17 young black entrepreneurs who are changing industries across the North West

These are some of the young, black entrepreneurs changing industries across the North West.

Working in sectors from tech to wellbeing to employment, they are excelling in their fields, in many cases overcoming obstacles and with fascinating stories to tell.

Companies owned by people of African and Caribbean origin generate more than £10bn for the UK each year, according to the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME).

READ MORE: The North will benefit most from transition to net zero, new study shows

BusinessLive and its parent company Reach plc have been running a campaign to highlight the contribution and importance of black-owned businesses to the UK's success - now and in the future.

Last year, #IAMBOB was launched across Reach's news titles, with the company retweeting hundreds of black-owned businesses to thousands of followers.

And all this month, we have been running a series of articles celebrating success, resilience and entrepreneurship as part of October's Black History Month.

Below, we have listed 17 of the black entrepreneurs changing industries across the North West.

The individuals have each been identified by industry peers and the business community - recognised by sector and regional leaders, with some having been backed by support from NatWest's Accelerator programme.

Do you know a North West black-owned business with a fantastic story to tell? Email jon.robinson@reachplc.com.

Here are 17 young black North West entrepreneurs changing the face of their industries:

Nile Henry

Founder and CEO of Manchester-based green tech firm The Blair Project

Nile is founder and CEO of Manchester-based The Blair Project - a disruptive social enterprise that aims to inspire the next generation of green tech workforce through electric karting, digital manufacturing and design project-based activities.

He was just 18 years old when he set up the organisation six years ago - creating, developing and securing funding support for a STEM education programme called the ProtoEV Challenge where apprenticeship teams convert used petrol go-karts into fully electric e-karts which they test and race.

It was piloted in summer 2018, with launch of a development series in 2019, and is hoped to act as an essential innovation platform and test bed for the development of cost effective propulsion technologies.

He said: "Diversity, fairness and social justice has always been important to me. Research from the McKinsey report found that companies that were more ethnically more diverse were 35% more likely to outperform their peers.

"When you surround yourself with people who are not like you, who talk differently, who think differently, who experience life differently, the IQ of the group becomes bigger and stronger and the opportunities to find nuggets of innovation become greater for you.

“No one person can create success on their own- It takes a winning team and helping hands."

Nile is a member of the Climate Change Youth Board, and sits on the Social Enterprise Advisory Group that advises the Metro Mayor Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Danny Manu

CEO of CEH Technologies

Danny Manu is CEO of CEH Technologies, a consumer electronics firm offering the world's first "truly wireless" earbuds with live voice translation, as well as a social media and translation app.

Danny launched the company after he attended a conference in Germany and couldn’t understand what was going on, so decided there had to be a solution.

Born in England and with roots in Ghana, Danny was brought up in North London before he made the move to Manchester.

He said: "Growing up as a young black child, people were expecting me to settle into a low skilled job without aspirations to do better.

"At a young age, I decided that wouldn’t be my path and wanted to make a name for myself."

He said throughout the years, he has faced "multiple challenges" as a young, black tech entrepreneur.

"I did not have family support which many people of my age had, my parents separated and I lost my mother when I was a child. So I had to teach myself the ropes of life.

"Being good at music, I started my journey in this industry as an engineer. In the music industry there are very few black producers or engineers therefore I had no role model to look up to. This meant I had to motivate myself and set myself a precedent in which to exceed."

Rhiane Fatinikun

Founder - Black Girls Hike UK

After being inspired by a train journey through the Peak District, Rhiane founded Black Girls Hike to challenge stereotypes and the lack of representation in the outdoors.

With no hiking experience herself, she put a call out on social media - and from there, Black Girls Hike was born.

Since then, the Manchester-based firm says it has gone from strength to strength - launching groups nationwide running regular group hikes and outdoor activity days.

Rhiane is now on her way to becoming a Lowland Leader and wants to support the development of her members in the outdoors as well.

She said: "I’m really excited about this role, it aligns perfectly with the work I do, creating opportunities for members to develop in the outdoors.

"I’m looking forward to delivering our training programmes with Mountain Training’s support and also being able to inspire the next generation to take up careers in the outdoors."

Guy Jarvis, executive officer for Mountain Training England, said: "We’re committed to improving the diversity of our qualification holders because they are role models for future participants.

"Rhiane has already shown that her enthusiasm for hiking is infectious, particularly among Black women, and we’re looking forward to working closely together to inspire more Black women and young people to become confident, independent hill walkers as part of our diversity strategy."

Lisa Maynard-Atem

Managing director, BURN CIC

Lisa is a social media strategist and 'outstanding woman in retail' nominee with a "proven track record" at Harrods - the world’s most famous luxurious department store - setting up and growing their Instagram page to over 1m followers.

She went on to set up social media consultancy The Social Word, working with several clients including barbershop brand Barber Barber UK.

Lisa is also an associate lecturer at the London College of Fashion and a speaker at various institutions and key events.

