Rising Star Award Nominees
Rising Star Award Nominees
Words Sarah Adama
In what has been a tumultuous year, we are recognising young emerging talent. These women are demonstrating what is possible and stand out as role models for other young women. The Rising Star Award represents the outstanding potential to impact change and lead tomorrow.
They have demonstrated exceptional talent and ambition, an appetite for impact and across their respective industries, these women have exuded high charisma and willingness to shape the future.
Maya Ghazal
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador
It’s rare to hear pilot and Female in the same sentence. In fact, only 5% of the world’s pilots are women. Maya Ghazal is breaking that glass ceiling - she’s young, a former refugee and a pilot, the first to come from her background.
In 2015, Ghazal, aged 16 left Damascus with her family in search of a new life in the UK. A non-english speaker, faced with hostility and stigmatisation, Ghazal taught herself English and restarted her studies.
“I had all the determination in the world; education was the most important thing to me and it was at risk of being taken away,” she told an outlet.
Her relentless drive has landed her a place on the Aviation Engineering and Pilot Studies degree course at the University of London. At 21, she became the first female Syrian refugee pilot and has her sights set on becoming a commercial airline pilot. The journey continues. In 2021, now 22-year old Ghazal was appointed goodwill ambassador for UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. Through powerful speeches and action, she uses her platform to advocate for refugee inclusion, access to education and career opportunities and to continue negative stereotypes of refugees.
Hers is a story of what perseverance, tenacity and drive can do. There’s no doubt she is making a difference and carving a path for young women.
Vee Kativhu
Oxford & Harvard Graduate
Studying is cool again, thanks to Youtubers like Vee Kativhu. She takes her seat amongst the new influx of education influencers using social media to make education enjoyable and accessible to all.
Securing a place at the World’s Leading Institution isn’t easy, but it’s certainly not impossible. Vee Kativhu proved it. Now, she wants to help other students aim high and achieve their dreams. At the age of 5, she moved from her hometown Zimbabwe to Birmingham, where she would embark on an educational journey between disruptive state schools and working long hours to support herself and her mother. Adversities don’t phase her. Kativuhu overcame barriers and entered possibilities - she came to the U.K unable to speak English. When she secured a place at the University of Oxford, Kativhu was astounded by the lack of diversity and access. People at the university didn’t look like her, it seemed almost like a private members club. Angry and inspired, she started her Youtube Channel to spark this inspiration in other students to aim high and go beyond societal limitations. Today, Vee Kativhu has an audience of over 300,000 as she shares her own experiences and advises people on recognising their own talent and achieving their potential.
“Let’s add author” she posted on Instagram. Now 23-years old, an Oxford and Harvard graduate, Vee Kativhu is also a published author. Through her book titled ‘Empowered , Vee wants everyone to know that nothing is ever too far from reach. Vee, in a recent interview:
“I really hope that they, especially young Black girls, feel empowered to kind of take ownership of their narrative and not allow society to put them in a box. I hope that a young Black girl that watches my videos feels like: I deserve nothing but the best in this world, and I don't have to hold myself back just because other people don't believe in me. I want her to find her voice. I want her to feel proud of her skin, her background, where she comes from, and to feel like, “Actually this can be a source of empowerment for myself, where I can use my different experiences to kind of bring something new to the table.”
Princess Bright
Chartered Accountant, Councillor and Senior Operations Manager, Uber
Princess Bright isn’t new to politics.
At school age, she took up very different interests to her peers. She spent her younger years going doorstep-to-doorstep for her mother and local MP’s where she discovered her love for campaigning. Then 11-year-old Princess Bright was appointed her first role as Official Consort when her mum was elected as Civic Mayor of Hackney.
Being young, black and a woman are automatic deterrents from U.K politics but Bright doesn’t back down from a fight. She has proven her commitment and dedication to uplifting young people and paving inroads for young women to be influential in policy decision-making. Her involvement in politics at a young age, being elected Havering’s Young leader to councillor, and Mayoress of Barking and Dagenham at 22, has resulted in the higher youth participation in grassroots and national politics. Princess Bright also chairs the council’s Audit Committee and sits on a board as a school governor. In 2020, she qualified as a Chartered Accountant working at one of the world’s largest banks but has recently assumed a role with global ride-hailing company, Uber. There, she will be playing an instrumental role in fostering the relationship between the Trade Union and the private sector.
Tele Lawal
Tele is carving out her space in the U.K political sphere.
At grassroots and national level, you rarely find young black women at the forefront of political decision making.
Tele has fought to change this and inspire other young people to get involved in political processes. She took U.K social media by storm when she became the youngest councillor at 22 years old, and the first-ever black elected female for the London Borough of Havering.
Lawal is no stranger to criticism. Often told she doesn’t fit society's perception of a politician or is too young to understand politics, this has only inspired her to fight harder.
Tele Lawal is a champion for Diversity and Inclusion and community cohesion. She has proven strong dedication to community safety and young people, holding positions on committees, consulting police advisory boards and serving MPs in the past. Her passion for D & I goes beyond, having pioneered Metro Bank’s Diversity Network, Mbrace, which has gained over 3000 members since its introduction.
Onyinye Udokporo
CEO & founder of Enrich Learning
EdTech Entrepreneur and Kings College graduate of MSc Education, Policy and Society, Onyinye Udokporo is a champion for neurodiversity in Education, who recently added author to her list. Her enthusiasm and excitement for education is contagious. Not many people land a deal after a proposal . Onyinye’s impact has clearly been felt as she landed her first book deal on the first try.
“28,000+ words, sleepless nights, laughter and buckets of tears...on Tuesday 12th October 2021 at 02:22am, me, a DYSLEXIC, black woman, completed her first book,” she expressed.
Congratulations are in order for Onyinye as Enrich Learning recently signed its first global deal. Telling the story of her entrepreneurial journey, Udokporo detailed her days tutoring children from her parent’s living room every weekend, half term and school holiday at “London’s lowest rate”. She took this digital. Today, Enrich Learning has amassed over £10k in funding to expand educational opportunities and widen access to education for children, young people and families across the globe.
Onyinye Odukporo, commenting on her nomination:
“This is one of the most significant nominations and I am honoured to have been listed amongst some of the most successful entrepreneurs to date”
“To whoever nominated me, thank you.”
Renée Kapuku & Courtney Daniella Boateng
Founders of To My Sisterhood
The saying, ‘Two is better than one’ couldn’t be truer.
Oxbridge Graduates and Social Media Influencers, dubbed ‘your online big sisters’ are an inseparable pair. Sisterhood isn’t just a term for secondary school friends Renee and Daniella, it’s a strong foundation. Being the first of their families and state schools to attend Oxford and Cambridge, they detailed their journeys on social media . Both share a passion for entrepreneurship; Courtney fuelled her passion into beauty and content creation, whilst Renee fulfilled a Masters degree at Harvard Graduate School of Education and soon after became an Education entrepreneur and content creator.
“TMS has one mission. To inspire 1 million women across the globe and grow and glow together.”
The pair have made it their mission to ensure that women globally could have this foundational sistership they share. What first started as a small collaboration with 1000 views on the first episode, eventually compounded to 25,000 downloads a month and now 700,000+ plays worldwide.