With The Lilac Review in full swing since February 2024, we are extremely pleased to welcome two further Disabled founders to the Review’s Steering Board.
Shezad Nawab MBE, co-founder of coaching business ICE Ventures, and Hayley Kellard, founder of greeting card company Dotty About Braille, will join The Lilac Review’s board to provide key advice and insight, drawing from their personal and professional experience.
Minister for Small Business Kevin Hollinrake MP, who is Co-Chairing the Lilac Review, opened proceedings with a speech about the value of supporting Disabled entrepreneurs and their essential contributions to their communities, and the nation.
We were also honoured to have Victoria Jenkins, founder of adaptive fashion brand Unhidden, detail her hopes for the Lilac Review as Co-Chair, as well as sharing her impressive entrepreneurial journey.
Becoming disabled in her twenties, Victoria went from working with major fashion brands as a garment technologist to starting a business, after coming up with her award-winning idea for universally accessible clothing.
Victoria has seen a lot of success, appearing on Dragon’s Den, hosting Channel Four’s series The Unique Boutique, and being named as one of the UK’s most influential Disabled people in the UK via the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100, recognising her role as a disability advocate and campaigner.
But she has also faced significant challenges. In her speech, Victoria talked about the stigma Disabled entrepreneurs can face and the barriers she has experienced in her years of running a business. In particular, she spoke out about the financial hardship that can disproportionately affect Disabled founders, particularly around lack of external funding. Victoria spoke about her drive to improve these conditions for all entrepreneurs, and how her position with The Lilac Review will work to further these aims.
This conversation continued as Michelle Ovens CBE, founder of Small Business Britain, led a panel which included Steering Board members Dr Mark Esho, Joseph Williams, and Sarah Berthon, discussing their experiences of founding businesses.
The launch event was just the beginning of the Review’s journey. Over the next two years, together with our partners, we aim to deliver meaningful change across society, building opportunity for all.
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