Kike Oniwinde: Empowering black professionals through community

Our guest on the podcast is Kike Oniwinde; the Founder and CEO of BYP Network, a digital platform that connects black professionals with each other and corporations. She has been recognised as a leader in tech and won many prestigious awards including Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Financial Times' top 100 BAME leaders in technology.


Here's what we discussed during our discussion:


  • Can you tell us a bit about your story leading up to starting BYP Network? (00:56)
  • What barriers are stopping black students, in particular, from achieving high grades at university level? (03:03)
  • What experiences did you have or witness that motivated you to start BYP Network? (05:33)
  • What is unique about a black professional’s experience in the workplace that makes a platform like BYP Network so important? (07:49)
  • Do you think there is a clear solution to elevate more black professionals into executive roles? (09:40)
  • BYP has been described as a platform with a mission to ‘change the black narrative’ what does this mean to you? (11:33)
  • Do you think that descriptions, such as B.A.M.E, are good for marginalised communities? (15:09)
  • How did the BLM movement impact you on a personal level but also the black narrative? (16:53)
  • In your opinion, is the professional world changing quickly enough for black professionals? (18:31)
  • Can you tell us what BYP does to empower black professionals in the workplace? (19:11)
  • What kind of working culture do you find important for your own business? (22:02)
  • You were on the GB Javelin team. Was there anything about being an athlete that prepared you for being an entrepreneur? (24:11)
  • How are your motivations changing as you’ve grown up? (24:58)
  • You're about to have a baby. How will this change your role at BYP and has it changed your approach to work at all? (26:20)
  • Do you think more needs to be done in the workplace to support pregnant women? (27:40)
  • How can we change the narrative for women in the workplace with kids? (28:54)
  • You’ve experienced a significant loss in your life, you’ve recently lost your mum. How has this loss impacted or changed the way you approach life and your work? (31:01)
  • Do you have a particular BYP success story that sticks out in your mind? (34:34)
  • What is more likely: starting a business from scratch and getting a net worth of $50 million, or winning $50 million in the lottery? (35:58)


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