25 Top Black Entrepreneurs To Watch In 2026

Dr. Aghogho Okpara
Founder, Achieve with Aghogho (AWA)

Dr. Aghogho is the founder of Achieve with Aghogho (AWA), an educational equity organisation helping students unlock their potential by fostering self-belief and creating access to opportunity. This members-based organisation has supported over 5,000 young people, across more than 45 countries, offering events, mentorship, and career resources. Aghogho is a medical doctor, professional speaker, and content creator with an audience of over 400,000 people. In 2026, she was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list, in the Social Impact category, She has spoken for organisations including Apple, the German Embassy, and multiple Russell Group universities. She has also been featured on BBC International News for the change she is driving in education, and regularly collaborates with the Nobel Prize. She was nominated as a Voice for Change at the 2025 TikTok Awards and has also been recognised by the Irish Times & RTE News.

@itsaghogho

Ayokunu Oduniyi
Founder A&O Studios and 4:12 Men

Ayokunu is a visionary leader, creative entrepreneur, and international photographer. Widely known for his photography skills as principal photographer of A&O Studios, internationally published, specialising in corporate, portraiture photography. His creative work reflects his commitment to excellence, storytelling, and meaningful impact. As the founder and visionary leader of A NEW THING London, he provides spiritual oversight over a kingdom, a creative community committed to engaging culture with the gospel in creative and transformative ways. He is the leader of Four12Men, an initiative dedicated to shaping manhood through community, accountability & responsibility, hosting monthly meetings “MENSMONDAY” which has attracted 100s of black men from across the country to delve into edifying & healing conversations on manhood. Alongside this movement, he launched a podcast “4 MAN UP” which has reached thousands across the globe. His commitment to manhood pioneered “Groom2Husband”, a platform equipping men to navigate the transition into marriage from singlehood.

@byayokunu

Charmaine Hayden
Investor, Strategist & Cultural Commentator

Charmaine is a business strategist, cultural commentator and former venture capital investor known for teaching business, economics and current affairs through the lens of popular culture. With sharp wit and a fresh perspective, she breaks down complex ideas in ways that feel relatable, thought-provoking and impossible to scroll past. Her content bridges finance, culture and public affairs with clarity, confidence and real-world relevance. Charmaine is an angel investor with two exits, a published author of the Empowering Nigeria series, and a presenter across media and live events. She has worked across African venture investing, founder support, ecosystem building and investment readiness, with experience supporting high-growth startups across Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and wider African markets. She is also a founding member of the UK Ghana Investor Group, with recognition from Forbes, the Financial Times and 40 Under 40 Africa for her work across tech, policy and business.

@charmainesposts

Dayo Okewale
Founder & CEO, Who’s Got Game

Dayo is an entrepreneur, social impact leader, and Founder and CEO of Who’s Got Game Sport, an award winning organisation that has engaged more than 70,000 young people worldwide through sport, leadership development, education, and social mobility programmes. Over the past two decades, he has built partnerships with governments, global brands, professional athletes, and community organisations to create opportunities for young people and underserved communities. Alongside his entrepreneurial work, Dayo has advised senior political leaders through his role in the House of Lords, helping shape public policy and stakeholder engagement on national and international issues. He is also the founder of Be The Best, a global platform dedicated to connecting leaders across business, politics, sport, and the creative industries to inspire collaboration and positive change. His work sits at the intersection of enterprise, influence, and impact, using innovation and partnerships to drive meaningful social progress.

@Dayo Okewale

Debodun Osekita
CEO, Stock Pickers Academy

Debodun Osekita (Coach Debs) is an investing coach, global speaker, and CEO of Forbes-featured Stock Pickers Academy, a financial literacy ecosystem reaching over 50,000 people across platforms. From humble beginnings in Peckham to landing a trading role at Goldman Sachs at age 20 (managing $10 billion), he went on to build a 13-year institutional trading career across Goldman Sachs, Barclays, and the G-Research hedge fund. Today, he helps everyday investors invest like professionals by simplifying institutional investing concepts into language anyone can understand. His work spans stocks, bonds, crypto, commodities, including gold, currencies (diversifying savings), property, art, and angel investing. He is supported by a highly engaged community of entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, artists, and over 200 experts contributing insights across multiple asset classes. Debodun has delivered workshops for the Financial Conduct Authority, Amazon, Bank of America, Rothschild, Eton College, Octopus Energy, and Crystal Palace U21s.

