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Diversity in Business


“It is incredibly important for the enterprising women of the


future to engage with black female businesswomen who have blazed a trail of success





St Matthew Academy in Lewisham believes the positive influence of role models from an early age should never be under-estimated. Founded in 2007 following the amalgamation of a failing primary school and a secondary school, St Matthew Academy is an award-winning institution for 3-16 year olds with a speciality in enterprise.


Vice-principal Martin Nirmsimloo is passionate about ensuring St Matthew Academy students realise their potential via regular opportunities to connect with business role models.


“Ninety per cent of our female intake comes from the inner- city black community,” Mr Nirsimloo explains. “It is incredibly important for the enterprising women of the future to engage with black female businesswomen who have blazed a trail of success.”


St


Matthew Academy is supported by an array of organisations, including PRECIOUS and Urban Synergy, who facilitate workshops with leading black business women, enable work shadowing, offer internships and provide sponsorships.


Students are currently participating in a scheme where


they are given the opportunity to interview Black female entrepreneurs they admire. The Interview an Entrepreneur school programme is hosted by the Twenty Ten Club, an award-winning organisation committed to connecting, inspiring and supporting Black female entrepreneurs.


The students devise their own interview questions for the series of entrepreneur profiles which are published online at www.twentytenclub.com. Interviewees to date include celebrity make-up artist Eryca Freemantle, social entrepreneur Claudine Reid MBE and the award-winning Jessica Elliott of J’s Dance Factory.


“The Interview an Entrepreneur programme has enabled our students to access inspirational business women,” Mr Nirsimloo asserts. “This has had a marked effect on their own goals and self-esteem at a very young age.”


St Matthew Academy stands out for its commitment


to providing access to leading women from the ethnic minority entrepreneurship community. Speakers at recent events, with evocative titles such as “Yes We Can!” and “Believe2Achieve,” include Foluke Akinlose MBE, double Olympian turned business owner Stephanie Douglas and Islington Chamber of Commerce CEO Ronke Lawal.


“The support from high-flying young entrepreneurs such as Jessica Huie of Colorblind Cards, Natasha Faith of La Diosa and Jessica Elliott of J’s Dance Academy has led our girls to believe they will achieve,” Mr Nirsimloo says. “The power of positive black female role models has contributed to our school becoming one of the most improved in the country and the leading enterprise school in the United Kingdom.”


Exposure to such forward-thinking enterprise initiatives is


(Images: Far Left: Octavia with students at St Matthew Academy, Above Left: Entrepreneurs from TwentyTen run mentoring sessions, Above Right: A poster for Twenty Ten’s speed mentoring programme)


49 entrepreneurcountry


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