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JULY’S EDITION EDITOR’S NOTES Dear reader, Thank you for joining us for yet another fabulous edition of High Profile Magazine! This month, our theme is ‘Authors and Books’, and we have everything from book recommendations to articles about authorship to share with you - I know you’re going to love it! On the cover for our first edition of the month is my dear friend Dr. Yvonne Thompson CBE, whose incredible story is one which will inspire and entertain you, that’s for sure. She's an amazing woman and I am so excited to have her on the cover of the magazine. As always, if you or anyone you know has a story to share, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at editorial@highprofilemag.com.
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I know you’re going to love this edition!
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Thanks for reading! RAFAEL DOS SANTOS Editor-in-Chief
Hello and welcome to another edition of High Profile Magazine! We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to make sure that this edition is even better than the last, and I really hope that you’ll love it as much as we do – it’s a great edition! The theme is ‘Authors and Books’ this month, which is exciting for me as I'm an absolute bookworm! You can find some of my recommended books inside this edition, most of which I've read this year and loved so much I had to share them with you. We’d love to hear your feedback, so please get in touch with any thoughts you have on what we could include in future editions if you have any ideas! See you next month! LOLA SHERWIN Assistant Editor
an absolute “I'mbookworm! ” 3
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CONTENTS EDITOR’S NOTE
MEET THE TEAM
MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS
COVER STORIES
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THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF DR. YVONNE THOMPSON
EVENTS
16 28 32 35 38 39
MEET THE WINTRADE GLOBAL SUMMIT FINALISTS
MEET THE WINTRADE GLOBAL SUMMIT SPEAKERS
MEET THE WINTRADE GLOBAL SUMMIT JUDGES
MEET THE WINTRADE GLOBAL SUMMIT SPONSORS
HEALTH & WELLNESS
47 48
59 60 BEAUTY & FASHION 64 66 67 69
RETAINING INDIVIDUAL AUTHORSHIP AS A DESIGNER
TECH CMOS SHIFT MARKETING EFFORTS TO THE DIGITAL RELATIONSHIP
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
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41% OF STAFFING FIRMS FAILING TO RECORD DATA ON STAFF DIVERSITY
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT WINTRADE GLOBAL SUMMIT WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE
WINTRADE GLOBAL SUMMIT THURSDAY SCHEDULE
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
40 41 42
MARKETING & BRANDING
WHY YOU SHOULD STOP BLAMING AND START WRITING
HOW TO GET STARTED PUBLISHING YOUR OWN WORK
NEW INTEGRITY360 PARTNERSHIP CREATES LEADING CYBER SECURIY SERVICES BUSINESS
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CALLS FOR CHANGES TO APPRENTICESHIPS TO SUPPORT THE SELF-EMPLOYED
BOOKS
55 56 57
HOW YOU CONNECT, LEARN AND EVOLVE AS YOU READ
WHY JOURNALING IS THE BEST MEDICINE FOR THE SOUL
COCO CHANEL, ICON OF FASHION AND BEAUTY
5 ESSENTIAL HAIRCARE PRODUCTS SOPHIA LONDON LAUNCHES PLANT-BASED HAIRCARE FOR AFRO-TEXTURED & CURLY HAIR SUSTAINABLE SPRING CLEANING
GIFTS
BOOK REVIEW: WHY I'M NO LONGER TALKING TO WHITE PEOPLE ABOUT RACE BY RENI EDDO-LODGE THE ART OF THINKING CLEARLY
5 MUST-READ BOOKS
70 FURNITURE 72
5 GIFTS FOR YOUR BOOKLOVING FRIENDS
5 MUST-HAVE PIECES OF GARDEN FURNITURE
GADGETS
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5 MUST-HAVE TV-RELATED GADGETS
MEET THE TEAM
Rafael dos Santos, Editor in Chief
Lola Sherwin, Assistant Editor
Rafael dos Santos is the owner and editor-in-chief of High Profile Magazine as well as a writer for Forbes. Rafael is the CEO and co-founder of GuidedPR.com, an artificial intelligence platform that connects journalists with business owners. He has won seven awards including the Sunday Times 'Top 100 Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs in the UK'. His award-winning TEDx Talk 'What It Takes To Be A Migrant Entrepreneur' has been watched over 157k times. With over 18+ years running businesses in the UK, USA and The Netherlands, he combines real world-experience with an MBA from Henley Business School to manage his several businesses.
Lola is our Assistant Editor. She started at the company as a Journalist Trainee and progressed up the ranks after a few months of working with us. She is also a First Class Honours graduate in Hispanic Studies from The University of Nottingham, and is currently studying for a Masters in International Journalism at The University of Leeds. Lola runs a personal blog in her spare time, which has over 6,000 all-time views! She also speaks 4 languages and has spent time living in Spain, Mexico, and Brazil, as well as her home country, England.
Junior Negrão, Graphic Design
Sahar Hechme, Video Editor
Junior Negrão is a graphic designer from São Paulo with 20 years of experience designing magazines, books, publicity material and brand identity creation. He graduated in Graphic Design from UMC-SP, and he also completed specialist design courses run by renowned schools in São Paulo.
Sahar is a video editor who studied in Lebanon, and now has over 4 years’ experience. Her clients include SME businesses, influencers, fitness gurus, and many more. With over 1 million views across YouTube and social media, Sahar helps clients grow their social presence and stand out in a competitive market.
Andrei Koscina, Fashion Photographer
Wanja Muthee, Contributor
Andrei Koscina is a corporate, lifestyle and fashion photographer from Brazil. He is currently based in London, and has a degree in Advertising from PUCRS, as well as a HNC in Photography from LCCA. In 2020, he reached over 1.2 million views and 270,000 downloads on Unsplash. His main clients are entrepreneurs developing their personal branding.
Wanja is an avid reader and writer who lives in Nairobi. She’s a PR Assistant and Blogger at GuidedPR. She holds a Bachelors in Mass Communication from JKUAT and has worked in print media and in academia. When she’s not researching current affairs, you’ll find her on social media, keeping up with what’s hot!
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MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS
Cristina Christensen
Lydiah Igweh
Cristina is a Brazilian hairdresser from Rio de Janeiro. She graduated 8 years ago from Adam & Eva Skolen in Oslo, Norway, and is now the salon owner of C² Cris Christensen, specialising in keratine treatments. Cristina won the Best Brazilian Hairdressing Salon in Europe award in 2020.
Lydiah Igweh is the Director of Enterprise Support at Oxford Brookes University. With over 17 years of C-level Business Development, Marketing and Strategy experience, Igweh specializes in innovation, entrepreneurship, organizational change, leadership and digital transformation. She’s committed to championing women in business and advancing race equality. Lydiah enjoys writing, mentoring future young leaders with EY Foundation, public speaking and presenting.
Martina Coogan
Mary Senkowska
Martina Coogan is better known as the Metaphysical Monarch. With over 20 years' experience of teaching ancient lineage healings and tools of power which balance the human energy fields, mental and emotional bodies, she specialises in empowering people to achieve inner peace and opening and developing spirituality. Reach her at her website.
Mary Senkowska is the youngest PCC Certified Coach in the world. She has been shortlisted for “The 20 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch in 2021”. With 10 years of experience in training and development, she is passionate about inspiring leaders to create sustainable positive change in their businesses.
Naeem Arif
Nicole Weatherby
Naeem Arif is a Director of United Carpets and the founder of NA Consulting, a Retail & Hospitality Consultancy in Birmingham. He is the Chair of the Midlands Retail & Hospitality Forum, a Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce, and member of the Forbes Business Council. Naeem is the author of several best-selling books including ‘Customer First’ and ‘Customer Experience’.
Nicole is a senior graphic designer and the “boss lady” of Green House Media. She is based in South Africa, but has worked with businesses across the world. Nicole is passionate about animal welfare, and her dream job is using graphic design to help animal charities to promote the work they are doing.
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Pierre Coombes
Ragne Sinikas
Entrepreneur Pierre Coombes is considered a leading authority in Sales & Marketing. He recently featured in BBC One’s show ‘Call That Hard Work?’, where he showed what it’s like to spend a day as Tele sales person in his award-winning B2B lead generation agency Big Wolf Marketing.
Ragne Sinikas is the Founder of World Women Conference & Awards, which is is the foremost international gathering of women leaders designed for women to share their opportunities and experiences in a number of areas. She is also the Founder of Starpreneurs TV, a digital marketing platform, as well as being a speaker and awardwinning podcast host.
Renata Aron
Sahar Hechme, Video Editor
Renata Aron is 2020’s winner of the Fashion category at the Best of Brazil in Europe Awards. She is the founder of Nothing To Wear Image Consultancy and the NTW app, as well as being on the board of AICI Portugal and having created the Impulse Method.
Sahar is a video editor who studied in Lebanon, and now has over 4 years' experience. Her clients include SME businesses, influencers, fitness gurus, and many more. With over 1 million views across YouTube and social media, Sahar helps clients grow their social presence and stand out in a competitive market.
Shawna Byrd Shawna Byrd (M.A., L.M.H.C.) is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in private practice in Florida. Her focus is helping working professionals overcome psychological barriers that hinder success. To learn more, see her Psychology Today profile at Shawna Byrd, Counselor, Clearwater, FL, 33763.
Simone Vincenzi
Wanja Muthee
Simone Vincenzi is a multi-award-winning serial entrepreneur and author who helped people launch more than 500 profitable businesses before he reached the age of 30. He writes for Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazine and regularly features on TV and radio. In this article, he will teach you how to make quick profits from your businesses.
Wanja is an avid reader and writer who lives in Nairobi. She’s a PR Assistant and Blogger at GuidedPR. She holds a Bachelors in Mass Communication from JKUAT and has worked in print media and in academia. When she's not researching current affairs, you'll find her on social media, keeping up with what's hot!
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COVER stories
THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF
DR.YVONNE THOMPSON Interview by Rafael dos Santos and Lola Sherwin
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Having started and run her own women in business network for more than 22 years, Yvonne’s skills as a business & personal mentor placed her as an expert in the business and D&I arena where she has worked for over 35 years. Focusing on women entrepreneurs, women in the corporate workplace especially women on boards or the lack thereof, and even more so the Black Women's Pay Gap, and was recognised by the Queen with a CBE for that work.
By default, I feel I have landed in the D&I Space before that phrase even got to be popular. I have always felt like I had to fight for others. I originally wanted to be a nurse, so that I could be helping others. Whilst I did not make it to being a nurse, I feel I’ve always been in a caring profession – public relations. Looking after and caring for and building other people’s reputations, branding and public profiles became the thing I could do. I have long championed underrepresented communities, being able to view them from my lived experience, with what I call the triple whammy – Female, Black and a single mother. And whilst I did not become a medical Doctor for the work that I have done in the D&I space and the work I do supporting women and minority owned businesses, I have been awarded two Doctorates. One from Plymouth University and one from London Metropolitan University, along with four fellowships from King Georges College Windsor, the Royal Society of Arts, The Radio Academy and Kings College London. How does WinTrade Global hep SMEs to grow their businesses and profits? Wintrade Global Network was set up 24 years ago under a previous name, but we have continued throughout to support women owned businesses from across the globe. First and foremost, networking: because we feel it is so important to know that you are not alone. Quite often we feel isolated and not knowing who to turn to whilst running a business on your own can be a very lonely place. We run various courses to help our members with business development, from accounting to public speaking, to storytelling, to working with emotional intelligence. We coach and men-
Lewis Patrick Photography
What made you want to work in the business and D&I arena?
"It is so important to know that you are not alone." tor, as well as making introductions to banks and working with members to start up and scale up. We have courses with over 40 skill-based activities. One of the things that our members find most useful is our weekly Wintrade Global Talks where we do a presentation on anything from social media to branding. We also introduce them to inspirational people they would never usually get the opportunity to hear from. We also work with them to build their marketing and/or business plan, along with helping them to pitch for investment, funding and many other activities which would help them along in business, including organising a weeklong summit and awards to celebrate and profile them. 9
Lewis Patrick Photography
"I have always felt like I had to fight for others." If you had a magic wand which could solve one problem in the world of business, what would that problem be, and why? This would have to be equality across the board. Equality for access for all. Access to equal opportunities for information, finance, contracts, jobs, promotions. As we know, especially in the funding and invest10
ment world, where there is money there is inequality. Approximately 80% all available funding and/or investment money goes to Young White Males. Next Male & Female partnership get around 10%, maybe 8% goes to minority owned businesses but only 2% goes to women owned businesses. Until the world is fairer globally, we are losing out on the contribution that women and minorities can make to a country’s GDP.
What is the mission of the WinTrade Global Summit? The mission of the WinTrade Global Summit is for both men and women to gain their “front row seat to inspiration”, to hear guests “who will leave them speechless” and be with the “best guests they will meet this year”. They will have a WinTrade Global Experience that will be the best two days they spend this year, making them post-COVID ready to take on the “Brave New World”. We expect the audience to leave having met people they would not usually meet, some of whom will be friends for life, some of whom will be great business partners, and other who will come back around in their lives when the time is right. What they do with that value and vision dictates the outcome of them attending. What has been the highlight of your career so far? There are so many highlights in my very long career. This would have to include, starting the first black owned PR company in the UK, starting the first black women in business network in the UK, starting the first black women radio station in the UK which then went on to give me the title of the first black female millionaire in the UK.