@coachdebs.spa

Fisayo Martins
Founder, Finance Matters UK

Fisayo is a multi award-winning founder, Chartered Accountant, and sought-after speaker, recognised as one of the UK’s most trusted voices in financial education, with a growing community of c.150,000. Through Finance Matters UK, Fisayo empowers individuals and business owners to make informed financial decisions, build sustainable wealth, and take long-term ownership of their finances. Her portfolio spans keynote speaking, content, coaching, live events, and her flagship cohort programme, Your Money Makeover. Her expertise is also sought by Tier 1 organisations through speaking engagements, strategic partnerships, and advisory work. A former senior banking and finance professional, Fisayo brings over a decade of expertise, translating complex financial concepts into accessible, actionable education. She has partnered with some of the UK’s most respected financial institutions and organisations, including the Bank of England, the FCA, and Hargreaves Lansdown. She has been featured in leading outlets including The Independent, The Times, and BBC News.

@financemattersuk

Francesca Brown
Founder, Goals For Girls

Francesca Brown is an award-winning Founder, CEO, strategic adviser, international keynote speaker, and proud mum of two. As Founder and CEO of Goals4Girls, she has built the UK’s only female-led holistic wellbeing, sport, and education organisation for girls and young women, becoming a leading voice in female leadership and sport for development. For over 15 years, Francesca has helped organisations create lasting impact across sport, education, health, and communities. Under her leadership, Goals4Girls has supported thousands of girls, influenced policy, and partnered with Premier League clubs and leading figures in women’s sport, including Billie Jean King and Alessia Russo. She has delivered keynote speeches for adidas, TikTok, Coutts, Expedia, and The Prince’s Trust. Her honours include the Pride of Britain Award, the Football Blacklist Award, the Women in Football Community Impact Award, recognition from His Majesty King Charles III, and a statue celebrating her lasting impact empowering women and girls.

@cesc.brown

George Turoti, Rioke Udugba & Taslim Asubiaro
Co-Founders, Cháps

George (Operations Director), Rio (Growth & Strategy Director) and Tas (Creative Director) are the co-founders of Cháps, a trailblazing cultural beverage brand reimagining classic African beverages as modern soft drinks. Recognising the lack of African representation in the UK beverage industry, they founded Cháps in 2022 on a mission to change the narrative and bring an authentic taste of Africa to a global audience. Since launching, they have grown Cháps into a nationally distributed brand, stocked by major retailers including Morrisons, Co-op and Ocado, as well as popular restaurant chains, corporate offices and wholesalers across the UK. Beyond retail, Cháps has collaborated with iconic brands across music, fashion and art, establishing itself at the intersection of culture and commerce.

@wedrinkchaps

Janet Davies & Shola Davies
Co-Founders, Ominira Naturals

Janet and Shola are the Co-Founders of Ominira Naturals, an award-winning haircare brand created to support the unique needs of Afro-textured hair. Drawing on her scientific background and personal experience with postpartum shedding, Janet launched Ominira Naturals in 2020 with a mission to help Black women better understand, care for and celebrate their natural hair. Shola brought a Master's degree in International Economics and a strong background in e-Commerce, business strategy, and digital transformation, playing a pivotal role in building the business from the ground up into one of the UK's fastest-growing natural haircare brands. The brand has now grown into a global community, combining heritage-inspired botanicals, science-backed formulations and practical hair education. They operate with a clear purpose: to redefine the standard of Afro beauty and empower the community to embrace their natural hair with confidence, and build a globally recognised brand that creates lasting impact for generations to come.

