1Xtra Future Figures 2025

Founder of The British Blacklist, and creator and co-host of Your Aunties Could Never/The Circle podcasts, Akua Gyamfi has over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, with a career spanning fashion, film, television, theatre, print and online media.

In 2012, Akua founded The British Blacklist, a platform that celebrates the talents of British-Black creatives across screen, stage, literature and sound. She also produces podcasts Your Aunties Could Never, and TBB Talks (interviews with Black creatives from around the globe).

Alongside writer/producer Leon Mayne, Akua is the co-creator/co-exec producer and host of podcast series The Circle, speaking to Black & Asian professionals working in film and television. The pair also host a monthly film club in London. In 2019, Akua joined forces with Soul Film, and We Are Parable to launch the S.O.U.L. Film Festival, an annual event which showcases the best of Black filmmakers and content creators from the UK and the wider Diaspora.

Akua is also a much sought after Q&A moderator having moderated for A.M.P.A.S, BAFTA, Netflix, Disney, BBC and more.

Founder of Women Connect, Alexandra Ampofo is a visionary in the live music industry, currently making waves as a live music leader.

She blends strategy with purpose, leading EMBRACE Nation (Live Nation UK's pioneering Diversity Employee Resource Group), creating a dynamic cultural space for racial equity and education. Her portfolio spans global artists including Tommy Richman, Tyla, Amaarae, and Gabzy, and projects with Somerset House, The Ends Festival, UNICEF Music Group, and the Black Music Coalition. With over ten years of industry experience, Alexandra founded Acoustic Live in 2013, an award-winning platform spotlighting acoustic artists and nurturing raw talent through community-driven events.

Passionate about equity in the arts, she also founded Women Connect, a not-for-profit initiative cultivating safer, inclusive opportunities for women and non-binary creatives. Her work intersects innovation and impact, having partnered with Google, Puma, KA Drinks, and Desperados to elevate underrepresented voices through music.

Whether onstage or behind the scenes, Alexandra is dedicated to reshaping the creative industries into spaces of access, empowerment, and cultural transformation.

Candace Oxley is the founder of The Gynae Project and host of the Womenstrual podcast.

Candace is a storyteller, connector and the Founder of The Gynae Project. As health and wellbeing rose to the top of Candace's priorities, it led her to deeply question her menstrual cycle and the information (or lack thereof) surrounding it. 

As a massively untapped, underfunded and under-researched area, Candace’s questions empowered her to be part of the change she wanted to see and establish The Gynae Project - a data-driven women’s health organisation helping women and girls receive improved and routine access to menstrual care and education through content, namely the in-house podcast, Womenstrual - The Podcast, workshops and offline events.

Ashley Gordon, better known as DJ AG, is a Tottenham-born, open-format DJ known for turning the streets of London and cities across the UK (and the world) into vibrant stages, amplifying voices across the world with community at the heart of everything.

With viral livestream sets featuring surprise appearances from artists like Skepta, Ella Eyra, Central Cee, JME, Jorja Smith, Craig David, Slick Rick, Ed Sheeran, Ciara and Tiwa Savage, he’s built a movement rooted in community, connection and raw talent. More than just a DJ, AG uses music to bridge gaps—amplifying voices often overlooked, from emerging artists to people facing personal challenges. Whether performing in care homes, schools, youth centres or on the pavement outside King’s Cross, his mission is the same: to spread joy, spark conversations and inspire hope through music. With nearly 70 million views on Instagram and TikTok in the past month alone, DJ AG is proof that with heart, purpose and a little rhythm, real change is possible.

Elsie Ayotunde Cullen is the founder of ourppls, a community engagement agency led by creatives who care.

With over a decade of experience, Elsie has led large-scale cultural activations such as museum takeovers at the V&A, brand activations at Somerset House and Saatchi Gallery, and most recently, the creation of Glastonbury Festival's first community hub space centring black creativity and culture - Black at Glasto!

Elsie's agency, ourppls, now works at the intersection of creative industries and local cultural communities, helping to bridge the gap between fresh emerging talent and impact-led legacy projects. 

Enoch Adeyemi is the founder of Black Professionals Scotland & UK.

