OUR SPEAKERS

Alison Edgar MBE has worked tirelessly throughout the last decade as “The Entrepreneur’s Godmother” to flip the crushing statistic “90% of start-up businesses fail”. She has helped thousands of entrepreneurs to harness their inner potential to understand the fundamentals of business success. 

Alison is a twice best-selling author and in 2020, she received an MBE for recognition of her long-term services to entrepreneurship and business. She is a contributor to ITV, BBC TV, and Radio and has recently become a business mentor on a new Amazon Prime UK & US TV show airing in 2023.

Alison never forgets her roots, growing up in poverty near Glasgow and battling with undiagnosed dyslexia, Alison is passionate about social mobility and championing that no barrier should hold you back from achieving your goals be it age, race, gender, background, or disability. 

Stephanie Taylor & Nicky Taylor are sassy sisters, certified life coaches and Founders of Blow Up Your Life which helps dynamic leaders over 40 to live their personal lives with the same intention that makes them so successful professionally.

After decades of thinking that business wasn’t for them. They used their Blow Up Your Life model to transform their lives and they

became  property investors and developers with an award-winning property management company, 

are authors of the #1 best-selling book Rent 2 Rent Success and hosts of the top 1.5% podcast of the same name, won Inspirational Person of the Year 2021, and have been featured in The BBC, The Telegraph, Business Insider and many others

They are setting up an accommodation and education trust to help people who struggle to find beautiful affordable homes.

They found their passion and their purpose.
Now their mission is helping others find theirs.

https://blowupyourlife.com.

Dr. Detina and Argita Zalli are scientists, lecturers, activists, authors, and TEDx speakers. They have worked at world-class institutions including Harvard University, the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London, where they have shared their passion for medicine and science.

Inspired by the 44th U.S. president, Barack Obama, at Harvard, Dr. Zallis joined Harvard Professional Government and chaired multiple important events, such as Harvard Lectures That Last and the Harvard Leadership Conference. Argita and Detina are also founders of different charities and organizations, including "Aferdita Ime," which aims to assist cancer patients through psychosocial support and counseling; "We Speak Science," which provides STEM education for students from low socio-economic backgrounds; and "The Zalli Foundation," which aims to educate, elevate, and inspire people globally, both online and offline, by promoting empathy, kindness, and positive mental health.

Women in Business 2021 Diversity & Inclusion Award winner and 2022 Speaker Award winner, Bernie Davies, is the Creator of the Your Way Empowerment Series, a TEDx Speaker, Bestselling Author, Diversity and Entrepreneurship Leader, with a previous outstanding legal career in property, of over 21 years. Bernie is Past Chair of the Neath Chamber of Trade, Board member for Black History Wales and Fio Arts Charity, Ambassador for the Commonwealth Entrepreneurs Club, Business Wales and Equal Power Equal Voice Mentor, Welsh Government Excelerator Coach and Founder of Bernie Davies Global. Bernie supports entrepreneurship programmes with a focus on diversity, for major banks, universities and government agencies.
 

On United Nations Human Rights Day, 2022, Bernie was awarded the prestigious Title of Ambassador for Peace by the Universal Peace Federation at their headquarters, Lancaster Gate London for her work in Diversity Equity and Inclusion.

In the same month Bernie was given the historical appointment as the first Black woman to be invited onto the Advisory Panel of the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales as an Independent member. This Body oversees the performance of all public services in Wales, including the NHS, Welsh Government an Social Care Wales.

Top 100 Businesswoman in Wales 2017, Swansea Black Icon 2018 and Excellence in Business 2017 Award winner (presented at the Welsh Sennedd); who for 8 years, owned and operated the number I Caribbean Restaurants in Wales 2019 and Top 100 Restaurant in Wales 2018; Bernie mentors and Coaches businesses globally. 

She regularly sits on Awards Judging panels including Wales Online 2022 Diversity and Inclusion Awards and Swansea Bay Business Awards 2022, where she was also Keynote Speaker. She was nominated for the Leader Award in the prestigious Chwarae Teg Womenspire2022 Awards, Positive Role Model and Entrepreneur of Excellence in the National Diversity Awards 2022 and was a Finalist in the Wales Online Diversity and Inclusion Awards for her Outstanding Contribution to Diversity. Bernie has been and continues to be a regular BBC Radio Wales Contributor and BBC and ITV media expert. 

