A mental health firm, a sustainable fashion brand and a ski company are among 25 businesses highlighted in a new book celebrating black entrepreneurs in Britain.
The Wray Forward Powerbook is a collaboration between Jamaican rum brand Wray and Nephew, and business support organisation Foundervine.
The book is an extension of the drinks company’s Wray Forward programme – an initiative that supports black founders across the UK by providing access to funding, educational workshops, mentorship opportunities and networking events. The programme has supported nearly 4,000 entrepreneurs across 23 industries over the past two years.
Curated by a panel of seven independent judges after a competitive selection process of Wray Forward programme participants, the list covers a diverse range of sectors, backgrounds, business size and location.
Each business featured in the book has been chosen for showcasing growth, including revenue, headcount and fundraising.
Cecil Adjalo, co-founder at Foundervine, said: “As a black founder in the UK, it’s not a case of ‘whether’ you’re going to face hurdles but instead ‘when’ are you going to face them. You’re less likely to have the right network to build successfully, less likely to have the financial capital, and less empowered with the right information.
Wray Forward Powerbook: Top 25 (Image: Handout) “Those that have successfully navigated these hurdles have had to go over and above with their efforts and deserve recognition, not just for themselves, but to allow others following in their tracks to believe, ‘I can do it too’. The Wray Forward Powerbook is sowing seeds of belief into the community and building better futures for black businesses.”
The launch comes as research commissioned by Wray and Nephew reveals black business owners are six times more likely (22%) to believe their race has negatively impacted efforts in kickstarting a business compared to white counterparts (3%). The study also found three-quarters (73%) of black business owners have found it challenging to raise funds to kickstart their business, compared to just 46% of their non-black counterparts.
The 25 companies featured in the Wray Forward Powerbook Abigail Maria Sol – Deya Adedapo Dalley – Events Meets World Ali Kakande – Carib Eats Anne McGregor – Cinnamon Leaf Antony Gutsa – Ecoswap Carl Davis – Living In Fitness Cecile Bentil-Willieson – Just Fab Kitchen Elizabeth Akinfenwa – Liz Pie Pastry Erika Brodnock – Kinhub Gbemi Shitta -SweetDoughThings Jodienne Ball – BakeYard Kufa Matiya – Futurematch Kwame Boateng – Ingrained Oil Laurelle Brown – Laurelle Brown Training and Consultancy Lee McPherson – HEYR Leila Davis – Blackstage Pole Mweemba Ntembe – Tammwe Nadu Placca Rodriguez – The Zoo XYZ Natalie Dinning – Lesley’s Sauces Nigel Atta-Mensah – New Comma Patrice Hinds – Pat & Pinky’s Samantha Newell – Yard + Parish Sashaa – Malka London Serena Grillo – Off Piste Ski Trip Skye Round – Atlantis Modeling Agency
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