How hard can it be? 

A question that serial founder, Ex-Investment Banker, and all round superstar, Dawid Konotey-Ahulu, consistently asks himself to push limits and find immense success. 

Dawid Started his career training as a lawyer, followed by working as an investment banking, before becoming a serial entrepreneur. 

He co-founded Redington an award winning independent investment consultantancy on a mission to make 100 million people financially secure. Followed by Mallowstreet, a collaboration platform for the asset management industry. And, as if this wasn’t enough, he co-founded 10,000 interns, a foundation that provides internships across 20 industries for undergraduates of black heritage, or with a disability, that Is changing lives in the process. Now Dawid is on a mission to empower people with the ability to tell their story through his company Spellbound. 

He was named Black British Business Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018, and awarded a CBE in the 2023 New Year Honours List. 

Despite this impressive list of accolades, for me, the most astounding things about are his ability to connect with people and his infinite compassion and will to help others. 

In this conversation, we discuss

Find out more:

Learn about Spellbound - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seQNdPMOFAE

Discover 10,000 Interns - https://10000internsfoundation.com/

Dawid's LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/dawid1

I hope you enjoy and feel inspired. 

If you do like this episode please don’t forget to follow and rate for more amazing guests.

Money, the root of all evil or a powerful force for good? Join me in this insightful conversation with Dama Sathianathan who is setting an incredible example of the positive change that can be achieved by writing cheques in the world of venture capital.

Dama is a Senior Partner at Bethnal Green Ventures, Europe’s leading early-stage tech for good Venture Capital Firm that backs ambitious founders using tech to tackle pressing social and environmental challenges. She is also a committee member for Venture ESG, a community-based non-profit organisation focused on the meaningful integration of ESG and responsible investing in venture capital.

I was extremely excited to introduce you to Dama for several reasons. The first is to spotlight an extremely successful female role model in the male dominated investment landscape. If you are close to me, then you know I am obsessed with getting more women into investing and getting more money invested into women. The other reason is the fact that Dama’s journey is not the usual route we see into venture capital. She started in the not-for-profit industry before going into venture capital and she has continued to commit to high-impact investing, focusing on tackling important issues.

Topics covered include:

Dama’s book recommendation: Blockchain Chicken Farm by Xiaowei Wang.

First Black male Student Union President at LSE, the youngest ever board member of the Barbican, Europe’s largest Multi-arts Centre, Managing Director of TC & Friends at the age of 26, AND he made the 2024 Forbes 30 under 30 list. It’s hard to believe that the guest in this episode, Zulum Elumogo, achieved all this by the time he was 28 years old. So, of course, we had to have Zulum on Seat at My Table to wrack his brain and understand the secret to his success.

In this conversation we talk about the importance of visual communication, how we are shaped by the images we are surrounded by and Zulum’s role within TC & Friends, an international design agency helping brands convey their message. We also discuss why he has managed to break the mould and consistently be the first in several positions, where his fearlessness comes from and leading with purpose, how being a second-generation migrant has shaped his journey and what he believes has enabled him to achieve so much so young.

Topics covered include:

Zulum’s inspiration recommendation, the Book of Proverbs, https://dailyaudiobible.com/

Find Zulum on Instagram @zulum_elumogo and LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/zulum-elumogo?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app 

Imagine going through your emails at work when suddenly you get a call from a distressed mother whose son has been held by Syrian Authorities and likely tortured for receiving money from a foreign bank account. His mum’s bank account. Who is currently a refugee in the UK.

This is what a normal day can look like for Colette, Founder and CEO of Conversation Over Borders. An organisation that works to connect forcibly displaced people with the wider community to cut through isolation and ensure everyone has equal voice, rights and opportunities. Colette started Conversation Over Borders (COB) at the age of 23 in 2020 by helping connect refugees with English teaches.

In this episode, Colette goes back to the beginning, sharing the origin of COB and how it has grown and expanded - having recently reached 20,000 hours of English lessons! We dive into what it was like being a CEO at such a young and how she navigated the space without an existing network. As well as the importance of staying close to the community you are serving so you are always responding to their needs.

