Black British Business Awards announce 2021 finalists

Finalists have been uncovered for this year’s Black British Business enterprise Awards, an annual event that celebrates the achievements of some of the UK’s top rated company bosses and entrepreneurs.

Now in its eighth 12 months, the awards spotlight “exceptional business talent” across six industries: arts and media customer and luxury start out-ups monetary services professional services and STEM (science, tech, engineering and maths).

Amid the 39 businesspeople shortlisted are Taponeswa Mavunga, director of Africa at Sony Music British isles, Akima Paul-Lambert, litigation husband or wife at Hogan Lovells, and Edgar Chibaka and Jamal Tahlil, co-founders of Leeds-primarily based protection business 1st Response Team.

Sophie Chandauka, co-founder and chair of the awards, said: “Our finalists have shipped tremendous professional value across sectors in unstable marketplaces, wherever entrepreneurs in particular have been decimated.

“They have been strategic advisors to their organizations and boards as international organizations are challenged by buyers to tackle systemic racism.

“Despite the pandemic and social unrest, they are fiercely competitive, innovative and commercially savvy. They are international in their outlook and ambition, and stand for the very most effective of becoming British in a post-pandemic, post-Brexit Europe.”

Segun Osuntokun of law business Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner was named black British businessperson of 2020 at previous year’s ceremony.