Co-Founder, Community Engagement & Marketing

Shirley Powell

Over 30 years of clinical experience working in health care within the clinical and leadership arena working within the National Health Service and Independent health care sectors. She is very passionate about health and well-being issues from a professional and lived experience of poor health arising from lack of wellness over the years, witnessing others with debilitating diseases and medical conditions that could have potentially been avoided. Over the years, Shirley has worked as a professional transitional coach and mentor offering health and well-being advice and support for men, women and busy professionals by increasing health awareness and self care.
Shirley is a dedicated health and well-being expert offering comprehensive healthcare assessments to help you live well and stay well and currently offers these services Offender Healthcare organisations and the community. As Founder of Your Life in Your Hands, Shirley has also developed a successful mentoring programme “Seven Steps to Transitioning Your Life” which helps individuals discover what lies deep within, revive your hidden passion, purpose and freedom to live a deserving flexible lifestyle.
Nominated for several awards including Finalist in 2017/2018 Suffolk BME Awards, Shirley is recognised in her local community as an experienced health practitioner, motivational speaker and spiritual leader, She is also notably present at inspirational events – presenting health education sessions at local events on healthy eating, health awareness, diabetes, managing cholesterol and blood pressure. Shirley is also a regular guest on the local community radio on health matters. Projects Worked With

• Health and Well-being Events
• Community Action Group Fun day
• With Local Community representative
• African and Caribbean Community
• Health and Well-being day

Achievements and Awards

• 2017 Finalist – Suffolk BME Women Entrepreneur Award
• 2018 Finalist – Suffolk BME Special Judges Award
• Partnership drives economic growth across Norfolk

Roles & Appointments

• Health and Well-being Specialist
• District Nurse Specialist Practitioner
• Regular ICR radio guest on health matters
• Member of MpowerWe Ladies Lounge group
• Social Entrepreneur fellow of Social Enterprise
• Head of Care in Neurological Care
• Modern Matron – City and Hackney Teaching

Key Project Portfolios

• Health Consultant
• Registered Nurse and Health care Practitioner (Care UK)
• Offender Healthcare Practitioner (Virgin Care)

Co-Founder, Legal & Legislative Disciplines

Franstine Jones

I have over 20yrs of experience in the public, private and voluntary sectors with expertise in delivering equality and diversity training. My expertise has been focused in the delivery of training to create awareness and understanding of unconscious bias, equality and diversity, discrimination law and hate crime. From a lived experience, I have overcome mental and physical abuse, depression, low self-esteem and felt devalued. This is why I am passionate about helping other women overcome adversity in their lives and not let it define who they are. I coach women who lack confidence but would like to make the necessary changes in their lives to be who they are meant to be. I also work with young people who through no fault of their own, have not had positive influences in their lives and need some focus and direction to help them make good choices. The “Rise Up Wise Up” programme provides a platform for young people to be involved in discussions and participate in activities that impact positively in their lives. I am currently involved in a peer mentoring programme for young people in school and graduates from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) backgrounds, who are studying Law and Social Sciences. Key Project Portfolios

• CIPD Graduate
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion expert

Projects

• University of Suffolk Black Asian Minority Ethnic Mentoring Forum
• Rise Up Wise Up Youth Forum
• Ipswich Caribbean Experience (ICE) project
• Our Communities Speak Consultation Project

Publications and Productions

• Mind the Blind Spot Unconscious Bias training package
• Hate Crime training package
• Equality and Diversity legislation training
• Discrimination Law training

Roles & Appointments

• National Black Police Association President and Vice President roles
• Diversity and Equality officer
• Partnerships Manager
• Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner

Co-Founder, Business Development, Strategy & Marketing

Roland Gilbertson

Venture Coach with 15+ years prior experience in Community Development, Education, Training & The Creative Industries, Roland has a solid track record in creating business development Eco-systems, consulting with local & regional councils on Educational & Training Strategies for Entrepreneurship in the Creative Sectors & related Industries as well as managing & coaching entrepreneurs through various UK Government backed Startup Schemes including O2ThinkBig, Startup UK, NWES – NewAngliaLEP & Virgin Media Business. Over the years, Roland developed a passion for Creative Innovation and Entrepreneurship, winning a full scholarship to attend the National Film & Television School’s first Entrepreneurial Program. He now combines that passion with the business development and marketing experience gained at StartUp UK to help startups and corporates innovate and grow. Founding Member of Transform21, ConnectMyTalent, Digital High Media & ThinkBiznes, a Venture Coaching & Business Acceleration Agency, Roland helps founders & entrepreneurs build business models that can attract investment to scale & grow. A recognized player in the startup eco-system, Roland is also a consulting scrum master for several incubators & 2 University based Accelerators. He is a regular speaker on topics related to entrepreneurship & growth marketing. He advises businesses on Digital Transformation & coaches founders on business model development, go-to strategies, sales, business growth, branding, digital & growth marketing.

