Meet Our Distinguished Speakers

Reverend Marjorie Esomowei is a certified Coach, Trainer and Speaker. She is the author of several books and study manuals. She is also a graduate of Economics from one of Nigeria’s premiere Universities, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and an Alumni of the Oxford University Said School of Business. Before joining her husband in full time Church Ministry, she was a very successful Investment Banker.

Marjorie is an ordained minister and Co-Pastor/ Founder of Triumphant Church International in London, England. She and her husband of over thirty-five years, the Reverend Clem Esomowei, minister together, having Apostolic oversight of Churches and outreaches in the United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa and Nigeria. As a profound teacher of God’s word and a prophetic intercessor, her ministry is characterised by signs and miracles.

She is also the president and founder of the dynamic WISDOM FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL, W4WI the prolific WISE WOMEN AWARDS, COMFORT HOME ORPHANAGE and ILEAD ICHANGE AND IINFLUENCE, which is the mentoring and coaching arm of W4WI.

A dynamic, proactive, ingenious and resourceful woman Pastor Marjorie is a natural leader whose abilities have been enhanced with almost forty years of being in leadership, both in the Ministry and the marketplace and this makes her a sought after conference speaker at international level.

Recently listed on the Keep the Faith magazine hall of twenty Most Influential Black Christian Women in Great Britain, Pastor Marjorie is a recipient of several awards and has made appearances on BBC, ITV, and many Christian TV, Radio channels and print media.

 She is a loyal friend, mother, pastor, mentor and confidant to many.

Tessy Ojo is an inspirational and creative leader experienced in driving change and redefining outcomes for children and young people through innovative approaches to age-old problems. 

She is the Chief Executive of the Diana Award – a charity legacy to Diana, Princess of Wales’ belief in the power that young people have to change the world, with the right support. The charity’s mission is to foster and develop positive change in the lives of young people. The charity benefits from the support of Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex, as well as the Office of the UK Prime Minister as a Patron. 

With over twenty years in third sector leadership and in-depth knowledge of working with young people and across the world, Tessy played a founding role in the building and sustainability of the charity, bringing strategic clarity and innovative approaches leading to a 360-degree turnaround of the charity’s growth and global industry recognition. Tessy is a passionate humanitarian and campaigner who has gained an international reputation for work around social inequality. At the heart of her work is the belief that with the right support and investment, young people are the best instigators for achieving real, sustainable change in their lives, their communities and the wider society. 

In 2019, Tessy became the very first British National to be honoured with The Prestigious Martin Luther King Award in Atlanta, in recognition of her innovative approach to leadership and humanitarian work. She was also named by British Airways, alongside other key notable leaders, as one of the top 100 British Leaders. 

Tessy sits on several non-Executive boards including The BBC’s Appeals Advisory Committee, Comic Relief, The Royal Taskforce on Cyberbullying and the UK Council For Child Internet Safety.

Sanchia Alasia is the former mayor for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. An award-winning specialist in equality diversity and Human Resource she currently works at Brunel University as their equality and diversity manager. She was first elected to the Council in 2010 and was the first of three Black women to be elected there. She has held several positions – School Governor, chair of the health and adult services scrutiny committee and chair of the planning committee.

Sanchia was one of the Labour Party candidates for the European elections in 2014 in the London region and is a candidate again in the 2019 European elections. Following the European elections in 2014, she was appointed by the then Prime Minister, David Cameron to be a member of the European Union Committee of the regions. She was elected the deputy leader of the UK delegation in 2017. This is a forum where she speaks up for local government in Europe. She is also the gender equality representative for the Party of European Socialists.

She has a BSc in politics and sociology and an MSc in politics, policy and government.

Sanchia is a well sought after speaker and has spoken at the World Diversity leadership summit and the European Diversity Business Congress, as well as conferences and forums across Europe.

As well as being an active member of the Labour Party, Cllr Alasia is an active member of the Fabian Society, Co-operative Party, Christians on the left, BAME Labour and her trade unions, UNISON and GMB.

It is interesting to note that in 2010 when she was first elected, she became the youngest woman on the Council and with her colleagues achieved over a 7% Labour swing from the British National Party, as they had reached out to a broader community.

Sanchia has won numerous awards including, local government personality of the year at the Dods Women in public life awards in 2013, the Grassroots Diplomats awards in the policy driver category for her work in equality and diversity in 2014 and a Christian woman in politics at the Wise Women Awards in 2018 and Mayor of the year in 2018.

Sanchia took part in the OBV MP shadow scheme in 2006. She shadowed Sadiq Khan and subsequently Diane Abbott.

Mavis Amankwah is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, Public Speaker and Business Coach with over 20 years in the Communications and professional services industry. As one of the UK’s foremost Diversity Ambassadors, Mavis has dedicated her career to making a positive impact in the diversity and business world by bridging the gap between communities, while, conversely, transforming social disparities into profitable and sustainable business models.

