Summit 2024 | To The World Hub

£4000 & More!

Bridging the gap between young Black entrepreneurs & entrepreneurial leaders through celebration and conversation.

30th August, 2023, 5:30 pm

Brunei Gallery,

SOAS University of London

& lots more

Tickets out now

The African Diaspora Entrepreneurship Awards 2023

Wednesday 30th August 2023, 5:30 pm. SOAS University of London

The Afro-Caribbean entrepreneurship awards summit is a novel, Dragons Den style, entrepreneurship competition and conference, aimed at bridging the gap between young founders of Black British, African, & Caribbean descent and movers and shakers in entrepreneurship and industry as well as creating a collective excitement towards entrepreneurship to inspire the next wave of founders.

Chaired by 6 sets of Judges, consisting of the leading entrepreneurs and industry leaders, the award summit serves as an opportunity to pedestalize talented black founders, whilst creating a space for them to access the key movers and shakers in the world of business. The winners will also share a fund of £4000 as well as custom-designed awards.

We believe the best way to sustain anything at a collective level is to embed it in culture. Our primary objective is to inspire a fundamental culture shift, towards a future of entrepreneurship. Hence the ACE awards summit has been designed for experience, consisting of salient panel discussions, talented guest performances, an award ceremony, networking segments and much more.

The ACE Awards is founded by To The World (TTW), the entrepreneurial spotlight for young Black founders in the UK.

What to expect

Finalists Showcase & Award Ceremony: The 5 finalists in each of the 6 entrepreneurship categories (Technology & Innovation, Health & Wellness, Sustainability, Social Enterprise, Creative Industries and Enterprise & Services) will have prepared demos showcased at the summit with winners determined by two sets of voting (Judges & in-person audience). The winners will be presented with custom designed awards as well as share £4000.

Panellist Discussion & Guest Performances: Salient industry relevant discussions on Black entrepreneurial advancement as well as notable performances, certain to Inspire and educate.

Networking Lounge: Bridging the gap between young black founders & the larger public. Enhancing access to potential consumers, business partners, change makers, press, funding & recruitment.

Lions - Technology and Innovation

Lions - Health & Wellness

Eloka Agu

Co-founder – Acquired Digital Streaming Platform, Keakie

Founder Technology Design Studio, Satellite Labs

Leke Sholuade

Founder & CEO, Global founder ecosystem - Black Valley

David Ola

Co-Founder, Acquired proprietary

Biotech startup - PathoVi

Chief of Staff,

Venture Capital fund - Point Nine.

Avila Diana Chidume

Founder & CEO of world’s

first online global marketplace for representative greeting cards,

Avila Diana

Lions - Creative Industries

Lions – Enterprise & Services

Omoyele Akerele

Anthony Azekwoh

Austin Okolo

Christina Okorocha

Founder & CEO of Africa’s Largest Fashion Event, Lagos Fashion Week

Founder & CEO of Fashion Business Development Agency, Style House Files

Award winning, Artist, Author & Storyteller

Founder of Digital Arts Platform, Anthony Azekwoh Studios

Co–Founder & CEO of the networking hub,

The Gen Z Club

Co-Founder of Digital Talent

& Social Marketing Agency, VAMP

Forbes 30 under 30, 2023

Lions – Social Impact

Executive Producer, BBC

Global Non-Profit Orgs - Digital Comms Advisor

Founding Trustee – Father Development Foundation

Lalita Taylor FRSA

Lions - Sustainability

Natalie Ojevah MBE

Vice President, Barclays UK - Eagles Labs

Forbes 30 under 30, 2023

Amani Simpson

Founder of youth empowerment & edutainment platform, Aviard Inspires

Award winning Youth Coach, Speaker & Filmmaker

Judy Ling Wong OBE.CBE

Honorary President, Black Environment Network

Chair, Green Apprenticeships and technical advisory panel, supporting the UK Green jobs delivery group

Keynote Panel - The TTW Alliance

How should educational institutions best enable young Black founders

Prof Osama Khan

Pro-Vice Chancellor Academic,

The University of Surrey

Gary Stewart

Managing Director, Techstars Newyork, Powered by Barclays

Governor - The University of East London

kiran-trehan2-1000x-cropped-230x230 (1).jpg

Prof Kiran Trehan

Pro-Vice Chancellor Partnerships & Engagement, The University of York

Panel 3 - The difference maker

What separates Founders from founders ?

