Unlocking the Potential of Black and Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurs (CIMR Debates and Workshops in Public Policy)
When:
—
Venue:
Online
Join the Centre for Innovation Management Research on Wednesday 13 October for a Debate on Unlocking the Potential of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Entrepreneurs part of the CIMR Debates and Workshops in Public Policy series.
- Speakers: Professor Helen Lawton Smith, Jabo Butera, Sharniya Ferdinand
- Discussants: Brenda King, Yemi Jackson, Kimberley Mamhende
- Chair: Professor Monder Ram
ABSTRACT
More people from underserved communities, the likes of ethnic minority groups, are turning into self-employment due to particular barriers to their job market participation and economic and social trends including the effects of the pandemic. Despite persistent disparities in business outcomes and the additional challenges to access to finance, education, business advice and knowledge faced by Black, Asian and minority ethnic Entrepreneurs (British Business Bank and Oliver Wyman, 2020), the economic contribution of ethnic minority entrepreneurs to the UK’s Gross Value Added is estimated as £25 billion and 30% of ethnic minority businesses engage in product or service innovation, (CREME, 2020), showing ample potential.
Additionally, high on the current national policy agenda are inclusivity and diversity challenges in business innovation leading to the creation of an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Business Owners. A report published by Innovate UK in 2019 identified the barriers, challenges, opportunities and support needs for minority ethnic groups and disabled people to participate in business innovation (Vorley et al., 2019). The government’s 'levelling up agenda' seeks to level up research and development so that it benefits every corner of the UK. In this regard, the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship’s (CREME) work that engages state agencies, practitioners and a variety of non-academic stakeholders exemplifies research that can generate actionable knowledge in the field (Ram, 2019). Now is an opportune time for a clear policy rationale for increasing diversity and inclusion in innovation-led initiatives at the regional level to ensure that the levelling up agenda is inclusive in practice.
Through this event, our aim is to challenge the audience’s understanding on the self-employment of Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities and to call the policymakers, practitioners and academics to go beyond what is currently available for supporting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic entrepreneurs and innovators, and tackling the issues affecting their successful participation in the ecosystem.
This event will debate the key issues:
- What is leading Black, Asian and ethnic minorities to entrepreneurship?
- What are the challenges faced by Black, Asian and minority ethnic entrepreneurs and relevant support networks?
- What kind of support is available and needed for Black, Asian and minority ethnic entrepreneurs in the UK?
- What needs to change in current policies affecting these communities?
A video on the APPG for BAME Business Owners by Diana Chrouch (Special Advisor to the APPG) will be shown at the event.
You can find more information on our research, supported by CIMR, addressing regional inequalities in innovation opportunities for Black, Asian and minority ethnic people and disabled groups on our website.
BIOGRAPHIES
Professor Helen Lawton Smith, CIMR, Birkbeck, University of London
Helen Lawton Smith is Professor of Entrepreneurship, Department of Management, Birkbeck, University of London. She is the Director of the Centre for Innovation Management Research. She is the Founder and Research Director of the Oxfordshire Economic Observatory, School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford University. Her research focuses on geographies of innovation. Her current research on ‘Addressing regional inequalities in innovation opportunities for Black, Asian and minority ethnic and disabled groups’ is funded by the Regional Studies Association.
Jabo Butera, Co-founder & Managing Director of DBI
Jabo Butera is the co-founder and Managing Director of DBI (Diversity Business Incubator), a business hub based in Plymouth. DBI is a community-interest company founded to help to elevate business success in the minority communities and reduce the economic disparities within these communities. Jabo is equipped with extensive experience in community building with over 6 years as a board member and trustee of The South Yorkshire African Caribbean Business Centre, a Trustee of Pop+ and chair of the Ras Network, an Independent Advisor to the Devon and Cornwall Police and is on the Policy Advisory Board on South West Business Council as well as Regional Director of the British African Business Alliance and the African Business Chamber of Commerce. Jabo has owned and runs successful businesses in South Yorkshire and globally and is an active member of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnicities community in the region.
Sharniya Ferdinand, Enterprise Manager at NatWest Group
Sharniya has worked for NatWest for almost a decade, with experience spanning Personal and Commercial Banking. Previous roles involved her supporting customers with their financial needs and hosting educational business events to encourage them growth and businesses to exceed their expectations. In 2017 Sharniya was awarded the RBS Group Women’s Opal award recognising her contribution to female entrepreneurs. In 2019 Sharniya was recognised as a Rising Star in Diversity by We Are The City. In her current role Sharniya manages a customer led strategic programme of inclusion activities for clients. Sharniya holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and a Masters in Events and Exhibitions Management.
Brenda King
Brenda has been a member of the European Economic and Social Committee, a consultative body that gives representatives of Europe's civil society, including the private sector, a formal platform to contribute to EU legislation and policy. She has held a number of leadership positions within the Committee especially in the area of development cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), chairing its EU-ACP subcommittee from 2010 to 2013. Her success in getting young people from 'disadvantaged' backgrounds into further education and valued apprenticeships resulted in her receiving national recognition for her pioneering work with an MBE awarded by the Queen.
Yemi Jackson, CEO and Founder of Engage Transform
Yemi Jackson is the CEO and Founder of Engage Transform. A talent acquisition and development company with the mission of increasing the placements of women and BAME talent in senior positions in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). Yemi was Senior Executive in Finance and IT before setting up Engage Transform to counter the critical need for a more engaged and diverse workplace that begins with sourcing the right candidates. Yemi has worked across Retail (Sainsburys, Kingfisher) & Logistics (SSP Group), Housing (Peabody, Network Homes) and Education sectors (GEMS Education).
Kimberley Mamhende
Kim is the Business Development Manager at The Centre for African Entrepreneurship (The CAE), a charity based in Swansea. The CAE aims to fill in the gap in provision seen in Black and Ethnic minoirty communities, particularly refugees and asylum seekers, inspiring and empowering these groups to succeed through enterprise. Over the past few years, Kim has led the successful implementation of youth entrepreneurship projects, resulting in over 100 young aspiring entrepreneurs being empowered in their journeys. As an advocate and driver of change, Kim is part of the National Lottery Community Fund Wales Young People in The Lead Advisory Panel, and in the past has informed policy-making under the financial education workstream of the Bank of England.
Professor Monder Ram OBE, Director of the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME)
Professor Monder Ram OBE is the Director of the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME). He is a leading authority on small business and ethnic minority entrepreneurship research and has published widely on the subject, and has extensive experience of working in and acting as a consultant to small and ethnic minority businesses. Monder is a regular keynote speaker at international conferences, and advises the government on the importance and value of ethnic minority businesses through his position on the APPG for BAME Business Owners. He also holds visiting positions at Warwick University and the University of Turku.
Contact name:
Orla Walsh