But meeting Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, The Queen, Prince Charles, John Major, Tony Blair, and Gordon Brown were huge highlights. Writing my book 7 Traits of Highly Successful Women On Boards, has taken me around the world (nearly), to America, Nigeria, Ghana, many European countries, it has also taken me through the doors of over 60 corporates in the UK. Receiving my CBS (Commander of The British Empire) from the Queen was also a very proud moment for my family and I. Advising ministers and representing the UK’s Small Businesses in the European Parliament before Brexit was also very memorable. But one of the things I enjoyed doing most was being on the Economy Honours Committee, selecting the people who would receive the Queen’s awards, advising the first elected Mayor for London, Ken Livingstone, chairing the Radio Academy, and starting a new position at OKRE, an enter-
Lewis Patrick Photography
The internet and its availability were the turning point where more women, and more minorities, were able to start getting a piece of the financial pie, because there were less gate keepers. Now with even more financial freedom being accessible through the Crypto world, we are now beginning to see a change in the fortunes of the brave. More and more women and minorities are losing the cloak of the imposter syndrome. Many women have lost their jobs and businesses during COVID, many have also started anew and stepped up to this brave new world.
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"Many women have started anew and stepped up to this brave new world." tainment charity which is part of the Welcome Trust. But the biggest passion for me is running WinTrade Global Women Entrepreneur’s Network and watching women (and men) grow in their business skills, that has to be one of the most inspiring things I have witnessed.
borate and be stronger in numbers and stronger together. I want to help them find more access to funding, to finance and to business growth. But also, to think ahead, think more about automating their business, look at how AI can help them, ethically.
Give us three reasons that people should attend the WinTrade Global Summit?
Also be ready for what hits us next – because there will be another pandemic of some sort, so be ready for what’s to come in as many ways as possible, to ensure they make it through the other side.
1) One of the best reasons for attending the global summit apart from enjoying and exploring our new conference platform, and speed networking to meet some awesome people who you would not normally meet, is that there are so many opportunities to meet new contacts, get new contracts, and to see and hear speakers who you would never get to see normally. 2) Two days of inspirational speakers, in the Tech space, learn about emotional intelligence, learn about storytelling and public speaking, learn about Crypto currencies from two of our female experts. Learn more about how to make money on social media, learn how to grow your reach, public persona and so much more. 3) Listen to over 50 speakers, experience over 30 workshops and enjoy the best online virtual awards you will see in 2021! And learn, learn, learn things that you can take away and add to your business straight away including: Crypto currency for women; Emotional intelligence in business; Goal achievement strategies; Brand storytelling in marketing; Effective influencer marketing; Strategies for Working Mothers for caring for children in pandemic times; Digital Competence for Women; Brand strategies; Legal Considerations for Entrepreneurs in the digital arena.
Who do you draw inspiration from to help you have such a successful professional career? As you would think. First and foremost, my parents, especially my mother who gave me the discipline and work ethic to compare with no other. She brought up 6 of her own children, (some would say 7 if you included my dad), fostered many and adopted two more. We called her the domestic engineer. She worked 3 jobs and ran the house with military precision. Many of the things she taught me and my siblings, certainly serve me well up to now, and I have passed them down to my daughter and grandchildren. There are very few days when I do not refer to a saying, cook something she taught me, or pass on some of her wisdom. I call my parents’ generation the true entrepreneurs, leaving their homeland with 6 kids on a promise of a better life when they got to the UK, as invited by the Queen. I do not call my mum my role model, I call her my REAL Model… But that’s another story for another time.
Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE FRSA, FKCL, FRA, FKGCW
What is your biggest goal for the next five years?
www.wintradeglobal.com
My goal for the next five years, is to help women in business connect all around the world, colla-
yvonne.thompson@wintradeglobal.com
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watch rafael’s ted talk
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What It Takes To Be A Migrant Entrepreneur click on the icon to watch 15
events
MEET THE WINTRADE GLOBAL SUMMIT FINALISTS By Rafael dos Santos and Lola Sherwin
BECAUSE SHE MATTERS Israel Pons, Angels Nest Holdings Mexico Israel Pons Trained in the UK, in Mexico he went on to become the Director of Strategic Alliances and impact investments with a portfolio of $ 20,000,000.00 USD. Israel is a co-founding partner of Angels Den México and Angels Nest Holdings that has generated a “Responsible Crowdfunding” platform. He is an active member of jury panels in different competitions in Mexico. Niclas Holmberg, Nasdaq Niclas has for a long time worked to support female entrepreneurs both privately and in its role as head of companies listed on Nasdaq Sweden. Examples are Impulse4women, 17FemaleFoundersNetwork, Norrsken Foundation, Swedish-American Executive Women Conference. Niclas has also used the Nasdaq Billboard on Time Square to highlight female persons and organisations that promote female entrepreneurs.
CORPORATE WOMEN’S NETWORK NATWEST An employer-led network with a vision of being a gender-neutral place where everyone can achieve their potential, NATWEST aims to attract, retain and develop female colleagues. This is achieved through various initiatives to support development and growth. Neha Sawjani A Senior Leader in Business in the Community in the UK, she works across a number of community campaign areas, driving collaborations between the business sector and community impact. In 2017, she co-founded the Insight Collective. She has 15 years’ experience in Executive and Senior leadership roles in Government, Housing, Charity, Social Enterprise and Commercial Sector and puts her coaching skills to good practice within communities and the organisations she works with.
Rajni Aggarwal, FIWE A national-level organisation, founded in 1993 and one of India's Premier Institution for Women thoroughly devoted towards women Entrepreneurship Development in the country. FIWE serves as a reference point for women driven industries and the international women business community. Women entrepreneurs in India also assisted to increase its efficiency and competitiveness by FIWE through its wide-ranging specialized services in the areas of Skills, Technology, Quality, Productivity, Social Development, Technical Education and Training.
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HERITAGE Katrien Smeyers A ritual coach, Katrien writes stories and tales of life. Mostly stories from people who have passed away, performing rituals, weddings and funerals in Flanders, the Flemish part of Belgium. The strength of the ritual coach is a true belief that everyone is a story to tell. That we are stories that cannot be forgotten. We tell them through rituals, funerals, storytelling, training people and by using a unique combination of neuroscience and rituals.
Imambay Kamara Disabled International Foundation is a non-profit organisation. Founded by Imambay 19 years ago and inspired by her own mother’s disability, they campaign for disabled rights to empower disabled people in Sierra Leone and the UK. Since then, Disabled International has become a pioneering organisation through our campaigning advocacy work to ensure that disabled people and their families are treated with dignity and respect in society, strengthening of those hard-won rights for disabled people.
Pauline Henry LLB Law, LLM C.E.O and founder of Diamond In Venus in 2012, which is an independently run music label set up to exploit her own creations and to create a platform for other musicians and creators through collaborations. After a successful career as a singer, songwriter, performer in 1996, Pauline decided on a change of career and went on to study law and completed her Masters in Intellectual Property law with a focus on Music Copyright.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AWARD Maree Kinder Maree is the Founder of Beauty & Seoul, UK’s leading online retailer for South Korean skincare. Beauty & Seoul began in 2017 when she quit her job and moved to Seoul. She began blogging about Korean skincare as a distraction. This led her to starting her own import business gaining 60% market share and millions of pounds in sales. Maree was awarded Management Today’s 35 under 35 Top Women in Business.
Vanessa Fernandes, NAYA London Ltd NAYA London Ltd. is a Hair Cosmetics Distributor with a difference, investing heavily in the Marketing and Branding of the brands they represent. Supporting several UK brands, they use beauty as a tool to empower women by hosting regular Networking Breakfast for women in business helping them become more relevant, sustainable and reputable in the industry.
Somaya El Shafei Expand works in public awareness, we mainly link the public sector with all resources given by healthcare providers, educational institutes and companies who respect the public right to be educated. We reach people through all possible channels to deliver the best education possible to live long, prosperous & healthy life.
MINORITIES MATTER Arine Huijboom We are a social enterprise that focuses on improving the professional standing of women. For us, building and maintaining a personal network is an essential part of achieving this objective. To this end, we facilitate and enable connections between program participants, local networks, companies and governments. The approach has been developed, in cooperation with multiple municipalities, to guide refugees who face barriers that prevent them from finding employment and securing paid work and financial independence.
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Ayesha Aslam Sakoon began with just Ayesha and to date it has grown to a team of 10 therapists, 3 course tutors and volunteers. She has a strong passion to support others not just through therapy but also delivers a number of talks to psycho-educate others on mental health, and not afraid to discuss and challenge taboo issues. Ayesha has also set up emotional support services in many organisations at grassroot level and she has also guided mainstream professionals how to effectively work with Muslim clients.
Danielle Brown MBE Danielle is a successful entrepreneur. A rule change after London 2012 meant that she was no longer eligible to compete as a Paralympian and overnight she lost everything. She decided to channel her energy into helping others, making organisations more inclusive for disabled people and women. She takes a unique slant on diversity and inclusion and has had great success introducing elite performance strategies into that space to ensure everybody is engaged and working as cohesive teams.
Nancy Swerts Motivational Speaker, (Personal) Coaching, EFT-Therapist, Workshops in schools for kids and teenagers (The Miracle Box), Anti-bullying programme, Self-awareness, Self-confidence, Self-love, The Law of Attraction, bringing out the best in people, "Expect a Miracle" Expert.
WOMEN INNOVATIONS AWARD Joanna Vasanth A true leader, Joanna fuses positivity, culture, business savvy and purpose to empower young people, thereby redefining their outlook and ambition. Jo acts as role model for women and girls and shakes the societal status quo with integrity and power. From 2018 - 2019, Joanna has managed to grow the organisation by 188% and has already surpassed this growth in the 1st quarter of 2020.
Lies Vermant Level21 creates educational board games and wants to make all learning more fun through games. Lies has created 7 board games to use at school and at home for children 5-15 years old and some expansions for (young) adults providing training and tools for teachers, youth-workers and volunteers to adopt this gamified learning and implement it in their work. Learning should be fun and we're glad to help!
Milenne Tangenelli Milenne is the creator of Women in Extended Reality Linked In group creating immersive experiences to enhance communication and audiences' experiences. This recently became part of WE WORK LABS for growing the business, raising investment for the next step. We intend to invest in researching new ways extended reality can help to solve the problems of the world.
Rubna Raut The inspiration for WUKA comes from my personal experiences of menstruation; growing up in Nepal, where I witnessed a shame culture about women’s health issues. During the initial phase, I also notice a massive gap in the market for a comfortable, reliable and reusable menstrual product. I realised that current products, which haven’t changed in 50 years, were letting women down badly and affecting our environment and this was the right time for a change.
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WINTRADE SUPPORTING SDG AWARDS Cynthia Obinwanne Cynthia is an HR Expert, Founder of Talklove Africa Foundation, Director/Ambassador: Global Goodwill Ambassador and has recently initiated a campaign tagged #ProgressForQualityEducation which currently has participants across 42 countries to promote quality education for underprivileged children. This movement saw hundreds of children all over these countries return to school with most receiving scholarships and school items supply to continue their education.
Maria Santiago-Valentin Maria is a classroom inclusion, environmental justice advocate and a seasoned educator. She is a Learning Disabilities Consultant, Mindfulness Teacher, and Behaviour Analysis Technician. Maria appears as ABA Therapist in the BA-eService Directory of the Université de Lille III of Nantes, France. Maria was Honourable Speaker in July 2018 at the Mental Health Congress in Paris, France with her published paper An Overview of the Neurological Base of Bipolar Disorder.
Mary Dinah Established since 2014, Food for Thought is an award-winning non-profit organization with community initiatives in the education, gender equality, social justice, employability, health and nutrition space. Its mission is to support the most vulnerable in societies by protecting their human rights, through emergency responses as well as transformative development interventions. Recent programs include feeding 100,000 meals yearly to underprivileged children in all girls’ schools within Lagos State and the formation of Nigeria’s first high street job centre, Job-Link.
Maureen Gordon Maureen has had over 25 years’ experience working within the social care field as a social worker and then as a counselling therapist. She also has a master’s degree in Education from Cambridge University. During that time, she developed a passion for supporting children, young people and families from all walks of life. Her greatest pleasure during her working life has been when children and their families have taken the time to come and say, “thank you”.
WINTRADE WOMAN AWARD Herma Kluin-Hessing Based in the Netherlands, Herma makes a predominantly male profession seem attainable for girls as a private investigator. She has a tenacious attitude and fights injustice against children, especially missing children. As a colleague entrepreneur she also finds time to connect other female entrepreneurs with network organisations and other entrepreneurs. In short Herma is prepared to help and benefit society in every way she can!
Sacha Corcoran MBE The academy was set up in 2015 to provide a creative education offer to young people predominantly from disadvantaged backgrounds to study for a career in the creative industries. Securing a £20m investment from the UK government to build a state-of-the-art academy providing a pipeline of talent to the creative sector. With a diverse student population of 70% BAME the academy is also addressing the diversity issue in the sector and promoting social mobility.
