Jermaine Balfourth, Creative Director at OLIVER Agency and founder of BLACQ Space, joins Alicia for an inspiring conversation about his journey and the pivotal moments that shaped his path. Together, they discuss how early experiences influenced his career, the transformative power of community, and the profound impact of celebrating others on both careers and culture.

BLACQ Space is a platform dedicated to amplifying Black voices and celebrating the achievements of the community.

In this episode, Jermaine takes Alicia through his evolution from creative professional to community leader. He shares how BLACQ Space became a hub for connection, collaboration, and empowerment, and why giving people their “flowers” is essential to breaking through self-doubt and fostering spaces where authenticity thrives.

Alicia and Jermaine explore:

✅ The vision and story behind BLACQ Space ✅ Jermaine’s journey—from college to breaking into the creative industry ✅ Why community support is vital for personal and professional success ✅ Overcoming challenges in the creative world ✅ The importance of visibility and celebrating achievements

Connect with him here: linkedin.com/in/jbalfourth

Ashleigh Ainsley is the co-founder of Colorintech, a leading non-profit on a mission to create a more inclusive tech industry by improving access, awareness, and opportunities for ethnic minorities. Under his leadership, Colorintech has grown into a major force in Europe’s tech scene, hosting BTF, one of the continent’s largest events for technologists and partnering with global giants like Meta, Google, Apple, Netflix, and Bloomberg to deliver impactful programs for students and professionals alike.

Ashleigh kicked off his career in strategy at Google, before taking on roles at high-growth start-up Qubit, corporate heavyweight KPMG, and later as a consultant on strategy and D&I initiatives. He’s also helped raise millions for philanthropic causes, cementing his role as a changemaker driving equity and innovation in the digital economy.

In this inspiring episode, Alicia and Ashleigh discuss his unexpected journey into entrepreneurship, driven more by community need than personal ambition. From being approached by a university to help students enter tech, he and his co-founder, Dion, decided to create a sustainable non-profit that empowers the next generation of diverse tech talent.

Ashley dives deep into the importance of class and race in shaping his experiences, offering insight into how shared life experiences can foster meaningful connections. Don’t miss this candid conversation about BTF, community, and breaking barriers in both tech and life.

Connect with him

www.linkedin.com/in/ashleighainsley/

www.instagram.com/colorintech/

Lauren Dwyer is a People Experience Business Partner at The Orchard/Sony Music looking after UK, Europe and Africa. She has well over 10 years experience within Talent Acquisition and HR. Lauren is also the co-founder of SoulGirl Collective, a platform dedicated to collaboration, community building and knowledge sharing for women in music. Additionally, she is a classically trained violinist, singer/songwriter, previously opening at shows for Quincy Jones, Chaka Khan, Jhene Aiko and Erykah Badu

In this episode, Lauren shares her full circle moment — from navigating startups and song writing to overcoming creative block and finding her purpose at Sony. We explore how working in a music-led environment reignited her artistry and led to the creation of Soul Girl Collective, a powerful community of over 100 women in music.

In this Episode Alicia and Lauren speak on:

• Facing workplace discrimination and how to deal with it
• Building safe spaces for female creatives
• The future of UK R&B and industry barriers
• Why collaboration > competition
• The push for a Code of Conduct in music, inspired by the Misogyny in Music Report

Plus a special rendition of an old school classic "What You Won't Do for Love" (1979)

You do not want to miss this!

Connect with Lauren

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-dwyer-33156998/ Follow @soulgirlcollective to get involved