Last week, NOW’s team members Mirella Ferraz and Sylvia Mohabir had the privilege of attending the 10th anniversary celebration of BUD Leaders in London. The event was a dynamic gathering aimed at addressing the power imbalance in leadership and entrepreneurship, particularly for Global Majority women. Here, Mirella Ferraz explains what went on.
BUD Leaders works with Global Majority women-owned organisations to help them to address the systemic barriers to progression they are facing, and with large corporations, trusts and government bodies to increase diversity in their teams and throughout their businesses. Its work fosters collaboration, empathy and knowledge-sharing towards a fairer business world.
“Global Majority” refers to people of Indigenous, African, Asian, and Latin American descent, who make up around 85% of the global population. Less than one per cent of corporate spending goes to businesses led by Global Majority individuals.
This year, BUD Leaders celebrated its 10th anniversary and, to mark the occasion, it launched the Challenge x2 campaign. This ambitious initiative aims to double revenue for 2,030 Global Majority women by 2030, challenging the status quo and creating a more inclusive business landscape. You can be part of this movement by pledging your support and joining forces with changemakers across industries to build a fairer, more equitable future.
BUD Leaders’ founder and CEO, Georgina Wilson, is passionate about developing leaders from these communities, ensuring their voices are heard, their ventures funded, and their success shared to uplift others. “We are seeking to rectify the power imbalance evident in leadership across organisations in the UK”, she said. The three main areas that BUD leaders support organisations are: Systems Change, Organisational Development and Leadership Development.
Justice Williams, co-founder and editor-in-chief at Black Business Magazine, pointed out that only 5% of black women-owned businesses secure contracts with large corporations. This prompted a thought-provoking panel discussion with professionals from diverse sectors, including: Yvonne Field OBE from the Ubele Initiative, Chris Williams, the Global Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at CBRE Group Inc, Caesar Gordon from Impact on Urban Health and Michelle De Leon, founder and CEO of World Afro Day. They’re all committed to advancing equity for Global Majority women in leadership and entrepreneurship, and as Justice pointed out “You can’t be what you can’t see”.
The overarching message of the event was clear: we all have the power to lead change. It was inspiring to witness the dedication and resilience of those at the forefront of this movement. Our heartfelt thanks to the BUD Leaders team for organising such a transformative occasion.
Join us in championing Global Majority women in leadership and entrepreneurship. Together, we can create a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