Bernie was also recently a guest of the UK Government in Whitehall, London, which was a special reception, celebrating the successes of Welsh female Entrepreneurs. This event was hosted by The Secretary of State, the honourable Simon Hart MP. Bernie is passionate about inclusion and has been privileged to share her thought leadership with audiences at the United Nations, The House of Lords, London Excel Arena, the Royal Society London, global and national universities and institutions of higher learning; her famous mantra being, "We go together, or not at all."

Cody Gapare (MBA) is the multi-award winning inventor of the first ever false eyelash for cancer and alopecia sufferers. Her product which launched in collaboration with the lash giant Eylure, during her own battle with breast cancer has revolutionised the beauty industry and is now available in over 8 countries. 

C-Lash was voted one of the 50 Prima High Street Heroes - 2019, Best Lashes in the Red Best of Beauty Awards - 2019 Ellure Breakthrough Award USA - 2020, Take a Break’s Beauty Hero 2021 and voted one of the North West’s 30 Most Exciting Companies 2022 by the Insider. C-Lash has been featured on BBC, This Morning, Huffington Post, Red Magazine, Ellure Magazine USA, The Good Housekeeping, Vogue, Cosmopolitan and many more.

As a former lecturer at Chester University’s Business School, Cody knows a thing or 2 about helping businesses grow. Having started her journey at MMU where she was an AMBA &BGA Excellence Award finalist in 2021. She was asked to sit on the MMU Board of Advisors for the Centre for Professional Excellency in 2019 and currently sits on the SMART Cheshire Innovation Board of Advisors. She has a great mentoring record through her mentoring and coaching platform, Ladder13 and through Help to Grow, a government backed mentoring service that offers mentoring services to SMEs. 

Cody is also a TEDx speaker who has been described as an inspirational and engaging with a compelling story that never fails to motivate. She has worked with organisations such as Manchester Met. University, Natwest, Venturefest, The Telegraph, Chester Univesity, HSBC and TiE to name but a few.

Cody is a certified ATEX technician and Justice of Peace for England and Wales who has been nominated for Barclays Woman of the Year 2019, Zimbabwe Achievers Awards - Innovation of the Year 2019 & 2022, National Diversity Awards - Entrepreneur of Excellence 2019, Business Woman of the Year Finalist 2022, Cheshire Woman of the Year Nominee 2022, Cheshire Life 70 Cheshire Champions – The Queen’s Jubilee Honours List 2022, Insider Trade Awards – Inspirational Trader 2022 

Desiree Peterkin Bell is a 2x Best-Selling author, award-winning seasoned public affairs and brand strategist, speaker, and advocate who seeks to lead movements, not moments. With over 20 years of experience, Desiree has served as a trusted advisor and brand builder to some of the nation’s most influential thought, cultural and world leaders of our time. 

With an accomplished career that is battle-tested and proven, Desiree has cemented her role as a key fixture in political, public affairs, marketing and strategy circles around the world. Recognizing that she drinks deeply from wells she did not dig, Desiree Peterkin Bell is passionate about engaging with people, brands and projects that are positioned to make the greatest impact.

Recognized as one of the best and brightest in Public Affairs and the PR industry, Desiree has been recognized nationally and globally by PR Week’s “40 under 40,” Black Enterprise, The Obama Administration, For(bes) The Culture, Essence Magazine, and Pope Francis.

Desiree is Founder and CEO of DPBell & Associates, a firm that serves both national and international clients, with team members in Washington, D.C., New York City, New Jersey, Mauritius, Tel Aviv, and Los Angeles. They specialize in public relations, brand management, innovative tech and positioning, strategic counselling, crisis communications, media training, digital organizing, event production, political consulting, content development, and strategic partnerships.

 As a leading firm focused on addressing issues of racial inequality and equity, DPBell & Associates is often called on to advise organizations, executives and CEOs of Fortune 100, 500 and C suite offices.

Desiree and her team at DPBell & Associates led the successful strategy and passage of the country’s first Breonna’s Law in Virginia.  Desiree and her team have made significant strides in entertainment, content and technology as well most notably in the Africa. Working in more than 15 African countries, Desiree led the PR, marketing and brand strategy for the five-time Telly Award and Emmy nominated, The Mic Africa, the first music competition and docuseries born on the continent, that connects African music, arts, and culture with a new generation of fans worldwide. Her steadfast and strategic approach after two successful seasons, has led to 1-Billion Media impressions and 4 major billboards of African artists in Times Square, featuring the first-ever African artist/rapper from Tanzania. 