Omoyemi Akerele

Founder & CEO of Africa’s Largest Fashion Event, Lagos Fashion Week

Anthony Azekwoh

Award winning, Artist, Author,

Storyteller & founder of Digital Arts Platform, Anthony Azekwoh Studios

Austin Okolo

Co–Founder & CEO of the networking hub, The Gen Z Club

Christina Okorocha

Co-Founder of Digital Talent & Social Marketing Agency, VAMP

Panel 2 - The curious ones

How do we make innovation exciting for our community?

Eloka Agu

Co-founder Acquired Digital Streaming Platform Keakie

Leke Sholuade

Founder & CEO, Global founder ecosystem - Black Valley

Avila Diana Chidume

Founder & CEO of world’s first online global marketplace for representative greeting cards, Avila Diana

David Ola

Co-Founded proprietary Biotech startup PathoVi

Panel 1 - What is in a Cause?

How do we galvanise support for notable causes

Judy Ling Wong OBE CBE

President, Black Environment Network

Lalita Taylor FRSA

Executive Producer, BBC

Global Non Profit Orgs

Digital Comms Advisor

Amani Simpson

Founder & CEO of Youth Empowerment

& Edutainment Platform, Aviard Inspires

Natalie Ojevah MBE

Vice President, Barclays UK Eagles Labs

Performers - To be announced.

Entrepreneurs: The ACE Award summit presents the perfect opportunity to gain inspiration, knowledge and an enhanced network of budding entrepreneurs and industry leaders. The difference maker is often who you know.

Interested Subcultures: Are you interested in Technology & Innovation, Health & Wellness, Sustainability, Social Enterprise, Creative Industries or Enterprise & Services.

Our networking segments and panel discussions will present the opportunity to build relationships with and learn from the leading figures in these industries, regardless of your interest in entrepreneurship

‘Finalist is a friend’: The ACE award summit has been designed to deliver a fun and engaging experience, from wide ranging panel discussions to talented guest performances.

Not to mention the winners will not only be determined by the judges but also the votes of those live in attendance.

Founder ecosystems: In attendance will be some of the most talented startups & businesses coming out of the black community, in a wide range of niches. TTW is also looking to form a strategic partnership with the right founder ecosystem to deliver the right value to it’s entrepreneurial community.

To contact us on partnerships, exhibitions and booths, email – info@totheworldhub.org

University Leadership & Management: To The World is partnered with the leading universities in the UK through The TTW Alliance – a collective of African & Caribbean Student Union & Black Student empowerment organisations working together to create the go-to space spotlighting black entrepreneurial achievement at a grassroot level.

We are sponsored by some of the leading universities in the UK, and host bi-annually, regional award summits which particularly focus on student entrepreneurs.

To contact us, email – info@totheworldhub.org

Recruiters: TTW is partnered with the leading universities in the uk through the TTW Alliance mentioned above, giving it the best position to access grassroot talent nationwide. Recruiters will gain a front-seat in accessing potential future employees.

Press: In a time where the wrong elements from the black community are continuously giving the most attention and publicity, TTW’s culture shifting Award Summit, spotlighting young black entrepreneurial achievement through celebration and conversation, presents the perfect opportunity to change the narrative

Brands & Vendors: The ACE Awards is an attraction to young black Gen Zs and Millennials, who are not a monolithic group of entrepreneurs, but are a mix of subcultures interested in a range of segments from sustainable fashion to the latest trends in technological innovation.

To contact us on partnerships, exhibitions and booths, email – info@totheworldhub.org

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