You Make It

Do workplaces still care about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion? Last week I gave a talk to a room of highly ambitious working-class women of colour. The main concern of the attendees was whether companies still cared about DEI in 2024. None of them were looking for handouts but the thing they struggled with the most was getting some form of work experience that could kickstart their careers. I wouldn’t be where I am today without an entry-level role and I’m sure this is a fundamental part of most successful people's careers in business. So, if you’re a mentor, hiring manager or business with capacity to help in any way please get in touch with You Make It charity and Song-lian. Thanks for having me! ❤️ 

🎉 Calling for Raffle Prize Donations! 🎉 We’re excited to be hosting a raffle at our You Make It Graduation Event on November 25th to raise funds that go straight back into empowering young women through our charity. We’re reaching out to our amazing community for support—do you, or someone you know, have a prize to donate? It could be anything from an experience, a physical gift, or an educational opportunity. Every contribution, big or small, goes a long way in supporting our mission! We’re aiming to confirm all prizes by the end of October, so if you can help or know someone who can, please get in touch. Your generosity will make a huge difference! 💛 Thank you for your support 💫 Asma Shah Song-lian Li-everington #Fundraising #CharityRaffle #YouMakeIt #EmpoweringWomen #CommunitySupport

Heather DeLand about You Make It 🙏🏽

Last week I met the incredible team at You Make It and learned more about their very thoughtful mentoring programme that gets into some really tactical action, opening up traditionally 'middle class, white spaces' to under-served communities. You Make It is mentoring 'plus' in that it features all the 1:1 mentoring support that you might expect, together with tangible action within workplaces to increase a sense of access and belonging. I know from personal experience how intimidating those glossy offices can be - so it's really important to demystify for people what goes on in those ivory towers to help them dare to dream! So my questions are: ❤️ Do I know anyone who's been considering giving back (and being soooo rewarded) by being a mentor? YMI is doing a new intake now and you will get plenty of training. Get in touch with Song-lian Li-everington who can hook you up with more info. 🏙 Do I know anyone, particulary if you have offices in Tower Hamlets, who might be willing to open up a space to invite programme mentees to experience and familiarise themselves with a working environment they might never have had access to before? Get in touch, we can get you a conversation with the programmes team. No pressure but I'm thinking of Katerina Nicholaou, Maria (Gianakakos) Nops, Alexandra O'Connor, Jaimie Hampton, Emma Britton, Michelle Ruddle, Georgina Sweeney, Faye Woodhead, Vanessa Ferris, Steven Brand, Natalie Jones, Remy Foucher, Rob Lewis, Phil Catcheside

Really very proud of the relationship Havas Media Network have with You Make It, the work that Asma Shah is doing and how absolutely brilliant Asia Kareema has been and the committment she's put into making so much of the opportunity she went for when she applied to the programme. I can not overstate the lessons I've learned by being a part of work like this outside my day job, whether that's You Make It, apprenticeship schemes from the Maxus and Wavemaker days or some upcoming partnerships we havent yet revealed. I urge anyone - if there's something you think you can do to make a difference, find a way to do it and make it happen - dont just join a committee and sit back passively! https://lnkd.in/eXZ_25SV

As a race and class inclusion organisation that has been created for Black and Brown women and that is staffed by Black and Brown women, the fascist violence that has accelerated across the weekend is incredibly painful. It has not surprised us though, and we are very conscious that it has not emerged out of nowhere. Racism is perpetuated through the media, politicians (mainstream ones too), a lack of education, complicity by many.

