Keith Valentine Graham Bilal Musa, (Levi Roots0)
Founder Reggae Reggae Sauce
Business, Finance and Technology
Keith is one of the most celebrated Jamaican entreprenuers. He gained widespread fame after appearing on the UK television programme Dragons' Den, where he gained £50,000 funding for his Reggae Reggae Sauce by Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh. Shortly after his appearance on the programme, Sainsbury's announced that they would be stocking the sauce in 600 of their stores..
Keith Valentine Graham Bilal Musa(born 24 June 1958), better known as Levi Roots, is a British-Jamaican reggae musician, television personality, celebrity chef, businessman and multi-millionaire[3] currently residing in Brixton, South London.
Business, Finance and Technology
Mr Tevin Tobun
Founder Gate Ventures Transport Ltd
Mr Tevin Tobun born in 1976 founded Gate Ventures, a facilities services finn, in 2001. The entrepreneur makes this list because of the example he sets as a young black man running a growing business and because of the efforts he makes to give something back. His journey began when he was studying at university. In 1998 he established Tobman Enterprises, selling products purchased from wholesalers to independent retailers. It wasn't long before he conceived of an idea about services that would be relevant to local authorities and landed on the solution of 'one-stop shop' facilities. Eleven years after its birth in a southwest London boiler room, Gate now employs more than 300 full- and part-time staff. A US office was launched in 2009. Among other things, his company was responsible for delivering more than one million school dinners in 2011 and incorporates building services such as maintenance, cleaning and recycling. Tevin is involved in other ventures, including a consultancy service for those seeking advice and support about the challenges of business. In November 2011, he was appointed the chair of Inspirational You, a charitable group that empowers students, future leaders and entrepreneurs. Also, Tevin runs regular business workshops.
Business, Finance and Technology
Kofi Tutu Agyare
Founder Nubuke Investments
Born in Kingsbury, London he relocated with his family to Ghana in 1971 where he completed most of his education. After University, he came back to the UK and joined O'Connor Securities, a boutique trading firm on the floor of the London Stock Exchange in 1986. Agyare made history not only as the first African but as the first black trader on the floor of the London Stock Exchange.
Agyare has held a variety of positions in O'Connor, SBC and now UBS, primarily in a trading role, and was extensively involved with marketing, research and advising major corporations. Increasingly, his work has focused on Africa.
Mr. Tutu Agyare Founded Nubuke Investments in 2007 and serves as its Managing Partner. Mr. Agyare had a 21-year career at UBS Investment Bank most recently as the Head of European Emerging Markets and and a member of the Investment Bank Board.. He has been a Non-Executive Director at Tullow Oil plc since August 25, 2010. He is also the co-Chair of the African Acquisition Committee at the Tate Modern Museum in London.
Business, Finance and Technology
Freddie Achom
Chairman, Rosemont Group
Frederick "Freddie" Achom (born 22 January 1974) is a Frederick Achom is a Nigerian-born British businessman and entrepreneur who now calls London, Paris and Rome all home. Throughout his accomplished business career he has shown a keen eye for detail, business and investments, and has proven himself to be a self-motivated go-getter from a very young age.
Achom was listed as one of the 1000 most influential Londoners in 2010 by The London Evening Standard and again in 2011. For 4 consecutive years he has been listed as one of the top 100 most important black business people in the UK. Since 1982, Achom has been living in London, England. Besides his business activities, he is also engaged in non-profit activities. He is estimated to worth more than $70m
Frederick Achom’s path to success started modestly, as he held several positions in financial sales at several London firms. Achom’s business acumen allowed him to progress at a rapid pace. His business career took off with the sale of City Business Partners, his first consultancy and business development agency, to the UK firm EGC.
Rosemont Group Companies
In 2003, Frederick Achom founded a British Virgin Islands-based consumer goods group, the Rosemont Group. He now serves as the privately-held group’s chairman.
Rosemont Group, which according to estimates is now worth an excess of 30 million US dollars, focuses on land and property development throughout the United Kingdom, consulting and investment overseas, and luxury goods. Achom also uses his connections and business experience in Western Africa in his work with telecom clients that look to boost sales in the region or to find for quality recruitment.
Investments
Frederick Achom is a partner and major shareholder in the Bordeaux Wine Company, one of the leading wine investment companies in the UK. He also holds shares in the following companies as well: Caseflight Ltd., Universal Properties Ltd., Night Management Holdings Ltd., Hanover Bars Ltd. and Property Clinic Ltd.