@ominiranaturals

Dr Kevin Dapaah, Dr Jamal Johnston & Kay Dove
Co-Owners, Dove Dental & Wellbeing Spa

Dr Kevin, Principal Dentist & Clinical Director, Dr Jamal, Principal Dentist & Financial Director, and Kay Dove, Managing Director, are the co-owners of Dove Dental & Wellbeing Spa, a dental and aesthetic clinic transforming the way people experience dental care and wellbeing. United by a shared passion for health, innovation and community, they have created a welcoming space where patients feel seen, heard and empowered to prioritise their overall wellbeing. Their vision goes beyond dentistry, bringing together exceptional clinical care with a holistic approach that helps people build confidence from the inside out. Building on the foundation of the late Dr Francis Dove who as a young black entrepreneur founded Dove Dental in the early 1980s, together, they are committed to creating meaningful impact, not only through the services they provide, but also through education, community engagement and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs and professionals to pursue their ambitions without limitation.

@dovedentalspauk

Dr King SMADE (Adesegun Adeosun Jr.)
Founder, SMADE Group & Afro Nation

Dr King SMADE is a globally recognised cultural entrepreneur, music executive, and diaspora strategist with over two decades of impact in African entertainment and cultural diplomacy. As Founder of SMADE Group and Co-Founder of Afro Nation, he has played a pioneering role in taking Afrobeats and African culture to global audiences through world class events, talent development, and strategic partnerships. His work bridges culture, tourism, business, and community, helping position Africa’s creative economy as a powerful force on the global stage. Dr King SMADE is also widely respected for his advocacy for youth empowerment, diaspora engagement, and creating sustainable ecosystems for African creatives worldwide. Currently working on a “Global African” movement.

@iamsmade

Lavinya Stennett
Founder & CEO, The Black Curriculum

Lavinya is a writer, cultural educationalist, and Founder & CEO of The Black Curriculum. She has been recognized with several accolades, including Forbes 30 under 30, Veuve Clicquot’s Bold Women of the Year (2022), and Sunday Times Women of the Year (2021). Featured in Vogue and GQ for her activism, her organisation The Black Curriculum, founded in 2019, promotes year-round Black history arts and culture education to institutions to advance reparatory justice.

@gottabelavin_ya

Leanne Pero MBE
Social Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO, Black Women Rising UK & The Movement Factory

Leanne is a multi award winning social entrepreneur, speaker, author, host and breast cancer survivor. She founded her dance company, The Movement Factory, at just 15 and has raised more than £500,000 to deliver community dance programmes for young people across London. The organisation is now an official Nike London partner. Following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2016 at the age of 30, Leanne founded the charity Black Women Rising, which provides support, advocacy and community for women of colour affected by cancer. The organisation now supports more than 800 women across the UK and has raised over £1.1 million to fund its life changing work. Leanne is a recognised voice on health inequalities and social impact, regularly appearing across national media. In 2023, she was awarded an MBE in the King's Honours List for services to charity and people affected by cancer, and in 2025 received a Pride of Britain Award.

@leanneperoofficial

Melanie Frempong
Founder & CEO, Mel's Meals

Melanie is the Founder and CEO of Mel’s Meals, a luxury Afro-Caribbean catering and hospitality company redefining the perception of African and Caribbean cuisine within the UK hospitality industry. A former solicitor turned entrepreneur, Melanie has built Mel’s Meals into a sought-after brand known for blending refined presentation, exceptional service, and bold cultural flavours across weddings, corporate events, luxury venues, and high-profile productions. Passionate about hospitality, representation, and creating unforgettable guest experiences, she is on a mission to position Afro-Caribbean cuisine within some of the UK’s most iconic venues. Through innovation, strategic partnerships, and storytelling through food, Melanie champions a modern, elevated approach to cultural dining while expanding the Mel’s Meals brand into consumer food products and wider hospitality experiences.

@melsmealss

Mimi Itseli
Music Tastemaker & Creative Strategist

Mimi, professionally known as Mimi The Music Blogger, is an award-winning journalist, creative strategist, entrepreneur, and cultural storyteller working at the intersection of music, culture, and brand innovation. Over the past decade, she has become one of the UK’s leading voices in music and youth culture, earning recognition as a two-time Young Music Boss Journalist of the Year and 2026 Limitless Black Influence Awards winner. Her work spans Complex UK, Clash Magazine, Dazed, Red Bull Music, BBC platforms, and more. Now a Creative Strategist at Ogilvy, Mimi develops culturally informed campaigns for global brands including Aveeno, Neutrogena, and OGX, blending editorial insight with strategic thinking. Beyond brand work, she is committed to mentoring emerging creatives and was selected as an SXSW Mentor in 2026. Through journalism, strategy, and storytelling, Mimi continues to shape how culture is understood, experienced, and remembered.