Angie Le Mar was the first female stand-up on the Black British comedy circuit. Thirty years later, she is recognised as a multi-award winning comedienne, TV and radio presenter/star, businesswoman, entrepreneur, speaker, director, producer and writer. Her autobiography Full Circle was published in 2017.

She aims to inspire young people to have the confidence to achieve their dreams, to encourage Black women to smash their goals, and to inspire everyone who has talent but needs more encouragement to ‘turn their gift around’. 

Angie wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until after she had finished her schooling, and her memories of her school days are far from positive. She continues to struggle with dyslexia daily, when writing comedy scripts or television shows, and mainly when writing her life story. 

Angie Le Mar has lived through a depression, experiencing water on the brain during pregnancy (requiring regular lumbar punctures), and the death of two of her close friends: Felix Dexter and Colette Johnson. Angie may have battled tough times, but she is, naturally, best known for making people laugh. Angie was the first Black British performer to appear at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre. She also enjoyed the first-ever sell-out show by a female Black comedy act in London’s West End.

As one of Britain’s top comediennes, Angie has successfully harnessed the power of laughter to create inspiring and thought-provoking productions. From stage to radio to TV to the written page, Angie is a proven hit with a multicultural audience – male, female, young and old alike. She is equally at home with quick-fire comedy, acutely observed character sketches and solid acting performances.

Angie’s TV appearances include the BBC’s The Real McCoy, ITV’s Loose Women and Channel 4’s Get Up, Stand Up, and she has also presented The Saturday Morning Show on Choice FM. Angie also created the all-women panel TV show Ladies Talk on Vox Africa Network. 

As a sought after keynote speaker, Angie has graced the stage locally, nationally and internationally with schools, colleges and universities, business platforms, churches. An international mix of companies including UNESCO, America, Barclay Bank, Ernst & Young, Merrill Lynch, Shell, have been inspired by her words, wit and wisdom.

As an entrepreneur, Angie aims to inspire others to achieve against the odds and for two and a half years she ran the Angie Le Mar School of Expression fuelled by the desire to show young people, not just show business, but the business behind it. 

Angie is a Mum of three in her early 50s and lives in London with her husband.

Caroline Marsh is one of Britain’s leading female property investors. She was featured on prime time TV Channel 4 as ‘The Secret Millionaire’. 

Caroline continues to make a name for herself in the media as a Personal Financial Educator, Property Investor, Entrepreneur and Inspirational Speaker. Currently, Director of Kingdom Property Lettings, Kingdom Portfolio Builder, Co-founder Personal Success Planning (PSP) and Chayil Leadership and Success Program (CLASP). 

PSP was awarded during Financial Literacy Week 2017 and 2018 the Bank of Zambia Governor’s Award for “Exceptional Workplace Financial Education 

Global reach platforms include Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia. Past Clients, JP Morgan in the UK, Lloyds Bank UK, Intel Corporation, Zanaco, Stanbic bank, Office of the President, Zesco, FNB Zambia, UK’s Business Startup Show, British Franchise Show, Business Leadership Networks UK, etc 

Philanthropic Jedidiah Learning Steps, Cherish Orphanage Uganda “World Vision, LCP Zambia, Mahululo School, UK, Bible Society, UK, Canadian and Zambian Churches. 

Community Football Links with Lights for Learning a UK Charity, Swindon Town Community Football Club to Empower Local Communities in Zambian rural areas. 

Diana Roday Hosford is the Vice President of Sports & Entertainment for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a non-profit dedicated to supporting families of fallen military service members.

Following a trip to Afghanistan in 2013 and seeing firsthand the sacrifices made by the military and their families, Diana created a new program within TAPS called teams4taps, which seeks to create meaningful opportunities for the families of the fallen to honor their heroes through sports. Since then, she has partnered with more than 200 teams, sports associations and athletes across the country, allowing teams to honor fallen service members in the presence of their surviving families. Under Diana’s leadership, the program grew into the Sports & Entertainment department, now creating opportunities in the entertainment industry as well. Diana and her team have coordinated or orchestrated over 800 events, allowing more than 10,000 surviving military family members to have their loved ones publicly honored, helping celebrate the life and service of the fallen hero as well as offering comfort to the surviving family. 

In addition to this, Diana oversees International Strategic Partnerships for TAPS, helping build successful meaning partnerships, programming and advocacy across The United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. 

These partnerships have resulted in TAPS involvement at the last three Invictus Games, an invitation to the Royal Wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May 2018, an opportunity to serve on an international judging panel for the 2019 Princess Diana Legacy Awards and much more. 

With over 20 years experience in the non-profit sector, Diana is a spokesperson for TAPS and regularly speaks about the work of the charity and best practice in helping surviving families build resilience while honoring the life and service of their loved one. 

