Black Create Connect Podcast

Johanne Penney is the Founder & CEO of Amp Up Your Voice, a progressive anti-racism and diversity, equity, and inclusion consultancy that partners with modern and progressive brands and businesses who are on their journey to authentically diversify their business and who want to be true advocates. Working up to and mainly at C-Suite level Johanne helps drive real change and elevates brands by ensuring inclusion and belonging and to authentically be part of the Racial Equity change movement.

She does this through a range of media: providing expert DEI consultancy services, devising long-term DEI strategies and delivering high energy, unique, educational engagement sessions. She is also a public speaker and mentors’ organisations that want to change and proactively champion DEI. Johanne also coaches individuals who need support around DEI, to navigate and grow their careers and those who are affected by systemic barriers to success.

She prides herself on being a positive disruptor and is also a culture writer and author of the eBook ‘The Road Map to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’ - a guide on how to take positive action and drive inspirational change.

In this episode Jo and Alicia discuss:

www.ampupyourvoice.com or download the eBook: https://lnkd.in/e92iAYGB 

IG: @ampupyourvoice

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanne-penney-2114511a/

Crosby Enninful is the founder of Egbenn Accountancy Services and a Chartered Accountant.

He is 32 years old and has over 12 years experience in finance and accounting. He has been running is own firm for 5 years and works with small and medium size businesses dealing with all areas of accounting.

In this episode, Alicia and Crosby delve into:

• The shift from managing contracts to managing a business

You can connect with him on:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @egbennaccountancy

LinkedIn: Crosby Enninful (FCCA)

Website: www.egbenn.co.uk

Arsema is an experienced specialist tech recruiter and founder of an independent recruitment agency, hire|py. As a champion to see a more inclusive tech scene, this passion also led to Arsema launching the Black Recruiters Network, a community network to champion Black excellence within Recruitment & Talent Acquisition. 

In this episode, Alicia and Arsema delve into a range of intriguing topics, including:

• Arsema's transition from the field of Chemical Engineering to a successful career in recruitment

Please see more about Arsema here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/arsema-fessehazion/ 

Book in a Linked In / CV service here - 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mylinkedincv/about/ 

See more about Black Recruiters network here - https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-recruiters-network/ 

Bukola Akinfaderin, Engineering Manager at Carvana, has accumulated over 20 years experience working in Information Technology. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Wesleyan University, CT and a Master’s of Science in Information Systems from New Jersey Institute of Technology.  

Bukola has most notably been recognised for the creation of apps that focus on underrepresented groups. Her first project was Jandus Radio, a mobile application/social network that aggregated over 250 radio stations, a forum/peer to peer chat with a focus on African content. Jandus Radio accumulated over 500,000 registered users.  She also launched Afrocast, a podcast aggregator for underrepresented content providers, Khin, a white label social community platform, and MyComplex, a community app for apartment residents.  Her most recent project is glowup app, a goal setting app for women that allows you to achieve your self-care goals with the support of a community.

Bukola was named as Developer of the Month by Microsoft Africa in 2013. She has been featured on several tech publications including TechCabal, Otekbits, TechMoran, PulseTV Nigeria, Voice of America: Beyond the Unicorns of Silicon Valley, World Bank for their Female Tech Entrepreneurs initiative (infodev). She also won 2nd place in the Microsoft 9ja Apps, a competition which focused on rewarding innovative mobile apps focused on the Nigerian market.

In this Episode, Alicia & Bukola discuss:

• Creating the first app to introduce Afrobeats to the US.

See more about Bukola here:

http://www.techcabal.com/girls-who-code-bukola-akinfaderin/

https://projects.voanews.com/beyond-the-unicorn/

Coodie Simmons is an American film director, screenwriter, cinematographer, and producer. Coodie started directing from his music video fo Kanye West, entitled "Through the Wire", which was nominated for a MTV Viewers Choice Award, and won a Source Award for Best Music Video of the Year. Coodie has continued his music video success directing "Two Words" and the third version of "Jesus Walks" off Kanye West's The College Dropout album, Pitbull's "Culo" video, Mos Def's "Ghetto Rock" video, Erykah Badu's controversial video "Window Seat" and most recently Lupe Fiasco's "Old School Love" video. 

Coodie received acclaim for their ESPN 30-for-30 film, Benji (2012), a film about a high school basketball player who was tragically killed. In 2013 they directed Good Morning, a short film for American Family Insurance. Good Morning debuted at the 2013 American Black Film Festival. In 2022 Coodie released the documentary series jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, Act 1 of which premiered on Netflix on February 16, 2022.