She has a "massive passion" for social media and the psychology behind it in terms of engagement and connecting with people.

Earlier this year, she told BusinessLive that black representation is "non-existent" at the top of the Greater Manchester business community, as she helped launch a scheme focussing on the economic and social empowerment of the region's black community.

Dr Elsa Zekeng

Scientist, entrepreneur and advocate with skills in operations and project management

Having worked with renowned organisations such as the World Health Organisation and the European Commission as a consultant as well as startups, Elsa specialises in managing and growing ventures from the ground up.

She was listed as one of the Top 50 most inspiring, prominent and influential black voices in UK Tech by TechNation, as 'one to watch' by Northern Power Women and in various shows on Channel 4, ITV and Sky News.

She also received a medal from the Queen for exceptional work in Guinea, Africa during the Ebola outbreak.

Most recently, Elsa was appointed as one of the youngest independent council members at the University of Salford, working with executives on the leadership and management of the university.

Dijon Moore

Founder of FANoty

Dijon Moore is a Liverpool-based tech entrepreneur and founder of football fan app FANoty.

Mr Moore's app is going from strength to strength - and he told BusinessLive in May he had launched talks with a list of Premier League and Championship clubs over lucrative agreements - and becoming a front and back-of-shirt sponsor for a top club.

Last month, he announced he had brought football legend Gary Lineker on board as a business partner and brand ambassador in a move he described as a "blessing".

Nicolay Armando and Noor Ahmed

Co-founders of Title Productions

Nicolay Armando and Noor Ahmed are co-founders of Bolton firm Title Productions Ltd, a film production company specialising in documentaries and corporate videos for businesses.

They launched the firm in 2018 after seeing the video market grow "like never before", and believing strongly that video is "the most powerful and effective way to create engagement and tell meaningful stories that make a positive change".

Nicolay said he went into business after being inspired to tell meaningful and inspiring stories "to make a positive change in the world".

He said: "As a black entrepreneur from Portugal, I have struggled with certain areas such as communication and culture clashing.

"From my experience, you will always find people that will not do business with you based on who you are and what you look like but I have learnt to do business with people that are more open-minded like myself."

In terms of what support was needed to overcome such barriers, he said: "It is about creating certain strategies in place for inclusion and reinforcing diversity as a core value. For example – to create a group or giving BAME people an opportunity to 'have their shot."

Kirsty Devlin

COO at Leeds Codes / Manchester Codes

A self-taught coding bootcamp graduate and a vocal advocate for increasing diversity and People of Colour representation in tech, Kirsty said she recognises technology and the community around it to be a "powerful tool in promoting social mobility and economic growth in areas that are often overlooked".

She is currently COO at leading coding schools Manchester Codes and Leeds Codes, and a trustee at the Octagon Theatre.

She also co-founded coding school Recode and created WomenWhoKeynote, which provides space for woman to be heard.

She said she invests much of her time to ensuring opportunities are available to minority groups and individuals who have been historically under-represented in and underserved by technology.

Lee Chambers

Founder of Essentialise

Lee Chambers bounced back from a life-changing condition that took away his ability to walk.

Lee Chambers' sudden illness back in 2014 saw his immune system attack the connective tissue in his joints - meaning that within days, he had gone from playing team sports to lying in a hospital bed unable to feed himself.

Lee, who is from Greater Manchester, was in charge of gaming retail business PhenomGames at the time the illness hit, a firm he had set up during the economic crisis.

In the seven years since, Lee, now 36, has managed to overcome the obstacles to get his life and career back on track.

His daughter was born midway through his recovery - and Lee has described how it became his ambition to take her first steps alongside her.

Lee now leads his own successful workplace wellbeing business called Essentialise - and was last year named among the UK’s top 50 BAME entrepreneurs Under 50. A psychologist, entrepreneur and radio host, his clients include PwC, RBS, Indeed and Gazprom.

Dan Sodergren

Co-founder of YourFLOCK

Dan created YourFLOCK - a remote work tech startup that helps increase employee engagement.

An ex-marketing agency owner, digital trainer, keynote speaker, tech startup founder and now media spokesperson, he said his main area of interest is the future of work, the remote work revolution and data and tech startups.

He is also a digital marketing and technology expert for the BBC, appearing on shows like BBC Watch Dog, the One Show and RipOffBritain - and marketing tech specialist for SuperShoppers and RealFakeAndUnknown.

He volunteers as the diversity and inclusion head for the Manchester Publicity Association to change opportunities for underrepresented groups in the creative, digital and tech industries in Greater Manchester.

Otis Thomas

Business Development Director for The African Pot (TAP) Project

Otis has been involved in various projects in Greater Manchester.

He initiated conversations with Tech Manchester, a subsidiary at the time of UK FAST - leading to the formation of tech consortium, Tech Equity.

The aim of the programme, funded by the combined authority and UKFast, was to target African Diaspora women from the local area.

Representing TAP, he delivered the soft skills workshops to accompany the tech sessions, and said the programme was a "huge success" with many participants going on to gain employment and awards.

