How Sandra Adu Built a Global Community of 570+ Black Women Designers | Black Girls In Design

Episode Summary From feeling like an outsider in fashion to founding Black Girls in Design London (now 570+ members across UK &amp; Ghana), Sandra Adu reveals how lockdown workshops turned into flagship programmes with Canva, BrainStation and Akaya Foundation. Discover the raw truth about self-funding, getting rejected 3× for grants, and the mentorship + accountability strategies that finally unlocked multi-year funding to empower 300+ Black girls in design.Chapters [00:00] Intro &amp; Powerbook 2025 Recognition [00:51] Sandra’s Journey: Fashion → Graphic Design → Agency Art Director (Rolls-Royce, HSBC, Adobe) [01:48] Lockdown Pivot → Lecturer at UAL &amp; Royal College of Art → PhD [02:15] Founding Black Girls in Design (2022) – The Community She Wished She Had [02:44] Flagship Programmes: Design Her Skills (Canva), Design Her Futures (Ghana-UK), Mastering Your Skills (BrainStation) [03:41] Self-Funding Reality: Building Everything Herself + Spending Thousands While Full-Time Employed [05:01] Rejected 3× → Won Multi-Year Funding: The Power of Storytelling &amp; Community Support [06:30] Accountability Strategy: Mentorship Circles That Actually Work [09:25] How Corporates &amp; Investors Can Find &amp; Fund Black-Led Impact Businesses [11:50] Advice to Aspiring Founders: Purpose Over Profit, Start Small, Trade Skills for Access Key Discussion Points 3 flagship programmes reaching UK + Ghana Turned 3 lockdown workshops into partnerships with Canva, BrainStation &amp; Akaya Foundation Rejected 3 times for funding → finally won by leading with personal story &amp; measurable impact Built a 570+ strong global community in just 3 years 79% of Black business owners feel unsupported — here’s how to change thatKey Takeaways Your personal “why” and story are your strongest funding assets Mentorship + accountability circles &gt; life coaches Write the vision, share it publicly, let the community hold you to it Start where you are: Sandra traded logos for event tickets when she couldn’t afford entryNotable Quotes “Your story is what lands the funding.” – Sandra Adu “I never wanted the next generation of Black girls to feel as isolated as I once did.” – Sandra Adu “Profit-first founders give up in year one. Think purpose first.” – Sandra Adu Actionable Insights for Businesses &amp; Investors Corporates: Partner with visible community organisations (e.g., Black Girls in Design, Foundervine) instead of building your own pipelines Recruiters: Tap into ready-made talent pools of Black creatives instead of asking “where are they?” Founders: Write your goals publicly → join a mentorship circle → get rejected → refine → win Trade skills for access when cash is tight (Sandra’s logo-for-ticket hack still works in 2025)Resources Black Girls in Design → https://blackgirlsindesign.comInstagram &amp; LinkedIn → @blackgirlsindesign_ Wray Forward &amp; Powerbook 2025 → https://www.wrayandnephew.com/wray-forwardsThe Cashflow Show can be reached here:Website: www.thecashflowshowpodcast.com Email: thecashflowshowpodcast@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/thecashflowshow Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecashflowshowpodcastTo sponsor or advertise on The Cashflow Show Podcast, contact us at thecashflowshowpodcast@gmail.comClayton M Coke can be found here:LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claytoncokeWebsite: https://www.prmsltd.co.ukEmail: <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inb