BBN have joined the Lloyd's Bank Black Business Advisory Committee

In December 2020, Lloyds Bank announced their Black Business Advisory Committee, with leading businesswoman and former Cabinet Office advisor Claudine Reid MBE appointed as Chair.

Since then they have worked with Claudine to recruit the full committee of outstanding figures in the Black business community, including our BBN Founder, Shari Leigh. Shari has been named to the panel alongside our three year partnership with the bank to deliver the Black Investor 360 conference and our Black Entrepreneurs Research Black. British. In Business & Proud.

The research will cover the whole entrepreneurial journey for Black people, starting from early-stage education through to establishing mature businesses. The research will be ongoing over the next three years, and the findings will inform our future activities to support the growth of companies owned and run by Black business leaders.

All 12 members of the panel bring with them a diverse set of experience and expertise, which will equip them to investigate in detail the barriers to growth for the Black business community. Please see named committee members below:

Antonia Burrell Owner of Antonia Burrell Holistic Skincare. Selected as a top 100 industry influencer by Professional Beauty UK, and appearing in global trend reports such as Mintel. A regular guest speaker on topics relating to women in business, both in the UK and abroad. Cecil Adjalo Director at award-winning social enterprise, Foundervine. Oversees the Business Intelligence department at rapidly growing Danish Tech Scale-Up, Dixa. Listed by the Financial Times as one of the 100 most influential BAME Leaders in UK Tech. Claudine Reid MBE (Chair) Award-winning business psychologist and social entrepreneur. Voted one of Britain’s top 100 women entrepreneurs by Real Business Magazine (2008) and listed by Keep the Faith magazine as one of Britain’s most influential Black women (2017 and 2019). Evadney Campbell MBE Award-winning lecturer, broadcast journalist, trainer and PR consultant with over 30 years' experience in education, consultancy and media. Awarded an MBE in 1995 for her services to voluntary work, as a founding member of a ground-breaking charity. Imelda Fossu Visionary entrepreneur, innovator and public speaker who, at just 25, is inspiring a new generation. Leads the The Fossu Group, an innovation factory turning concepts into reality today, while building the most impactful and inclusive companies of tomorrow. Izzy Obeng Entrepreneur, business coach and professional speaker. Founder and Managing Director of Foundervine, a social enterprise specialising in start-up and scale-up acceleration programmes. Named by Tech Nation in 2019 as one of the 50 most influential Black voices in UK tech. Khalia Ismain Founder of Jamii, a discount and discovery platform for Black-owned business. Passionate about reducing the barriers faced by Black British founders, and about using business to affect positive social change. Occasionally gives talks about life as a social entrepreneur. Margaret Ochieng Organisational psychologist and founder of The Inclusive Village, an evidence-based consultancy that specialises in inclusive people, talent and culture. Has authored and co-authored various pieces of work on racism in UK organisations. Michelle Raymond HR consultant, visibility strategist and award-winning international TEDx speaker. Michelle and her team at The People’s Partner help businesses grow by transforming their people skills, developing peak performance and raising visibility through consultation, coaching and training. Nathaniel Peat Listed on the 2017 Black Power List, EMPower Financial Times list (2017 and 2018) and 2016 Financial Times Upstanding 100 BME Executive List. Co-founder of renewable energy company Gennex Solar and founder of The Safety Box, helping to reduce youth violence. Chair, Brunel Business School and Patron of EY Foundation. Rodney Appiah Former investment banker, NED and VC investor with nearly 15 years of financial services experience across UK and Europe. Currently the Chairman of Cornerstone Partners, a leading UK angel network focused on seed stage investments to support black and diverse founders. Shari Leigh Founder of Black Business Network, a corporate event and media company, designed to strengthen business connections and knowledge in the Black community.