Sh. Nabila Salman Al Sabah Her unwavering dedication towards empowering girls at a young age to show them the path towards becoming future decision makers and creating a difference in the region and the world has shown her dedication towards women empowerment. Sh. Nabila has also taken a job as administrative director of the Martyr Asrar Al Qabandi school. Where she further shows her love for helping nurture a well-rounded future generation that will help in making a difference regionally and globally.
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WOMAN IN BANKING
Mary Glowacka
Mary understands the importance of talent management to an organisation and pushes to get the right results – whether its running global engagement projects or bringing well-being programmes to massive audiences. She is a master in operating in ambiguous situations and getting the right results for all concerned - primarily the employees whose life she wants to improve. She sees potential in everyone and relentlessly supports those who have the desire to unlock it.
Narisa Chauvidul-Aw KogoPay is an AI Driven instant mobile payment for individuals and small businesses to make local payments and international transfers faster, cheaper and smarter. Our vision is to create an ethical and inclusive cashless ecosystem that facilitates payment and simple money management for everyone. AI and data analytics can also be invaluable in helping governments understand the homeless problem and find different ways to offer support.
Neima Ferreira Neima has an unrivalled work ethic, an excellent leader with a strong sense of teamwork. An energetic and dynamic female professional operating in the banking sector in Africa, Neima oversees the objective of the Bank which is to spur sustainable economic development and social progress in its regional member countries (RMCs), thus contributing to poverty reduction, plus mobilising and allocating resources for investment. In 2015, she led on work with all multilateral development institutions.
WOMAN IN BUSINESS NETWORK Funmi Ogbue, Zigma Zigma is a Nigerian Oil and Gas Servicing Company offering Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) services and other specialised services such as Well Construction, Chemical Supply, Pipeline and Process Services, Marine Services, manpower supply, technical training and water and waste management services. We work with international partners such as Flotrend, Racotech, Sunfull, Halliburton, Blue Ocean etc. and have capabilities working in the oil producing locations in Africa.
Ragne Sinikas World Women’s Conference & Awards is the foremost international gathering of women leaders designed to discuss and share experiences, strategies and opportunities with and for women in areas of health, leadership, finance and personal development. This is the first summit of its kind anywhere in the world, led by power women around the world, for all women across the world. We aim to bring together women service providers, professionals, NGOs, educators, business leaders, entrepreneurs across the world.
Snezana Zivcevska-Stalpers Women in Tech Netherlands is a vibrant on- and off-line platform and community of 1500+ creative and engaged female minds in technology in The Netherlands and beyond, with a purpose to connect, inspire, and empower the female tech talent while meeting the needs of the Dutch job market and the Dutch economy. Snezana founded this platform in 2019 which in a short period of time became a brand in the disruptive Dutch tech space.
WOMAN IN FASHION AND DESIGN Chirwan Lewis JAL Fashion UK and has been creating exquisite clothing since 2013 in a true artisan design, whilst also supporting local farmers in Thailand. Drawing awareness to natural products, JAL products have been showcased around the world receiving three Asian awards and are proud to boast impressive client base which includes celebrities such as Miss Thailand, Hollywood movie stars and Elma Aveiro sister of Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Marcia Brown The brand Marcia Brown Footwear provides handmade limited-edition shoes and shoes for people with challenging feet. The brand is particularly active in the luxury, glitter, glamour and crystal embellishment arena, whilst keeping to contemporary designs to balance the overall creativity of the shoe. Marcia Brown Footwear has successfully taken on numerous clients moving the business activities at a fast pace which has been over and above encouraging for the brand.
Nuria Muno The interior design industry deals with either the designing and execution of designs into complete indoor spaces or the manufacture of products used by designers. The two main industry segments are residential and commercial. The activities are improving the look, usage, and safety of interior spaces; assess and meet the needs of the occupants; enhance all aspects of the space, including colour, lighting, textures, furniture, and spatial relationships; trade all type of articles in this sector.
WOMAN IN LAW Marta Barandy Marta runs Asters’ office in Brussels. She combines strong EU law background with extensive experience working both in private practice and in the public arena. Marta is active in a variety of professional and community organizations, which helps her connect clients and other stakeholders with key EU opinion leaders and policy makers in the EU-Ukraine dimension.
Carina Gommers Carina has been consistently highly ranked in the most renowned legal directories. Apart from her work as a lawyer, she is also a member of several editorial boards, among which is Oxford University Press' Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice. She has written several articles relating to intellectual property rights and regularly asked as a speaker at international conferences in addition to teaching classes at the University of Leuven and the University of Brussels.
Jemma Fairclough-Haynes Jemma started her Employment Law consultancy business in her living room and has grown into an office with one member of staff and is now recruiting for another. The business is different in that it provides jargon-free advice and a transparent pricing structure making its accessible to small and medium businesses. In addition, Jemma is also a business radio co-host and public speaker who speaks about being Employment Law issues and being a woman in business.
WOMAN IN MEDIA Bibi Owusu Shadbolt Bibi is a UK based script writer, film producer and director of Ghanaian descent starting in 2009, when she decided to take part in a script writing competition organised by her local TV station. One of the producers encouraged her to pursue a career in film making. Her debut film Afua's Diary (2015) received several international awards. She is currently working on a romantic comedy that shows the side of Africa not often shown on Western media.
Leah DeVon Leah is the creator and host of Indie Style TV. Leah's TV show features the very best independent entrepreneurs in the fields of music, business, and entertainment. Her show reaches a global audience via The Reewind Digital Network. Leah admires Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry for providing quality, positive content for viewers. Their careers inspire Leah and are a great guide for how one person can help others grow to reach their own entrepreneurial endeavours.
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Valerie Thys Valerie is an experienced corporate business presenter, host & native trilingual interviewer. The past 17 years I have built a broad and extensive experience in the entertainment industry. A trained weather forecaster and sustainability she considers herself to be a sustainability evangelist. Helping clients and organizations to communicate clear and strong about their efforts to be more sustainable and looking for future opportunities is her mission.
Zainab Abudulaziz Abdulrazzaq Zainab is a trailblazer in her field. Her career started with Marie Claire magazine Middle East where she was promoted to Editor & Chief. With the downfall of print media, Zainab with her forward-thinking she founded her own media online fashion & luxury lifestyle publication. She continues to show full support and empowerment for women across the Arab world promoting and featuring all their different successes in their various fields.
WOMAN IN PR AND MARKETING Anne Oesemann Anne is passionate about marketing strategies, social media, the international media landscape and has a strong grasp of new technologies and market trends and is able to formulate strategies using these skills. Previously, she has worked for the leading media owners The Telegraph Media Group (TMG) and Gruner & Jahr International Media Sales, working on cross media campaigns for brands like Prada, Versace, Michael Kors, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Carmignac and different tourism boards amongst others.
Gemma Rubio Rodrigo Gemma helps Tech companies to develop a great strategy customer-focused, improving all the process that creates good emotions and brings positive feelings to their customers about their products and brands. She adapts their communications to different markets, giving them advice not only from the professional point of view but we also raise the level of cultural awareness, by focusing on the behavioural and interpersonal subtleties of each of the countries.
Rawan AlKandari Comma is a creative copywriting agency that aims to empower local and regional brands through the power of words. They combine their knowledge of linguistics and phonology with creative writing to create content that not only sells but speaks to its audience. They have worked with brands in the Middle East in different industries to create campaigns, social media content, business profiles, and even website content that is both meaningful and powerful.
Sedge Beswick Having started as ASOS’ sole social employee, Sedge built her team to a 32-strong workforce. After this huge achievement, she set up her own company and launched SEEN Connects; an innovative, global influencer and social marketing agency. Some of the brands on-boarded by Sedge to Connects’ client list, are Nike, Bumble, Panasonic and eBay. Sedge is a respected visiting university lecturer and public speaker, hosting workshops at places such as No. 10 Downing Street and Google.
WOMAN IN TECH Derya Turkkorkmaz Previously a general manager in Turkey of an American company providing services in the field of HR and MSP, Derya became the first employee to ever purchase the company from its owners after the global crisis in 2009. In the first 5 years she grew the company by 400%. In 2017, they opened their first overseas branch in London and invented WinnerInno which helps companies to transform their communication and increase innovation culture.
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Felicia Meyerowitz Singh Felicia is dedicated to disrupting the fintech industry and creating innovation, as well as addressing gender inequality. Felicia has built Akoni from the ground up and the innovation is in both the financial structure and the technology. Akoni operates a client centric approach not, product centric, with the objective to personalise products using data, to SMEs, and white labels clients which has not been done previously due to the nature of the commercial market.
Vicki Lau Vicki is a Visual Effects (VFX) and Virtual Reality (VR) specialist in the Hollywood film industry landing her first break working on AMC's hit series, The Walking Dead, as well as other movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy, and Aquaman. Vicki’s goal is to democratize the knowledge and insights learned from within Hollywood, teaching students from other countries VFX skills & career tips that were previously inaccessible or unavailable to people outside of the United States
Victoria Peppiatt Victoria is co-founder and COO of Phrasee - she has launched and grown a business that is changing the face of global marketing. She is a passionate advocate for ethical AI, and a campaigner for equality and empowering future generations of entrepreneurs. Victoria and her co-founders disagreed and didn’t just build the tech but had the drive to turn it into a business which has sparked a revolution among global brands. Senior marketers at eBay, Domino’s and Groupon.
WOMAN TRAILBLAZER Janet Aizenstros Janet is a serial entrepreneur who passionate about creative entrepreneurship focused on real estate and technology. She developed a proprietary service called the data concierge (virtual data centre) that aids investors the ability to grow their portfolios. She believes in developing, preserving and upholding intellectual property & scientific research, maximizing growth through sustainable, resourceful and efficient business models and valuing human potential by investing in people, especially in the wellness of women and children.
Rachel Wang Black British female, Rachel is a true trailblazer. She has grown an independent video production company as a social enterprise for over 18 years. She is a pioneer for creating learning and diversity in all of her voluntary roles including her trusteeship at National Portrait Gallery, being Chair of Art History Link Up and UK Council member of the Creative Industries Federation.
Tinne Cools For 24 years Tinne has been advising individuals and companies in investments, private finance, insurances. Their speciality is measure-made banking, financial and insurance products listening to what they want and then use banks and insurance companies to create the right products. As we are independent brokers, we can use all of them. She is also a lecturer at Syntra, a professional business school for entrepreneurs.
WOMAN IN PUBLIC SECTOR Amira El-Deeb Amira is the instructional designer of the school's educational programs. She created many programs that attract many learners every year. in 2008 she introduced social media as a marketing tool at the university at large, helping to reach many unserved segments which resulted in having diversified social media platforms at the university. She trains around 120 trainers every year on the new techniques and introduced the online tools in teaching the school's programs and Pharma Day event.
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Claudia Yoba Capita Claudia works at Attorney of the Republic of Angola for more than 8 years and she is part of an innovative team with a main agenda to improve the higher levels of equality and diversity through implementing the best practice to fight against corruption. Additionally, it a department that invests in young people and gender equality. This year the Angolan government in association with Claudia 's department will inaugurate the first Corruption Department in Angola with the UN support.
Dilma de Araujo Dilma is a SEND Lecturer with a career spanning 10 years working in the education sector. She ensures that her teaching is underpinned by evidence-based studies and scholarly activities with well-communication and interpersonal skills. Performing at the best of the abilities with a diverse group of students from a range of backgrounds. Dilma is also part of London Metropolitan University, Postgraduate Research Society in different fields such as Education, Social work, Sciences and Health care.
Mona Hayat Mona is the CEO and Founder of Nexus Digital Technology and a Clinical Fellow with a background in mental health. She also has an extensive experience in leading large multi-million transformational programmes of change across the UK healthcare industry. She left the role as executive healthcare lead for the Grenfell Tower disaster remediation for NHS West London. This provides a digital blockchain platform established on building sustainable health communities where patients are empowered to choose which health and wellbeing services they use.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS Dr. Bindu Babu Dr. Bindu Babu has helped in the healing and recovery of innumerable women & men around the world in changing their lives after dealing with domestic violence both in physical and mental abuse. She utilizes Quantum Healing methodologies, bringing in a different perspective through mindfulness and positive thinking for sustainable healing. She is one of the few life educators and speakers who understands and uses the science of epigenetic and the strength of the mind for physical healing.
Eva Maria Hasenauer Delivers an intelligent symbiosis of modern medicine, naturopathy, validated therapy methods and the latest scientific research, all based in an idyllic atmosphere. This sensitive combination is intended to help guests to regenerate physically and mentally and rid themselves of unnecessary pressure. Eva Maria is constantly thriving for innovative concepts in the field of lifestyle medicine and wants to shift the mindset about health prevention.
Sue Curr Sue Curr and her company Fear Less - Live More, operate within the health & wellness sector, promoting the benefits of positive mental wellbeing as a lifestyle choice. Using simple yet effective coaching & NLP strategies Sue works daily with people from around the world, leading them to step up & into their best selves & showing them how to lead happier, healthier, more meaningful lives. Sue regularly guests on international radio, podcast shows & conferences.
Zalina Wälchli Zalina is the Founder & CEO of Zalina Swiss Organic, 360HealthQuotient, Switzerland`s leading online B2C for Swiss Organic skincare integrating holistic beauty, health wealth and well-being. A thriving Indie Beauty Entrepreneur, Certified Health & Lifestyle Coach, Organic Formulator & Skin Care Brand, Fitness Instructor, a Wealth Advisor, Trinidadian born, Zalina continues to tap into innovative ways to self-empower and created an intelligent full circle of life formula to help women globally to improve their lives.
