̽»¨¾«Ñ¡

Attendees then heard from Dr Ashiedu Joel. Dr Joel is the founder of – an equity, diversity, inclusive leadership and cultural capital company – and is also an Elected Council Member of Leicester City.

Dr Joel said: “I was pleased to be able to come here to speak today, having heard and read about the vision of Loughborough Business School through it’s ‘Progress with Purpose’ approach. I was impressed at the implicit recognition that progress is not just an endpoint, but something that requires growth, a need for enlightenment, and both singular and collective ambition.

“This event is all about reclaiming narratives and it is particularly important that we as a Black community challenge the enduring unfair, inaccurate or unjust depictions or stereotypes that have often permeated the media.

“We need to rethink what we think we know about our history, and British history more generally, to ensure that we shed appropriate light on the contributions of Black leaders and the Black community. That starts with education, integrating truthful and authentic experiences of Black people into the curriculum.

“I want young people to understand that you don’t need a title to be a leader, just the drive and willingness to stand up and take positive action where it is needed. The power of Black leadership lies in our ability to create a more just, accurate and equitable future for marginalised communities and Britain as a whole.”

Following Dr Joel’s talk, Dr Olusiji Sanya took the stage to discuss his experiences in entrepreneurship. An experienced economist, he has also been a Co-Founder and CFO of the financial technology company since its creation in 2017.

Discussing his career and advice for students or aspiring entrepreneurs, Dr Sanya said: “My journey from working in financial markets to setting up Tranzfar wasn’t always straightforward, but it has been an immensely rewarding experience. I think slightly naively, we thought that with a background in finance that once we secured regulatory approval for our new company, it would be plain sailing. In fact, we faced many setbacks along the way to achieving the success we have today. Overcoming those obstacles has taught me some valuable lessons about approaching business challenges.

“As I highlighted during my talk, one of the strangest examples of that practical learning was when we actually had our bank account temporarily suspended by our banking partner at the time because we rapidly exceeded our expectations for the amount of payments we would be processing in our first months of operating.

“It sounds surreal to run into a roadblock because you’ve been too successful, but it’s definitely something for aspiring entrepreneurs to consider to avoid becoming a victim of their own success. People are often cautioned not to get ahead of themselves, but it’s important to consider the implications of rapid growth as well as potential struggles.

“Each and every setback we faced was a learning experience for us and we couldn’t have achieved what we have without those accumulated lessons. However, you can certainly cut down that learning process through a few key actions:

1. Do your due diligence – make sure you know exactly what you are getting into when you launch a new business. Even coming from a finance background, I didn’t realise just how much more regulation we’d face in the payments sector.
2. Try to work in an industry before you take the plunge with launching a business, or at least find a mentor who understands the market you want to operate in and the potential pitfalls.
3. Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture – KPIs are an essential way to measure company performance, but behind those metrics there are real people, and real life. Take care of yourself, your people, and remember to experience life beyond work.”