He identifies himself first as human. Furthermore, he is a societal change catalyst, public speaker, published author and radio host. Enoch has built a successful two-decade-long career in the financial services and holds the distinction of being a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Driven by a strong commitment to positive change, Enoch has founded several organisations, including Black Professionals United Kingdom – a rapidly growing organisation which exists to empower individuals on their journey to a successful career. Additionally, he contributes his expertise in leadership, finance as well as entrepreneurship, across multiple advisory boards.

Fiona Compton is the founder of the informative platform, Know Your Caribbean.

She is a Caribbean storyteller, historian, and artist who has dedicated her life to amplifying the rich history and culture of the region. A proud daughter of St. Lucia, Fiona is the founder of Know Your Caribbean, a groundbreaking platform that has become the world's premier resource for Caribbean history, reaching over 500,000 followers globally.

With a background in photography and film from London's Central St. Martins and the London College of Printing, Fiona uses her artistry to reclaim narratives, educate, and inspire. Her work has been featured in leading museums, institutions, and media outlets, weaving the vibrancy of Caribbean heritage with the critical conversations of today. A sought-after speaker and consultant, Fiona has collaborated with organisations like the National Maritime Museum and The World Reimagined to spark dialogue about decolonisation, reparative justice, and the enduring legacies of colonialism.

Her passion extends beyond the stage, as she curates immersive art experiences, thought-provoking discussions, and educational content that bridges history with modern identity. Fiona's vision is clear: to empower individuals through the stories of their ancestors and to celebrate the indomitable spirit of the Caribbean. Whether delivering a keynote, curating an exhibition, or leading a campaign, Fiona's voice resonates with authenticity, passion, and purpose.

Ife Thompson is a Movement Lawyer, UN Fellow and the founder of Black Learning Achievement and Mental Health (BLAM UK).

As a barrister at Nexus Chambers, Ife specialises in criminal defence, family law, and human rights. Her legal practice actively challenges racial and linguistic injustice, frequently bringing Black language and racial trauma experts into court to disrupt anti-Black narratives and ensure fair treatment for her clients. Alongside her legal work, Ife is a prominent voice on language justice and Black British identity, creating educational content and hosting The Black British English Podcast. She is currently writing her first book on Black British English.

In 2017, Ife founded BLAM UK, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to advancing Black history education, challenging racist school exclusions of Black children, and building the racial esteem of Black people through community-focused racial wellness projects. Under her leadership, BLAM created one of the first augmented reality Black history apps and teaches Black history in schools across London weekly. They also published a Keystage 2 Black history book with Routledge called Global Black Narratives For The Classroom.

A 2025 Atlantic Racial Justice Fellow and former finalist for Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year, Ife continues to advance racial justice and equity both in the courtroom and across communities globally.

Kayne Kawasaki is a cultural theorist and UK Black history educator from Peckham, south-east London.

He began his career teaching in secondary schools in his hometown, and has now shifted the focus of his teaching skills towards UK Black history and started creating educational content online. As a result, Kayne has amassed over 55k followers on Instagram, has a TEDx Talk under his belt and has consulted for English Heritage, Notting Hill Carnival and TikTok - he featured on their nationwide 2021 BHM Billboard campaign and was nominated for 'Voice for Change' at TikTok's 2024 award show

Kayne has quickly become one of the go-to-voices for factual, historical and statistical information regarding race relations and history. Most recently, he pioneered the first Notting Hill Carnival Historic billboard takeover, where he raised £2.1K in 1.5 days to takeover the largest billboard space within the Notting Hill Carnival route to platform the history of Notting Hill Carnival, literally bringing the history to the streets!

Leanne Pero MBE is a multi award-winning social entrepreneur, speaker, author, host and breast cancer survivor.

She set up her dance company, The Movement Factory when she was just 15 years old. Since then, Leanne has successfully fundraised over half a million pounds to run community dance programmes for young people all over London and is an official Nike London Partner.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30 in 2016, Leanne then set up her namesake charity, which houses the infamous Black Women Rising cancer support programme. The programme won The National Lottery Award for Health in 2021 and now helps over 500 women of colour in the UK who have had a cancer diagnosis.

Leanne was named an MBE in the first Kings Honours list in June 2023, and has also been featured in and on many media outlets such as The Telegraph, Marie Claire, The Voice, South London Press, The Express, The Sun, Metro and Guardian newspapers. She's regularly interview by national news outlets and is annually featured on The Lorraine Show as part of their 'Change and Check' awareness segment in Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Midwife and content creator, Elizabeth Idowu, known online as Mamadinya, is the founder of Mamas Classes.