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Events Capas
MEET THE WINTRADE GLOBAL SUMMIT SPEAKERS By Rafael dos Santos and Lola Sherwin
YULIA STARK is a Senator for Belgium at World Business Angel Investment Forum WBAF. As an affiliated partner of the G20Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum is committed to collaborating globally to empowering the economic development of the world.
UNGENITA PREVOST is a former Hollywood body-double and music video dancer turned award winning feminine leadership expert. She is the founder of FEMME 500 The World’s Leading Global Feminine Leadership Network and host of the podcast BILLION DOLLAR ROLODEX and creator of the #1 business networking event for women, Networking IN STILETTOS.
SUKI THOMPSON is a serial entrepreneur, founder of Let’s Reset, the wellbeing and cultural change company, Exec Director, Xeim/Centaur Media, & NED Law Firm, Gateley Plc. Her company advises businesses on how to make health, energy and wellbeing a strategic priority and meet commercial outcomes through behavioural change.
SADIQ KHAN. In 2013 Sadiq was appointed Shadow Minister for London, and in 2014 and 2015 he led the Labour Party campaign in London in the local council, European and then General Elections. He was elected Mayor of London in May 2016 with 1.3 million votes, giving him the largest personal mandate of any politician in UK history.
ADEN EYOB is a clinical neuroscientist and author of The Book on Mind Training: The Secret for Positive Living. Aden is also the founder and CEO of Mind Medication, a fusion of neuroscience-psychology and spirituality-based mindset consulting and speaker service that helps you uncover your why, unlock potential and free limiting beliefs to achieve the impossible.
HH SAYYIDA BASMA BINT FAKHRI AL SAID OF OMAN is a visionary agent of change who has y championed the modernization of mental health in the Sultanate of Oman. She founded “Whispers of Serenity” the first clinic of its kind in Oman to provide a holistic range of psychotherapy services to men, women and children suffering from mental illness. 28
MARQUESA FINCH is currently building a marketplace for non-accredited investors to buy equity and debt into private companies. Still active in supporting digital health and blockchain health startups, especially those innovating at the intersection of public health and tech.
MARINA SANTALICES is a Spanish advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, working as the Women Will Programme Lead and since January 2021. She’s also been leading Google’s Economic Recovery initiatives across Asia Pacific at Google.
MARC JARRETT is a Disruptive Game Changing Virtual Power Networker who has built an enormous global network of thought leaders and entrepreneurs across a diverse range of industries. He spent most of his career in telecoms and was first to market with mobile ringtones and logos.
MAGGIE WEBBER is widely known as ‘The Working Mother’s Mentor’. Maggie is a passionate Professional Speaker, 3 times Amazon International Best-Selling Author, and a global Small Business Mentor and Consultant. Her primary specialty is working entrepreneurs, start-ups and ‘corporate athletes’ holding Advisory Board positions for a number of sustainable organizations.
LAUREN CHIREN. Women of a Certain Stage offers fertility, pregnancy, parenthood, menstruation and menopause training and policies for employers and support packages to help women, their line managers and the business to navigate the transition successfully and empathically.
NICOLA MENDELSOHN, CBE, is the VP for EMEA for Facebook. Nicola is responsible for all operations across the region and leads Facebook's focus on developing resources for fast-developing markets within EMEA. Nicola has over 20 years’ experience in advertising, marketing and technology and is also a non-executive director of Diageo.
HOLLY BRANSON. Chief Purpose and Vision Officer at Virgin, co-founder of Big Change charity, chair of Virgin Unite, first-time author and mum of three kids! In 2008, I joined the Virgin Group before finding my place at Virgin Management, working with Virgin companies all around the world to spearhead innovative people projects.
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GLENNA CROOKS, Ph.D. is co-founder of The CogentSage Group, is a strategist and innovator known for organizing chaos and solving complex problems. Formerly appointed by President Ronald Reagan to a senior post of her many accolades she was named a Disruptive Woman to Watch. GIUSEPPE CALTABIANO is a highly talented, results-orientated global marketer with 20+ years' success spearheading instrumental B2B & B2C operations, specialising in SaaS, IT, Software, Financial Services, Industrial Automation, and Energy. As a renowned speaker, he was voted as one of the most influential B2B marketers by companies Market Recruitment in 2019. GABRIELA KOSTOVSKA BOGOESKA is the co-founder and executive director of the Foundation for Management and Industrial Research. With more than 15 years of experience in advocating for the women in business from different sectors, Gabriela holds the Vice-Chair position of the Women Entrepreneurship Group within Enterprise Europe Network. ERIC D COLLINS is a serial entrepreneur and has served on boards and in the C-Suite of fast growth technology companies since 2001. Eric’s experiences include AI, SaaS based, mobile and health technology companies. He has been named one of the most powerful Black and BAME businesspeople in the UK by the Power-list and the Financial Times.
E. DAVID ELLINGTON. Entrepreneur: Founder, innovative technology investor network & financial product development; Co-Founder, SaaS Energy trading platform; Founder/CEO at an Internet social networking site w/ 150+ employees/contractors.
DR MINE CONKBAYIR is passionate about raising awareness of self-regulation and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's). As we know, too many children and young adults, as a result of being subjected to ACE's, do not have the ability to self-regulate and consequently fail to thrive, not just at nursery or school, but across the life trajectory. DES O’CONNOR. Helping women achieve empowerment and self-improvement has been a primary focus of my career for many years. I realised in 2017 that women were underrepresented in the speaker line-ups of the seminar/conference industry. Many event organisers, unfortunately, have not shown that they value the knowledge and perspectives of women business experts. ANN CAIRNS is the Executive Vice Chair of Mastercard, representing the company and brand around the world. As a senior ambassador and executive leader, she brings inclusion, diversity, and innovation to the forefront not just within Mastercard, but around the world, building new global partnerships with governments, businesses and NGOs. 30
DEIRDRE JOY SMITH is the founder, CEO and visionary behind POWER: Opening Doors for Women®, a global organisation that promotes and develops executive talent through unique interactions with thought leaders, industry experts and their peers. Deirdre is adept at creating success in a wide range of situations, with a focus on global marketing, strategic planning, through community partnerships. DAVID B HORNE is Founder of Add Then Multiply, a consultancy working exclusively with business founders who want to grow fast. David trained as a Chartered Accountant with PWC, and his career includes being CFO of two companies listed on London’s Alternative Investment Market where he raised more than £100,000,000 in funding and bought or sold more than 20 companies. CAROLE MANN is the Co-owner of We Get Digital, a UK based agency providing professional Web design and SEO services for small businesses. But they are more than just an agency. All clients get a deep dive into business to help position them in the right way online for better business growth. BARONESS VERMA OF LEICESTER. Businesswoman and Parliamentarian. Member of the House of Lords in the UK since 2006. Former Minister and Champion for Equality and Gender issues. Chair of the EU Sub Committee for Goods. Member of the EU Select Committee. Chair of UN Women UK Advisory Global Chair for IOD (India). Advisor to Amity University (India). President Uganda/India Council (WICCI). AVINDER LAROYA. Based between London and Geneva, Avinder helps resolve business conflicts using alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as arbitration, mediation and conflict negotiation techniques. The art of resolving conflict is to create a neutral environment, work through solutions and to have the skills to listen, craft communication and self-reflection. AQUILIA MENDEZ-VALDEZ has a decade of industry experience in both the blogging and public relations fields, launching Haute in Texas in 2011 as a personal blog hoping to provide women with fun, intelligent content they can use in their everyday lives. Haute in Texas is now a full-service agency, specialising in social media marketing, media relations, and community programming.
ANNE-CLAIRE LO BIANCO is Community & VC manager at Microsoft for Startups – a programme which supports tech ventures to grow and scale within the Microsoft ecosystem. Anne-Claire manages deal flow and partners relations including VCs for the UK.
ANDREW DAVIS is considered as one of the UK’s most prolific Keynote Speaker & Trainers in Social Media & Content Marketing. He helps translate the language of digital for clients in multiple sectors showing how a ‘digital lens’ can attract new customers while strengthening existing relationships. 31
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MEET THE WINTRADE GLOBAL SUMMIT JUDGES By Rafael dos Santos and Lola Sherwin
AKMARAL BATALOVA: Judge Category – WinTrade Woman of The Year Is a multi-award-winning journalist and film producer from Kazakhstan, central Asia and the recipient of the previous WinTrade Woman of the Year.
BARONESS VERMA OF LEICESTER: UK Chair of Judges Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, Baroness Verma is an Indian-British politician. As an appointed member of the House of Lords, she is Ministerial Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Overseas, a role who chairs the UN Women's national committee.
HH Sayyida Basma Al Said: Head Judge International Business Award Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said of Oman is the Founder of Whispers of Serenity, the first ever wellbeing clinic in the Sultanate of Oman.
Brooke Theis: Judge Category – Woman in Media Brooke is the Features Writer at Harper's Bazaar and Digital Editor at Town & Country.
Carole Stone CBE: Judge Category – Women in United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Founder of the Carole Stone Foundation, Carole is also a British author and freelance radio and television broadcaster.
Dr Bola Olabisi: Judge Category – Women in Excellence Award Dr Bola Olabisi is the Founder & CEO, Global Women Inventors & Innovators Network & WEISED2020.
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Dr Glenna Crooks: Judge Category – Women’s Networks Innovator and Co-Founder of CogentSage Group – USA, Dr Crooks is an experienced and dedicated policy strategist that focuses on healthcare and related industries.
Elham Fardad: Judge Category – Minority Matters Elham advises leadership teams on strategy, operations and talent. She is the Founder and CEO of the charity Migrant Leaders, Co-Founder and CEO of ID Inclusion.
Emine Erdem: Judge Category – WinTrade Woman Emine is the President of the Women’s Entrepreneur’s Association of Turkey – KAGIDER.
Kristoff Cox: Judge Category – Woman in Law Kristoff is Deloitte’s Director of Business & Commercial Law team in office North-East of Belgium (Antwerp, Hasselt and Leuven).
Lady Valerie Corbett: Judge Category – Heritage Lady Valerie is the founder of the Lady Val Professional Network for women to offer professional women to be inspired and to create meaningful connections.
Marina Santalices: Judge Category – Woman in Business Networks Marina is the Women Will Global Marketing Lead – Google Singapore.
Nero Ughwujabo: Judge Category – Woman in the Public Sector Nero was the Former Special Adviser to UK Prime Minister – Theresa May, on matters around Social Justice, Young People and Equality and Diversity.
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NICLAS HOLMBERG: Judge Category – Woman in Marketing Niclas is the Managing Director for Global Listings at Nasdaq in Sweden.
RONEL LUNDALL: Judge Category – Woman in Banking and Finance Is the Executive Vice President, Global Delivery New Payment Platforms at Mastercard, UK.
SHARNIYA FERDINAND: Judge Category – Trailblazers Sharniya is the Enterprise Manager for the NATWEST Group in the UK.
SHARON THOMPSON: Judge Category – Woman in Fashion Sharon is an International Sales & Marketing Consultant at McBride Research Labs.
SHENIN LEBRUN: Judge Category – International Woman in Business At the time of judging, Shenin was the Market Development Director covering EMEA for Nike. She has since gone on to become a screenwriter, Mother and the founder of Hustle & Heart Consultancy. SOPHIE NEARY: Judge Category – Woman in Tech Sophie Neary is the Group Director for Facebook UK and an award-winning consultant and entrepreneur.
SUKI THOMPSON: Judge Category – Health & Wellness Suki is the Founder and CEO of Let’s Reset and Executive Director of Oystercatchers.
TONI BELCHER: Judge Category – Because She Matters Director at MHBC Cumming UK.
YANA SEEL: Head of Judges UK and Europe Is the Managing Director of Astana – Premier Tech a professional road bicycle racing team from Kazakhstan and named after its capital city Astana. 34
Events
MEET THE WINTRADE GLOBAL SUMMIT SPONSORS By Rafael dos Santos and Lola Sherwin
MIGRANT LEADERS Migrant Leaders development programme aim is to support young 1st and 2nd generation migrants as well as all other disadvantaged youths and to help them succeed in Britain. The programme is free, and applicants are between 16 and 25 years old and they gain mentoring, workshops, work experiences and connections.We now have over 600 senior mentors from more than 95 FTSE100 and top companies. We are also proud to share inspirational videos illustrating the impact of our corporate partnerships on the deserving young people we support.
GlobalWIIN “Once again, it gives us great pleasure to work in partnership and collaboration with the WinTrade Global Summit. Both organisations have so much in common and bring mutual benefits to women across the globe. At GlobalWIIN,, we constantly acknowledge and put the spotlight on exceptionally creative, inventive, innovative, entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists, engineers, technologists, designers from all sectors and backgrounds. We appreciate the diversity and unique qualities which the sheer majority of women we work with share. Qualities that include tenacity, the determination to succeed, commitment, extraordinary potential, someone whose positive influence could spread, transcending borders. Above all, each woman contributes to the future and quality of life on earth. We wish all our guests a worthwhile and most rewarding WinTrade and GlobalWIIN experience”. Dr Bola Olabisi FRSA, Founder & CEO, Global Women Inventors & Innovators
Network (GlobalWIIN)
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Events
WINTRADE GLOBAL SUMMIT WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY 14th July • WinTrade Global Women Entrepreneurs Network (2-Day Virtual Summit & Awards) Time BST
ACTIVITY
SPEAKER
TEXT
09.00 – 09.30
Open For Networking
09:30am
WinTrade Global Summit & Awards Opening
Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE-Founder and President WinTrade Global
Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE introduces the agenda, welcoming 2 days of informatiown, inspiration and a gateway to global leaders and experts.