@Mimithemusicblogger

Ngoni Chikwenengere
Founder, We Are KIN

Ngoni is the founder and creative director of We Are KIN, an award-winning sustainable fashion brand recognised by Forbes 30 Under 30 and featured in Vogue, Glamour, Stylist and the BBC. Passionate about sustainability, ethical manufacturing and innovation, she combines contemporary design with a commitment to responsible production, creating collections that prove fashion can be both beautiful and considered. Alongside her work as a designer, Ngoni is a content creator, university lecturer and speaker, using her platform to make conversations around climate, fashion and sustainable business more accessible. Through her work, she champions a future where creativity, craftsmanship and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.

@Ngoni

Nnaemeka Obodoekwe
Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, Lenkie

Nnaemeka is the Co-Founder and CTO of Lenkie, the payables financing company powering the next generation of UK SMEs. Since 2020, Lenkie has deployed over £150 million to hundreds of businesses across multiple industries, helping them strengthen cash flow, scale faster, and build more resilient supplier relationships. Nnaemeka leads the technology and product strategy, building the platform that underpins Lenkie’s underwriting, onboarding, and lending operations. His work focuses on creating scalable, data-driven tools that deliver a faster, smarter, and more impactful financing experience, unlocking growth opportunities for small businesses often overlooked by traditional finance.

@its_nnaemeka

Paige Lewin
Podcast Host, Author, Consultant & Founder, Team Texture

Paige is an entrepreneur, author, and cultural voice at the intersection of commercial strategy and community-driven storytelling. A former award-winning Sales Director, she generated over £10m in sales scaling global tech brands before leaving the boardroom to build Team Texture, growing it to 8,000+ customers in under two years, entirely bootstrapped. She later founded Lewin Consulting, teaching founders cold email outreach and brand sponsorship strategy. Passionate about championing women through conversations around beauty, identity, and self-expression, Paige is a respected advocate for textured hair and representation, helping women embrace their natural hair with confidence while challenging long-standing beauty standards. She is the author of How to Love Your Afro (Bloomsbury), host of the Texture Talks podcast, and creator of an independently produced anime series with over 8,000,000 views across social media. With a combined social reach exceeding half a million, Paige speaks on identity, entrepreneurship, DEI, and the creator economy.

@paigelewinofficial

Paul C. Brunson
Co-Founder, Slateroom & Founder, SOAR Productions & My Relational Health

Paul is a London-based relationship science expert, entrepreneur, author, podcaster, and television personality building a modern relationship intelligence ecosystem across media, health, technology, sport, and culture. He is the founder of SOAR Productions, the studio behind relationship-led formats including Paul C. Brunson’s Red Flag, and the founder of My Relational Health, a platform that helps people better understand and improve the quality of their relationships. Paul is also co-founder of Slateroom, a content intelligence company helping creators and producers understand what audiences respond to, Head of Global Research at Tinder, the host of the hit podcast We Need To Talk. He is the co-owner of Sutton United Football Club, and a trusted expert on Married at First Sight USA, Married at First Sight UK, and Celebs Go Dating. Across his work, Paul is building businesses rooted in research, emotional intelligence, representation, and measurable, real-world impact.

@Paulcbrunson

Rachel Ama
Founder & CEO, AMA'S

Rachel is the founder of AMA'S, the next generation of Caribbean condiments, made with real ingredients, aromatic heat, and no compromise. Two-time Penguin cookbook author, Rachel built AMA'S from her London kitchen and quickly scaled to independent stores, 177 Tesco stores nationwide, and Ocado. Rachel joined Tesco's 2026 Accelerator cohort, was shortlisted for the 2026 Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards, and named an Observer Rising Star of Food. Featured in Vogue, The Guardian, and on BBC, she reaches a 1M+ audience across her platforms, championing modern Caribbean food culture. AMA'S is currently fundraising to scale distribution across the UK and internationally, positioning the brand as the defining Caribbean condiment brand of its generation.