He recently launched the Black Business Stalls event held every month at the West Indian centre in Longsight. The event is aligned with the national initiative Black Pound day which aims to encourage people to spend exclusively with a black business on the first Saturday of every month.

He said he wants to provide a consistent space for small Black owned business vendors to promote and sell their products on a monthly basis.

TAP also runs an initiative called Active Youth. Working with other organisations such as KYSO and MGTY Manchester, it involves a series of outdoor activities funded by Patagonia such as indoor rock climbing, mountain biking and hiking, led by Rhiane Fatinikun from Black Girls Hike.

Franck Tahou and Lucia Ndongala

Founders of SACO Superfoods

Franck Tahou and Lucia Ndongala are founders of Salford-based SACO Superfoods, which specialises in importing natural, ethically-sourced ingredients from Africa.

Lucia said: "We are of African descent, and always wanted to do something to give back to the community back home, but weren’t sure how at first.

"We knew that agriculture played a crucial role in the lives of people there, but it’s only by visiting the Ivory Coast on a regular basis and starting conversation with local producers in remote areas that we witnessed their passion for their land and their work, and their willingness to do better everyday.

"We also better understood their challenges, limitations and untapped opportunities and realised that if we really wanted to support them in an impactful way, we would have to roll up our sleeves and start something of our own."

Former university lecturer Lucia and ex-finance sector worker Franck said they have experienced significant barriers in business due to prejudice.

Lucia said: "It's hard to admit it, but sometimes, as a black entrepreneur, your product or services might not be accepted by customers of other communities, not because it’s not a great product, but because they might have a lack of knowledge or a distorted perception of you because of the colour of your skin.

"Making people feel welcome and appreciated comes natural to Franck and I. We are both people person and just love interacting with customers face to face at events and markets, so it’s easier to get rid of that funny feeling."

Jamaal R. A. Brathwaite

Founder and CEO of Jobseekrs and SolidarityInTech CIC

Jamaal Brathwaite is a Barbadian-born entrepreneur who formed the Manchester-based careers platform Jobseekrs in 2017. Through technology, Jobseekrs champions inclusive work culture and equality.

Jamaal said he has drawn on his own experiences of unconscious bias to achieve it.

Through both research and personal experience, Jamaal said he identified frustrations in the job matching process for both candidates and employers.

He said: "With both parties often spending a great deal of time on multiple interview stages prior to realising they were not well suited

"Inspired by my late mother and my own personal experiences. I is committed to disrupting the status quo to create a more equal world of opportunities for all."

He is already working with businesses including Bruntwood, Telefonica and Entrust.

Monique Kufuor

Director of BOBExpo

Monique Kufuor is founder of Manchester-based BOBExpo, a platform for black-owned businesses, aimed at helping them locate specific products and services, through business exhibitions and an online directory.

Monique said she was inspired to become an entrepreneur as she wanted to spend more time with her family, as well as enter a career with more progression than her previous job as a nurse.

That's as well as looking to bridge the gap between black business owners, but she said it has not been straightforward as she continues to come up against the same barriers as businesses she is trying to support, including receiving funding and sponsorship.

She said: "This has given me a good understanding of the current barriers businesses face, which has helped the company facilitate support through our skills workshops."

Since being founded in 2018, it has organised three business exhibitions in Manchester showcasing small black owned businesses providing these hard to find products and services.

The most recent exhibition was in the summer, with over 100 businesses showcasing and over 1,000 attendees.

During the pandemic BOBExpo also launched a business hub after realising more support was needed to help businesses stay afloat. It has helped several businesses with mentorship, business skills and connecting to further services needed for business growth.

Amal Cowan

Founder of Amal's Pantry

Amal Cowan, who appeared on the 2019 series of Masterchef, is now known for her famous Basbas sauce made by her company, Blackburn-based Amal's Pantry.

Amal was just 15 when she arrived in the UK on her own as a refugee from Somalia, and soon worked her way up to a high-flying banking career, before turning to cooking.

She said she was inspired to become an entrepreneur after working in private banking for 10 years with "many successful" figures - with a "positive, can-do attitude, and [who were] passionate about their work".

However, those entrepreneurs have mostly been white and male.

She was told by an advisor that if she was ever "lucky enough" to get a listing in a supermarket, it would be in the world food aisle.

Amal added: "I honestly believe that is itself a barrier as there is no reason for my sauces to be limited in this way. I was also told by respected voices in the industry that the British public associate famine and humanitarian issues with East Africa, not food, and that it was too soon for food to form a separate conversation.

"We need gatekeepers to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

"I believe the opportunities for my business to flourish are huge. I see no reason why my sauces should not be on every kitchen table in the UK, and beyond. We need a tangible commitment from UK supermarkets and buyers to buy from black-owned businesses."

Danny, Amal, Nicolay, Franck, Lucia and Monique were all backed by NatWest's Accelerator programme at the Manchester hub, which you can read more about here.