Celebrating Black excellence

written by ELBA’s Education team

This Black History Month, ELBA’s Education team is spotlighting Black professionals who are championing inclusive initiatives and forging clear pathways to success for young Black students in east London. These leaders are not only achieving excellence in their fields but are actively focused on creating equitable, affirming spaces for the next generation.

Stephen Levy, an award-winning filmmaker, author, and Creative Design Manager at KPMG, embodies this commitment. Having established KPMG’s motion design division in the UK and India, Stephen now runs his own video strategy company and is a certified life coach. For Stephen, supporting young Black individuals is a deeply personal mission driven by his desire to see potential realized. He stresses that “Potential alone is never enough; it must be matched with access and opportunity,” and dedicates himself to equipping youth with essential skills like communication and confidence.

Joining this charge is Aaron Raybe, a multi-award-winning creative leader, CEO of Fortune Favours The Brave Group (FFTB), and a former board member at Momentum Worldwide. Aaron, who has led high-profile campaigns for brands like Sky Sports and Jaguar, blends commercial strategy with cultural storytelling. He believes, “Potential without access is a promise unkept,” and actively creates keys to open closed doors through paid placements, portfolio reviews, and mentorship. His goal is to ensure young Black talent gains the “playbook” to succeed, leading to smarter decisions and more truthful stories in the industry.

ELBA’s career-enhancing programmes provide young east London students with access to industry connections and opportunities they might otherwise not have access to. This includes career insight visits to corporate offices, CV reviews and mock interviews, career carousels, networking, mentoring and more! We aim to highlight the career pathways and opportunities available to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as ensure they develop essential employability and life skills as part of these experiences.

 If you’re interested to find out more about the ways you can volunteer to support the Education Works Programme, please contact us at [email protected].

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