(Finally) announcing Learning Marathon #9

Meet Enrol Yourself’s ninth peer group as they embark on a 6 month journey to grow ourselves, together…

Introducing a unique group of individuals that are based in London, who have embarked on a 6-month process. Having just reached their halfway mark and approaching their second Power Up day, they are now in full swing of their 6-month journey through the Learning Marathon. Here is a close-up of the group, which is focused on freelancers and aspiring freelancers, as being self-employed has its own unique challenges and can often be lonely and isolating.

Jasper Lyons

Having previously co-founded 3 companies, Jasper latest job was as a Senior Teaching Fellow in Computer Science, at Royal Holloway University of London. He’s also an Entrepreneur in Residence at Ignite, where he undertakes several roles.

He juggles software engineering and programming, acting as the technical lead on projects for Code Groovers, advising and mentoring early stage companies, and encouraging entrepreneurship among students through organising talks and events.

Jasper’s Learning Question is ‘who am I?’

Martha Lawton

Martha is a trainer, specialising in personal finance and the associated psychology of managing money. She co-runs the podcast Squanderlust, that talks about the emotional side of money.

Her learners often describe her as a dynamic, engaging and inspiring. She has run awareness-raising campaigns and community projects helping low income communities stay away from loan sharks and building resilience through promoting social finance providers. Having worked for over 10 years in the charity sector, she has extensive experience working with individuals who find themselves in vulnerable circumstances. A fun fact about Martha — she’s a Humanists UK-certified celebrant.

Martha’s Learning Question is ‘how can I turn my passion for helping people to have a healthy relationship with money into a viable business?’

Amir Hajizamani

Amir has been a Product Manager and a Software Engineer in tech companies of various sizes. Throughout his professional experience, he says he’s witnessed much of the good, the bad and the ugly of growth-driven companies and particularly their influence on our mental well-being. After coming to realise that key drivers of this tension are fear and a struggle to be authentic, he has embarked on a mission to contribute to a more harmonious society and to help others find their authenticity.

Amir has volunteered for the Code Club and for The Good Lad Initiative, helping equip young people with the intellectual and emotional skills to survive and thrive in the modern world. He has also spent some time performing stand-up comedy making difficult subjects accessible to audiences with his easy conversational style.

Amir’s Learning Question is ‘what is my sustainable authenticity?’ He is writing publicly about his journey towards that here.

Katie Slee

Originally from Durham, Katie now lives in London and is back for her second Learning Marathon after completing one in 2018.

In 2014, she co-founded Settle, an award-winning social enterprise that trains and supports vulnerable young people to move out of temporary housing and into their first home.

She values spontaneity, kindness and variety, and tries to live life in a way that makes room for all three. She now works part-time, trying to find the right balance freelance and personal projects.

Katie’s Learning Question is ‘without a brief, what does my work look like?’

Karimah Hassan

A London based artist, Karimah’s paintings translate across spatial mediums: from canvas to the street. She describes her style as expressive with a bold aesthetic, focusing on cultural identity and the role of communities in the city. The figures she paints are inspired by the people she meets at community events and the money she generates from selling her artwork goes towards financing free public murals.

Karimah’s Learning Question is ‘what is Coin Laundry?’

Mumtaz Latif Khan

Originally a teacher, Mumtaz made the move into tech recruitment and her main focus is now in the area of diversity and inclusion.

She is passionate about training tech companies to broaden their perspectives, keeping an open mind, and to become more empathetic towards the diverse needs of people from all walks of life. Mumtaz runs events for the tech community Muslamic Makers and is also a part-time spin instructor.

She loves experimenting in the kitchen, climbing mountains and keeping fit and she is looking for her next challenge after completing Kilimanjaro and the Palestine marathon.

Mumtaz’s Learning Question is ‘how can I become a change-maker?’

Sharan Jaswal

Sharan is an educator and facilitator with a passion for youth empowerment and social change.

As a founding staff member and Education Director with MyBnk, she has created and delivered a number of award-winning curricula for children and vulnerable young adults. She is also a trustee for The Abram Wilson Foundation, and works with creatives to bring out the greatness in young people through the Arts.

Sharan’s Learning Question is ‘how do I step into my power to positively impact the world?’

Analise Sesay

Analise is a social entrepreneurship educator and yoga instructor from the US. She is currently completing a master’s in social entrepreneurship at Goldsmiths, University of London. Analise is passionate about exploring business alternatives which empower people of colour to liberate themselves from oppressive systems.

She co-founded Common Healing, which exists to expand access to healing experiences that nourish and unite the people. Their first initiative is a pop up healing centre in South London, open from November 2019 — January 2020.

Analise’s Learning Question is ‘how can I educate young, aspiring social entrepreneurs from low-income backgrounds?’

Sarah Adefehinti (host)

Sarah is a self-love coach and sex educator who loves guiding people through transformational processes and watching them bloom on their journey. They believe that the personal shapes the environment around us, and that we need to get to know and work on ourselves before we attempt to change anything else. They’re interested in ways of questioning and evaluating the social assumptions around us and within us, as well as ways of finding and living in our own personal truth.

Sarah participated in a Learning Marathon in 2017 and says it shifted so much for them, giving them the opportunity to learn, create beautiful friendships, grow alongside people they wouldn’t otherwise have met, and launch their wellbeing project Loving with the Lights On.

Sarah’s Learning Question is ‘how can I thrive in this capitalist society?’

Does Enrol Yourself or the #LearningMarathon sound appealing?

Find out more on the Enrol Yourself website.