Freddie Achom was also the mastermind behind the Crystal Members Club, which has been launched in Lebanon, Dubai, Beijing ,St Tropez and Los Angeles with the cooperation of a Lebanese investment group, the Circle Management Group. This venture has been a great success from inception.
In the near future Frederick Achom intends to complete the purchase of UK restaurant chain, Bennets, and by 2011 his new concept-restaurant in Los Angeles will hold a grand opening with backing from some of Hollywood’s high profile names.
More Information About Frederick Achom's
Frederick Achom's Twitter
Frederick Achom On Google+
About.Me- Frederick Achom
Art, Fashion and Design
Alek Wek
Super Model
Alek Wek (born 16 April 1977) is a South Sudanese British model who first appeared on the catwalks at the age of 18 in 1995, sparking a career lasting to date. She is from the Dinka ethnic group in South Sudan. Wek was discovered at an outdoor market in London in 1995 in Crystal Palace, London by a Models 1 scout.
Amongst other things she has done advertisements for Issey Miyake, Moschino, Victoria's Secret and make-up company Clinique as well as walked the runway for high-profile fashion designers Shiatzy Chen, John Galliano, Chanel, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Jasper Conran[6] and Ermanno Scervino. In walks for Christian Lacroix, she took the role of the bride on several occasions.
Wek has also been a guest on both The Tyra Banks Show, America's Next Top Model and The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency. And the first African to appear on the cover of Elle magazine.
Wek also designs a range of designer handbags called "Wek 1933", which are available throughout selected Selfridges department stores. The year refers to the year her father was born.Her inspiration for the designs came from the brass-clasp briefcase carried by her father.
She is a missionary for World Vision, an organisation which combats AIDS, an ambassador for Doctors Without Borders in Sudan, and devotes time to UNICEF.
Art, Fashion and Design
Aicha McKenzie
Founder of AMCK Management
Aicha McKenzie is a woman with a hand built empire at her fingertips.
The founder and CEO of AMCK Dance and Modelling, Europe's largest dance agency, was also the first ever black British rhythmic gymnastics champion and is a world renowned choreographer, working with the likes of Kanye West, Rihanna and Dita Von Teese.
About AMCK Management
Founded in 2005 by Paolo Pecoraro & Aicha McKenzie, AMCK Management is an International dance agency with the most elite selection of dancers, choreographers, and creative directors on our books. We also represent models, make-up and hair artists, stylists, as well as stage and lighting designers.
As a British and Commonwealth Gymnastic champion, Aicha came to dance and choreography in a unique way. She has carried the grace and skill from gymnastics mixed with her Urban London upbringing into her work to create a vast range and interesting fusion of movement and direction.
Art, Fashion and Design
Andrew Madan Ramroop OBE
Managing Director, Maurice Sedwell Limited
Andrew is one of the most aclaimed tailor on London's famout Savile Row. Andrew Madan Ramroop was born on 10th November 1952 in a small village at the foothills of the Northern Range of mountains, called Maingot Village, in Tunapuna, Trinidad, West Indies.
While other boys were seeking further education at College, Andrew was asked by his teacher at school how he sees his future career, he excitedly replied that he would much rather become a tailor than go on to the prestigious Hillview college - the preferred choice of his parents.
In 2003 Andrew Ramroop received the prestigious Black Enterprise Award - International Businessman of the Year, at the Institute of Directors. He also received the Men of Merit award from the Enterprise Partnership Network.
After completing a course and gaining the Certificate of Distinction at London College of Fashion (LCOF), Andrew was seconded to Mr. Maurice Sedwell as an assistant cutter in 1974. In both 1976 and 1977 he was a finalist in the Federation of Merchant Tailors National Competition in the category of Gentlemen’s lounge suits, competing against long established tailors throughout the United Kingdom.
He spent 12 years at LCOF as a part-time tutor in Gentlemen’s Pattern cutting, Fitting and Tailoring, retiring from teaching in 1988 to concentrate on Maurice Sedwell Ltd which today exports more than 50% of its bespoke suits outside the EC and clientele in more than 50 countries. More about Andrew
Media, Publishing and Entertainment
Kanya King MBE
founder of the MOBO Awards
King is a consultant to a number of Government initiatives for disadvantaged youth including the Home Office Task Force to reduce gun violence. She is a patron of the Horniman Museum, and founder member of Net Women, a body of women in the media.