Topics covered include:

The film discussed at the end of the episode is ‘The Swimmers’.

Hear members of the COB community share their story and watch ‘Prisoner of Hope’ here - https://www.conversationoverborders.org/our-voices  

Find more information about COB here where there are a number of ways to get involved - https://www.conversationoverborders.org

Freeing a man wrongfully committed of murder after he has already served 5 years in prison, confronted with continuous rape, murder, child abuse cases, navigating the male dominated career of a barrister experiencing sexism and imposter syndrome along the way - these are only a few of the topics covered with this episode’s guest, Tana Adkin KC. A highly respected criminal barrister appointed to the King’s Counsel in 2017, Deputy Head of Chambers at 15NBS Barristers Chambers, and former chair of the Criminal Bar Association.

Tana is an inspiration to all, recognised for her contributions to the legal field and exemplary skills in persuasion, cross-examination, and negotiation. 

So, join Talullah for this insightful conversation with Tana as they discuss the reality of being a criminal barrister, and the challenges faced and skills needed to uphold integrity in the justice system. Having recently attended the Global Women’s Forum and joined the Batonnières du Monde, a group of female international Bar leaders who are working together to address gender inequality, Tana also delves into the current global landscape for women, the need to address gender inequality and importance of women taking up leadership roles.

Topics covered include:

The book discussed at the end of the episode is ‘Women All on Fire’ by Alison Plowden.

You can find out more about Tana here - https://15nbs.com/portfolio/tana-adkin-kc/  

Imagine putting your blood, sweat, and tears into your start-up and then having a contractor try to take ownership of your App, or being taken to a champagne bar to be told someone wants to buy your product and if you say no, they will take the idea anyway and steal your market audience.

This is only a few of the challenges Nazia Anwar has faced,

Join Talullah for this incredible conversation with Nazia as they peak behind the curtain of what it is like to be a female founder, discuss how Social Blox first began, and the highs and lows along the way.

As an absolutely relentless founder, oozing passion, and

Topics covered include:

Find Nazia’s book and more here – https://www.naziaanwar.com/

Learn more about Social Blox here - https://www.socialblox.uk/

Work. We all do it. Most of us will be working for at least 50 years. So why do so many of us stay in a role that gives us the Sunday Scaries, fearing the week ahead? Why are so many of us petrified to stray from the career path we chose at the age of 18, when we have time for 10 or more different careers?

Join Talullah in this open conversation with the amazingly talented and multidimensional Eliza Lawrence. Someone who champions the importance of decreasing the gap between work and life, vowing never to have the Sunday scaries.

In this episode they discuss:

Press play and enjoy this therapeutic conversation that feels like you are getting advice from your wiser, big sis.

To find out more about Eliza, visit her website - https://elizalawrence.squarespace.com/

The piece of art discussed at the end of the episode is called 'Wanderer above the Sea of Fog' - https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-unraveling-mysteries-caspar-david-friedrichs-wanderer

Rejection. What an ugly word and even more awful feeling. Well, not anymore.

Shona Bland, the founder of Art Friend, is changing this while simultaneously revolutionising the Art industry by making it more fun, accessible, and welcoming.

Join Shona and Talullah as they discuss her journey from drama, to hospitality, to founding a company.

In this episode they talk about

To learn about the incredible exhibitions Art Friend has, or to find beautiful art work, visit Art Friend's website -https://artfriend.co.uk/

P.S. the film neither of them could remember the name of was Poor Things with Emma Stone.

Seat at my Table is hosted by Talullah Lake who aims to bring you a catalogue of role models to inspire you and expand what you believe you are capable of.

Playing on the phrase 'more women need a seat at the table', Talullah aims to spotlight amazing people across different industries, with different experiences, so that we can all find a role model that resonates with us while creating space for voices we don't always get to hear.

This is a short intro episode so that you can understand what this podcast is all about.