Four Black-owned Businesses Secure Channel 4 Ad Airtime and Business Mentoring from Lloyds

Four Black-owned businesses have been selected as the winners of Channel 4’s Black in Business 2024 initiative, backed by Lloyds to connect Black entrepreneurs with the transformative power of TV advertising and business mentoring.

Now in its second year, the 2024 edition saw an exceptional standard of applicants, with an original shortlist of 20 businesses in the running for a combination of free advertising airtime, business support and their own Channel 4 TV advert.

The four winning businesses of Black in Business 2024 will each receive £150,000 worth of TV advertising airtime on Channel 4 which will run from July onwards. Alongside this, each business owner will receive mentoring from a ‘senior sponsor’ executive from both Channel 4 and Lloyds, providing expertise tailored towards the specific needs of their business. The winners are:

• Flake Bake: London’s largest handmade Jamaican patty maker, offering meat and vegetable options infused with Caribbean spices in seven different flavours.
• Flora & Curl: A West Midlands-based haircare brand offering natural, plant-powered products for individuals with textured hair.
• Alonuko: A London-based luxury women’s fashion brand specialising in handcrafted bridal and evening wear.
• Nylahs Naturals: A West Midlands-based textured haircare brand empowering Black women to embrace their natural hair with the use of advanced ingredient technologies, stimulating hair recovery.

Christopher Remie, commercial development lead, Channel 4 Sales, said, "All our finalists showcased a remarkable blend of purpose, research, and quality that highlights the excellence of Black-owned businesses in the UK. Choosing the winners was tough, but our selected businesses excelled in showcasing their strong products and readiness to scale through engaging presentations. They were chosen for their potential to thrive with TV advertising, leveraging its reach to drive growth and connect with new customers."

Black in Business was set up following separate research projects, commissioned by Channel 4 and supported by Lloyds, which highlighted Black entrepreneurs facing more obstacles setting up and running their businesses than their white counterparts:

• Channel 4 Sales’ research found that 56% of Black owned businesses only receive funding once they had already grown a successful business, compared to just 35% of white business owners who were given the same requirement by lenders. 
• Lloyds’ 2022 Black. British. In Business and Proud report revealed that 84% of Black business owners have been negatively discriminated against in their entrepreneurial efforts.

Ewan Douglas, head of sales nations and regions and business development, at Channel 4 Sales, said, “I’m proud that we had the opportunity to be introduced to so many promising businesses through the Black in Business initiative, and look forward to the next exciting phase as the winners work with Channel 4 on their adverts.

Our shortlisted businesses at top 20 and top 8 stage had tremendous potential, which made it all the more difficult to make a decision on who our winners would be.

Fundamentally, we were blown away by the entrepreneurial journeys of our chosen winners, and excited at the chance to work with them. We’re confident that Channel 4 will do our best to provide the expertise and insights needed to supercharge these businesses, helping them grow from strength to strength.”

Elyn Corfield, CEO, business and commercial banking, Lloyds Banking Group said, “These talented entrepreneurs have shown tremendous passion in starting and scaling their businesses, and that passion shone brightly throughout this year’s competition. Creativity and resilience are key to running a successful business so we look forward to seeing these winners thrive and inspire others. We already support over one million British businesses at all stages of their journey, across the UK, so whether you’re planning to turn a side hustle into a viable business or looking to grow an existing one, our Black entrepreneurs programme is committed to supporting those ambitions and helping Britain prosper”.

Mike Williams, Flake Bake said, “We are thrilled to be winners and honoured to be recognised for our hard work and vision. Black In Business will play a key role in helping us connect with customers, driving awareness and growth for Flake Bake to another level.”

Gbemi Okunola, ALONUKO said, "Growing up watching Channel 4 with my siblings, I could never have imagined that one day I’d not only own and grow a business, but also lead it to the point where its adverts would air on the very channel that shaped so many of my childhood memories. Winning this year's Black in Business represents both the hard work of my incredible team and a pivotal step forward as we continue to meet the growing demand for luxury bridal and evening wear, defined by exceptional design."

Kameese Davis, Nylah’s Naturals said, "I am delighted to have secured this incredible opportunity through Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank. Given the disparities Black & female founders face in accessing the capital needed to market our initiatives, this opportunity is transformative. It will amplify our voices and help us further our mission to promote hair wellness and provide solution-focused products for women dealing with challenges like hair loss."

Rose Ovensheshi, Flora & Curl said, "I am incredibly honoured to have been chosen as a winner as part of this incredible initiative by Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank to promote and uplift Black-owned businesses on TV! Myself and my whole team are buzzing and we can’t wait to see the sales uplift and experience the national recognition after a busy last 2 years of our rebrand project which has been a labour of love. We are just over the moon!''