Individual

Ally of the Year

The Ally of the Year Award recognises an individual who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to fostering inclusivity, equality, and diversity to champion the rights and well-being of others.

Future40 Members

Ahyeesha Dembele
Charity Trustee, At The Heart
Barbara Njau
Founder, First Rate Tutors
Bilkis Miah
Founder, You Be You
Hong Zhou
Founder, Mile Rainbow CIC
Jelica Obician
Exchange Manager, Somerset House
Ahyeesha Dembele

Ahyeesha Dembele

Ahyeesha Dembele is a Charity Trustee (Voluntary) at At the Heart UK, bringing over a decade of experience in using technology for good. Her career spans healthtech projects within the NHS to innovative solutions in the edtech sector. In her role, she focuses on empowering hard-to-reach groups—including refugees and prison leavers—by creating pathways into business and technology careers. Alongside her work with At the Heart UK and social enterprise Breakthrough, Ahyeesha is committed to harnessing innovation for social impact, driven by her mission to leave the world better than she found it.
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Barbara Njau

Barbara Njau

Barbara Njau is the Founder of First Rate Tutors (FRT), the UK’s first Black female-led online tuition platform. FRT provides affordable, high-quality GCSE support, with £10 interactive weekly masterclasses in English, Maths, and Science. Barbara launched the platform to make tutoring accessible for working-class and underserved minority communities, many of whom have been priced out of private education. With over 138,000 YouTube subscribers and 100+ five-star reviews, FRT has supported hundreds of students in gaining top grades and progressing to universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. In 2024, FRT won Bauer Media’s £50,000 nationwide billboard campaign.
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Bilkis Miah

Bilkis Miah

Bilkis Miah is the Founder of You Be You, a social enterprise dedicated to championing youth voice, representation, and equity through creative education and leadership programmes. Founded in 2019, You Be You was created to challenge the invisibility many young people experience and to build inclusive spaces where identity, culture, and voice are celebrated. Working across London, Birmingham, and Bradford, the organisation delivers youth voice workshops, anti-racism training, and social action programmes that centre marginalised communities. From local youth councils to global law firms, You Be You ensures young people’s ideas are not only heard but acted upon.
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Hong Zhou

Hong Zhou

Hong Zhou is a preventive medicine specialist (MBBS MSc MPH MHFA) and founder of Mile Rainbow CIC (MR.CIC), a London-based social enterprise delivering culturally responsive mental health solutions. With experience in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Centre and mental health initiatives, and informed by her lived experience of immigration and trauma, she created the Preventive Emotional Vaccine (PEV) to address mental health inequalities before they become crises. Since 2022, MR.CIC has run 40 projects reaching 3,700 participants, 80% from underserved BAME communities, and raised over £183,000 from 14 funders, including the NHS, Compass Wellbeing, local councils, the London Marathon Foundation, and Groundwork. The organisation has also gained national recognition, including winning the Enterprise for All Award 2025, and finalist positions for the National B.A.M.E Health & Care Awards, NatWest SE100, BDO Social Enterprise, and WISE100 2025.
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Jelica Obician

Jelica Obician

Jelica Obician is the Manager of Somerset House Exchange, a hub for cultural innovators within one of London’s most dynamic creative communities. Since taking on the role in 2019, she has built the business model, membership offer, and community from the ground up, transforming the Exchange from a building site into a thriving space of 700+ creatives. The Exchange champions progress, diversity, and innovation by offering affordable, flexible memberships and an inclusive environment where collaboration thrives. From film and fashion to AI and VR, the community fosters cultural innovation, sustainability, and social impact at the heart of Somerset House.
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Other awards

Tech Innovation of the Year
Changemaker of the Year
Social Impact Leader of the Year
Consumer Brand of the Year
Businesswoman of the Year
Rising Star of the Year
Ally of the Year
Director’s Choice Award
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