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WORKING WITH TALENT FROM COMMUNITIES UNDER-REPRESENTED BY INDUSTRY EMPLOYERS

Through our free, award winning programmes, we turn raw talent into industry superstars that are ready to take on entry level roles in the Marketing, Advertising and Communications industries.

about us

OUR MISSION

We exist to build an equitable super highway into the Creative, Media, and Tech industries and improve the early years experience for people from under-represented communities.

We deliver diverse talent to fuel a company’s competitive advantage as more diverse teams produce better returns. Different types of thinking mean new perspectives, fresh ideas and better results. We are an ‘end to end’ solution to the industry’s diversity challenges.

DISRUPTING HOW THE MARKETING, ADVERTISING & COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRIES RECRUIT

about us

FIND RAW TALENT

Our focus is on finding and developing untapped talent / under-represented talent. We don’t give out places on our free, award winning programmes, based on work experience or qualifications. We want to make industry roles accessible to anyone who has the talent and drive to succeed.

We believe that there is a huge pool of talent that deserves to feel encouraged and supported into careers in the Creative, Media, and Tech industries.

Malek a SBF student smiling
Favour Nebeolisa BFS Student smiling
Sam Mukherjee BFS Student Smiling
Woman looking at paper
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If we change those that tell our stories, we can change how we view ourselves and our world

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about us

WE CAN'T DO IT ON OUR OWN

Brixton Finishing School is a not for profit and relies on the generous support of brands, agencies and media owners to improve the outcomes for underrepresented talent. We can’t thank those that fund our mission enough.

Clear Channel Logo
IAS
News Uk logo
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manifest logo
Accenture Song Logo
eatbigfish logo
Missouri Creative
KFC Logo
Meta Logo
JCDecaux logo
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Mail Metro Logo
Logo for Double Verify
Edrington Logo
Diageo Logo
BBC Studios Logo
Dentsu Logo
Mother Logo
CDM Logo
Saatchi Saatchi Logo
Amplify Logo
Anomaly Logo
Kurt Geiger Foundation
PHD Logo
The Trade Desk Logo
Smart Energy
Pretty Green Logo
1000 Heads Logo
Twenty First Century Brand Logo
Magnite Logo
tmw
R GA Logo
Iris Logo
Immediate Logo
Merlin Entertainments Logo
Momentum Logo
Media Monks Logo
Interbrand Logo
INVNT Logo
Wolff Olins Logo
Critical Mass Logo
VCCP Logo
Born Social Logo
The Ozone Project Logo
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There are multiple ways for us to work together to tackle the industry’s diversity challenges and drive positive change.

FIND OUT MORE
founder & director

ALLY OWEN

Ally Owen is a Digital Leader with over 25 years of tenure in the Media & Advertising industries.

Her previous roles include Guardian News and Media, Unruly, MailOnline, Yahoo!, Women’s glossies and John Brown (Waitrose & John Lewis). Ally ran the Communications for HowTheLightGetsIn, the world’s largest music and philosophy festival and volunteered at Refugee Action.

Award-winning campaigns include Life of Pi and Dove Prism.

Ally regularly speaks on bravery, the business benefits of diversity, untapped talent and imposter syndrome. Other favourite subjects include “How the hell did that Ad leave the house dressed like that” and showcases of great creative work and the insights behind them.

BOOK AS SPEAKER
Ally Owen Founder of Brixton Finishing School
about us

OUR TEAM

We are a small team of creatives, problem solvers, relationship builders, and project managers that make a BIG impact.

our team

OUTREACH & MARKETING

Jennie Dean
Keda Bamber
Kris Kirova
Sheyi Vera Cruz
Jade Sullivan
Keda Bamber
Kris Kirova
Sheyi Vera Cruz
our team

PROGRAMMES

Mike Reynolds
Tangina holding a coffee stood in front of an elephant statue
our team

PARTNERSHIPS

Simone Johnson
Jacqueline Darkwa
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GET IN TOUCH

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Get in touch with the team today to find out more about how we can work together to tackle the industry’s diversity challenges and drive positive change.

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LATEST NEWS

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Jennie Dean
outreach director

JENNIE DEAN

What do you do at BFS?

I lead the outreach and marketing team - we’re all about reaching as many young people as possible with our mission, awesome courses and great jobs.

Favourite thing about your job?

There’s two! The first is hearing the success stories of our alumni and putting them front and centre of our campaigns. Secondly, working with an amazing group of changemakers.

What have been some of your highlights and achievements at BFS so far?

Launching our ADcademy media campaigns - it's great seeing our alumni in our ads, and our ads nationwide!

What are your hobbies- and anything you’d like to plug?

I love being outdoors, I live right by the Peak District so most weekends you’ll find me in the hills. After a career break from working 10 years in media agencies and before I joined BFS, I trained in teaching yoga and meditation, which I now happily do alongside my role at BFS.

Keda Bamber
senior social media & outreach executive

KEDA BAMBER

What do you do at BFS?

I help plan, conceptualise and design our social media activity as well as help make everything look on brand.

Favourite thing about your job?

Getting to create reactive and topical content like memes or cultural references.

What have been some of your highlights and achievements at BFS so far?

This January I got to design our billboards for a nationwide campaign, but I am particularly proud of creating our “60 seconds with” series.

What are your hobbies- and anything you’d like to plug?

My hobbies include skateboarding badly and crying over spiritfarer!

Kris Kirova
social media & community manager

KRIS KIROVA

What do you do at BFS?

I look after all of our social media channels and manage our communities. As well as coming up with channel specific strategies and content, which my design partner Keda helps bring to life.

Favourite thing about your job?

