Our 2018: The Foundation

This year has been one of the most game-changing years for YSYS. If anyone had told tell me that a WhatsApp group I started in 2017 would be featured in Forbes, receive funding from The Mayor of London and pioneer a campaign all the way to City Hall, I would have laughed. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support from our community, partners and advisory boards.

2018 — we laid the foundation.

2019 — we are levelling up.

Here’s a picture review of all we have accomplished so far:

2018

We curated a panel at AfroTech Fest on how our community are using technology to drive diversity and inclusion.

Yommy (Data Expert), Darren (Founder of TRIMIT) Urenna (Founder of Cashmere) and Andy (MD of Backstage Capital London)

We hosted a private roundtable with Arlan Hamilton Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital for aspiring VC’s and startups in our community.

We supported FFWD with their diversity and inclusion ambitions, diversifying their pipeline of applications and mentors.

Josephine (Founder of Black Hair Book)

We got lit at YSYS Brunch — it was a movie!

We strengthened our community bond during YSYS SportsDay — shooting hoops and ending the day in an epic water fight.

Shout to James and Rashide (left) for organising

We launched #FearlessFemaleFounders campaign, bringing 25 women of colour together to brainstorm on diversifying entrepreneurship in London.

We led the #WhereAreTheFaces campaign, addressing the Mayor of London need to provide support black women entrepreneurs.

The team GREW!!

Sahra, Deborah (me) Dayo, James, and Claudine

Our community GREW!

We teamed up with Tech Inclusion on their 2nd annual conference at Bloomberg. This year the theme was “Voices of Innovation” — featuring diverse, underrepresented voices building the innovative technologies and cultures of our future.

Tech Inclusion YSYS Volunteers

We hosted Afrobytes Startup Pitches, where our community building products for the diaspora pitched in front of investors and stakeholders.

Dayo (Founder of AfriClick)

We were featured in Forbes, The Evening Standard, and City AM

• These Initiatives Are Responding To The Lack Of Inclusion In Startup Culture
• ‘Technology changed our lives’ — the entrepreneurs making the most of the digital sphere

We partnered up with Capital Enterprise and received funding from JPMorgan to launch OneTech, an initiative to support 200 female and BAME-led (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) start-ups to grow and scale in London by 2020.

We raised £94 from our Christmas Book Sale for Crisis, a UK homeless charity.

Martha (Art Curator)

ANNNNDDDDDDDD just before the Christmas break we were informed that we have been selected to deliver the Mayor of London funded Digital Talent programme which aims to inspire, educate, and enable BAME 18–24 year olds to find and build for themselves career opportunities in London’s tech startup sector — this will lead to the launch of YSYS pre-accelerator; FoundersDoor.

Looking forward to a great 2019!!!!!!!!