Keynote Speech from UK Minister for Business
Paul Scully MP UK Cabinet Office
His plan to secure a better future for UK business is focused on safeguarding opportunities for the next generation, ensuring hardworking entrepreneurs and their families feel financially secure, and protecting local services to give residents the peace of mind they deserve.
09.45 10:00 -11:15
H.H.Sheikha Fadyah Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah CEO – AL SAAD Foundation Global Women In Business Thought Leaders Round Table: Introduced by Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE Chaired by Carole Stone CBE The Carole Stone Foundation This esteemed group of women at the top of their respective fields discuss challenges, changes and progress made over the last 18 months. Welcome To The
Baroness Verma Member of The House of Lords of the United Kingdom Lady Nicola Mendelsohn Vice President EMEA – Facebook Holly Branson Chief Purpose & Vision Officer - Virgin Ann Cairns OBE Executive Vice Chair – Mastercard
What a difference a year makes...where are we now?
H.H Sayyida Basma Al Said Psychologist & Founder of Whispers of Serenity Suki Thompson MBE Founder Let’s Reset
Coffee, Croissant & Comfort Break Plus
11:15 – 11:30 11:30 – 12:15
Speed Networking & Visit The Booths: Parallel Masterclasses:
Nikita Phadnavis EI Trainer and Practitioner Emotional Intelligence for Entrepreneurs Dr Mine Conkbayir Author & Early Years consultant Impact of COVID-19 on children of working mothers Maggie Weber Global Speaker & Board Member Crypto Currency is Crucial
12:15 – 13.00
Parallel Masterclasses
Leverage LinkedIn for Business TBC Tweeting to Win TBC Forward Facing with Facebook TBC
13:15 – 14.00
Parallel Masterclasses
Marcus: logos of LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Tik-Tok and Instagram
Tik Tok Influencer Marketing TBC Instagram Instant Success? TBC 2 billion Reasons to use WhatsApp Marc Jarrett Virtual Power Connector
14:00 – 14:45
Start-up Investment Advice
How To Make Your Business Investment Ready What Investors Look For When Pitching For Funding Eric Collins CHANNEL 4 Investment Presenter of The Money Maker
14:45 – 15:45
Pitch Perfect: Investors' Round Table
Marquesa Finch CEO at Pyrium
Chaired by
David Ellington VC, PE & Institutional Investing
This is How We Do It - Silicon Valley Comes To London
David B Horne Champion of Diversity in Investment/Founder – Addthenmultiply
This esteemed group of Tech Investors help Startups to become pitch perfect and investor ready as they evaluate their pitches. INVITED
Paula Groves Experienced Investor & Consultant
Andy Davis 10x10 Angel Investor Eric Collins CHANNEL 4 Investment Presenter of The Money Maker
15:45 – 16:45
Diedre Joy Smith International Networking Parallel Masterclass
Aquila Valdez-Mendez Founder - Houte in Texas Dr Glenna Crooks The Centricity Principle
16:45 – 18:30
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CLOSING & NETWORKING WITH DRINKS
Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE Founder & President
Winding down an exciting day one, Dr Thompson concludes an excellent day with some parting thoughts.
WINTRADE GLOBAL SUMMIT THURSDAY SCHEDULE THURSDAY 15th July • WinTrade Global Women Entrepreneurs Network (2-Day Virtual Summit & Awards) Time BST
ACTIVITY
SPEAKER
TEXT
WinTrade Global Summit & Awards Opening
Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE-Founder and President WinTrade Global
Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE, Founder and President of the WinTrade Global Network, introduces the agenda, welcoming you to day two of learning, motivation, information, inspiration and a gateway to global leaders and experts. Don't forget to join us for our big Awards Celebration later and join in our Virtual After Party!
09.45
Keynote Speech from London Mayor
Sadiq Khan Mayor of London
In 2013 Sadiq was appointed Shadow Minister for London, and in 2014 and 2015 he led the Labour Party campaign in London in the local council, European and then General Elections. He was elected Mayor of London in May 2016 with 1.3 million votes, giving him the largest personal mandate of any politician in UK history.
10:00 - 11:15
Female World Business Thought Leadership: This panel is Chaired by
Marina Santalices Amigo Lead Women Will - Google
All leaders of their respective global women's networks, this group discuss the impact of current challenges facing women in business and female entrepreneurs and how women can move forward with inspiration in their plans and aspirations in today's global business arena.
09.00 – 09.30
Open For Networking
09:30am
Ungenita Provost Founder Femme 500
Yulia Stark President European Women’s Association Vanessa Vallely OBE Managing Director – We Are The City Phumza Dyani Founder PANFID Heidi Avens Co-Founder of SHE Community Krishna Pujara Women’s Economic Forum Gabriela Kostovka Bogoeska Co-Founder of WeGate
11:15 - 12:00
11:45- 13.00
Masterclasses: How are we supporting start-up’s from ideation to exit?
Anne-Claire Lo Bianco Community & VC Manager Microsoft for Start-ups UK
How is E-commerce evolving?
TBC
Social Responsibility for Tech Giants
TBC
Masterclasses: Digital Competence for Women in Business Storytelling for Brand Building in Business Menopause in the Workplace
13.00 - 14:00
Time BST
Lauren Chiren Founder Women Of A Certain Stage
Legal Considerations for Entrepreneurs
Avinder Laroya Lawyer & Mediator - Serenity Law
Working Your Brand
Nancy Polean Founder - BrandedU Mary Collin Director - 3degrees Social
ACTIVITY
SPEAKER
TEXT
Masterclass & Pitching: Invention, Innovation & Pitching GWIIN & WinTrade Inventors & Innovators GWIIN & WINTRADE GLOBAL PITCHING SESSION
15:30-16:15
Giuseppe Caltabiano Marketing Director at Rock Content
Masterclasses:
Business Strategy for Women
14:00-15:30
Carol Verity Mann Founder, Women on the Web
JUDGES' FINAL DECISIONS: Global Tech Investor Speakers
Dr Bola Olabisi Founder GWIIN Invited Pitchers Marquesa Finch CEO @ Pyrium David B Horne Champion of Diversity in Investment Founder Addthenmultiply David Ellington VC, PE and Institutional Investing Paula Groves Experienced Investor and Consultant Andy Davis 10x10 Angel Investor Eric Collins Channel 4 Presenter The Money Maker
15:30 - 16:15
MASTERCLASSES What has Crypto got to do with me?
Lavinia Osbourne Founder of Women In Blockchain Talks
Mindset for Women Entrepreneurs Aden Eyob Author & Neuroscientist In the Pandemic Times International Network Collaborations
Patricia Green Founder - Patricia Green Group
IT'S A WRAP!
CLOSING & TIME TO GLAM UP FOR THE AWARDS CEREMONY STARTING AT 18.30 BST
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Entrepreneurship
BY PIERRE COOMBES
WHY YOU SHOULD STOP BLAMING AND START WRITING
So much of what we know today has been passed forward to us from the past in books. There’s something magical about getting into a good book, whether it’s a nonfiction or a novel, books have the power to take you places and give you knowledge. On the counter side of that, being an author is equally as rewarding. There is something powerful in noting down your feelings, expressing, sharing your knowledge and possibly even leaving a legacy. Too many people have their dreams squashed, they listen to the wrong people who hold them back. What is so important to understand is that life is like a blank page, there is total freedom to write your own destiny and follow your own path. No matter where you are, who you are, what political regime you are governed by, or what culture you were born into, nothing can oppress your mind and your internal creativity and mental freedom. When I was younger, being dyslexic, I never really connected with reading; it felt like something one had to do as part of schooling and that seemed like a chore. But since leaving school all so many years ago now, I’ve found a reversal, through seeking knowledge and mental companionship, books have led and guided me, often words have been my comfort. There is a famous saying by Jim Rohn that goes, “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” I really think that is true. The simple fact that most major accomplishments, discoveries, historical events have been documented in writing means
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we like no time before have a wealth of material to truly ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’. I often hear too many people in my generation blame the world and today for their misfortune or lack of financial fortune, suggesting the past was more conducive to making serious money. But never before have we had so much knowledge and it's all just out there in libraries, in pages, on shelves. Where there is downturn and economic challenge there are also answers and solutions and through education, and more so through the knowledge that’s out there, we can carve out a better future for ourselves and our children. So, whoever you are, wherever you are, read, read, read. Turn off the Netflix, pause the YouTube, stop browsing TikTok, stop making excuses and saying you don’t have time, clearly you do, so read and enlighten yourself. You are the author of your own life, maybe one day they will write about you, but let no one write your story for you, define your life and leave your legacy. Writing my book Think it. Pitch it. Sell it. was an amazing project; to put words to paper and put practical sales tips in, it felt good to have something I can give to my team. It's been amazing hearing the feedback from people all over the world who have read it and shared their experience. I welcome you to read it and hope it may inspire you, too. Start using one of the biggest secrets out there, a route to success that’s in front of most people's noses but they don’t realise: books, knowledge. Stop blaming, start writing and reading.
Entrepreneurship
BY NAEEM ARIF
HOW TO GET STARTED PUBLISHING YOUR OWN WORK
This month I want to share with you how you could get started publishing your own work. Whether you are thinking about writing an article, a paper or a book, being published is a great achievement and personal milestone that many people enjoy. It is very common for people to have a perception that authors make lots of money on royalties - this is often not the case. Unless you sell tens of thousands of books, it usually will not cover the cost or time invested in the project. Authors carry an authority status; in that they are seen as being experts, so it is often a great way to position yourself or your product in front of prospective customers. So, here are 3 tips to get you going: Firstly, you have to start with the end in mind, as Simon Sinek has told us. In your own mind, you need to be clear about the purpose of writing, maybe you are writing to share your story, share some wisdom or to inspire others. I am a big advocate of not writing something that is pitching a sale, it has to be of interest to the reader and indirectly it can lead to a sale. Secondly, you have to think about writing something that will resonate with the target reader, or audience, so that you are really writing for the rea-
der, not yourself. This is a common problem where authors get carried away with sharing their stories, but they are not thinking about whether this will be interesting or enjoyable for someone else. When I say a target audience, I mean you must therefore be clear on who you are writing for. Thirdly, you have to write in a style that works for you and your reader. I always pick a relaxed, conversational style, as If I am talking directly to someone, rather than trying to write a formal piece. I often get feedback that this is an easy-to-read approach, where the reader can absorb the concepts. I do not try and overload the reader with too much information. I want to get an idea across, simply and succinctly as if they are on a coffee break and can fit in reading my article during that time. I hope these tips will help you to realise that publishing something is not hard, when I started doing this, I was surprised to see how many publications were looking for content to publish. So, my bonus tip is to ask you to think about where you would like to be published and then contact then to ask them if they are looking for additional content. I always ask if they have specific topics that they would like to fill in their upcoming editions. 41
Entrepreneurship
NEW INTEGRITY360 PARTNERSHIP CREATES LEADING CYBER SECURITY SERVICES BUSINESS EDITOR'S CHOICE
Integrity360, one of the UK and Ireland’s fastest growing cyber security specialists, has today announced a major strategic investment from leading private equity firm August Equity as part of a significant growth and expansion plan that will build the brand internationally. In addition to the investment funding, Integrity360 founder and CEO Eoin Goulding is partnering with Ian Brown, who joins the company as Executive Chairman, with Goulding taking on the new role of President. Brown, an established entrepreneur and industry veteran has been running technology businesses for over 25 years, including most recently SecureData, the leading UK cyber security services business acquired by Orange in 2019. Brown and Goulding intend to use the investment to accelerate the growth of Integrity360 with an extensive acquisition programme planned across Europe and further expand Integrity360’s comprehensive portfolio of services, including next generation managed detection and response (MDR) services. Further, the existing Integrity360 executive team is being complemented by the addition of Matt Tomlinson who will run UK business development operations. Tomlinson previously worked at SecureData where he served in a similar position for almost 20 years. Eoin Goulding has welcomed the announcement as exciting news for Integrity360’s employees and customers. “Over the past 16 years the company has successfully grown to become a leading cyber security specialist within Ireland and in the UK. We have a fantastic team with a thriving culture, and I am delighted to now work with both August and Ian who will continue to bolster our service capability and expand our reach internationally”. Ian Brown commented: “I have followed and admired Integrity360 for some time, and so I am truly delighted to be partnering with Eoin – and of course August Equity – once again, with the goal to build a market leading cyber security services company across Europe. Integrity360 already has a strong reputation in the industry and a comprehensive end-to-end portfolio of services. I look forward to working with the team to accelerate our
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organic growth plans and also build the brand internationally. The market need for such services has never been stronger given both the massive digital transformation acceleration within businesses, alongside the rapid evolution of cyber threats.” Mehul Patel, partner at August Equity, comments: “We are delighted to be partnering with Ian Brown again in the cyber security market and investing in Integrity360. We look forward to working with Ian, Eoin and the team as we work together to accelerate the growth of Integrity360 and build a substantial leadership position across the European market”. ABOUT INTEGRITY360 Integrity360 is the largest cyber security specialist in Ireland and a growing player in other markets including the UK. Founded in 2005 the company provides a comprehensive range of professional, support and managed cybersecurity services that identify and assess, protect and prevent, detect and analyse, and respond and recover cyber risks and threats. Whether working independently or as an extension of a organisations own team Integrity360 strengthens security postures for both mid-market and enterprise organisations across a wide range of sectors including financial services, insurance, government, healthcare, retail, telecoms and utilities. During 2020 the company reported revenue growth of 15% driven by the need for organisations to protect remote working environments and securing the rapid move of IT operations to the cloud. ABOUT AUGUST EQUITY August Equity is a private equity firm investing in companies with Enterprise Values of between £10 - £100m. August looks for markets that support scalable, service-oriented companies in high growth sectors where there is an opportunity to create market leading businesses. August has a strong heritage in the technology sector with notable investments including SecureData, Air IT, Charterhouse, Business Systems and Wax Digital.