Founded MOBO which attracts more than 250m people in 65 countries now watching the MOBOs (Music Of Black Origin awards) Kanya runs one of the world's biggest black music events. If anything, the awards have become even more popular over the past fgw years as Kanya has moved them from their London base to various locations around Britain. The success of the MOBOs led to Kanya being recognised in Real Business magazine's list of Britain's 100 Most Entrepreneurial Women. Before establishing the MOBOs (of which she is the sole owner) in 1996, she worked her way up from television researcher and a booker for Radio 2. She then remortgaged her home to fund a ceremony that gave due acknowledgement to African and Caribbean artists and black music. Kanya acts as a consultant on a number of government initiatives for disadvantaged youth and is a founder member of Net Women, an influential body of high-profile women in the media. She recently joined the boards of the London Entrepreneurial Exchange and the National Skills Academy and was awarded an honorary doctorate in business at Leeds University. She has become a consultant to HSBC Group plc, a visiting professor at London Metropolitan Business University and a patron of music at City of Westminster College.
Media, Publishing and Entertainment
Darcus Beese
Co-President of Island Records Group
He is the tea boy who became the boss. Darcus Beese, co-president of one of the UK's most successful record labels, Island Records, was turning 18 when he first met its founder Chris Blackwell. "I remember everyone whispering 'Chris Blackwell is on the floor,'" he says. "This guy walked in with a red, gold and green scarf around his neck, walking through the war room, as we called it, and everyone put their head down pretending to work."
But the teenager tried his luck, reasoning "this was my opportunity to introduce myself". "He asked me what I did and I told him I was a tea boy. He asked 'at what department?', I pointed at promotions. He said: 'That's the promotions department? That used to be Stiff Records.'" It was the first, but not the last, history lesson Beese got from Blackwell. Now 42, he has been at Island ever since. "Did I think I'd ever be running the company? Not in the slightest."
Appointed co-president of Island records group, parent group of labels three years ago. He oversees the day-to-day running of a company that houses stars such as U2, Mary J Blige, Paul Weller and Akon. His story is a classic case of starting from the bottom and rising to the top. Darcus went, quite literally, from being a tea boy at the legendary Island Records to becoming one of the music industry, most respected A8cR directors. In 2003 he signed five-time Grammy winner the late Amy Winehouse, who sold an incrediblellm albums. A year earlier he had signed Sugababes and orchestrated their reinvention into one of Britain, most successful girl groups. When he took over as co-president with marketing man Ted Cockle in April 2008, Island was celebrating its 50th anniversary. The artists he oversees, such as Jessie J and Taio Cruz, continue to prosper. Cruz's hit single, Dynamite, became the best-selling single in the history of Island Def Jam, after passing 5m sales in the US. One of seven siblings, Darcus grew up in Fulham, west London and is the son of the veteran TV broadcaster Darcus Howe.
Media, Publishing and Entertainment
Malorie Blackman
Writer and Arthor
Malorie is one of Britain's most successful and influential contemporary children's book authors. She is the first black British writer to sell over a million books. The award-winning author of more than 50 works has been called a 'national treasure, Her cleverly written novel Noughts and Crosses (which forms part of a series), won the 2002 Children, Book Award and was voted one the nation, 100 favourite books in the BBC Big Read survey. Both Hacker and Thiefl won the Young Telegraph/Gimme 5 Award - Malorie is the only author to have won this award twice - while Hacker also won the WH Smith Mind-Boggling Books Award in 1994. A talented scriptwriter and sometime playwright, she also has numerous credits for children's programmes, such as Byker Grove, while the adaptation of her book Pig Heart Boy won a Bafta for Best Children, Drama. In 2004 she also wrote Cloud Busting, a novel entirely in verse, which won a Nestle Smarties Book Prize (Silver Award) the same year. In 2005 Malorie was honoured with the Eleanor Farjeon Award in recognition of her contribution to the world of children, books. In 2008, she was honoured with an OBE for her services to Children's Literature.
