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Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Black Wealth Builders


    Celebrate Black History Month with stories from Inspiring Entrepreneurs! Join us for a panel discussion celebrating Black entrepreneurs who are breaking barriers, building legacies and reshaping industries. From transforming retail and food to revolutionising beauty and broadcasting, this event offers real insight into building wealth through entrepreneurship.

    Hosted by *BBC 1Xtra's Richie Brave*, this engaging event will highlight real stories of purpose-driven leadership, innovation and wealth building. Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale your business, this session will leave you energised and equipped to build your own legacy.

    On the day expect to:

    • hear from social impact entrepreneurs changing how we support Black-owned businesses
    • discover how food, culture and heritage can be turned into a thriving business
    • learn how innovation and sustainability are transforming the beauty industry
    • gain insights into navigating funding, scaling, and authentic brand building
    • be inspired by stories of resilience, creativity and community connection.

Speakers

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BIPC Cambridgeshire & Peterborough -
Getting real with sustainability


Starting a business requires single-minded belief and commitment to your vision. It might be too big a challenge or too great a diversion to be wholly emissions-free and sustainable from the start, but doing one thing, something, from that start, can truly make a difference over time.

In this discussion, Julie Deane CBE, founder of The Cambridge Satchel Company and Professor Bhaskar Vira, MA MPhil PhD, a leading expert in environmental economics at the University of Cambridge, will explore the many ways small businesses can learn from other countries leading the way in improving their resource efficiency.

Join us and hear how getting real with what is achievable at the start of your business is still doing something amazing.

Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Fireside Chat with Sara Davies MBE


Join us for an inspirational evening with renowned business mogul and TV Dragon, Sara Davies MBE, Founder and Creative Director of Crafter’s Companion. Sara founded her business from her university bedroom and forged her way through the world of business – and, in her own words, she’s never done anything by halves!

Her drive, determination and inspiration have paved her way to success. She’s passionate about sharing the hard-earned knowledge, expertise and insights that she’s picked up along the way, and keeping the door of opportunity wide open for others keen to turn their dreams into a reality.

This fireside chat will be hosted by TV presenter, lawyer and Business Coach, Denise Nurse.

How to run a successful crowdfunding campaign (and raise £32,000)

London libraries are transforming the way ideas grow into successful businesses. By partnering with ten London boroughs, we are developing a community of new and existing business owners, which is free to join and open to everyone. Whether you are just setting out, need advice on protecting your intellectual property, or simply have a brilliant idea you want to discuss, we're here to guide you. Since April 2020, we have offered all of our Start-ups in London Libraries' services online, including our core workshops and virtual one-to-ones with our borough Business Champions, many of whom will be hosting sessions during Start-up Day. To find out more about Start-ups in London Libraries and how to join our thriving business community, visit bl.uk/SiLL.

As people look for less traditional routes to finance, crowdfunding campaigns are becoming more and more popular. During this masterclass, we will hear from a start-up business, Bottle Farm, who, earlier this year, used a crowdfunding platform to successfully raise £32,000 for their innovative indoor farm and garden kits.

They will be interviewed by our Start-ups in London Libraries SME Champion for Southwark, Dean Williams, who will discuss with them what they did to achieve this success, their top tips for any other start-up business thinking of obtaining funds this way, and what they would have done differently.

Dean will also share this 5 top tips to ensure you have the best chance of raising funds, especially in this current climate.

BIPC Hull's Building an effective website

Join BIPC Hull with Creator Coach, Mal Williamson, to understand how to build an effective website.

In our age digital technology and the internet has revolutionized the way we live and work, creating a hotbed of online platforms for start-ups to consider. In this session, we explore the world of websites and ‘the internet of entrepreneurs’. A website can be many things. It can tell a story, share values, be a conversation, a marketplace, a testing facility. Every entrepreneur knows they need a website… don’t they? But what exactly is a website these days?

In this webinar we will cover:
Different websites for different reasonsBuilding an effective website that works for youCustomizing the processTesting the market with landing pagesHow to work with creatives and get the most out of web designers, copywriters, graphic designers and codersDo you really need a website and what are the alternatives?

Inspiring Entrepreneurs: The Business of Food – From Farm to Fork

The last few years have certainly been eventful for the food industry. From inflationary pressures to the enduring effects of the pandemic, many consumers have altered their food purchasing and dining out habits. However, despite these challenges ethical sourcing remains important: nearly four in five food and drink shoppers intentionally choose products with a sustainability claim (Mintel – Sustainability in Food report 2023).

Join us for an inspirational evening with Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, warmly known as The Black Farmer and Thomasina Miers, co-founder of Wahaca as they share their insights on the emerging trends in the food industry and the changing image of food on the high street.

Has the growth of new eateries in the UK serving recipes from all corners of the globe brought forth an evolution of British taste buds? Are food businesses raising the awareness of sustainability and how we can connect more with nature in our food choices? Hear about and discuss these hot topics, and more with the two well-known innovators as they also consider the part their own business journeys have played in revolutionising the face of the food industry in the UK.

This event is part of the British Library Food Season 2023

Michael Cashman

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