A qualified midwife, maternity educator, and content creator, Mamadinya has a community of over 500,000 followers and more than 10 million impressions across her platforms. She is the founder of MamasClasses, where she has taught thousands of pregnant women, and the creator of Bumps and Brunches, a live community event for expectant mothers. Through her work, Elizabeth bridges the gap in maternity education with honesty, humour, and cultural sensitivity, aiming to shift stigmas around pregnancy and empower women with the knowledge they deserve.

Melanin Moods provides a culturally sensitive approach to communities who have not always accessed traditional mental health services.

At Melanin Moods, their mission is to champion the mental wellbeing of racialised communities, with a commitment to creating a nurturing, culturally affirming and equitable space, where individuals from diverse racial backgrounds can heal, grow, and thrive.

They endeavour to challenge systemic inequalities, erase the stigma surrounding mental health, and empower all individuals to embrace their full potential and increase their mental health resilience. Their special interest lies in providing a culturally sensitive approach to communities who have not always accessed traditional mental health services. Melanin Moods services are designed to reflect the unique nuances of Black and Brown ethnicities and culture on mental health. In doing so, they provide specialist workshops, unique events and personalised therapy plans, designed and delivered by clinical psychologists and accredited psychotherapists.

Nadine Haughton is a Global Industry Manager in the Retail Sector at Google and a dedicated Events Lead for the Black Google Network.

She is a powerful advocate for inclusion, having pioneered the first internal awards evening for Black Googlers and orchestrated Google and YouTube's historic first-ever presence at Carnival, celebrating cultural authenticity. Her professional career spans high-level roles in digital marketing and ad-tech across Google, Oracle, and Adobe, with specialised expertise in data-driven strategies and full-funnel measurement. Beyond the corporate world, Nadine is deeply committed to community impact. This includes hosting career days for schools and, notably, organising the highly successful “Behind The Smile: Sickle Cell at Work” event. This powerful initiative, which raised £8,000, brought together over 150 attendees, leading charities like the ACLT, and multiple corporate ERGs to advocate for sickle cell awareness and blood donation.

Nadine recently launched her own venture, Ensuno House, a mother and baby unit dedicated to providing a nurturing space and support for new mothers.

Sisters Naomi and Natalie Evans are speakers, authors and educators, who founded Everyday Racism, the largest anti-racism platform in the UK.

This dynamic duo are making a powerful impact on the fight against racism. They are speakers, authors, educators, and award-winning influencers for their Instagram platform Everyday Racism, which serves as the largest anti-racism platform in the UK.

Both are natural communicators who draw upon their lived experience to drive the work they do. At the heart of their work is a commitment to empowering people to make a difference in the world. Naomi and Natalie believe that education and action are the fundamental routes to stopping social injustice.

Naomi and Natalie are also the authors of the non-fiction book ‘The Mixed-Race Experience’, published by Penguin Books (2022), and ‘Everyday Action, Everyday Change’, a children’s book published by Hachette (2023). They have also contributed essays to two YA books entitled ‘Teenage Armageddon’ and ‘Allies’, the latter of which was selected as the World Book Day title for 2023.

Nyle McIntosh is the founder and Director of Black Things UK, a platform that celebrates Black culture.

Founded in the summer of 2020 by Nyle, during the social and political unrest, Black Things UK is a platform that celebrates Black culture through social media and visual content, while raising awareness and hosting conversations around issues impacting the Black community.

Their impact and influence means they've worked with many organisations such as the Greater London Authority, London Marathon Events, My Friend Jen, Enact Quality, Black Eats LDN, and Vamp PR, to name a few. They have also provided opportunities to presenters based across the UK to interview celebrities and actors such as Angela Bassett, Teyana Taylor, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Aaron Pierre, and Michael B. Jordan.

They aim to further strive to bring difficult conversations to the forefront to create lasting change, and aim to create an ecosystem for the Black community. In addition, Black Things UK plan to offer more opportunities to talent inside and outside of London, increasing visibility in spaces where Black people are often overlooked. They also plan on having roundtable discussions around mental health and hosting spaces and workshops around journalism and related fields, as well as hosting conversations on sensitive topics that affect both men and women.