Media, Publishing and Entertainment
Gary Lee
Executive Chef - The Ivy
Gary's career goes from strength to strength. After four years as head chef for The Ivy he was promoted to executive chef in 2011. He is inccharge of the restaurant and of the organisation's private dining facilities and private members' club. The Ivy is one of the world's most famous restaurants and a London institution that is regularly frequented by A-listers that include Elton John, Mick Jagger, Angelina Jolie, George Michael, and Tom Cruise. As a magnet for the glitterati there's no other restaurant in the same league. Gary oversaw the launch of Ivy Dubai, to much critical acclaim. His career at Caprice, The Ivy's parent company, which owns some of London's finest and best-loved restaurants, has included positions as sous chef at Le Caprice and head chef at Bam-Bou before he took up his role, in 2007, as head chef at The Ivy. In addition, he does cookery demonstrations in schools and colleges and, in some cases, mentors college catering students. His most recent protégé was runner up in the Rotary 'Young Chef of The Year' competition. Outside work Gary, who has three daughters, loves boxing. He trains up to four times a week and is a great fan of the discipline, concentration and tactical control that the sport requires.
Media, Publishing and Entertainment
Tinie Tempah
Artist
The Plumstead-raised 22-year-old - otherwise known as Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu Jr - is one of the UK's biggest new music stars, and in early 2011 became the first UK rapper to sell a million singles in the US. Tinie has top US acts such as Snoop Dogg, Kelly Rowland and Wiz Khalifa queuing up to work with him. His debut album, Disc-Overy, released to a strong buzz in 2010 and, spearheaded by thl huge hit Pass Out, went on to sell over 1.2m copies globally. It notched up two UK number ones, two Brit Awards, three MOBOs and a prestigious Ivor Novello award. In addition, Tinie was nominated for the 2011 Barclaycard Mercury Prize for album of the year. His videos have accumulated more than 100m YouTube/Vevo plays and his Facebook fans stand at 1.6m. Tinie is also leading the way with a new generation of British urban artists signing lucrative sponsorship deals - he was named the face of soft drinks giant Lucozade in early 2011. Tinie has come a long way since starting out in 2005 as aspiring MC, cutting his teeth on the UK's underground urban music scene, and building up a dedicated fanbase by performing at raves, releasing mix-tapes and appearing on youth satellite television shows.
Media, Publishing and Entertainment
Pat Younge, Chief Creative Officer
CEO BBC Vision Production
Patrick has one of the most significant roles in UK broadcasting - heading the BBC's in-house production division.Pat took up the role of Chief Creative Officer of Vision Productions in January 2010.
He is responsible for the in-house programme making BBC teams that have created and made some of the best known hit BBC shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Top Gear, Antiques Roadshow, EastEnders, Dragons' Den, Watchdog, Nature's Great Events and The One Show.
Incorporating Comedy, Drama, Entertainment and Factual in-house television, multi-platform and some radio production, Vision Productions has bases in London, Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham and around 3,000 staff working on content creation.
Pat was previously President and General Manager of Travel Channel Media (part of Cox Communications), an integrated multiplatform travel business. In this role he was responsible for all programming, production, development and operations for the network and led a transformation of the Travel Channel into a multimedia business with record ratings and business results and creative success including four Emmys in 2009.
Prior to this, Pat spent four years as Head of Programmes and Planning for BBC Sport, where he was directly responsible for scheduling more than 1,000 hours of sport output annually across BBC One and BBC Two, improving production efficiencies and overseeing innovative BBC Sports coverage.
Programmes he was responsible for included: Grandstand; Sunday Grandstand; Ski Sunday; Rugby Special and Sports Personality Of The Year.
In 2004 Pat was joint leader of the pan-BBC Content Supply Review, focussing on BBC in-house production.
Previously, Pat spent two years as Commissioning Editor for Multicultural Programmes at Channel 4, where his programme credits included: Untold, the black history season; Soul Nation, Trevor Nelson's history of British soul music; Love In Leeds, a pop documentary series and An Indian Affair, a revisionist history of Britain's relationship with India.
Pat has also worked at the BBC as a Series Producer in Current Affairs. His credits include: the award-winning series Black Britain, which he both co-created and series produced; and BBC One series Here And Now, of which he was series producer.
He started his career as a researcher on LWT's The London Programme in 1991.