@Rachelama_

Segun Akinwoleola
Founder, The Gym Kitchen

Segun is the founder of The Gym Kitchen, one of the UK’s leading Black-owned food brands. He’s on a mission to make healthy eating affordable, accessible and most importantly tasty. He has over 15 years of experience working in sales and marketing at consumer goods brands such as Revlon, John Frieda & Coty. The Gym Kitchen is stocked in over 6,000 stores nationwide including, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Co-op & Amazon. It also operates across a number of categories such as chilled & frozen meals, yogurts, food to go wraps, cupboard essentials and many more. Segun is a huge advocate for representation in FMCG and has become a powerful industry voice. He advises Tesco on its Black Action Plan, mentors entrepreneurs, and works with various specialists to support underprivileged youth. Passionate about driving change, Segun is committed to combining business growth with social impact, championing greater equity and opportunity within consumer goods.

@segunshay

Susan Allen
Co Founder, Here We Flo

Susan is Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Here We Flo, the B Corp redefining intimate health with products, education and unapologetic conversations that challenge outdated taboos. Since co-founding the company in 2017, she has helped build Here We Flo into one of the UK’s fastest-growing intimate wellness brands and a leading voice in the movement to make women’s health impossible to ignore. With a background spanning healthcare policy, philanthropy and social impact, Susan combines commercial ambition with a commitment to cultural change. She is passionate about building brands that leave the world better than they found it and creating more space for women to lead, innovate and thrive. Based in London, she is also an aspiring author and screenwriter.

@agirlnamedshoez

Tara Attfield-Tomes
Founder, EAST VILLAGE. & The 51% Club.

Tara is a PR and visibility strategist, founder, and Power Broker for female enterprise. With two decades of experience, she founded The 51% Club; a 2,500+ strong national community with a core mission of getting more women-led businesses to £1 million and beyond. As well as EAST VILLAGE., the UK's only visibility agency for female founders and leaders, combining PR, personal brand, speaking, podcasting, and events all under one roof. Tara co-chairs The Whole Point, a Treasury-backed initiative to increase capital flow to high-growth women-led businesses outside London, and sits on the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Community Forum. She has given evidence to Parliament in support of the Women & Equalities Committee's Female Entrepreneurship report, and is an Adviser to The Entrepreneurs Network. Tara is on a mission to ensure wealth generation for women stays firmly on the agenda, and that the infrastructure exists to make it happen.

@taratomes

Thomas Robson-Kanu
CEO, The Turmeric Co.

Thomas is a former Premier League and international footballer, best known for representing West Brom and Wales before retiring in 2021 to focus on natural nutrition. In 2018, Thomas co-founded The Turmeric Co. with his father, inspired by the turmeric blend that helped him manage injuries and recover from the demands of elite sport. Since then, the business has grown into one of the UK’s fastest-growing health brands, backed by clinical studies validating its anti-inflammatory benefits. Its award-winning shots are loved by customers across the UK, trusted by professional sports clubs, including Everton FC, Brentford FC, and Sale Sharks, and stocked in major retailers including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Boots. Alongside leading the business, Thomas appears as a football pundit on ITV and Sky Sports, using his platform to champion recovery, nutrition, resilience, and helping people live pain-free and perform at their best.

@robsonkanu

YolanDa Brown OBE & Adetokunbo “T” Oyelola
Co-Founders, Soul Mama

Soul Mama is a live music venue and restaurant on a mission to spread love, one venue at a time. Founded by musician and broadcaster YolanDa Brown with music manager and concert promoter T Oyelola. Born from a Guinness World Record breaking crowdfund, Soul Mama exists to bring people together and create unforgettable moments through music, food and shared joy. Located at Angel Central in Islington, with another venue due to launch imminently at Westfield Stratford City, Soul Mama brings together emerging and established musicians from around the world. With delicious food inspired by Africa, the Caribbean and South America and a genre-bending stage that celebrates jazz, soul, reggae, gospel, classical music, comedy, family shows, fireside chats and more, Soul Mama is more than a place to eat or watch a show. It’s an experience designed to feed the soul.

@soulmamalondon