Black History Month - free event for aspiring entrepreneurs - Camden Rise

Young aspiring entrepreneurs are invited to join us for our ‘Black Entrepreneurs Event’, a free online workshop, which is followed by a panel discussion with seasoned business founders. The event will take place on Wednesday, 13 October, from 6pm to 7.45pm.

If you’re interested in starting your own business, don’t miss this online workshop hosted by Black Pound Day founder Swiss from So Solid Crew, held as part of Camden's celebration of Black History Month.

Aimed at equipping aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills and tools to start their own businesses, special guests will deliver constructive and practical advice. To help you kickstart your business, the panel will touch on:

• Their personal business journey, including challenges and advice
• Developing the confidence to get started
• How to develop your niche / unique selling point
• How to generate growth and to keep going
• The practical steps you need to take in starting a business
• The perils of self-sabotage.

Special guests include:

• The Mayor of Camden, Councillor Sabrina Francis. Sabrina started her career as an education worker for a charity that aims to get disadvantaged children into higher education
• Swiss, founder of Black Pound Day. Swiss is a highly-acclaimed musician, author, cultural influencer, business leader and member of So Solid Crew. Alongside his passion for music, Swiss is the founder of Black Pound Day, set up to support the growth and garner awareness of the UK Black economy and underpin long-term financial growth and infrastructure, empowering and motivating the Black community. Launched on 27 June 2020, Black Pound Day encourages everyone to spend money with local and online Black-Owned businesses
• Rebel Business School. Rebel Business School is a business support training company which advocates for an alternative to traditional business start-up support. The organisation aims to work in specific communities to teach people how to start a business without borrowing money and without a formal business plan
• Samira Gomes, founder and CEO of EMMSTech, a non-profit organisation, supporting and empowering women of colour in the Nordic tech industry. Samira is also a programme manager at Impact Hub Kings Cross
• Troy Baptiste, founder of Our Little Markets, based in Camden. Troy Baptiste is a long-standing market trader in Camden and Our Little Markets trades across a number of Camden markets
• Louis Howell, Co-Director of Revolution Hive and Founder of 7PK, which is dedicated to providing people from disadvantaged backgrounds increased access to opportunities, networks and experiences 
• Sandra Soteriou, Founder of Knots UK, which creates headwraps and accessories made by women for women in London. Born in the US, but of Haitian descent, Sandra has always loved wearing headwraps as a child, influenced by her Haitian culture. Wearing headwraps made her feel strong and confident, and she wanted to help other women to feel this way too. She founded Knots UK after a friend who was undergoing chemotherapy asked her to teach her how to style a headwrap, which made Sandra realise that the process of head wrapping meant so much more to others than she knew. Soon after launching, Sandra also partnered with Hello Love, Hello Beautiful Foundation, which was started by Jane Hutchison, who is a breast cancer survivor
• Pablo Morgan, Founder of Morgan Developments. Pablo started his career as a plumbing apprentice, and although his career hasn’t been a smooth ride, he has preserved and broken glass ceilings to become a Mechanical Construction Manager. Pablo has turned his attention to bringing a new generation of talent into the construction industry. Morgan Developments is a social enterprise founded to address the skill shortage within the construction industry and to change the narrative around blue-collar professions such as plumbing and electrical installation.
• Book your free place here. Please note that this event will also be livestreamed
• Download a flyer for this event here
• Find other Black History Month events here.

Please also inform Camden events team if you have any accessibility or British Sign Language needs so we can discuss support for our online events.