Science and Engineering
Samantha Tross
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
A hip and knee specialist, Samantha was the first black female consultant orthopaedic surgeon in the UK and is one of a small but growing number of female orthopaedic consultant surgeons. She practices at the Clementine Churchill Hospital, Bupa Cromwell Hospital and the Ealing Hospital NHS Trust. She is a fellow of the Royal College of Orthopaedic Surgeons and a member of the British Hip Society and of the Royal Society of Medicine. She is an associate editor of the Journal of Medical Case Reports and an examiner for the Imperial College School of Medicine. Samantha is the subject of a national curriculum book - Samantha Tross, Orthopaedic Surgeon and she was profiled in the Black Britannia exhibition at City Hall. Samantha is a mentor for aspiring surgeons, particularly female and ethnic minority ones. She is an educational supervisor at hospital and is invited to give motivational speeches at schools. Samantha believes it is crucial that self-belief is instilled early in the lives of young people and says that she is indebted to her parents for instilling it in her.
Chuka Umunna PM,
Labour Member of Parliament for Streatham
Chuka Umunna was elected as Member of Parliament for Streatham in May 2010, becoming the first MP for the constituency to have grown up in the area.
He was selected as Labour’s parliamentary candidate for the seat in March 2008 by the Streatham Labour Party after Keith Hill MP, who first won the seat for Labour in 1992, announced his retirement at the next general election.
Born in October 1978, Chuka studied Law at the University of Manchester and the University of Burgundy, followed by Nottingham Law School.
An employment law solicitor by profession, prior to his election Chuka worked at a law firm primarily acting for employees but also employers, having trained as a solicitor at a City law firm.
Chuka is a board member of Generation Next, a not for profit social enterprise providing activities for young people in London. He was formerly a trustee of the Anthony Bourne Foundation and the 409 Project – both youth charities – and has also served as a school governor of Sunnyhill Primary School and Children’s Centre in Streatham. He is a member of Compass, the Fabian Society, GMB and Unite.
He is a patron of Latimer Creative Media, a social enterprise which trains young people in digital media and a supporter of Cassandra Learning Centre, a charity raising awareness and working to stop domestic violence.
In the May 2010 general election, Chuka was elected to represent Streatham having received 20,037 votes, with the number of votes received by Labour rising from 18,950 in the previous general election in 2005. Turnout in Streatham increased by 11.5 percentage points at 62.8% compared with 51.3% in 2005.
In June 2010, he was elected by his parliamentary colleagues to serve on the Treasury Select Committee and in October 2010 was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Ed Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party.
In May 2011, Chuka was appointed by Ed Miliband as Shadow Minister for Small Business and Enterprise in Labour’s Shadow Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) team, led by John Denham. In this role, he leads on small business issues, business support and access to finance, corporate governance, deregulation and economic growth.
In October 2011, Chuka was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, replacing the Rt Hon John Denham MP who announced his resignation from Shadow Cabinet.
In this role, Mr Umunna leads the Opposition Shadow Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) team, leading for the opposition on a wide range of issues including business, enterprise, science and universities.
Fashion & Beauty
Pat McGrath
Fashionist
Pat McGrath is the fashion world's best-kept secret. She's the make-up guru everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Naomi Campbell call in their hour of need, while the most sought-after designers wouldn't dream of doing a catwalk show without her.
It's no wonder that the Northampton-born creative, 46, has become a celebrity in her own right. Famed for her flamboyant, unique and innovative looks, including gold faces, exotic geisha, gargantuan lashes to feathers, petals and rubber eye make-up, Pat continues to cast a spell on the catwalk for both haute couture and ready-to-wear.
Pat's creative input is every designer's must-have at Fashion Week every season in London, Paris, New York and Milan and the beacon of calm thrives on the adrenalin of creating iconic looks in the backstage chaos. "Every designer takes you on a different journey," she has said. "It's great when they let you into their fantasy."
Along with directing make-up for high-octane shows, Pat's extensive portfolio of advertising campaigns includes Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Saint Laurent Paris and Balenciaga, while her celebrity clients include Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson along with supermodels Naomi Campbell to Gisele Bundchen. When Pat did Oprah's make up for the cover of American Vogue, the TV star is said to have cried "wet, happy tears" on seeing the results.
Pat's come a long way from a beauty-obsessed teenager who would make her own face cream, to being named the most influential make up artist in the world according to style bible Vogue. She attributes her eye for creativity to her mother Jean, a Jamaican who loved clothes and would spend hours browsing vintage stores and quizzing her daughter on the different shades of eye shadow. "She trained me, basically, to do the shows, right there... look at the pattern, check the fabrics, look for the make-up — and begin," Pat told Vogue. "She was always mixing up colours because there wasn't anything out there for black skin."