✨ Calling All Changemakers! Two Powerful Roles Await at You Make It! ✨ Two incredible opportunities have opened up to join our amazing You Make It team, and we're searching for passionate individuals to join our mission! Our award-winning organisation is dedicated to empowering women from Black and Brown, racialised and global majority communities to access the social, cultural and economic life of their city. We're looking for two incredible individuals to join our close-knit team: a Programmes and Pastoral Care Manager and an Organisational Administrator. This isn't just a job, it's a mission! Here's how you'll make a difference: ✅ Programmes and Pastoral Care Manager: You'll be the driving force behind our award-winning programmes, ensuring women from the communities we work with thrive. ✅ Organisational Administrator: Become the superhero behind the scenes! Your organisational magic will keep things running smoothly, ensuring our team has the resources to empower women. What makes us awesome? 🏆 Award-winning and progressive: We're a force for good, recognised for our impactful work for more than 13 years. 👩🏽💻 Founded by a visionary leader: Asma Shah, our CEO, is passionate about creating a better future for global majority women. 🙌🏽 Thriving, supportive team: We believe in collaboration, learning and celebrating each other's wins. 🌟 Making a real difference: You'll see firsthand how your work transforms women's lives. Apply today Don't miss this chance to join a movement for positive change ✊🏽 ✊🏾 ✊🏿 Visit our website to learn more and apply today! We are especially keen to hear from applicants that reflect the diversity of the working class, Black and Asian women that You Make It supports. PS. Please share this with anyone who might be a great fit! ✨ Carroll Lloyd Charity (FIRP, BSc)

Happy International Women's Day! We're very much looking forward to this collaboration with Once Upon A Time and we're delighted to have Managing Director, Lisa Fass, as one of the amazing mentors that will be guiding and supporting the young women in our programme. Once Upon A Time will be supporting You Make It by providing with mentors for our programmes, hosting work placements for our graduates and providing us with venue space for activities. We can't wait to see this partnership evolve and grow!

LEVRA has been collaborating with the incredible charity, You Make It, to empower young unemployed and underemployed women by building their confidence and developing their interview skills. To kick the year off, last week we hosted a session at the Nike HQ in London enabling a brilliant group of females to practise responding to interview questions in VR and receive real-time feedback. Why did these learners rate the experience so highly? ✅ Increased Confidence: The participants emerged with newfound confidence, fully prepared to tackle any interview challenge. ✅ Failing Safely: LEVRA offers a safe space for individuals to make mistakes, learn, and improve, allowing for personal reflection and rapid skills development. ✅ Enhanced Interview Skills: The VR environment offered a realistic setting, sharpening a learner's ability to think on their feet and respond effectively under pressure. LEVRA is committed to developing these fundamental Human Skills and opening up opportunities for bright futures. Stay tuned for more amazing initiatives! 💪 #Empowerment #Innovation #VirtualReality #YouMakeIt #LEVRA #CareerDevelopment

Good evening Network! This post holds a very special place in my heart. A couple of weeks ago, thanks to the amazing Carole Mehigan had the privilege and the honour to be a mentor on the fantastic programme You Make It ✨ I honestly didn’t know what to expect but I fell in love with the story, drive and vision behind the organisation. I had never mentored before and didn’t really know how much I could offer but what I did know is that I’ve always wanted to pour into, inspire and encourage anyone who needed it. Moreover, as I’ve continued my journey in life I’ve also experinced impact of a great mentor. Someone who believes in you when you don’t yourself and someone who sees something in you that you don’t. I just knew that I wanted to be that person for someone. I knew I didn’t have all the credentials in the world but I knew I cared enough to show up. And after that first training session, I knew I made the right decision. There aren’t enough words in the English language to express my gratitude for this programme. To the You Make It team Zoe Gray Jacquie Rosenbach Davinia Vincent Hafsah Khan, thank you for welcoming me with open arms and providing me as a mentor a safe space. Thank you for serving and allowing us as mentors to do the same. Thank you for the moments of joy and the moments of vulnerability. To the founder, Asma Shah, thank you for your yes. Thank you for telling your story. Thank you for being an example. Thank you for using your history to re-write the future of others. I am in awe of your strength and I hope to one day follow the example you have set. To my Mentee Tianna Amore I am so immensely proud of your journey. Even as I’m writing this my eyes are filled with tears because of your growth. You are a force to be reckoned with and I am so pleased to have met you and been on this journey with you. Your drive, your confidence, your heart. You are one of a kind and meeting you was one of the best things of my 2023. To the rest of the graduates, well done for taking a step towards the future you. Hearing all of your stories was so heart warming and inspiring. I was moved by the reminder of the importance of vulnerability community. Thank you for reminding me to be kind always. You Make It I am so excited for your future!