magazine (2008) and listed by Keep the Faith magazine as one of Britain’s most influential Black women (2017 and 2019).

Evadney Campbell MBE

Award-winning lecturer, broadcast journalist, trainer and PR consultant with over 30 years' experience in education, consultancy and media. Awarded an MBE in 1995 for her services to voluntary work, as a founding member of a ground-breaking charity.

Imelda Fossu

Visionary entrepreneur, innovator and public speaker who, at just 25, is inspiring a new generation. Leads the The Fossu Group, an innovation factory turning concepts into reality today, while building the most impactful and inclusive companies of tomorrow.

Izzy Obeng

Entrepreneur, business coach and professional speaker. Founder and Managing Director of Foundervine, a social enterprise specialising in start-up and scale-up acceleration programmes. Named by Tech Nation in 2019 as one of the 50 most influential Black voices in UK tech.

Khalia Ismain

Founder of Jamii, a discount and discovery platform for Black-owned business. Passionate about reducing the barriers faced by Black British founders, and about using business to affect positive social change. Occasionally gives talks about life as a social entrepreneur. 

Margaret Ochieng

Organisational psychologist and founder of The Inclusive Village, an evidence-based consultancy that specialises in inclusive people, talent and culture. Has authored and co-authored various pieces of work on racism in UK organisations.

Michelle Raymond

HR consultant, visibility strategist and award-winning international TEDx speaker. Michelle and her team at The People’s Partner help businesses grow by transforming their people skills, developing peak performance and raising visibility through consultation, coaching and training.

Nathaniel Peat

Listed on the 2017 Black Power List, EMPower Financial Times list (2017 and 2018) and 2016 Financial Times Upstanding 100 BME Executive List. Co-founder of renewable energy company Gennex Solar and founder of The Safety Box, helping to reduce youth violence. Chair, Brunel Business School and Patron of EY Foundation.

Rodney Appiah

Former investment banker, NED and VC investor with nearly 15 years of financial services experience across UK and Europe. Currently the Chairman of Cornerstone Partners, a leading UK angel network focused on seed stage investments to support black and diverse founders.

Shari Leigh

Founder of Black Business Network, a corporate event and media company, designed to strengthen business connections and knowledge in the Black community. Launched the flagship event for Black Business Network, Black Investor 360.

Related content

""

Our stand for racial equality

See the progress we're making on our Race Action Plan since its announcement in July 2020. 

Read more
""

What's next with our Race Action Plan?

Roland Guy talks about the Group's priorities for the next 12 months, following publication of our Race Action Plan.

Read more