Being able to connect with all of our communities, planning and executing content. I personally love working in Social Media because it helps keep me on my feet. You never know when the algorithm changes, or when content stops performing as best as it once did. So trying to figure it out and put puzzle pieces together for our target audiences is great!

What have been some of your highlights and achievements at BFS so far?

Continuing to grow our social channels, modelling for the Kurt Geiger People shoot, plus being able to work towards internal projects that continuously help to change the industry and seeing the gang at work everyday.

What are your hobbies- and anything you’d like to plug?

In my spare time I run a small jewellery business called ‘Rose Valley’. I would say that’s definitely my hobby (and my side hustle). I love creating jewellery pieces that allow people to express themselves artistically.

Sheyi Vera Cruz
data & outreach executive

SHEYI VERA-CRUZ

What do you do at BFS?

I help spread the BFS mission & message to the masses whilst handling all things data.

Favourite thing about your job?

The impact. Working for an organisation that is breaking down barriers, providing opportunities and is really for the people is everything.

What have been some of your highlights and achievements at BFS so far?

Attending a careers fair at an Academy, talking to students & teachers about BFS and seeing the penny drop when they realise this amazing opportunity is free haha!

What are your hobbies- and anything you’d like to plug?

I love fashion, travelling & creating memories. I have a brand on the come up @bysheycolee, where I hand-make resortwear pieces for my ladies (and men at some point) who love to travel and look good whilst doing it 😉

Jade Sullivan
OUTREACH MANAGER

JADE SULLIVAN

What do you do at BFS?

I manage outreach and marketing to as many organisations and diverse young talented people as possible. I have worked for BFS since 2019, managing many different aspects of the business

Favourite thing about your job?

It's great working with a creative dynamic team that helps young people get a foot in the door to the creative industries, to enable them to fulfil their career dreams. I love keeping in touch with alumni, and watching their confidence grow and their careers blossom and develop.

What have been some of your highlights and achievements at BFS so far?

Recruiting great candidates, speaking with one of our alumni and her telling me years later "You actually changed my life with a phone call". Being part of a leading brand's marketing and billboard campaign was fun!

What are your hobbies- and anything you’d like to plug?

I am passionate black culture, history, vintage fashion and style, recently setting up @thenewancestorsuk www.thenewancestorsuk.com a creative collective, teaching children black history, through creativity. I enjoy writing, walking, hot yoga, and travelling anywhere hot!

Mike Reynolds
Programmes Director

MIKE REYNOLDS

What do you do at BFS?

My role is to project manage all of our wonderful programmes and to make sure we are delivering a best in class experience to our students.

Favourite thing about your job?

Seeing people’s confidence grow - making people feel part of something - and being tagged on LinkedIn by happy students 🙂

What have been some of your highlights and achievements at BFS so far?

Definitely designing and delivering our ADcelerate Week programmes (my first mission when I joined BFS). Also working with WPP on the VisibleStart programme which had a massive positive impact on the midlife women who took part.

What are your hobbies- and anything you’d like to plug?

I like simple pleasures and am at my happiest when I’m either at the top of a mountain or by the sea. I’ve recently moved to the coast and can’t recommend it enough - starting my day with a dog walk on the beach keeps me sane!

Tangina holding a coffee stood in front of an elephant statue
senior programmes executive

TANGINA CHOWDHURY

What do you do at BFS?

I'm a part of the programmes team, which means we get to plan and deliver fantastic programmes with our partners for talented young people and midlife women trying to break into the industry and provide logistical support to ensure our programmes run smoothly.

Favourite thing about your job?

I enjoy meetings with our partners and collaborators and meeting new people who are a right laugh!

What have been some of your highlights and achievements at BFS so far?

I'm new, so there are still lots more achievements to come. For now, I would say executing successful speed networking events over Zoom and having time in between to learn some new shuffle dance moves! The fact that I now enjoy the logistical aspect of speed networking events is a unique achievement and skill.

What are your hobbies- and anything you’d like to plug?

My main hobby is lecturing/motivating my younger siblings, as I'm the eldest. Other than that, I enjoy spin classes, swimming, yoga, learning Spanish, and testing my palette.

Simone Johnson
partnerships director

SIMONE JOHNSON

What do you do at BFS?

To look after the relationship of our amazing partners and to identify new partners to get involved.

Favourite thing about your job?

The endless positive outcomes from all the collaborative hard work, from the BFS team and our partners.

What have been some of your highlights and achievements at BFS so far?

Too early to say, but it has been great meeting the team. Everyone is fab!

What are your hobbies- and anything you’d like to plug?

Long walks and eating! In my spare time I also volunteer at Haringey Play Association who are doing some great work in the local community and where I am also a trustee.

Jacqueline Darkwa
partnerships account manager

JACQUELINE DARKWA

What do you do at BFS?

I help make sure our agency and brand partners that have signed up to get involved with BFS & ADcademy are getting stuck in!

Favourite thing about your job?

I get to be pretty creative about how we can get our partners involved with BFS and have some really exciting conversations with enthusiastic industry leaders. I feel like an advocate for underrepresented talent and that is something I am very passionate about!

What have been some of your highlights and achievements at BFS so far?

Helping some of our partners launch internships for underrepresented talent that will propel them into the industry. And going into partner’s offices to film content.

What are your hobbies- and anything you’d like to plug?

I am a documentary filmmaker, content creator and science communicator (very busy!). I am a co-founder of the Black Scholarship Collective which aims to center the experiences of black PhD students in the U.K. - we’re always on the hunt for sponsors!

As a documentary filmmaker and Grierson Trust Doc Lab alum, I am a passionate storyteller interested in making films that make people think about the possibilities of tomorrow. You can check out my work on IG @jsd.lndn or blackexposureblog.wordpress.com

SUMMARY OF 2022 OPPORTUNITIES

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