Diana is incredibly passionate about service, giving back to her community and developing youth-based programming. Before TAPS, Diana worked with Special Olympics; Autism Speaks, The Washington International Horse Show and various charities in the Washington DC area. She is an associate member of the Board of Visitors at Children’s National Medical Center and a long-time volunteer and mentor for young adults. Diana attended American University and resides in Washington, DC with her husband and daughter. 

Recognised as one of the top “100 Women Entrepreneurs in Atlanta”, acclaimed author, speaker, and international protocol and image consultant, Dr. April Ripley is a force to be reckoned with. Hundreds of people and businesses have learned how to outclass their competition and position themselves at the top of their respective ladders of success through her expertise. 

Dr. Ripley is the founder and CEO of The Premiere Image, a company devoted to creating exceptional people and companies. Her direct and professional style is interactive and entertaining, as she teaches time-tested principles for professional and personal growth. 

Dr. Ripley is a prominent author, speaker and entrepreneur. She has delivered her gifts and experience to six continents. Driven to share her insights for exceptional living with a broader audience, Dr. Ripley has written two books, The Calling Card of Business – Success from the Inside Out and Eti-quick: A Quick Reference Guide to the Basics of Etiquette, and she has made multiple television, radio and conference appearances, that have cultivated a growing social media following. Her next publication, Think. Innovate. Create. will be released in 2020.

She is a member of the Protocol & Diplomacy International-Protocol Officers Association (PDI-POA), the first officially recognised international association of professionals who work in the field of protocol. 

Dr. April Ripley is an Executive Trustee of The International Third World Leadership Association Board founded by the late Dr. Myles Munroe.  

 In 2014, Dr. Ripley received the Association’s inaugural “Outstanding Leadership Character and Achievement as an Emerging Leader” award under the signature of Dr. Myles Munroe and Dr. Peter Morgan. 

In 2015, Dr. Ripley was honored for her expertise in international protocol and recognised as Her Excellency Reverend Doctor April Ripley, CDKA, Ph.D., COIE, Ambassador-At-Large. In 2018, she was appointed to the United Nations in Geneva as the Main Representative for Word of Life Ministries International. In 2019, Her Excellency was awarded the title of Her Excellency Reverend Doctor April Ripley, OEA.

Developing and training world leaders to be global agents of change is in Dr April Ripley’s DNA. Her investment in creating a blueprint for life enhancement with time-tested principles has increased her sphere of influence worldwide.

Marcia Dixon is a communications specialist who runs her boutique PR consultancy called Marcia Dixon Public Relations. It specialises in helping churches, ministries, business and organisations reach Britain’s black Christian community, which is considered the most cohesive, wealthiest, educated and aspirational sector of Britain’s African and Caribbean population.

Former Clients include Street Pastors, KICC, The YMCA, the Pentecostal Credit Union, the Metropolitan Police, The NHS, Wise Women Awards, Sony Music, Syco Music, BET, World Vision, Jesus House, the New Testament Church of God and Christian Aid.

As the owner of MD Public Relations, Marcia Dixon was nominated for a European Federation of Black Women Business Owners Award in 2004. In 2005, the African Caribbean Evangelical Alliance included Marcia Dixon in their list of 21 people who have significantly contributed to the development of Britain’s black Christian community. In 2016 Marcia received a Lifetime Achievement Award for her media work in mobilising and informing faith communities at the first Legacy Gala, held in London.

In 2010 Ms Dixon was appointed as a Faith Advisor to the British Labour Government. She was a member of a panel of 13 faith advisors who acted as a ‘sounding board’ to advise the government on effective engagement with faith communities. 

Ms Dixon also has over 25 years of experience working as a journalist, specialising in religion and gospel music. She currently writes a column in The Voice newspaper and was the former editor of Keep the Faith magazine, one of Britain’s most influential publications about the black faith community.

In 2015 Ms Dixon launched the Destined to Soar Women’s Ministry Breakfast in London which seeks to provide women with practical information required to build and establish thriving, impactful ministries.  

Ms Dixon has been a Christian since her teens and firmly believes that the church is one of the black community’s greatest success stories. She currently attends The Arc in Forest Gate, east London.

Sinitta Renay Malone is an American-born singer who has lived in the United Kingdom for most of her life. She is best known as a TV Personality and for her hit records in the 1980s including “So Macho”, “Toy Boy”, “Cross My Broken Heart” and “Right

Back Where We Started From”. Altogether Sinitta has 14 international hit singles and 3 international Hit albums as Simon Cowell’s very first recording Artist. She has filled many International stadiums, including Wembley, Tokyo Dome and O2 Arena. She still  performs regularly in music festivals around Europe, including Pride in London 2016.

Sinitta has also acted in a number of West End shows and has been a mentor on The X Factor and appeared as a contestant on the eleventh series of  I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and the first series of Channel 4’s

The Jump, which sees contestants train and then compete in winter Olympic sports. Also, vocal commercials including Smarties and Swatch watches.