As the saying goes, “when there’s no lane, create one.” That’s exactly what U.K.-based entrepreneur Raphael Sofoluke did when he noticed the lack of black entrepreneurs in some of the biggest companies in the world—and so far, his efforts have produced impressive results.
Raphael Sofoluke is the founder and CEO of the UK Black Business Show, an annual conference and exhibition that takes place in October during the U.K.’s celebration of Black History Month. The Black Business Show also highlights the achievements and contributions that black businesses have made to the economy. Those attending the event have the insightful opportunity to gain insight on entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship and leadership skills from some of the U.K.’s leading black business professionals.
As highlighted by @Forbes, Sofoluke noticed that there wasn’t a helpful platform for black businesses to connect like the many that financial services firms have, so once he identified the need, he decided to put his plan into action.
Just a short time later, Sofoluke started brainstorming ways to showcase the wide range of black-owned businesses in the U.K. After talking things over with his wife, his vision became a reality and the UK Black Business Show was born, even scoring an endorsement from London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Three years later, the UK Black Business Show has showcased over 200 black-owned businesses and has attracted more than 2000 attendees. Notable event speakers have included Adrian Grant (creator and co-producer of Thriller Live), Bianca Miller (entrepreneur and The Apprentice Series 10 Finalist) and Jamal Edwards MBE (founder of SBTV) among many other successful black entrepreneurs.
Despite the success of the UK Black Business Show, Sofoluke still maintains that there is more work to do, which is why he re-invests the profits his makes back into the event. Due to such a positive response, Sofoluke is looking to expand to additional locations because he wants to continue to spread his message about diversity and inclusion for black business owners.
As for what’s on the horizon for Sofoluke, he recently launched the Black Tech Achievement Awards, sponsored by J.P. Morgan. The awards celebrate black role models and innovators within the technology sector, while helping to forge the pathway to greater representation of the black community.
We want to salute Raphael Sofoluke and congratulate him on his success at keeping the dream for black entrepreneurship alive across the pond!
Roommates, what are your thoughts on this?
