Black Women Business Talks 2026

Richie Brave is a Presenter, Broadcaster & Writer hailing from South London. He is known for his hard-hitting interviews and honest social criticism, which challenges people to think and reflect on themselves. Aside from his media experience, he has amassed over a decade’s worth of work in the community and uses this to shape and create engaging dialogue and interviews. Richie is host of BBC 1Xtra's "1Xtra Talks" exploring the lived experiences of Black people across the UK.

Shauna Roper is not just a business leader, she is a movement. As a multi-award winning executive, transformation architect, and mother of two, Shauna has built her life around one unshakeable principle: you are the CEO of you. With two decades in global finance and a legacy of empowering women and underrepresented talent, Shauna blends strategic insight with lived experience. From boardrooms to grassroots programmes, she has consistently driven transformational impact, reshaping how leadership looks and feels. As the Chief of Staff for Global Procurement in a multi billion dollar organisations, and the former Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion for 25,000 FTE, Shauna has advised Group Executives, influenced Holdings Boards, and founded a women’s leadership empowerment programme that led to measurable promotions and performance shifts across the enterprise.

Timi Dorgu is a former winner of The Rising Star accolade at the Black British Business Awards and works as Head of eCommerce Acceleration at L’Oréal UK and Ireland within the Professional Products Division. He joined the company 15 years ago as an intern and then progressed to Graduate Management Trainee, before becoming Regional Sales Manager and now progressing to his current role. Timi is passionate about developing the future generation. He volunteers as a school governor at two secondary schools, leads his family Foundation’s work supporting young people in North London, and serves as a mentor to many.

Tiwalola Adebayo is an award-winning confidence coach, TEDx speaker, author, and founder of Confident and Killing It, a global movement dedicated to waking people up to their worth so they can become confident, unstoppable, and create the life they truly desire. Through engaging workshops, transformative coaching programs, and powerful media content, Tiwalola equips ambitious individuals with the mindset and tools they need to overcome fear, silence self-doubt, and take bold action toward their biggest goals. Her first book, Confident and Killing It, was published by HarperCollins in July 2022 to much acclaim, inspiring thousands to step into their power. Since launching in 2018, she has empowered over 10,000 people worldwide and delivered dynamic experiences for some of the world’s leading brands and organizations, including Google, Meta, The Times, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, ViacomCBS, Spotify, Squarespace, UN Women UK, and The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy.

As a Managing Director and Vice President at IBM, Uche leads the strategic partnership with Lloyds Banking Group. He is a member of IBM’s UK & Ireland leadership team, responsible for driving growth, delivery excellence, and client impact across one of the company’s most significant financial services relationships. With over 20 years’ experience in the technology sector, Uche has held senior leadership roles at IBM, Google, and Dell. His career spans enterprise sales, outsourcing, channel strategy, P&L ownership, and delivery across global enterprises, mid-sized firms, and start-ups. He is a committed advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. At IBM, he is the Co-Executive sponsor of the UKI Black Business Resource Group and a member of the UK&I Inclusion Council.

Vusi Thembekwayo is a world-renowned entrepreneur, investor, and global keynote speaker celebrated as the “rockstar of public speaking.” He has delivered over 480 keynotes across six continents, from the Oxford Union and Harvard’s Centre for African Studies to sold-out arenas in New York, London, Dubai, Lagos, and Johannesburg. Along the way, he has shared the stage with Oprah Winfrey, T.D. Jakes, Sir Bob Geldof, and debated some of the brightest minds in history—crushing a famous Oxford Union debate by 273 votes to 28. Beyond his commanding presence on stage, Vusi is Executive Chairman of Thembekwayo Legacy Group and founder of MyGrowthFund Venture Partners, a platform committed to backing 100 businesses and creating 100,000 jobs across Africa. By 28, he was a Dragon investor on Dragon’s Den Africa and a board director of a JSE-listed company. A force of nature in both business and thought leadership, Vusi doesn’t just speak about change—he builds it.

Adeola is a UK-based content creator and exclusive Oner Active athlete, known for her authentic approach to fitness, beauty, and lifestyle. With a community of over 450K across Instagram and TikTok, she shares her love for fitness, makeup, skincare, and style, bringing her audience along for her everyday life. Away from the camera, she’s proudly “Sadé’s mum,” documenting life with her toy poodle and showing that balance, ambition, and authenticity can go hand in hand.

Adrian is a transformative technologist with over 25 years of experience pioneering impactful data and analytics solutions for leading financial institutions. He currently leads Data Platform & Market Data Technology for JP Morgan Asset Management. Adrian is an advocate for the advancement of underrepresented talent in technology.

Amara Lalemi-Jacobs is the Vice President and a Strategist on the Sustainable Investment Team, where she is responsible for implementing the firm's sustainable investment strategy, solutions, and product innovation in EMEA. An employee since 2017, she is also the founder of SCI4US, a science charity dedicated to providing STEM activities to underrepresented groups.