Co-Founder, Operations & Management

Elaine Tappin

Elaine works as a Consultant Social Worker, where she supervises, teaches and supports students and qualified social workers – mainly in the area of child protection. Her specialism is black children in the care system and has been a consultant to Local Authorities and voluntary agencies in an advisory capacity. It was a lecturer at a college where Elaine was studying for her A levels, saying there was something special about her; noting her sincerity, a people person, caring and an inspiration, that led him to believe that Elaine would make a good social worker. Elaine never realised that it was her own experience of childhood abuse and trauma that would pave the way for her career and in helping others to recover. A career that has now spanned almost 30 years. In her personal and professional life she has felt empowered to tackle some of the injustices in society of racism and discrimination, as well as deal with her own issues from the past. This has meant she has had to step out and develop herself emotionally, spiritually and physically. She has been inspired by people such as Ra Un Nefer Amen and Queen Afua. Elaine describes this as an amazing journey of self-discovery and healing, and is enthusiastic to help others to heal from the issues of their past, in order to find who they truly are and to maximise their potential. As an entrepreneur, Elaine’s services help you begin your journey of transformation and to love living, where you will learn practical ways to heal yourself as well as personal development. With us at (company), you will make yourself a priority. Elaine says life will throw all sorts of challenges at you, but these are there to make us stronger. Elaine’s anthem is “And still I rise,”

Projects Worked With

Executive Member – Council for Racial Equality

• Rape crisis – Volunteer
• Organization for Sickle cell Anemia Research
• Independent social worker/consultant on the needs of black children in care
• Kamit Training Consortium
• Independent Researcher for Barnardos & Ormiston: How children are impacted with a parent in prison

Publications

• Black children in care – Barnardos

Courses

• NLP life coaching
• Emotional Emancipation training

Roles & Appointments

• Coordinator /Chair- Sickle Cell Society Suffolk
• Core member – Suffolk African History Collective
• Consultant Social Worker
• Practice Educator (Social Work)
• Teaching Partnership (lecturing) University of Suffolk
• Trainer: Diversity & Equality, Identity

Roles & Appointments

• Emotional Emancipation Circle Facilitator
• Women’s healing support group Facilitator
• Advocate for healthier living

Co-Founder, Finance & Operations

Karen Walker

Karen is the CEO and founder member of KarMarTri Ltd., a family run business. Karen’s sons, Martell and Tristan are co-founders and bring their own expertise of art, design and travel to the business. KarMarTri will support and encourage you to keep transcending in areas of your life, to align with your purpose in your journey to be the highest version of you. Some people find it easier than others but however you find it….keep transcending, outdoing, excelling……. ‘Stuff’ will always happen! It may not be your fault but take 100% responsibility for what happens next and you regain the power. It’s your story, own it by writing it! 90% of the global population allow the world to happen to them even though they have the ‘pen’ in their hand to write their story. Each day Karen’s mantra is “Keep Me Transcending Physically Emotionally Nutritionally and Spiritually. Karen’s story is remarkable. She has experience many emotional challenges in her life including obesity, alcoholism, abuse, and addiction to cigarettes, She made her shift with a positive mindset, belief, determination, self-development and visualisation techniques and now supports others who want to improve in areas of their lives. By sharing information gained over decades of research and practice, Karen has inspired many others to get their life back on track, in better order and shape; she continues to use the wisdom, philosophies and teachings to be the best version of herself and believes her destiny is facilitating others with their transcendence. KarMarTri helps and supports people that are tired of settling for less, to believe in themselves and discover the abundance of their abilities and potentiality so that they can finally Get Out Of their Way, and accept they are the creator of their own circumstances. We are born creators, birds fly, fish swim, plants grow, we create, we are the only species on this planet that have this luxury! KarMarTri runs [Create Your Life] workshops and [MPowerWe] online forums that will help you to clear out what is in your way and build a bridge from where you are, to where you want to be. You will be empowered to create your own reality by being responsible and committing to action. We all have the potentiality and capability to be the creator of our own reality. Create Your Life participants, and customers would tell you KarMarTri’s speciality is truly seeing what’s possible for them, and then being a stimulus to help them reach that higher level.” Projects Worked On

