Yorkshire’s black business stars take centre stage at Leeds film premiere
A NEW film has put West Yorkshire’s black entrepreneurs in the spotlight as part of a campaign to inspire the next generation of business leaders.
Business leaders and entrepreneurs from across West Yorkshire came together at the Leeds Everyman Cinema for the premiere of a new film celebrating the region’s black-owned businesses.
The short film – commissioned by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and produced by the Leeds-based filmmaker Luke Walwyn – features 16 black-owned businesses, each of them leading the way in sectors ranging from arts and health to retail and business services.
Among those featured are Sharon Watson MBE, Artistic Director of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance; Ndidi Nkwopara, Creative Producer of the Leeds International African Arts Festival; and Sola and Solomon Abuede, founders of Midway Pharmacy.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Our great region is home to extraordinary entrepreneurs, and this film is about making sure their stories are heard so they can inspire the next generation. “Too often, our talented black business owners have unfairly faced the biggest barriers to accessing investment or mentorship, and we’re on a mission to change that. “Our Local Growth Plan is about supporting all our local businesses to succeed, so we can create good jobs and build a stronger, better off West Yorkshire."
The idea for the film came from the region’s Black Business Group – who advise Mayor Brabin, her business advisor Mandy Ridyard, and the wider West Yorkshire Business Board.
Valentina Hynes, CEO of SVH Inc. and a member of the Black Business Group at the Combined Authority, said: “When aspiring entrepreneurs see people who look and sound like them, from communities just like theirs, who are building thriving businesses here in West Yorkshire, it sends a powerful message that they can do this too. This film creates a roadmap of inspiration and insight for aspiring black leaders.”