The next episode of Charmaine Vincent’s Validating Vulnerable Voices podcast features Poku Osei, an award-winning social entrepreneur with a passion for levelling the playing field for low income and ethnic minority groups.

Poku is the founder and CEO of Babbasa - the first black-led social enterprise to win the prestigious Queen's Award For Enterprise (Social Mobility) in 2020, for transforming the lives of over 2,200 ethnic minority young people in the UK. He is also the co-founder of The Black Professionals Network and Founding Curator of the World Economic Forum initiative – Bristol Global Shapers Hub.

As a first-generation African migrant with lived experience of race and class challenges, Poku advocates and advise on social mobility, equal opportunity and inclusion, through talks, consultancy work and on key strategic boards including Business West (Chambers of Commerce), University of Bristol Courts, WECA (People & Skills Board) and UWE Inclusion Advisory Board.

In 2018 the Queen honoured Poku with an invitation to Buckingham Palace for his contributions to the Commonwealth diaspora. In 2019 he was awarded the Lord Mayor’s Medal for his service to Bristol communities and named 'Person Of The Year' at the Southwest regional MTM Awards event. In 2021, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 2023, he was awarded the prestigious Cambridge University Social Innovation Prize for his work.

When you listen to this episode, it's pretty evident as to why. This episode is packed with inspiration and empowerment as Poku talks about his experience relating to race, discrimination, class and relationships.