Press Release: Celebrations underway as ‘BUD Leaders’ commemorate 10th year anniversary with event to mark momentous occasion | BUD Leaders Press Room
The launch of the ChallengeX2 campaign was underway as BUD Leaders welcomed changemakers, entrepreneurs and partners from across the UK’s business community, to partake in the celebratory occasion dedicated to highlighting equity for Black and global majority women in business.
ChallengeX2, the groundbreaking initiative committed to reshaping the business landscape, is set to infuse £50 million into Global Majority Organisations worldwide by 2030. The campaign, aimed at fostering a fairer business world, extends its reach from Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to large corporations, igniting a transformative movement.
The celebration was held at the NatWest Conference Centre, London, on Friday 23rd February 2024 the all-day event consisted of changemaker seminars from business entrepreneurial speakers, Q + A segments from industry leaders, networking and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and focused-led business-driven workshops. Providing expertise on the day were speakers such as CBRE Global Director Chris Williams, Dr Carlton Brown, co-founder of Black Business Magazine Justice Williams MBE, and BUD Leaders CEO Georgina Wilson, just to name a few.
Now in its 10th year of service, the company has flourished and continues to revolutionise the business sector. Entrepreneur Georgina Wilson launched ‘BUD Leaders’ after recognising a power imbalance and an inequity for women of colour in business. Whilst on stage, Georgina shared about the purpose and her vision for BUD, “ Entrepreneurialism is an adventure, and I love the adventure of life but I also love the opportunity to create impact. It feels like my purpose, the thing that I was born to do, so I have to live it.”
On the day the delegates were given the opportunity to become ambassadors and volunteers, as well as sign up for the BUD leadership programme for support and guidance, where small businesses and training will become available. Many participants with start-up companies and business ventures stated how much they felt like BUD Leaders filled a gap in the market by assisting those who required entrepreneurial and business support.
“This was a fantastic opportunity for BUD Leaders not only to celebrate 10 years as a business, but also to launch the ChallengeX2 campaign. I would like to thank our sponsors NatWest, Impact on Urban Health, FP Comms, Nzinga, A Chain of Events and Lensi. We appreciate and are grateful for your support”
Georgina Wilson
One of many keynote speakers on the day, Justice Williams MBE co-founder and Editor in Chief of Black Business Magazine shared her thoughts on the event,
“It’s really inspiring to see the work that BUD is doing and as a leader it’s really important for us to connect with each other in a safe space and safe environment, and that’s what I’ve really enjoyed about today.”
Recent statistics show that less than 1% of corporate spending goes to Global Majority-led businesses and only 5% of black-owned businesses secure contracts with large companies. As a result, BUD Leaders aim to facilitate and provide a network of resources to increase these corporate figures within these diverse and arenas.
“You often hear about the sentiment and power of such a like-minded community coming together, but trust me the feeling in the room at today’s BUD Leaders 10th anniversary was amazing – huge congratulations and doff my cap, Georgina Wilson. Fabulous team and organising and a stellar panel of speakers too many to mention and so many brilliant connections to catch up with during the networking”.
Nick Howe, Regional Enterprise Manager for NatWest
BUD Leaders has a bold goal to change the way the UK does business, to overturn the huge disparities for Black and Global Majority women, and eradicate the decisions being made today that worsen inequity.