Aspiring Scottish business leaders graduate from Black Social Entrepreneurs Programme

A group of aspiring social entrepreneurs from across Scotland have graduated from a programme aimed at supporting Black business leaders, run by The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) in partnership with PwC UK.

The seven leaders have successfully completed the six-month Black Social Entrepreneurship Programme in Scotland – a course led by Bayile Adeoti, founder of Dechomai, a social enterprise passionate about empowering ethnic minority women with leadership and enterprise skills.

Their achievements were celebrated in a graduation ceremony hosted by PwC Scotland in Glasgow.

Focusing on start-up enterprises, the first iteration of the programme in Scotland saw participants supported through the crucial early-stage business challenges specific to the social enterprise sector by a dedicated PwC Scotland mentor.

As well as mentoring, participants in the programme - which was co-designed by PwC and a small group of Black leaders to specifically address and overcome the unique challenges and inequalities Black communities face in the business world - took part in workshops and masterclasses, peer sessions, and action learning. 

Participants graduating included:

• Heather Lydia Mudhari of ZIMSCOT, which offers support on processing consular documentation and a go-to hub for Zimbabweans in Scotland;

• Moji Adefuwa of Granite City Alphas, which brings awareness to issues in local communities and aims to build community respect and pride;

• Alice Gababyat of Adroit Christian Education, which brings Montessori education to Glasgow;

• Dinna Gwedeza Likonde of Zam’munda, which grows and distributes traditional African produce to meet the needs of the African diaspora and to foster understanding and respect for their cultures;

• Geneetta Bailey of Goodstuffonline, a YouTube channel and website dedicated to the health and restoration of black families;

• Ibitola Amao of Bethel Finger, which engages with women and families of difference backgrounds – mostly African and Spanish – to provide safe spaces to grow and learn; and

• Kay Thomson of Supported Living Sycamore, CIC, which aims to bridge the gap of inequality for individuals living with Autism and other neurodiversities.

Maggie Robb, Regional Manager and Social Enterprise Lead at PwC Scotland, said:

“It’s been fantastic to have the opportunity to offer a specific Black Social Entrepreneurship Programme to such a talented group of leaders in Scotland. It’s absolutely vital to support diversity across the business community, and by helping entrepreneurs who face a very specific and unique set of challenges at such a crucial stage in their endeavours, we’re playing our part in giving them the best possible start.

“Our people across PwC Scotland have an abundance of expertise and advice to offer, and it’s clear from the successes experienced by participants that working together has proven beneficial. The mentors have also learned a great deal from the entrepreneurs taking part, who have proven inspirational in terms of their creativity, determination and drive. We wish them every success in the future and look forward to seeing each of the enterprises grow.”

Bayile Adeoti, founder of Dechomai and Black Social Entrepreneurship Programme Scotland leader, said:

“As well as the usual hurdles associated with setting up a business, Black entrepreneurs also face unique challenges and inequalities, which often become more pronounced in the social enterprise sector.

“I was thrilled to find out that PwC had extended its Black Social Entrepreneurship Programme, tailoring it specifically to Black leaders in Scotland. It gives participants access to expertise and support during the crucial early stages of setting up a business – a point in the process where many Black entrepreneurs experience failure due to the discrimination they encounter.

“It’s been a real privilege to lead the programme in Scotland, working with such a talented and enthusiastic group of leaders bringing some fantastic and unique businesses to market. Each of the mentors from PwC have provided real value across the six months and helped to foster some real success stories, and I’m proud to see our entrepreneurs graduate.”

The Black Entrepreneurship Programme – a partnership between PwC UK and The School for Social Entrepreneurs  – started in 2021 in London, extending to Scotland in 2022.

CASE STUDY

Kay Thomson, Supported Living Sycamore CIC

Kay Thomson was born in Zambia and has lived in the UK for 25 years. The mother of one moved to Scotland 10 years ago and is based in Livingston. She came up with her business idea Supported Living Sycamore, a community interest company (CIC), during lockdown. The business consists of two other directors that carry the same passion as Kay.

The company’s vision is to create an environment for people on the neurodiverse pathway (autism, ADHD, dyslexia, Asperger’s and other neurological differences) that does not limit them in achieving their goals and aspirations, and supports them to live a meaningful, fulfilling life independently.

The Black Social Entrepreneurship Programme has supported Kay through the early stages of launching the business.

She says: “The aim of Supported Living Sycamore is to help service-users with housing, but what sets it apart is that we’ll work with neurodiverse individuals from the age of 18, supporting them into employment, with setting up their own business, or assisting them to sharpen up a particular talent they may have – be it swimming, art, or dance – to give them a purposeful and fulfilled life.

