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A PRECIOUS EVENING | Ngum Ngafor

Our most recent event placed the spotlight on women who have started and grown a business in the creative industries.If you haven’t attended a PRECIOUS networking event before, this review from Ngum Ngafor gives a taste of what to expect…

 

image of Ngum Ngafor
Ngum Ngafor

My #WeeklyPlanner Monday: work, yoga, home.

Next Monday: Rinse, lather, repeat.

Or so I thought until something pinged into my inbox. A PRECIOUS event on Monday April 24! I’d been to one last year and loved it! Cool people, great ideas –  and London’s connector extraordinaire (aka super nice human being) Foluke Akinlose, who puts it all together!

So there I was on a chilly Monday evening, dressed optimistically for British weather and wishing my ruby trainers could teleport me out of the crazy traffic to the British Library’s Business & IP Centre.

Intellectual property at the venue was hot alright! Smart, stylish ladies exchanged niceties. And then we sat for a fireside-style chat on the business of creativity.

Heidy Rahman, the founder of Rose & Willard corporate wear, opened the conversation with a brand story that reads like a dream. From studying Maths to a stint in accounting, her quest for a life that celebrates women led her to build this ethical brand. By manufacturing in the UK, showcasing her collections with models from diverse backgrounds, working to support vulnerable women and encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers, Heidy has grown Rose & Willard into much more than a luxury label. It’s a formidable movement!

It’s all just sinking in when Heidy drops a nugget: “I’d learn more about the technicalities of the fashion business before jumping in.”

image of Denise Rawls from hackney Hive
Denise Rawls

Marketing maven Denise Rawls loves to grow creative businesses. That’s why she runs the Hackney Hive. You’d be mad not to be uninspired by her strides in the civil service (she left school at 16) and ability to pursue a degree as a working single parent. Did I mention her ‘love at first sight’ story in New York? He’s now her husband and collaborator.

#PreciousTip from Denise? Listen to informative podcasts.

Diane Dunkley would “bleed purple if cut” because she LOVES Prince!  This the former London Underground worker who “blagged” her way into music management first co-founded agency KIKIT and built it to the point where Prince became a major client. These days she runs RM2 (Real Musicians, Real Music) and continues to rack up an impressive rota of established and emerging talent.

image of Dr Clare Anyiam Osigwe from PREMAEAt five years old, Dr Clare Anyam-Osigwe sold homemade chips from her family home in Islington. Tragedy would follow in the death of her father, mental health problems for her grieving mother and an early life in care. But Clare’s “love for education” and determination to treat a skin infection would lead her to create PREMAE, an award-winning cosmetic line, open a practice in London’s famous Harley Street and gain recognition from The Queen.

‘The After Party’

Glasses clinked, wine flowed, contacts were swapped. What an evening!

I’m inspired, not only by these women’s stellar achievements but also their sense of authenticity.

One thing’s for sure. There are opportunities in this city. And they are precious! Don’t miss the next event.

The next PRECIOUS Event is PRECIOUS Hair and Beauty Networking Evening at Wah Nails

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