2019 & 2020 Speakers and Panellists
We have had the pleasure of having speakers in senior positions at a variety of prominent practices, organisations and institutions.
Teri Okoro
Director, TOCA
“Socially and economically, with the BAME community concentrated in conurbations, living within poorer quality housing and with lower incomes; the lock down impact includes limited access to open space, lowered incomes, loss of employment and quite likely also their mental well-being.”
Sonia Watson, OBE, Hon. FRIBA, Hon.FRIAS
Chief Executive, Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust
“The business case is increasingly clear, consumers and global demand in the construction market is demanding diversity and this imperative is set to increase, a call to action that the UK industry must respond to in order to compete on a global stage”
Fatai Dabiri RIBA
Director, TP Bennett
“People outside the construction industry tend to conflate ‘construction’ with ‘building sites’ only. Such misconceptions need to be changed, by educating people early about the wide range of career opportunities available in the industry”
Dipa Joshi
Partner, Fletcher Priest Architects & Mayors Design Advocate
Wilfred Achille
Lecturer, University of Westminster
“As architects we need to take back control and are in a good position to create projects for ourselves”
Alisha Fisher
Co-Founder, Black Females in Architecture
“The power of those who build our cities depends on the access and support we provide NOW!'“
Katy Cresswell-Maynard
Chief Executive, Engineers Without Borders UK
“We have no planet B and time is running out. We need the scale of ingenuity only achieved by bringing diverse minds together to address the challenges we are facing. Whether that's in building design or other engineering industries. The time is now to embrace our collective potential and drive change for the future.”
Bola Abisogun, OBE FRICS
Founder and Chair, DiverseCity Surveyors
“My aspiration is to positively influence ‘diversity of procurement’ across UK public and private sector policy. I believe that opportunities for growth across the sector should be premised upon demonstrable talent and capability’
Cheryl Pilliner - Reeves
Head of Learning Tree, TEDI-London and Founder, Archimake
“2021 is the time to seize this golden opportunity, replacing societies outmoded limiting beliefs towards minorities with a desire for Diversity Conservation resulting in increased opportunities, equality and social mobility. This starts with access to education.”
Roy MacPepple
Non-Executive Consultant, National Housing & Place Delivery Consortium
“I am passionate about alleviating homelessness and addressing social values through public contract procurement. Also encouraging more BAME and women who are underrepresented in AEC sector with potential for delivering more than 70,000 homes and £40bn per annum to the UK economy.”
Prof. Hanif Kara
Design Director and Co-Founder, AKT II & Professor in Practice, Harvard GSD
“To make change, we must first tune out the dissonance between what the industry can do for us and what we can do for it. What is diversity and what does it do? What binds the industry? What are the key components of a necessary dialogue and an action plan?”
Sumita Singha OBE RIBA
Director, Ecologic Architects & Founder, Architects for Change
“Unconscious bias is a major issue in the construction industry. We as BAME professionals can work together to do something about it”
Albert Williamson-Taylor
Founder and Partner, AKT II
“The building industry is being slowly and reluctantly dragged into prefabrication and component-type assembly system. It is still not an approach embraced by the establishment as it would change the dynamics of construction funding and finance”
Angelene Clarke
Founder, Bearded Ladies Design Strategist
“Design is becoming more collaborative and more efficient. I believe this gives the under-represented an opportunity to sharpen the tools they have at hand”
Neil Pinder Founder
HomeGrown Plus
“More must be done to support young people from non traditional backgrounds to be involved in growth industries such as Architecture, Technology and Product Design”
Jude Barber
Director, Collective Architecture
“Architect and director at Collective Architecture with studios in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The 100% employee-owned and controlled studio is founded on principles of creative freedom, equity and sustainability. “
Neba Sere
Co-Founder, Black Females in Architecture
“We need to make sure that the younger generation of minority women get sufficient tools and support they require throughout their education to be able to become the next generation of architects and project managers as this is crucial for the future of our build environment”
Armstrong Yakubu
Senior Partner, Foster and Partners
“Architecture is by its very definition an inclusive profession, designing for all people. This really can only be enriched in a diverse and open environment”
Al-Rasheed Dauda
Principal Architect, ARDA
“I am encouraged about the steady growth of BAME representation in the construction industry, and I am enthusiastic about the conversations we are having about playing a more significant and substantial role in reshaping and building this great city”
Annette Amanda Oyékunlè Fisher
Founder and Chair, Let’s Build
“We already know that businesses must innovate or they die! Inclusion and diversity are vital to real change at all stages in the design and procurement of buildings: a win-win scenario for all. Diversity pays!”
Alan Jones
President, Royal Institute of British Architects
“Neil Pinder’s ‘it’s not the person its the talent’ echoed many sentiments for all being our best - with support and inspiration“
Femi Oresanya
Principal, HOK London & Chair, Architects for Change
“Our profession needs to focus more on social mobility - creating equal opportunities for all aspiring architects regardless of one's family or societal background”
Tolu Fatogbe, BSc MSc CEng MCIBSE MRICS FCABE
Head of Property, Lambeth Council
“To increase the pipeline of required diverse talent, mentoring needs to be more visible and accessible…at all career stages”