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Marketing & Branding
RETAINING INDIVIDUAL AUTHORSHIP AS A DESIGNER Authorship (the state or fact of being the writer of a book, article, or document, or the creator of a work of art). So, what does it mean to call for a graphic designer to be an author? While doing research the following came up: “The involvement of the designer in the mediation of the message to an audience. It can be argued that through the creation of visual messages, the designer has an equal role to play in the ways in which a piece of visual communication is read as the originator of the message itself. The designer as a form giver or channel through which the message is passed, can play a key role in actually shaping the content of the message. Some design theorists have borrowed the notion of the auteur from film theory in an attempt to build on this notion, while others have been provoked into a heated response which foregrounds the neutral role of the graphic designer within a commercial area.” ‘Visual Research’ – Ian Nobel and Russell Bestley. Authorship is a messy subject. Trying to create a clear and concise definition for it can be difficult because the matter is personal. For some, authorship comes naturally (like writing an essay/ blog), while for others it is a real effort. Even more complicated when you consider the fact that interpretations of authorship differ from individual to individual. To me, authorship, is a culmination of past experiences, influences, and inspirations, and how they are expressed in my own creative output. Graphic designers and typographers can and do create their own histories through their content, designs and publishing. Documenting the new trends, evolution of design, typography
BY NICOLE WEATHERBY
and technology, and the way of designing and illustrating in this century. This is advancing this industry and ideas through their self-authorship. How? Through design authorship, designers are redefining the design process, creating new avenues for collaboration, creating stronger relationships between the visual and literal world, allowing space for self-expression, and creating space for political and social engagement (Black Lives Matter movement). Contemporary copyright law is making it increasingly difficult for creatives to have any ownership of their ideas. However, in a culture of testing, collaboration, and exchange, is the concept redundant? Is it even possible to own a creative style? Discovering your own voice can be a challenging and an uncomfortable process. It requires a commitment to trial and error, research, and reflection; made increasingly overwhelming by the enormous volumes of content we are exposed too every day. As we evolve it is our continued responsibility to stand back and reflect on what we consume. “I’m a believer that people should be inspired by each other, stretch that muscle, go there, test ideas out, see which parts fit you. Wear all the beauty you see and find your own creativity inside that exploration.” - Refinery 29’s creative director Lydia Pang. The Internet (websites, social media, news) has created a wealth of opportunity, inspiration, and vulnerability. It is clear artists and officials have vastly different views on authorship and its relevance, but we can all agree that while artists are reflections of their experiences, influences and the people around them, refining your individual point of view is still crucial and, it is possible to retain individual authorship while being part of a wider cultural movement.
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Marketing & Branding
EDITOR'S CHOICE
TECH CMOS SHIFT MARKETING EFFORTS TO THE DIGITAL RELATIONSHIP INTERVIEWS WITH TECH CMOS AND MARKETERS AT LARGE BRANDS REVEAL A SHIFT IN MARKETING FOCUS. Following detailed interviews with CMOs from large technology brands, five trends surfaced that reveal a shift in focus from lead generation to building digital relationships. The 50+ page Technology CMO Outlook report unlocks deep insights and thinking from marketing leaders, to understand how they helped to not only navigate unprecedented challenges but unlock business value and opportunity from it too. Copy House and immediate future collaborated to interview CMOs and Marketers from brands including Adobe, Worldpay, Siemens and SAP. The in-depth insight reveals five core trends in marketing that reveal a shift in approach. As said several times by contributors, “there is a move to serve, not sell”. Kathryn Strachan, MD at Copy House says: “The change in direction, driven largely by the pandemic, saw marketers move to align more closely with customers and sales teams. The need to compensate for cancelled events and switch from promotional content to more helpful content, fundamentally change the marketing approach: refocusing efforts on delivering meaningful value that would make the audiences’ lives easier and reduce some of their stress by concentrating on solving pain points”.
progressive path for future social media marketing activities. Realising the importance of learning from human behaviours and data, marketers deliver contextual storytelling across a suite of assets, they have nudged and nurtured customers by delivering ‘relevance at scale’.
Conversations surfaced the need to build stronger better customer relationships. It also identified new approaches - the likely permanent move to more hybrid led events; the substantial re-evaluation of the Martech stack; and the desire to slow down and be empathetic to customers. What was clear throughout discussions was that social media played a significant part in their plans for the year ahead.
Jacobs identifies a significant focus on excellence and best practice in social: “There’s resounding support of quality over quantity, that cuts through the social noise and builds closer, more personal, customer relationships. To create content that your audience cares about and engage with, means you can no longer just pull apart a white paper and fluff a few ‘try now’ or ‘find out more’ posts. That’s lazy and boring social content – and it’s clear from these leading marketers that success is found in being serious about social media marketing and striving to break the social boring!”.
Colin Jacobs, Managing Director at immediate future, says: “The brightest minds in technology marketing have paved a
The Technology CMO Outlook report is available free for download at https://bit.ly/CMOOutlook
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Diversity & Inclusion
41% OF STAFFING FIRMS FAILING TO RECORD DATA ON STAFF DIVERSITY EDITOR’S CHOICE
• 41% of staffing firms don’t record workplace demographics. • Respondents said there is generally a culture of diversity and inclusivity in recruitment, but were less certain about their firms’ active policies. • Religious beliefs and staff qualifications least likely of all data to be recorded. Joint research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) has revealed that two in five employment businesses (41%) do not record data on the demographic makeup of their own workforce and leadership teams. In a survey of both corporate and individual representatives across the recruitment sector, the trade bodies found that many firms felt unable to track this information as they are ‘too small of an organisation’ (quoted by 38% of respondents) or simply hadn’t considered it (26%). While survey respondents generally agreed that a culture of diversity and inclusivity exists within re50
cruitment, there was far greater uncertainty about staff having access to equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) training and whether their business had an active and evidenced ED&I programme. According to the REC and APSCo, with ED&I rising up the corporate agenda for client businesses, recruiters themselves need data to ensure their own workforce reflects the diversity of the businesses they partner with. Ann Swain, Chief Executive of APSCo commented: “When we first embarked on this collaborative research, our hope had been to identify what the current make-up of the recruitment sector looked like, any discrepancies between corporate and individual views, and where diversity may be ‘lacking’. What we found, though, was a more pressing issue: a lack of information. Without a clear and honest picture of your workforce, will be difficult for staffing companies to identify where there are gaps or what demographics are currently under-represented. “However, while we might not be where we’d like to
when it comes to being able to identify the demographic balance in the recruitment world, now is the time to commit to driving true diversity – starting with accurate and essential record-keeping. There are restrictions on what employers can and can’t ask staff and how recruitment businesses approach the tracking of sensitive personal data will require careful management and guidance. Through APSCo Embrace - an all-encompassing Equality, Diversity & Inclusion member service which includes a number of different strands to support recruitment firms with their own ED&I approaches – we will be working closely with our members to help them navigate the diversity landscape.” Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, said: “The glaring finding of the report is a lack of effective diversity monitoring in some recruitment businesses. As the old saying goes, what gets measured gets managed, so effective data collection needs to spread more broadly across the industry. The REC will be there to help support recruiters on this journey. This is already a core part of our business plan, as reflected by our signing up to the Race at Work Charter, being a Disability Confident organisation, and the regular content and advice we provide to members through the REC website and podcast. There will be more to come later this year! “More than any other sector, recruitment sits at the heart of workplace diversity and inclusion. As an industry, we open up opportunity to millions of people every year. Many in the industry are making a difference, both individually and collaboratively – and our own firms being examples of good practice
is central to making progress. That’s why the REC and APSCo chose to work together on this issue.” The joint research found that religious beliefs and staff qualifications are least likely to be recorded, with 90% and 73% of corporate respondents respectively stating they do not collect this data. A further 65% of those organisations surveyed said they did not record any sexual orientation data on their workforce while 40% don’t collect information on the age of their workforce. In terms of demographic data, the joint research found that: • Over 75% of corporate respondents’ workforces were White British, with 40% of corporate respondents indicating that their entire senior leadership team (SLT) is White British. • There is a fairly even balance between men and women at a senior level in the recruitment sector. • 94% of individual recruitment professionals said they were heterosexual, while 24% of business respondents reported that their entire workforce was heterosexual. Both recruitment trade bodies agreed that it is important for businesses in the sector to record demographic data in line with the compliance and relevant guidelines associated with the tracking of sensitive data. Collecting this data is an important stepping stone in improving diversity and inclusion practices in the staffing industry. Both the REC and APSCo will be working with their members to provide best practice and legal guidance on the best ways to do this.
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Training & Development
CALLS FOR CHANGES TO APPRENTICESHIPS TO SUPPORT THE SELF-EMPLOYED EDITOR’S CHOICE In a response to the Government Consultation, Flexi-Job Apprenticeships: Reshaping the role of Apprenticeship Training Agencies, the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has called for a change in Apprenticeship Levy rules to help fund the professional development of the self-employed workforce. In its submission to the consultation, APSCo recommended that the proposals be broadened beyond formal apprenticeships so that recruiters can release monies in different ways, including to finance shorter training programmes, fund the professional development of Independent Professionals, provide training for agency workers and prioritise highly skilled technical training. Tania Bowers, Legal Counsel and Head of Public Policy at APSCo commented: “APSCo champions the introduction of portable and flexi-apprenticeships. However, we also believe that the vision outlined in the consultation does not address how the recruitment sector can make best use of existing Apprenticeship Levy pots to fund the professional development of the self-employment workforce. “Under Apprenticeship Levy rules, many of our members currently have enormous levy pots which they are unable to spend. These members typically employ a relatively small number of staff directly, but maintain a very large payroll of self-employed workers who they place into roles on behalf of clients. These agency workers are currently unable to benefit from apprenticeship levy funding – an issue which we would like to see addressed in the consultation recommendations. “We support the Government ambitions to build upon the work of Apprenticeship Training Agencies (ATAs) and utilise the expertise of organisations embedded in
certain sectors, professions or geographies to deliver flexi-work apprenticeship schemes. This is an ambition that the professional recruitment industry is well placed to facilitate. Our members maintain close ties with leading employers eager to access and develop new talent, whilst some of our larger members have previously served as ATAs reflecting our commitment to upskilling young talent throughout the labour market. However, there are issues with existing ATAs across the private sector as they are not commercially viable without the financial support of a large employer. It is our opinion that portable apprenticeships are more practical than flexi-apprenticeships, largely due to Government's view that flexi-apprenticeship programmes must be self-funded. “We do welcome some of the recommendations outlined in the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill which has a second reading in the House of Lords this week. The Bill calls for a number of opportunities to support skills development for those out of education, however there are some limitations which will likely hinder the success of the recommendations, including the requirement to have a Level 2 qualification to access training under this scheme. We agree that skills improvement plans should be employer led, but it is unrealistic in our view to expect organisations such as local Chamber of Commerce to pick up statutory responsibility and make a significant difference. In our experience from our members, businesses will join a trade or sector specific organisation to get specialist support rather than a general local business group. “APSCo also supports the Lifetime Skills Initiative but we are awaiting the full details as we unfortunately fear that, rather like the flexi apprenticeships, there will not be sufficient financial incentive for businesses to actively promote the scheme amongst its workforce.”