Desiree is also fully committed to curating spaces and redefining new paradigms that allow people of color to be impact makers in media, politics, movements, and entertainment.  One of her personal projects are her signature Chat & Chew events where she co-facilitates honest conversations on a variety of issues that affect women, from race, culture, politics, and more, in an effort to create constructive dialogue and promote healing. 

Desiree Peterkin Bell is a not only a Trailblazer but she is a woman of dynamic impact.

Eula Clarke is the CEO of Clarkes Associates Consultancy a UK consultancy business focusing on

coaching and mentoring women to grow and achieve their goals. A renowned Women in Leadership

expert, award-winning financial services professional and detail-oriented trusted board advisor with

over two decades of experience gained building teams, enhancing performance and driving diversity

and inclusion initiatives within highly regulated corporate environment. 

With over 45 years of

experience achieved working at one of the largest financial institutions in the United Kingdom. Eula

has won top bank branch manager awards and also recognised for her achievements by different

awards including three sets of Platinum awards. A problem solver prominent for her management

skills, team growth and performance management strategies including customer service and

engagement. 

Eula through Clarke Associates business runs Women in Leadership workshops with

focused on Women in Leadership, supporting female executives to become excellent managers and

experts in their chosen fields.

A wife and a mother who uses her life experiences to coach and mentor women on how to have

powerful relationships whilst developing their skills and building successful careers. Eula is a serial

philanthropist who contributes her time and resources to supporting a variety of charitable

organisations in the United Kingdom, Africa and the Caribbean.

Mercy Gilbert has been chairman of conservatives party in Orpington for five years and during her tenure she has met and welcomed several Prime Ministers (Boris, Luz Trus and Rishi Sunak the current Prime minister of United Kingdom into her constituency. Mercy has also been key part of Shaun Bailey's campaign which saw him come second in the mayoral elections.

Mercy Is also Vice-President of Clapton football club. 

Mercy enthusiasm and passion for women empowerment has seen her appointed as the country head for GWDN part of United Nations initiative for women empowerment and Mercy holds the title of United Kingdom ambassador for Hera.

Mercy has previously been a UNICEF children's ambassador and lobbied on issues pertaining to child immunisation.

Helped African countries in development and facilitating sanctions and assisted in other political issues solutions.

Mercy has also been moderator for panel discussion for commonwealth summit in 2022 and co-hosted several trade missions from Africa which include , London political summit , Nigeria trade mission, investment summit and mercy has hosted various African country leaders and will be hosting African summit in Uk.  She hosts her yearly event in parliament and House of Lords and Mr speakers Palace to empower the black community. 

Mercy has also been a tv presenter hosting political programme interviewing politicians from across the continent and writing for various publications showcasing African culture.

Mercy has recently been nominated for the prestigious Woman  on the move award 2023 in USA as the most influential black women.

 A motivational speaker and trainer, the gateway to Hon Capt Ansari’s life was founded in 1985, where she joined the BBC as a Presenter and from that day on she has never looked back. Bush House became her “temple” for over two decades, moving from BBC Urdu to the World Service’s English-language programmes, Meridian, Outlook and eventually The World Today. During this time she produced and presented major series and interviewed several key figures. She also started presenting on British-based Asian channels, interviewing numerous Bollywood stars, Heads of States and Politicians, as well as voicing many Ads for TV, Councils and Health Agencies. She became a household name in the UK as well as abroad as a broadcaster. In 2006, she was invited by a British MP who asked her if she would be willing to lead a charity project in the UK to educate British Asian Muslim women. The project was intended initially for 100 women from marginalised backgrounds, but by 2012 it had engaged more than 9,000 women at various centres, which taught them English lessons, IT skills and offered Cultural Activities; the project was a huge success. She received an OBE for her contribution to this work. On 1st April 2019 she was appointed as Lt cdr and in July 2021 she was promoted and honoured with the consent of Her Majesty the Queen to act as an Honorary  Captain for the Royal Navy. In 2020 Capt Ansari visited the Mariana Trench Expedition onboard the Merchant Vessel DSSV Pressure Drop, where she proudly carried the White Ensign on behalf of the Royal Navy and has been a valued associate of the Royal Naval School of Recruiting supporting the training of Recruiting Field Force personnel by sharing her vast knowledge and experience of Cultural Awareness to benefit them in the recruitment of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic personnel throughout the United Kingdom.