Despite having no formal training, Pat abandoned her plans for completing a fashion degree after her Art Foundation course and began working in the music industry. A chance meeting with i-D's fashion director Edward Enninful put her on the fashion map in the early 90s and she became the magazine's beauty director — a position she still holds to this day. The rest is history.
Now juggling her catwalk duties, creating captivating editorials and multi-million pound advertising shoots, Pat is also the global creative design director of Procter & Gamble focusing on their signature brands including Max Factor, CoverGirl, SK-II and Dolce & Gabbana brands . It is a job she describes as "a dream come true". She reveals the role, which she has held for eight years, has given her a greater understanding of what women want from their makeup. "Working in fashion, I mostly do make-up on models, who are very young and fresh. The make-up blends beautifully and wears well.
For the rest of women, they don't always have young-model skin and features. The make-up they wear has to last all day without creasing or fading. They want colours that reflect current trends and look beautiful." Pat had her first foray in developing a make-up range when she was hired to create an ultra-wearable line for Giorgio Armani in 1999. Establishing herself as the go-to woman for product development, she debuted Dolce & Gabbana: The Make Up in 2004. Such is Pat's incredible reputation, a vibrant fuchsia-tinged red lipstick called Dahlia, had a waiting list before the collection even hit the shops. "She is a legend," Stefano Gabbana said. "She understands immediately what we want."
Ironically, despite her love of vibrant colours, Pat herself opts for bare-faced chic and is typically photographed wearing her signature all-black uniform.
During an illustrious career that spans over 20 years, Pat has become a fashion game-changer and was honoured to work on Italian Vogue's groundbreaking all-black edition in 2008 — which featured only black models. It was a move that sent shockwaves through the industry and became the highest-selling issue of Italian Vogue ever, and the first time in Conde Naste history that a magazine has been reprinted to satisfy demand.
Now one of the biggest power players in the fashion and beauty industry, Pat — often heralded as a genius and creative muse — doesn't rest on her laurels. She continues to push the boundaries and finds inspiration in the rich cultures of her jet-set lifestyle, from film noir to African tribal tradition to impressionistic art. "Everything goes into fashion. It isn't just make-up... It's film, TV, history of art, books, clubs. The culture." Pat's incredible journey from such humble beginnings is proof that if you have vision and raw talent, nothing can hold you back, not even the lack of formal training. She confesses: "I broke every rule because I didn't know what the rules were. And that's how you learn and come up with new things. Even today, I'm still learning."
Source: Powerlist 2013
John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu
The Archbishop of York
John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu is the second most senior cleric in the church of Engalnd, born 10 June 1949 in Kampala, Uganda. Sentamu studied law at Makerere University before gaining employment as an advocate of the Supreme Court of Uganda. Speaking out against the regime of President Idi Amin, he was briefly imprisoned before fleeing to the United Kingdom in 1974. Here, he devoted himself to Anglicanism, beginning his study of theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge in 1976 and eventually gaining a doctorate in 1984. He studied for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, and was ordained in 1979. In 1996 he was consecrated as the Bishop of Stepney and in 2002 moved to the position of Bishop of Birmingham. In 2005 he was appointed to the position of Archbishop of York.
Sports
Mo Farah
Gold Medalist Athlete
Mohamed "Mo" Farah CBE is a Somali-born British international track and field athlete in the long distance and middle-distance. He is the current 10,000 metres Olympic and World champion and 5000 metres Olympic, World and European champion.On the track, he generally competes over 5000 m and 10,000 m, but also runs the 3000 metres and occasionally the 1500 metres, over which distance Farah is the British and European record holder. He will make his marathon debut in 2014 in London.
Born in Somalia, on 23 March 1983,[20] Farah spent the early years of his childhood in Djibouti with his twin brother.[21] He later moved to Britain at the age of 8 years old to join his father, speaking barely a word of English.
His athletic talent was first identified by physical education teacher Alan Watkinson, who later said of Farah: "When I first met him, he was struggling academically and suffering from the language barrier. He needed focus and I sort of took him under my wing. His passion was football but it was his turn of speed on the pitch that showed his real talent." His ambition was to play as a right winger for Arsenal football club. He later joined the Borough of Hounslow Athletics Club in west London.