Zambian-born, north-west London raised Sebastian Thiel is a filmmaker and art curator, the man behind some of your favourite TV shows and founder of Dope Black Art - a global platform celebrating Black culture through visual art with a community of 850,000+ followers and brand partnerships ranging from HBO to Disney.

Noted as one of the UK’s most exciting voices behind the camera, he has directed acclaimed dramas for Netflix, BBC, ITV, and Amazon Prime. At 17, Sebastian founded Upshot Entertainment to create the kind of underrepresented stories he wanted to see: authentic, Black-led narratives. His first TV documentary, Trap Town, aired on London Live in 2014.

Sebastian’s breakout project, Just A Couple, which he created, wrote, and directed, began on YouTube before being commissioned by BBC Three via Big Talk Productions. He went on to direct the pilot for International Emmy-nominated Dreaming Whilst Black for the BBC, then ITVX/Amazon’s family saga, Riches. Most recently, Sebastian directed half a season of Netflix’s Supacell.

He is the founder of Upshot Reels, which produces professional showreels for top actors, helping them secure roles and representation, previous success stories include Letitia Wright (Black Panther, Small Axe) and Damson Idris (Snowfall, F1). He has been recognised by the Evening Standard’s Top 25 Under 25 list, the BBC New Talent Hotlist, and Broadcast magazine’s Hot Shots 2022. Sebastian has also delivered talks at TEDx, Wieden+Kennedy, Coca-Cola, and Snapchat, inspiring audiences with his journey and creative philosophy.

Author Selina Brown is the founder and CEO of the Black British Book Festival, Europe’s largest celebration of Black literature.

A Penguin Puffin children’s author, she published My Rice Is Best in 2024 and has curated landmark events with global icons including Eve, Oti Mabuse, and Tabitha Brown. Passionate about representation, Selina champions emerging voices across publishing, education, and the arts. She has worked with organisations including Pan Macmillan, Glastonbury, and Paramount, and is committed to creating lasting change in the industry. Her work centres on celebrating Black stories, building community, and inspiring the next generation.

Mother and daughter Sharon and Afiya Amesu are the co-founders of She Leads For Legacy, a dynamic community initiative.

Committed to empowering Black women to step into positions of influence and drive meaningful change within their communities in partnership with allies, She Leads For Legacy is based in Manchester. They work collaboratively to deliver leadership development initiatives, strategic workshops, training programmes, and coaching sessions that strengthen confidence, representation, and impact across sectors.

Together, Sharon and Afiya bring a powerful intergenerational perspective to their work - combining years of professional expertise with lived experience as barristers. Motivated by their collective sense of justice, their approach is rooted in authenticity, collaboration, and social purpose, ensuring that every programme they design is both impactful and inclusive.

At the heart of She Leads For Legacy lies a shared mission: to challenge traditional narratives of leadership, amplify diverse voices, and nurture a new generation of local leaders equipped to influence change. Through their work and their growing community of changemakers, they are redefining what leadership looks like—making it more accessible, representative, and deeply connected to the people it serves.

31-year-old Tarrell McIntosh is a community-loving restaurateur and chef, who endeavours to give back through his Jamaican-inspired restaurant, Paradise Cove in south London.

Tarrell lost his mother at eight years old and experienced a neglectful childhood in the social care system that saw him being homeless at 16 and eventually taken into care after a nine-month court case and being housed at 17 years old.

He has worked in the hospitality sector as a chef, and in education as a primary school teacher and assistant head teacher. In 2020, Tarrell acquired the site for Paradise Cove (which was a disused unit) by raising £18k through crowd funding and self-funding the final £6k to start the build. He converted the space into a café, and overcame many obstacles to create a community hub that has now helped over 150 adults, 200 families, 60 children (with food, uniforms and other economical resources) and provided Level 2 qualifications to all long-term staff.

Never one to rest, Tarrell is currently studying his sixth post-graduate degree - an educational doctorate - but is aware that work in the community is never-ending and far-reaching.

Yaw Owusu is a Liverpool-based creative consultant and trailblazer.

Yaw specialises in the strategic design, development and delivery of music and music culture projects, programmes and initiatives that deliver long-term impact for creatives, brands, organisations and communities. He believes that the empowerment and platforming of under-represented voices, cultures and stories strengthens and bolsters the art, Yaw is a trailblazer, connector and thought leader. He leads extraordinary media and culture we consume.