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54
Books
BOOK REVIEW: WHY I'M NO LONGER TALKING TO WHITE PEOPLE ABOUT RACE BY RENI EDDO-LODGE Racism and racial discrimination are some of the issues that continue to affect progress on diversity, and with everyone's active involvement, there will be a significant improvement. Many people, especially the current generation, may not know the origins of racial discrimination, but it affects them more adversely than others. If searching for answers on the origin of racism and why its roots are still so generously watered, seek no more. The answers lie in exploring everything, starting from destroyed black history to the complex connection between class and race captured in the words of Reni that, "everyone is complicit, but no one wants to take on responsibility". When no one stands to question and challenge racial dominance, systemic and structural racism win, but they should never be allowed to! According to Eddo-Lodge, "White privilege is dull, grinding complacency. It is par for the course in a world in which drastic race inequality is responded to with a shoulder shrug, considered just the norm." Racial injustice and discrimination can be dealt with if only we know what it looks like. Let's explore just a few of the ways that racial discrimination manifests itself. RACE DOMINANCE Racial domination pervasively stagnates progress towards diversity, equity, and inclusion. The challenge of disproportionate one race dominance in high-level institutions of politics, justice systems, the corporate world and many professional fields is glaring. But how does conversation around diversity start and continue when the ear that is meant to listen is not willing to? It's frustrating to realise a topic so close to the hearts of many would so easily be dismissible by others. A time comes when "enough is enough", and unproductive conversations must end, as Reni Eddo-Lodge asserts in her book Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race. This thought-provoking book argues the urgency of getting out of the table if the conversation is not fruitful and preceding change. Ironically, the book also motivates productive discussion on racism and the incredibly challenging racial discrimination. MANIPULATIVE RACE PRIVILEGE AND ENTITLEMENT Achieving diversity cannot only be left to those affected to fight. NO! Perpetrators of racial discrimination must acknowledge their contribution to the problem and resolve to contribute to the solution. It starts with the eradication of the mentality of "race privilege and entitlement". In one way, racism can be enveloped in "white privilege" - or in the words of Reni Eddo-Lodge, a "manipulative, suffocating blanket of power that envelops everything we know, like a snowy day." When Reni says that she "couldn't have a conversation with white
BY LYDIAH IGWEH
folks about the details of a problem if they didn't want to recognise that the problem exists", many would resonate. Racism is "being in a position to affect other people's life chances negatively", she says, reverberating with the glaring truth about racism and power. It's the ingrained notion that those of a different race, other than the dominating race, deviate from the standard of power. Like Reni, many worldwide are tired of waiting on the side lines and are speaking up now. The voice of Reni in the book is piercing and urgent. It's a call to action to end complacency and white privilege, amplifying the voices of many other authors such as Robin DiAngelo in her book White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About. LOOKING BACK TO MOVE FORWARD One last look at the past informs the solutions for the future. We all must acknowledge the wrongs that have been done to find healing for the future. Reni's eye for systemic prejudices against black people and the pervasive roots of racism shed light on societal challenges dating decades. The question to each of us remains – do we let the past racial injustices and wrongs continue to steal our collective future? When interrogating black history, just like her eye-opening experience while taking a module in university, it's an awakening of how deep-rooted racism is. From the eyes of black people, racial bias, discrimination, and injustices can be seen from the historical lenses of the slave trade and the pervasive slavery that took place centuries ago. Reni's outcry is for the black lives that were so inconsiderably interrupted, their future stolen from them, and their generations side-lined for decades. Such an unfortunate history brings out sentiments such as Reni's that it's no longer time to "be nice". She asserts the need for tough but fruitful conversations on equitable diversity and everyone at the table advocating for change, not to be impartial. Those affected by racial discrimination can never be levelled as equal to those who have never experienced it. In Reni's own words, one "might be willing to entertain the possibility of said racism but still thinks we enter this conversation as equals. We didn't then, and we don't now." We come to dialogue from different equality angles, but there is still hope. Similar to Reni's intention in her book is Martin Luther King's words from his famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail", which depict that a time is coming: "When the dark clouds of racial prejudice will pass away, and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities". The conversation must persistently continue. The battle against racism must be won. Diversity must and will prevail and thrive. "Every voice raised against racism chips away at its power. We can't afford to stay silent." ~ Reni Eddo-Lodge, British Journalist and Author.
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Books
THE ART OF THINKING CLEARLY BY WANJA MUTHEE What book are you reading presently? Studies have shown that reading habits changed during the Covid-19 lockdowns, and you just may be among those who’ve improved their reading culture. I consider myself an avid reader, always have been even before the pandemic. For me, reading is therapeutic, an escape route from routine. I get to visit new places, meet new people and learn new ideas, all from the bliss of my couch, covered in a warm comforter and sipping my hot chocolate. No packing, no hubbub, no visa needed, no extra costs. I especially love diving deep into non-fiction books that challenge my worldview. It’s my way of ensuring life-long learning. American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Some books leave us free, and some books make us free.” My current read, The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli is doing the latter: making me free from error-filled decision making. To tell you that I’m awed by Dobelli’s writing would be an understatement! This is one of those books you read mouth agape, eyes popping out. You have to pause after every chapter and absorb the insights. You’re happy and sad in equal measure because, “Where has all this wisdom been all my life?” Let’s engage in a small exercise. Write down the answers to the following questions. Be brutally honest with yourself. Why did you choose that school for your kids? Why are you religiously sticking to that diet? Why do you prefer a Coke to a Pepsi? Why are you using that skincare product? Is a Toyota really better than a
Nissan? Next task: examine the answers you’ve written down. Are you contented that your decisions on these matters are foolproofly correct? Of course, this exercise can apply to many more areas of your life. Personally, in view of this exercise, many decisions throughout my life have been faulty. I’m just realising now, through this simple yet evidence-based writing, why I’ve been so prone to making miscalculated decisions. Thankfully, it’s not because I’m stupid. It’s rather largely because my mind has been conditioned over time by various internal and external influences to unconsciously choose the wrong things. Interestingly, at the time, they seem right. These misleading influences are so many and include cognitive biases and social distortions. The sooner you and I learn to spot them, the better equipped we will be to avoid them and unlock the art of perfect decision making. This book has been a big eye-opener. A couple of chapters in and I’m already starting to doubt advertising messaging; to distrust flash sales and discounts; to distance myself from group think; to question authority; to work on my overconfidence and to desist from imagining that I’m so good at predicting the future. According to Dobelli, this book is for you if you’ve ever, “Invested time in something that, in hindsight just wasn’t worth it; overpaid in an eBay auction; continued doing something you knew was bad for you; sold stocks too late, or too early; taken credit for success, but blamed failure on external circumstances.” Really, it’s for people like you and I who are stuck in a loop of endless poor decision-making habits. We need a mental shift and doing things differently will begin with picking up this book and learning how to think clearly. What I don’t like, though, about this book, is how short the chapters are, each one being just three pages long. You start on a new concept, are perplexed by the insights, and just when you’re recovering from its effects, the chapter ends, and you have to move on to the next, equally jaw-dropping concept. Also, it would create better understanding, in my view, if all related chapters were placed next to each other than having them scattered all over the book. Additionally, reflection questions should have been included at the end of each chapter, to allow the reader take in each concept and simmer down.
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Books
5 Must-Read Books by Lola Sherwin
The Beekeeper of Aleppo, Christy Lefteri, £8.99
Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi, £8.99
(Buy here)
This is one of the best books I've read this year, if not in my whole life! It follows the story of two half-sisters from Africa’s Gold Coast centuries ago, and the different paths their lives take – one married to a slave trader and one sold into slavery. We see how their families fare through the generations, and it makes for a beautiful and sometimes heart-breaking tale which everyone should read.
(Buy here)
Described as “a moving testament to the human spirit”, this book is the stunning and harrowing story of a refugee from Syria, and the trauma he carries with him after losing his son. You follow Nuri's journey with his wife to the UK, and this is a book which truly reminds you of the power of storytelling. Incredibly compassionate and beautifully written.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris, £8.99 (Buy here)
This is the story of Lale Sokolov, who was given the job of tattooing the prisoners in AuschwitzBirkenau. It's a story of love in the face of one of the darkest periods of human history, and it truly shows how love can triumph and give people a reason to live. Unforgettable, human, and courageous, this book is a must-read.
The Midnight Library, Matt Haig, £8.99 (Buy here)
Nora's life goes from bad to worse, but when it reaches midnight on her last day on earth, she finds herself in a library, where she has the chance to undo her regrets and try out the other lives she might have lived, raising the question – if you had infinite choices, what is the best way to live?
Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens, £8.99 (Buy here)
Described as unforgettable, engrossing and moving, this book is a multi-million copy bestseller for a reason. It follows Kya through the coming-of-age period of her life, and the character description makes you instantly relate to each and every character you meet.
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BRAZILIAN BEACHWEAR soon
in
the
UK
mirandabeach.com.br
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Health & Wellness
HOW YOU CONNECT, LEARN AND EVOLVE AS YOU READ
BY MARTINA COOGAN
Since I was a child, I have always loved books and reading; I still remember so clearly my grandmother and parents reading to me and I simply loved it. Hearing every word and creating the images and the excitement in my mind as I took that journey, being led one word at a time into exciting lands and faraway places. As a child and still now as an adult, I love to get books as a gift, as well as buying many for myself. I have continued to read for both studies, as a pastime and to expand my personal awareness. Every book has its own energy, and, in a way, we can say its own spirit that opens up when we open it up and read it. The writer transfers their energy via words as they write, and we in turn, as we read, capture from each word the knowledge, wisdom, experience, and adventure and we take it in using our senses and translate it into our consciousness so we can use it in our lives. Books are full of adventure, wisdom, knowledge and stories upon stories. Ideally, we read as we want it to enhance our lives and learn from the experience of others so we can use it for ourselves. Knowledge is power and it simply cannot be given to us, we have to do it for ourselves, and when we do its ours and it gives us power in all areas of our life. When we read our minds open up to new mindsets and our personal awareness opens up, shifts, ex-
pands and grows. I would like to share with you a book that is unique and I feel you may enjoy it: 1 Habit for Entrepreneurial Success has the contributions from entrepreneurs with over 300 successful life-changing habits written by successful people from all over the world including myself. The book is designed for you to read and gain inspiration and motivation as it has one positive habit to read each day and if implemented it will enrich your life and business. It also has one negative habit by each author bringing to your awareness what habits you can remove before they become an issue in your life that may damage you or your business. It's a perfect book to leave on your desk or by your bed so you can pick it up first thing in the morning or when you need inspiration, and it will quickly shift you into a new state of consciousness. Click here to buy it now! Reading is relaxing, it is a personal time for you to nurture and enrich yourself and your life and I personally invite you to explore and continue this pleasant hobby. I recommend it as it’s invaluable and you will never regret having knowledge. If you would like to know more about my practice in Positive Mindset, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Development, contact me anytime at martinacoogan@outlook.com 59
Health & Wellness
BY RAGNE SINIKAS
WHY JOURNALING IS THE BEST MEDICINE FOR THE SOUL Tranquillity is the new luxury of our society. Deep peace is crucial and such a key determinant of business eminence and personal excellence. We spend so much time on doing and just reacting, we do not take the time to reflect, plan, visualize, dream and invent. All historical artists dreamed about a future few believed would be possible. All the great leaders of our history have leveraged on the time of isolation. They took the time to sit in the solitude with just a pad of paper and a pen for capturing the insights that would ignite their passion and connect it with their imagination. Actually, developing immense imagination is an incredibly important portal into a celebrated fortune. Today I want to share with you the marvellous benefits of the journaling habit. So, let's first understand the why. I believe that reflection is the main source of transformation, because once we know better, you can do better. Before you start journaling take a deep breath 60
and gift yourself with a moment of serenity and silence; by doing so you are entering the stillness. I remember the first time I started with journaling. I was so excited but was wondering what should I write? My mind was suddenly blank. So let me share the tactics that helped me. Think of it as your roadmap of success. This is just a simple expression or a statement of your perfect day or week ahead. Contemplate how you're living and who you want to become. Be thoughtful and intentional about the values you want to be loyal to for the rest of your days. How you wish to behave. Think what needs to happen the next hour, days, weeks, years for this to be the life that you always dreamed of. Researchers confirm that pre-committed strategies work just great to increase your focus and discipline to help you get things done. This is your clear and aligned script for the hours, days, and weeks that lie ahead, so your life really takes the course that you are aiming for it to take. Please keep in mind that life is not perfect. Life happens when we make plans the same with this
script. Still, that does not mean we should not do the best to pursue it. Let's look at the greatest leaders again. They were all perfectionists, they were maximisers, exceptionally obsessed with being extraordinary at all they did. So, take at least ten minutes daily to write down your script of the ideal day. I was introduced to this habit by my mentor Robin Sharma, and I am sharing with you his best advice on this habit. One of the best things you can do for yourself as a learner is to cultivate the ability to value and enjoy the process of growth. It is going to take a long time, so you might as well enjoy the journey. Once you understand the real benefit of journaling you will take action on it. Let me share some of them. The precious benefits of journaling: Magnifies clarity and awareness Activates deliberate gratitude Reinforces daily learning Evidences where you are winning Processes low energy emotions for release versus repression
to have the wisdom and courage to go straight into them. Feel them to heal them. Name them to let them go. Difficult feelings that you don't find a healthy way to remove become repressed, which creates stress, poor productivity and disease. Those stuck toxic emotions layer over your gifts, talents and higher wisdom. When we avoid feelings, we lose access to our most powerful selves and forget the truths of life: each of us can accomplish amazing things, and produce impressive works, and realise illuminated health, and know true love, and live a marvellous life, and be helpful to many. Unfortunately, most people have so much fear, pain, anger and sorrow built up over their real selves, they have no sense of the opportunities that sit right in front of us. All that dark energy blinds them from seeing them. And blocks their access to their primal power. The great people of history had this access. Today the majority have lost it. Once you reclaim the power blocked by layers of toxic emotions and the wounds of the past you will ascend significantly. Your highest self, the source energy steps into power.
