Reclaiming Narratives

This year’s theme of Black History Month is Reclaiming Narratives, highlighting the importance of recognising and correcting the narratives of Black history and culture. 

As events and discussions took place around the country, Inclusioneering wants to take this opportunity to shine a light on Black trailblazers who are making significant contributions to industries which shape our world – tech and engineering.

Ollie and Nike Folayan

Siblings Ollie and Nike Folayan founded The Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE) in 2007 to address the under-representation of ethnic minorities in the engineering sector. They promote greater achievements in education and engineering through programmes and activities which are led by senior engineering and technology professionals. 

As well as speaking at this year’s AFBE Live!, Inclusioneering’s Founder and CEO Jo Stansfield spoke to Ollie Folayan as part of the Equity Edge Podcast. Ollie spoke about the challenges within their sector: 

‘Engineering, as great as it is, has a problem: the greater demand for talent than there is talent available. And when it comes to ethnicity, for example, we have 1/3 of all British engineering undergrads, who are from a minority ethnic background, but the industry has 9%. 

What we at the AFBE have tried to do for the last 17 years, is work at increasing the number of people that take up STEM. We do a lot of work in schools and communities and faith groups. And we try and get more people into the sector. We try to address the retention question by ensuring that more people who go into study engineering at the university have the support that they need in order to get into the industry’ – Ollie Folayan

By acknowledging the disparity in the sector and identifying how to increase diversity and inclusion, Ollie and Nike are working hard to drive progress and representation within their fields.

Flavilla Fongang

A photo of Flavilla Fongang
Flavilla Fongang

Founder of the creative branding and digital marketing agency, 3 Colours Rule, Flavilla Fongang is focused on creating a platform for underrepresented voices.   

Flavilla was named by Computer Weekly in 2022 as the number 1 most influential woman in tech in the UK, a list which included more than 600 prominent women in tech. She is also the founder of Black Rise, a social business platform that connects Black professionals, entrepreneurs and businesses with global opportunities and networks.

As founder of GTA Black Women in Tech, Flavilla publishes an annual book ‘The Voices in The Shadow’. It showcases the journeys of 51 black women in the UK who have each impacted the tech industry. The books are free to secondary schools across the UK and Ireland and are also archived at The British Library. 

‘The idea that women are not naturally talented in STEM fields is a common misconception, but one’s gender does not determine one’s aptitude or interest in STEM. Women have made significant contributions to STEM throughout history, so the notion that these fields are better suited for men has no factual basis. Fostering diversity in STEM is beneficial because it brings together varied perspectives and insights’ – Flavilla Fongang 

By reclaiming this narrative, Flavilla is empowering women around the world and inspiring younger generations, ensuring their success for the future.

Julia Latif

Author Julia Latif

Julia ensures seamless day-to-day operations as Business Support for Inclusioneering. With a career that has shaped a diverse skill set in entrepreneurship, Julia’s mission is to empower and connect businesswomen, especially from ethnic minorities. Julia is also founder of Effect UK, a support network for business women from ethnic minorities and diverse nationalities.

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