In this episode, Alicia and Coodie delve into a variety of fascinating topics, including:

Their experiences as tourists in Ghana and the cultural insights gained from the trip

The artistry, story, and profound impact of Ernie Barnes

Reflecting on their upbringing in Chicago and the harsh realities they faced

The motivation behind Coodie's meticulous documentation of life moments

The journey of losing everything and finding the strength to start anew

The deep passion and purpose driving their Jeen-yuhs documentary project.

Connect with Coodie here - https://www.instagram.com/coodierock/?hl=en

Michelle De Leon is the founder and CEO of World Afro Day®, 15th September. A global day of celebration and liberation of Afro Hair and Identity, with an estimated reach of 1.5 billion. Michelle successfully combines her broadcasting career of 20+ years at ITV Good Morning Britain with leading World Afro Day CIC. She has overcome her own struggles with Afro hair and was inspired by her 8 year old daughter to set up the day of celebration. Since 2017, her work has influenced the UN, UK government, global brands, international media and major celebrities. Key highlights are the Workplace Hair Acceptance report 2023; contributing to the EHRC guidelines to prevent hair discrimination in schools 2022 and a speech at the United Nations in Geneva 2018.

In this episode Alicia and Michelle discuss:

• The significance of recognising and healing from past traumas

Learn more about World Afro Hair - https://www.worldafroday.com/

Connect with Michelle here 

Sandra Adu is a design director, multidisciplinary design educator and cultural policy researcher, who has harnessed her myriad design talents over the sprawling decade of her illustrious design career. She has always associated herself with branding and design initiatives that have effectively fostered positive organisational growth and behavioural changes.

She is the founder of Black Girls in Design and has over the years played a crucial role in helping agencies to deliver exceptional creative projects for a diverse and exciting client base across multiple platforms. Her journey as a designer began with a mission to help small businesses to fight their corner. Her notable clients have been Hsbc, Net-A-Porter, REN, L'Artisan Parfumeur, META, JP Morgan, and Puma.

In this episode Alicia and Sandra Discuss:

• The challenge raising a daughter as a single mum and attending uni

Connect with Sandra here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-a-3a845237/

Jamelia Donaldson is the founder and CEO of TreasureTress — a monthly product subscription service for girls and women with kinky-curly hair and also the co-creator of The Teen Experience, a monthly workshop series which offers young black women to attend a series of personal development workshops, network with other like-minded individuals and be inspired by mature and successful women. Workshops to date have included creating vision boards and discussions about self-care.

Since launching in 2015, with a huge online community, and an active and thriving offline presence, Treasure Tress has proven that natural hair and black sisterhood can truly go hand in hand. 

As a solution to the beauty industry’s difficulty connecting to their Black, female consumer in the UK, Jamelia added a consultancy arm to  TreasureTress as a way to guide brands in the US on the unique experience of the Black, UK natural hair consumer. Providing them with strategy, social, digital and influencer marketing.

Jamelia has been featured in Forbes, Buzzfeed, Good Housekeeping and Pride Magazine just to name a few.

In this episode Alicia and Jamelia discuss:

• Her experience as an intern in NYC 

Learn more about Treasure Tress here - https://www.treasuretress.co.uk/ 

Connect with Jamelia Here - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jamelia-donaldson-73952237 

Tevin is the founder of 1000 Voices, a production company with a vision to eradicate all racial inequalities and inspire a generation of black British changemakers. He has a background in social entrepreneurship and currently works as a financial sales professional as well. Driven by his desire for a more equitable society for all, the 1000 Voices podcast is his first step towards realising his vision.

Tevin is the founder and host of 1000 Voices, a podcast that interviews black British changemakers and aims to empower a generation of black British changemakers. With a background in social entrepreneurship and a current career as a financial sales professional, Tevin is driven by a desire to create a more equitable society for all. Through the 1000 Voices podcast, Tevin is working towards his long-term vision of eradicating racial inequalities and inspiring others to make a positive impact in their own communities and beyond. 

In this episode Tevin and Alicia discuss: 

• Career Transitioning in a short time frame 

Connect with Tevin here:

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tevinkittoe

Vanessa Lyall is a bubble tea enthusiast of Ghanaian-Scottish heritage, born in America and raised in London. When she’s not working as a Senior Account Manager at Coolr, she’s creating something including TikTok content, poetry and Zara wishlists. She is an advocate for good mental health and the proud president of the ‘every person should get therapy’ club.

In this episode Alicia and Vanessa discuss:

• Life in DC - Childhood & Changes

Connect with Vanessa here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-lyall/ 

Apply for jobs at Coolr here - https://joinus.wearecoolr.com/jobs