Innovation and architecture
David Adjaye — Principal
Principal - Architect
David recently named Wall Street Journal Magazine's ‘Architecture Innovator’ of 2013. David Adjaye, who designed the forthcoming Smithsonian's African American Museum, is WSJ. Magazine's Architecture Innovator of the Year.
David Adjaye OBE, Principal Architect of Adjaye Associates, is one of the leading architects of his generation. Described as an architect with an artist’s sensibility, his ingenious use of materials and showcasing of light have defined his work since establishing his practice in 2000. He was born in Tanzania in 1966 and lived in a number of different cities across the continent of Africa until settling in London at the age of thirteen. After gaining a B.Arch. from London South Bank University, he graduated with a Master’s degree in Architecture from the Royal College of Art in 1993, where he won the RIBA Bronze Medal. Projects have been diverse in scale, audience, and geography.
They include numerous private houses, exhibitions and pavilions as well as major arts centres and important public buildings across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. These demonstrate his considered approach to understanding the needs of the constituency served by each building and a respect for their integration – culturally and architecturally – within the existing locale. Completed civic works are:
two neighbourhood libraries in Washington DC; Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO; The Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham; the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver; Rivington Place – a visual arts centre in London; The Stephen Lawrence Centre in Lewisham;
the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo; and the Idea Stores on Chrisp Street and Whitechapel – two pioneering new libraries in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
His largest commission is the project to design the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum for African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington DC, which is under construction. Also on site is the Sugar Hill social housing scheme in New York’s Harlem, a mixed-use retail and arts complex in Beirut, Lebanon and a concept store in Lagos, Nigeria. In the UK, he is working on a number of projects including a new ‘fashion hub’ in Hackney, London. Projects in Ghana include the five star Princes Town Resort, Elmina College and Roman Ridge Gardens residential development.
David Adjaye’s belief in working together with artists and other cultural thinkers has led to a number of notable collaborations on both building projects as well as exhibitions, which include: the Richard Avedon exhibition at New York’s Gagosian Gallery in 2012; Olafur Eliasson’s “Your Black Horizon” light installation at the 51 st Venice Biennale in 2005 and Chris Offili’s “The Upper Room”, which is now in the permanent collection of Tate Britain. In addition, his practice invests considerably in critical research projects, including most recently, “Urban Africa: David Adjaye’s Photographic Survey” – a unique geo-cultural catalogue profiling
the African city in a global context.
His commitment to education extends to lecturing internationally; he was the first Louis Khan visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania and was the Kenzo Tange Professor in Architecture at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Previously a unit tutor at the Architectural Association, David was also a lecturer at the Royal College of Art and he held a Visiting Professor post at Princeton University School of Architecture. Adjaye is a RIBA Chartered Member, an AIA Honorary Fellow, a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council and a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He was awarded the OBE for services to architecture in 2007 and received the Design Miami/ Year of the Artist title in 2011.
In 2012 he reached number one on the Guardian’s “Powerlist” of Britain’s most influential black people.
Idrissa Akuna "Idris" Elba
British actor, producer, singer, rapper, and DJ
Elba was born on 6th September 1972 in Hackney, London. His father, Winston, was a Sierra Leonean and worked at a Ford motor factory, and his mother, Eve, was a Ghanaian and had a clerical job.[9] Elba's parents married in Sierra Leone and later moved to London.
He is best known for portraying drug lord and aspiring businessman Russell "Stringer" Bell in the critically acclaimed HBO series The Wire,[4] and Detective John Luther in the BBC One series Luther.[5] He has won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Luther. Elba has appeared in films such as American Gangster (2007), Daddy's Little Girls (2007), Takers (2010), Thor (2011), Prometheus (2012), Pacific Rim (2013) and Thor: The Dark World (2013).[6][7] In 2013 he portrayed Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. In addition to his acting work, he is a DJ under the moniker DJ Big Driis (or Big Driis the Londoner) and a hip-hop soul musician.
Elba appeared on Oprah show and was featured as one of the "Ten Hottest Men on the Planet" in the April 2004 issue of Essence magazine, and again in the November 2005 issue. He was selected as one of People's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World in May 2007. He appeared on the August 2009 and November 2011 covers of Essence magazine. He appeared on the August 2010 cover of Ebony magazine.
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Idris Elba on Jimmy Kimmel Live PART 1
Idris Elba on David Letterman - 24 June, 2013
Best ABC News - Idris Elba Interview 2013: Actor's 'Mandela' Portrayal Getting Oscar Buzz
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