Steven Bartlett’s Flight Story has partnered with Dr Raphael Sofoluke, founder of the UK Black Business Show, to launch Legacy Black. The 50/50 joint venture aimed at building a global media brand focused on Black business and wealth creation. The partnership targets over £100 billion ($134 billion) of economic impact over the next decade. It emerged after Bartlett spoke at the UK Black Business Show in 2023, evolving into a media business designed to convert community into a sponsor-backed revenue model. Flight Story And UK Black Business Show Join Forces
A 13-year-old boy in the UK is paying his own boarding school fees using profits from his Caribbean food business, a venture he started at just six years old. Malaki Conteh now covers the portion of his school fees not covered by financial aid at The Prebendal School in southern England, where he attends as a full-time boarder. Tuition runs about £4,000 ($5,384) per semester, with Conteh paying the remaining balance after receiving a 50% scholarship, My London reports. Turning a Family Kitchen Into a Business Conteh runs Malaki’s Food
Barclays is hiring on POCIT. Deborah Barnwell is the inclusion and opportunity partner for UK corporate at Barclays. In this role, she focuses on fostering inclusion and ensuring that all colleagues, regardless of background, feel valued, empowered, and supported in their careers. She also collaborates closely with senior leaders to embed inclusive practices and drive meaningful change by championing initiatives that expand equitable opportunities across the organization. A Journey Shaped By Inclusion “My career journey has been one of continuous growth,” Deborah says. “It’s been shaped by a commitment to inclusion and
For the past decade, Danielle Udogaranya, CEO and co-founder of Ebonix, has been one of the most influential voices championing Black representation in gaming. “Ten years ago today, I stopped accepting what we were given as Black gamers: an afro, some Killmonger locs, a teeny weeny afro, and maybe a low cut fade,” Udogaranya shared in a recent TikTok video. Now, as she marks ten years of reshaping virtual identity, she is celebrating the milestone with a new London exhibition, Black Lines of Code. The exhibition brings together more than 20
Afua Kyei, Chief Financial Officer at the Bank of England, has been named as the most influential Black person in the UK. The annual list, conducted by Powerlist, highlights the most powerful people of African, African-Caribbean, and African-American heritage. As CFO, Kyei leads financial governance of the £1 trillion balance sheet, funding reforms, and upgrades to critical national infrastructure payments, while championing diversity and climate disclosure. “It is an incredible honour to be named Number One on the Powerlist in its 20th year,” she said in a press release. “For
Epiminds, an agentic AI company, has raised $6.6 million in funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners, EWOR, Entourage, and leading angels such as the former CMO of Booking.com, according to Tech Funding News reports. The Swedish startup, founded in 2025 by Mo Elkhidir (CEO) and Elias Malm, aims to reinvent how marketing agencies work by using multi-agent AI to automate campaign management. Helping marketers with routine tasks Both founders were driven by frustration with the inefficiencies of traditional marketing. Sudanese-born Elkhidir spent years researching multi-agent systems that enable digital agents to
The UK wants more African companies to choose London when raising money on the stock market, a British trade official told Semafor. Tracey Austin, a senior director at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), said attracting more African IPOs has become a top priority. “The UK is trying to be more inventive to sell London as a financial services center from where companies can attract global capital, not just a place to do business in and leave,” Austin said. African Companies Are Already Raising Billions in London Between 2010
UK lawmakers are being urged to pass legislation that would protect whistleblowers who expose employers violating DEI laws, as reported by The Guardian. The proposal was made by the Black Equity Organisation (BEO), a civil rights group, as it awaits the publication of the Equality, Race and Disability Bill, which is expected later this year. If the bill comes into effect, employers with over 250 staff workers would be obligated to show whether white and non-disabled staff are paid more than Black, minority ethnic, and disabled employees. It would also
Live facial recognition (LFR) technology will be deployed at Notting Hill Carnival, London’s Metropolitan Police has announced. Police will use LFR cameras to scan for individuals marked as being wanted on the Police National Computer and carry out “pre-emptive intelligence-led arrests and searches” of people believed to have weapons or sell drugs. Facial recognition at Notting Hill Carnival Facial recognition is part of the Metropolitan Police’s plan to cut crime at this year’s carnival. The cameras will be placed on the way to and from the event, The Independent reports. Deputy Assistant
The British Business Bank (BBB), the UK Government’s economic development bank, has announced a new £500 million ($674 million) economic package to back diverse and emerging fund managers. The initiative aims to address the significant gap in venture capital investment for underrepresented founders and investors, which is often attributed to industry biases, closed networks, and limited diversity among investors. Investing in women-led funds Investing in female and ethnic minority-led businesses could add 13% to the value of the UK equity market, according to the 2025 The Investing in Women Code report. Additionally,
