The Power Brunch Returns to Celebrate Black Women in Business and Creativity

Every October, during Black History Month, more than 250 Black women from across the UK gather in London with one shared purpose: to honour how far they have come, what they have built, and the barriers they continue to break. This annual event transforms the ILEC Centre into a vibrant hub of ambition, joy and sisterhood, where women arrive in their sharpest business attire ready to connect, exchange stories and celebrate their impact.

The Power Brunch was founded seven years ago by Christina Okorocha, Ruby Arkiyu and Rumbi Mupindu. The three women, working across media, culture and business, recognised the need for a dedicated space where Black women could network, exchange knowledge and access opportunities that were often withheld in traditional professional settings. From its first edition, the brunch set out to be both a celebration and a corrective, ensuring that Black women would not only be seen but heard and supported.

This year, hosted by culture-first agency VAMP, the brunch returns on the 15th of October at the ILEC centre, during UK Black Business Week with the theme Standing in Your Power. The choice of theme was no coincidence. It extends the wider focus of Black History Month, emphasising resilience and self-definition in spaces where Black women’s contributions are often minimised.

Ruby explains the heart behind the theme: “Black history isn’t just something we look back on; it’s something we’re building every day. I believe one of our greatest powers lies in what makes us uniquely us. Too often we trim away the edges that make us different just to fit into a mould, when in fact our brilliance is in those very edges. There is magic there, and we all have something special about us.”

Over the years, the brunch has welcomed cultural leaders such as Author Yomi Adegoke, Fashion Designer Gbemi Okunlola of Alonuko Bridals, Financial Advisor Bola Sol and content creator Sarel. For many attendees, the experience has been transformative. “At my first Power Brunch, I met a mentor who helped me navigate the early stages of running my business,” said one past participant. “It wasn’t just the advice, it was the reassurance that I wasn’t alone. That sense of community changed everything for me.”

The 2025 line-up is just as strong, with Mamadinya, the internet’s favourite midwife, broadcaster Henrie Kwushie, and football agent Marcia Lewis joined by other women whose voices carry influence and impact.

A new addition to the 2025 programme is the Power Pitch Session, designed to give Black female founders a platform to present their businesses to an audience of peers, investors and mentors. The founders of the brunch wanted to bring funding to the centre of the conversation, aware of how severely underrepresented Black women are in investment spaces. Christina explains, “For us, it was not enough to talk about empowerment in abstract terms. We wanted to confront the question of access head on. Who gets funded and supported? Who is consistently overlooked? And what can we do to change that?”

The statistics are stark. In the last decade, Black founders received just 0.24 per cent of venture funding in the UK. Black female founders secured only 0.02 per cent, with none reaching late stage funding. These numbers reflect the systemic barriers Black women face, even as they represent one of the fastest growing groups of entrepreneurs. Rumbi puts it simply: “We have always been capable. What we are demanding now are the resources to match that capability.”

The atmosphere of the brunch reflects that urgency but also carries something softer. It is a space where women exchange business cards, yes, but also encouragement and laughter. It is networking without pretense, where conversations about contracts and capital sit alongside moments of sisterhood. Many return year after year not just for professional growth but for the sense of community that the brunch sustains. Another past attendee described it as “a place where you are reminded that you do not need to explain yourself or prove yourself twice over. You are already enough.”

As UK Black Business Week continues to expand in scale and influence, the Power Brunch remains one of its most anticipated highlights. It is more than a gathering. It is a movement that insists on visibility, resources and recognition for Black women. With its return this year, the brunch once again affirms the brilliance of a community that is shaping industries, rewriting narratives and building legacies on its own terms.

The Vamp Power Brunch will take place at the ILEC centre in London on the 15th of October from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the UK Black Business Week.

Tickets are available now via UK Black Business Show. For updates and announcements, follow the VAMP Network.