Offers a place to work through confusion Permits for planning and goal setting so implementation improves Captures your life's best experiences Allows you to re-experience joyful times Elevates your creativity which when translated into productivity yields mastery. The key is to just start writing. Do not think too much. Just start to write down what to expect from the hours and day ahead. Describe your ambitions, set in motion your gratitude by listing what is good in your life right this moment. It is an incredible place to process through the frustrations, disappointments and resentments in your heart so you can let them go, just release. It is marvellous how you can release the toxic emotions and low energy from your system when you write down your suppressed feelings and hurts, freeing up your highest creativity, superb vitality and exceptional performance. I suggest that you write down both the most positive aspects of your life and also those aspects of your life that are causing discomfort and pain. The quickest way out of hurt emotions is 61
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Beauty & Fashion
BY CRISTINA CHRISTENSEN
COCO CHANEL, AN ICON OF FASHION AND BEAUTY Stories aren’t always full of success and glamour; today we’re going to learn a little bit of the story of a girl, who, orphaned of a mother and abandoned by her father in an orphanage, became an icon in the world of fashion and beauty. Her name is Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, better known as Coco Chanel.
wanted: sophistication, simplicity and comfort.
She was born on the 19th of August 1883, in Saumur, a small city in France. She lived in an orphanage until 1903, and upon leaving, she went to work in an atelier called Maison Grampayre. Some years later, more or less in 1907, she began to sing in a café called La Rotonde. It's in this way that Gabriella become Coco Chanel, as she sang “Qui qu’a vu Coco dans l’Trocadéro”, and she is known by this name until the present day.
Her empire continued to grow, and nowadays we can find bags, make-up, creams, bracelets, earrings, shoes and much more created by Chanel.
Over time, Coco launched a collection of felt hats, which rapidly began to attract attention, as they look like the hats which were used by the elite, with feathers and full of details which were popular at the time. They were simple, sophisticated, and were very successful, ultimately leading to Coco Chanel opening her hat shop, called Chanel Modes. However, Coco Chanel wanted more, and so she quickly entered into the world of accessories as well as the world of fashion. Who else could create the LBD, other than Coco Chanel? Yes, that’s right, it was her! As well as that iconic piece which absolutely every woman has, she also created loose pants inspired by sailors, and, of course, the blazer with beautiful gold buttons which is super popular in haute couture fashion. She brought what all women
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What a woman! So much creativity, and it was her love for her work that made her famous the world over. In 1921, she finally launched her perfume, Chanel N°5.
Her success wasn’t just down to her haute couture pieces, bags, and perfumes though. She became an inspiration for short and modern hairstyles, too. She is a lady of tremendous success, and as such she also became the influence for the bob haircut, also known the world over as the Chanel cut. Simple and sophisticated, as was her style, that haircut became fashionable in renowned hair salons across the globe. Chanel became a reference point in everything she touched. These days, there are many types of Chanel bob: long, short, choppy, straight, and more. Always remember to ask your hairdresser if they have experience with that haircut, though, as although it may seem easy, it definitely isn’t! Geometric techniques are used to achieve that cut. Coco was, without a shadow of a doubt, a visionary, with a creativity and business vision which was absolutely admirable. Even the First World War wasn’t a problem for her, as her clothing collection was perfectly comfortable for the period. Many Parisians left the big city, and continued wearing her clothes. Coco contributed to the world of fashion for more than 6 decades, and on the 10th of January 1971, she passed away in Paris. She left us with her creations, style and sophistication. She showed us to keep going, she showed us to persevere and to believe that dedication to our work and our dreams is always worth the effort. Let's raise a glass to that great woman, Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel.
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Beauty & Fashion
5 ESSENTIAL HAIRCARE PRODUCTS BY CRISTINA CHRISTENSEN
Styling Tools with 3D Concave Hair Straighteners
Cordless Hair Curler
Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray
CHI 44 Ironguard Thermal Protection Spray
Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001QYBURQ?ref=exp_c2crischristensen_dp_vv_d 66
Beauty & Fashion
SOPHIA LONDON LAUNCHES PLANT-BASED HAIRCARE FOR AFRO-TEXTURED & CURLY HAIR EDITOR’S CHOICE Sophia London is a new natural hair care brand specially tailored towards curly and afro-textured hair. Taking a holistic approach to hair care, the brand uses natural ingredients such as exotic nuts, herbs, and wild fruit extracts to create a vegan-friendly range of products that work to define, hydrate, and maintain natural textured hair, hassle-free. The founder, Falone had a passion for experimenting with different ingredients and creating homemade skin and hair care products for her home. Falone's original formulations were not only loved by her household but sought after by friends and family - and the seeds of Sophia London were born. Sophia London's journey began when our founder Falone became a mum to Sophia, the inspiration behind the creation of Sophia London. Unable to create her own products due to the pressures of motherhood, Falone failed to find suitable products offering both quality and price, so she took matters into her own hands, literally. Central to Falone’s research and formulations were innovative plant-based blends that actively support and promote healthy hair and skin. Led by recent scientific research as well as traditional African botanical traditions,
Falone continues to formulate the Sophia London collection with the primary aim of helping hair enthusiasts to fall in love with their hair again. Sophia London soft-launched the brand in September 2020 in the midst of uncertain times (Covid-19 global pandemic) with the official launch this month, 30th of June 2021. Since launching, Sophia London has quickly built up an online presence through social media and is a regular at various trade shows and events. Despite the pressures of Covid-19, the brand has continued to see an increase in sales, with many happy customers raving about seeing improvements in their hair after trying the products. Sophia London aims to highlight how plant-based hair care products can be simple to use, effective and stress-free, encouraging people to think about their use of harmful products (containing sulfates and parabens) which are marketed towards afro and curly hair consumers and consider reducing it in a way that works for them. The brand is dedicated to playing its part in protecting customers' gorgeous curls as well as the planet.
About Sophia London: Founded in September 2020 in London, Sophia London manufactures and markets plant-powered hair care products which nourish, hydrate, soothe and protect all afro and curly hair types. Blending nature's most hydrating, botanical ingredients, such as Moringa, Baobab and Argan Oil, their formulations deliver genuine results without the use of chemicals and are completely cruelty-free. Falone Mambu, founder, Sophia London comments ‘We’re really excited to launch Sophia London this month, it’s something we’ve talked about for a while, and it felt like the right time to give it a go! One of the biggest trends we’ve seen recently is the growth in veganism and we know that moving to plant-based ingredients can have such a positive impact on both the health of individuals and the planet’. I made the decision to embrace my natural hair a few years back after an unforgettable trip to a hairstylist who left my hair and scalp badly damaged combined with years of chemically processing and straightening my hair. I soon realised that this couldn’t be the way forward if I wanted my hair to be healthier, thicker, stronger, and natural’. ‘I used a mixture of exotic oils and butter (which then became our hair growth oil and buttercream) to encourage growth and moisture. Within a couple of months, my hair and edges were back and I knew I had something worth sharing with others. With an extensive and exciting product menu ranging from hair butter, conditioners, oils, shampoos (and more to come), Sophia London is the destination for anyone with an interest in healthy living.
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Beauty & Fashion
SUSTAINABLE SPRING CLEANING EDITOR’S CHOICE
· Last year Britons saved 5,175 tonnes of CO2 emissions by buying and selling fashion items secondhand.
· This equates to driving around the world in a standard car 574 times or driving to the moon 60 times.
· Interiors therapist Suzanne Roynon offers expert advice on how to carry out a sustainable spring clean.
From sentimental items you can’t bear to part with to impulsive bargain buys, we can all relate to holding onto an item of clothing in the hope we might fit into it again or become fashionable once more - even if it’s a onesie from 2009. An annual wardrobe spring clean can be the perfect way to give unwanted clothing a new lease of life. The latest data from Shpock’s annual Secondhand Effect report, released ahead of World Environment Day (5th June), shows Britons potentially saved 5,175 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions last year by buying and selling on the app – which is the equivalent amount of emissions as driving around the world in a standard car 574 times or driving to the moon 60 times. There is nothing more satisfying than a spring clean, the annual purge of the wardrobe can be incredibly cleansing for the mind, but it is also very good for the planet. In fact, when talking about interiors therapy, the clothes we own are often the best place to start; a simple way to get clear on how ‘stuff ’ can impact every part of our lives. Re-homing clothes also contributes to a circular economy and translates to huge savings in greenhouse gas emissions and less wasted materials. From January 2021 to March 2021 Shpock data saw the number of fashion items sold on its website increase by a third on average (33%) and future predictions show that by shopping on marketplaces, Britons could be potentially saving 1.2 million tonnes of plastic, 7.8 million tonnes of steel and 0.7 million tonnes of aluminium. To give Brits a helping hand, Shpock have partnered with interiors therapist Suzanne Roynon to share top tips and tricks on how to carry out a sustainable spring clean: 1. Give yourself time and focus on items not bringing you
joy. Spring cleaning the wardrobe isn’t a ten-minute job, but when you get it right, you’ll save yourself countless hours in the months and years to come. Take everything out of your wardrobe and pile it on the bed. This is where you get totally honest about each item; does it remind you of anything unhappy, disappointing, hurtful or bring you down in any way? 2. Always Think Sustainably - give pre-loved items a new home. When it comes to letting your unwanted clothes and possessions go, use marketplaces to sell items on, they have a huge array of buyers and it's also a great way to earn money. Never send stuff to a landfill. 3. Tackle drawers, shelves and anywhere else you keep foldable clothes. Follow the same principles to assess how they make you feel and if anything does not make the grade, let it go. Do the same with accessories, jewellery, gadgets, and products – anything you don’t use isn’t serving you and it’s taking up space. 4. Time to organise and clean - give the items you're keeping a fresh space. Before putting anything away, vacuum and give every drawer and cupboard a wipe down with a suitable cleaning product inside and out. Your clothes deserve a fresh, clean space and so do you! 5. Think about the clothes-hangers you use. The brain responds well when things are ordered, so using hangers which match rather than a jumble of odd shapes and colours is a simple mind-hack as well as being visually rewarding. 6. Order your wardrobe. Hang clothes so items of the same type are together and sort them by length; that way you’ll know exactly where to find your perfect outfit every day. This method makes putting away laundry much more straightforward and your eye will appreciate the organisation each time you open the door.
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Gifts
5 Gifts for Your BookLoving Friends
by Lola Sherwin
6 Resin Floral Bookmarks, £9.99 (Buy here)
Just One More Chapter Plaque, £6.99 (Buy here)
Book Tote Bag, £7.99 (Buy here)
What better gift is there for a book lover than this gorgeous collection of resin floral bookmarks? There's a lovely variety in this multipack, too, meaning you can gift several different friends, if you like!
Every avid reader knows that saying, right? What better present than a little plaque with it on to remind people to give them time to enjoy their book!
Gift your book-loving friend a tote bag to carry their books around in – practical and cute! What more could you want?
8-Tier Standing Wooden Bookcase, £49.99 (Buy here) How gorgeous is this standing wooden bookcase? This geometric bookcase is the best addition to any book lover’s home – it's the perfect gift!
Clip Reading Light, £7.99 (Buy here) Every reader needs a reading light to help them read by night! This one is perfect as you can clip it onto your book, meaning you can use it wherever you go.
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Furniture
5 Must-Have Pieces of Garden Furniture
by Lola Sherwin
Solar Powered Lanterns, £19.99 (Buy here)
If you love to sit outside at night, then of course you need good lighting to create ambience. These solar powered lanterns are the perfect fit for that purpose!
Grey Egg Swing Chair, £575 (Buy here)
Who doesn’t want a swing chair for their garden? They’re the ultimate level of comfort, and this one is super stylish, too!
Meditating Buddha Ornament with Solar Light, £30.99 (Buy here)
Every garden needs some decoration, and this meditating Buddha ornament is absolutely gorgeous. The solar light also makes it handy for brightening up your outdoor space.
Luxury Rattan Garden Furniture, £1359.99
Grey Parasol, £64.99
(Buy here)
(Buy here)
This gorgeous garden furniture set comes with a convertible corner sofa, a bench, a stool and a dining table. What a beautiful addition to your garden!
No garden is complete without a parasol, and this neutral beauty is the perfect finishing touch for your garden furniture set.
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Gadgets
5 Must-Have TV-Related Gadgets
by Lola Sherwin
Fire TV Stick 4K, £49.99
Samsung 4K HDR Smart TV, £499
(Buy here)
(Buy here)
This is the optimum media streaming stick to help you launch and control your favourite TV shows and movies, even with your voice! Technology just got better.
Looking for the perfect TV to complete your living room? This 4K HDR Smart TV by Samsung is a great choice, combining a sleek design with incredible quality picture!
TV Bluetooth Soundbar, £39.95 (Buy here)
Every TV needs the perfect speaker, and this Bluetooth soundbar is the best complementing accessory to any TV room.
Voice Control TV Back Lights, £22.99
Remote Control Holder, £20
(Buy here)
(Buy here)
These LED strips are compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, meaning you can control them with your voice! Create ambience in your living room with these TV back lights.
Always losing your remote controls? Then you need a remote control holder, surely! This one is the perfect addition to any living room.
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