• Year 10 Mentor
• Youth at Risk Mentor

Courses

• Springboard for Women
• NLP, Life Coach and Mentoring
• The science of vegan and vegetarian diets
• You and Your Money (Open University)

Roles & Appointments

• Vision Board Workshop Practitioner
• Hostess of Mpower Ladies Lounge
• Founder member and Business Manager, Suffolk Credit Union
• Family Support Practitioner, Foster & Adoption
• Sales and Recruitment Manager, Virgin Vie
• Civil Servant – Manpower Services Commission
• Assistant to Community Relations Officer

Co-Founder, Operations & Management

Imani Sorhaindo

Imani works as a qualified Holistic Health Practitioner, Events Manager and Trainer in KMT Rising.
 The mission of her company is to assist in the empowerment and positive transformation of individuals and groups across the globe. She has extensive working leadership experience as a Curriculum manager and Quality Assurance Lead across Suffolk. Imani’s personal journey is a testimony to her drive and determination towards the advancement of all people who want to improve their quality of life. Coming to England in 1976 and having to deal with racism within the society and in the education system she experienced self-doubt, obesity, internalised oppression and teenage motherhood. Through this journey she developed her own inner resources and resilience to overcome fear and self-doubt leading her to DARE TO BE BOLD! This journey has created the dynamic, inspirational leader, motivator, healer and spiritual development facilitator we see today. Her work focuses mainly on Black and minority ethnic groups and individuals, as well as women experiencing reproductive health problems; but this is not exclusively so. Her main objective in life is to assist others to tap into their own innate talents and to shape a better future for themselves. It all starts with self-image and being AUTHENTICALLY YOU!.
 Much of Imani’s work is inspired by renowned world authors such as Ra Un Nefer Amen and Shatki Guwain, and she inspires her audiences at national and international lectures as well as the individuals she supports world-wide to overcome obstacles in their lives by first taking that STEP TO CHANGE! KMT Rising holds one to one online or face to face coaching sessions, and classes around personal development, holistic healing, womb-wellness, mindfulness, stress elimination and energy balancing and qi gong to assist in the healing and empowerment process. This has led lots of her customers to make amazing changes in their lives. Her annual ‘Exhale’ event in Suffolk offers a weekend for women to come together in a safe, supportive and transformative space to educate, liberate and empower themselves to WELLNESS. KMT Rising customers have commented that Imani’s work is ’truly life-changing’, ‘inspiring’, ‘absolutely necessary’, and that it ‘challenged me to change for the better’!.

Projects Worked On

• Women on the rise!
• Men’s empowerment in prison
• Race Hate Crime Buddy Scheme
• Summer of Health – London
• Noire Wellness Hubs – London
• Fibroids lecture – University of West Indies, Dominica
• The Womb-an Series online Webinars
• Empowering Black Men in Suffolk prisons

Courses Delivered

• Creative visualisation for women
• Mindfulness meditation
• Life coaching for beginners
• Professional coaching
• The Art of Breathing
• Community development – Black perspective
• African queens throughout history
• Equality and Diversity

Qualifications

• BA Hons in Education 2:1
• PGCE
• Diploma in Youth and Community Work
• Internal Verifier
• Diploma in Holistic Health
• Diploma in Acupressure
• Homeopathy for the home

Roles and Appointments

• Director of KMT Rising
• Co-Director BeMeLikeWe
• Co-Founder Global Fibroid Alliance
• Curriculum manager
• Professional and Wellness Coach
• Holistic Health Practitioner
• Freelance writer
• Event manager at Exhale
• Group director and facilitator of Women’s Womb-wellness group
• Community Outreach volunteer
• Chair or Suffolk African History Collective (Volunteer)
• Chair of Race for Change (Volunteer)
• Secretary of Windrush Select Committee

Key Project Portfolios

• Exhale events
• Womb-wellness support groups
• Dare to be YOU! – Project
• Women in the Caribbean Online Wellness Hub
• Working on her book on fibroids due out in November 2020