“The business doesn’t focus on minority groups as neurodiversity is not limited to certain races or cultures. My son is mixed race – half Scottish and half African – and I feel like I owe it to myself as an African, black woman to give back to the part of my son that is Scottish. So, while I’m a minority in the sense of being a black woman starting a business, I’m focusing on everybody in Scotland who faces the challenges brought on by neurodiversity.

“In the course of my research I’ve found that there can be cultural stigma around neurodiversity, so I believe the business will help me to have conversations with people who may find the problem hard to accept – to let them know it’s OK if their child has been diagnosed with autism or Asperger’s and that there is help out there and organisations like mine to offer support.”

Kay noticed that young people with neurodiversity were not being given the same opportunities as others, which inspired her idea.

She adds: “I’ve been fortunate enough to choose from lots of options in life, for example finishing high school, going on to work or to university. I feel that the groups I work with do not have a lot of the same opportunities compared with those who aren’t neurodiverse – or if the opportunities do exist, the information isn’t readily available in order for them to find a clear pathway after education, or where to go when they’re stuck between jobs.

“We’re currently making plans for our first group of service users. As Sycamore is a regulated service, we need to have a license with the Care Inspectorate, so we’re just in that stage. We hope to start with a cohort of three or four young men or women, providing shared accommodation, which will involve working with social workers, GPs and other providers to go through several assessment criteria to ensure those we support are coming into an environment that’s right for them and their needs.”

Kay credits the stage she’s now at with the business to the support she has had from the Black Social Entrepreneurs Programme in Scotland, which was highlighted to her by intermediary group and strategic partner of the Scottish Government Equity Unit, CEMVO Scotland. As soon as she saw the information, she knew the programme was right for her.

She says: “When I read everything CEMVO Scotland sent over about the Black Social Entrepreneurship Programme I just thought ‘wow’. It was exactly what I’d been looking for. I hadn’t found a lot of support, being in a minority, and the programme was the answer I was looking for in terms of setting the business off. In getting my idea off the ground, I wouldn’t say I encountered barriers, as such, but there wasn’t a lot of information and the business world seemed scary. I didn’t see a lot of people who looked like me who were trying to do anything similar to me, and because of that, I started to wonder whether there was room for me in the sector I was trying to embark on.”

Kay joined the programme and was paired with mentor Sarah King, a member of the team at PwC Scotland based in Glasgow. She credits Sarah with helping her through some tough processes thanks to her knowledge, expertise, and skills.

She continues: “Having my own mentor in Sarah, and hearing so many speakers from different walks of life in the business world, was the most beneficial part of the programme. The mentoring personalised things for each of us and it helped massively that Sarah just gets me and gets my business, thanks to having some personal experiences in the area I’m working in. As well as helping me to network and make connections, she supported me, listened to my ideas, and helped me through situations where I felt stagnant – like branding ideas. Her motivation and encouragement got me through the process, and I was thrilled to come to the graduation and show her the email from the company helping with my branding. Showing it to her felt like a joint celebration and its moments like this that makes one feel privileged to have access to such an amazing programme. It makes one realise the importance of having a mentor that wants to see you achieve.

“The programme overall has helped give me hope for the coming generations - to think the way is now paved in Scotland for them to experience a smoother process in the world of business. I’m unsure of the reasons why I don’t see a lot of people like me in the business world, but since being on the programme, I know there is help and support out there and hopefully this will quickly begin to change. The School for Social Entrepreneurs [SSE] and PwC have put themselves out there to help people like me and hopefully I’ll be able to benefit someone like me by pointing them in the direction of PwC, SSE and the Black Social Entrepreneurship Programme. 

“Hopefully it continues and we will see more people not shying away from their creativity, and not shying away from their ideas. Being an entrepreneur happens in your room and in your own head, and you wonder whether people will even listen to your ideas – but the programme made it possible for me to have my ideas heard and to help my business grow. Seeing an organisation like PwC spotting a problem in terms of the lack of support for black-owned businesses and stepping out of the box to help is incredible – and to be among the first in Scotland to benefit from this means a lot and is a privilege.

“There is an African proverb - ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. I believe this programme gave me that feeling. I say this because, to make this possible a lot of people went out of their way to launch this programme and when people come together amazing things happen, and lives change. Without any bias I would just like to shine the light on two people - Bayile Adeoti and Tracey Muirhead - for pioneering such an incredible cause for someone like me to benefit from. Thank you is never going to be enough!”