Gerard Mensah, born in Amsterdam and relocated to the UK at 16, pursued his passion for design in London, studying fashion design and architecture.

Throughout his career, Gerard has made significant contributions, including involvement in the World Architecture Festival (WAF) and the design of the 2012 London Equestrian Olympic Foley.

One of his notable achievements was the Kreod parametric design installation at the O2 Arena. Gerard transitioned to recruitment within architecture and design before co-founding KWFM, a construction company specializing in develop

ment, renovations, and maintenance.

Looking forward, he plans to develop assets in London and undertake multi-unit projects in St. Lucia and Ghana, aiming to expand globally.

@gerardmensah

www.kw-fm.com

Recognising the intrinsic natural beauty of wood, Donald Baugh has created a collection of stunning sculptural vessels and lighting. Baugh's work is both beautiful and precise, a combination of traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design embracing bold shapes and use of colour.

Each vessel begins with the careful selection of the wood, drawing inspiration from wood as a living material, highlighting its natural characteristics and history to create unique beautifully crafted pieces.

Baugh is passionate about the sustainable practice of harvesting timber, working closely with the Forestry Commission and tree surgeon Dariusz Salarski to source his materials allowing each vessel’s story to be told, celebrating the uniqueness of nature.

Since having honed his craft at the world-renowned Rycotewood Furniture School in Oxfordshire, graduating in 1996, Baugh has been working as a bespoke cabinet maker and furniture designer commissioned by private and commercial clients across the world.

@donaldbaugh

Tonderai Maboreke is a Zimbabwean-British architect at Adjaye Associates. An Alumnus of the Royal Of Art, Tonderai’s research interests explore the intersections between architecture, metabolism, infrastructure, and engineering strategies to interrogate themes of environmental capitalism and geopolitics.

@tonderai-maboreke

www.tmaboreke.com

Guy Parkinson, a seasoned architect with over 23 years of experience, has worked at reputable UK firms, contributing to projects across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.

His expertise spans various project stages and types, including residential, cultural, education, and civic projects, from strategic planning to final delivery.

@guy-parkinson

www.adjaye.com

Raised in the UK, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, Williamson-Taylor co-founded Adams Kara Taylor (now AKT II) in 1996, focusing on innovative engineering solutions. Over 25 years, he has led AKT II on high-profile projects in 50+ countries, including the Bloomberg European Headquarters, Google Headquarters, Vessel Sculpture in New York, and Masdar City in Abu Dhabi.

Williamson-Taylor also teaches at London's Architectural Association School of Architecture and serves on design review panels for Southwark and Newham.

A fellow of IStructE and an honorary fellow of RIBA, he received the IStructE Gold Medal in 2023, the first Black engineer to do so.

He is passionate about promoting STEM careers among ethnic minorities.

@albert-wiliamson-taylor

www.akt-uk.com

Elsie Owusu OBE is a Ghanaian-British architect and urban designer. She is principal of Elsie Owusu Architects, with projects in UK, Nigeria and Ghana.

With an extensive portfolio of international projects, from transport and infrastructure to master planning, Elsie is a specialist conservation architect. She is designing rural community-led zero-carbon schemes and conservation projects in Ghana and developing eco-homes in Sussex.

When a partner at Feilden+Mawson, she was co-lead architect for the UK Supreme Court and London’s Green Park Station.

Elsie was the founding chair of the Society of Black Architects. She is a trustee of the UK Supreme Court Arts Trust and a former Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Council member.

Previous roles include the Founding Vice-Chair of the London School of Architecture, the London Mayor’s Panel of Design Advocates and Board Member of the Commonwealth Heritage Forum. Elsie is a director of JustGhana Ltd which promotes education, architecture, arts and creative industries in Ghana and the UK.

In 2003, she was honoured by The Queen for Services to Architecture. She was the runner-up for the Presidency of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 2018.

@elsie-owusu-obe

Oliver Enwonwu holds a Master’s degree in Visual arts with distinction from the University of Lagos, Nigeria and is currently working towards his PHD in African Art History at the University of Benin.

He comes from a long line of remarkable artists, such as his grandfather, a reputable traditional sculptor, and his father Ben Enwonwu, widely known and celebrated as Africa’s most celebrated pioneer modernist.

Enwonwu is the president of the Society of Nigerian Artists, the umbrella professional body for all practising visual artists in Nigeria. He has participated in over fifteen exhibitions, spoken about the global art market at global conferences, and has been featured in international media including the BBC, Arise TV, The Daily Times and Vanguard. In his work,

Enwonwu elevates Black culture to challenge racial injustice and systemic racism by celebrating the cultural, political and socio-economic achievements of Africans through an examination of African spirituality, Black identity and migration, contemporary African politics, Pan Africanism and the global Africa empowerment movement.

oliverenwonwu.net

A visionary and founder of Africa Fashion Week London, Queen Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi sought to increase the visibility, awareness and sustainability of African and Black fashion brands through catwalk showcase, exhibition and education.

Queen Ronke is also the founder of Africa Fashion Week Nigeria, the Adire Oodua Textile Hub in Nigeria and co-founder of Africa Fashion Week Brazil.

@afwlondon

www.africafashionweeklondonuk.com

The Adire Oodua Textile Hub is a resource facility dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of the Adire textile through creative educational programs for children and adults.

The Hub aspires to unite the global textile community by providing accessible, skills-based classes that reinvigorate engagement and expand opportunities for new practitioners to engage with the medium.

Participatory learning is key at the hub and engaging professionals with novices creates a positive social and environmental impact on the art.

www.adireooua.org