The Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Entrepreneurs (DBACE), in partnership with MeWe360are delighted to announce this year’s five winners of the annual awards programme that celebrates creative changemakers dedicated to achieving positive social impact through enterprise.†
Awarded to five exceptional entrepreneurs every year, the 2025 winners were revealed at a prestigious award ceremony last night held at Deutsche Bank in London hosted by television presenter, radio broadcaster, and journalist Brenda Emmanus OBE.
The winners will receive a collective prize fund of £60,000 and £100,000 of tailored business support and leadership development from MeWe360’s roster of influential industry mentors, consultants and extensive network of creatives. The five remaining finalists will be offered the opportunity of a 12-month incubator membership with MeWe360, providing business and leadership support and training. This year’s winners are:
- BLACK GIRL KNIT CLUB: a collective which aims to empower Black women and women of colour through craft, creativity and community.
- SECURE STORYTELLING NETWORK: supports filmmakers working in high-risk environments with digital security training, safety protocols, and resources.
- CONTENT IS QUEEN: connects diverse audio creators with brands and commissioners through a transparent marketplace.
- ELOQUENT DANCE COMPANY: empowers young people, mainly from African Caribbean and dual heritage backgrounds, through dance and music
- BEALIES ADAPTIVE WEAR: designs and produces adaptive leisurewear for wheelchair users and disabled people.
Sicgmone Kludje & Vea Koranteng, Black Girl Knit Club (London)
Awarded £9,000
A collective which aims to empower Black women and women of colour through creativity and community. By teaching hand knitting and hosting workshops and talks, BGKC builds confidence, fosters connection, and supports the next generation through meaningful cultural and creative engagement.
Sicgmone Kludje & Vea Koranteng say, “We are excited to continue our journey with MEWE360. This award will catapult and allow us to scale our business through providing products, learning tools and skills to further support our creative community. With BGKC we are committed and dedicated to show up for the community that we’ve built over the six years, and we can’t wait to achieve our goals and vision for the brand as we grow with DBACE. It’s great to be recognised and this achievement means a lot to us!”
Imriel Morgan, Content is Queen (London)
Awarded £10,000
Connects diverse audio creators with brands and commissioners through a transparent marketplace, offering a streamlined way to discover, hire, and monetise talent globally. The platform helps brands discover creators beyond their existing networks and creators can apply without needing industry connections.
Imriel Morgan says, “It feels extremely validating to win the DBACE Awards. I remember looking at the applications each year and not feeling like it was for me. This year I took a chance on it and was grateful to be longlisted. To win means absolutely everything and is the rocket fuel I need to pursue my business fully.”
Romanah Buchanan, Eloquent Dance (Birmingham)
An award-winning arts organisation empowers young people, mainly from African Caribbean and dual heritage backgrounds, through dance, music and cross-artform projects. Core offerings include weekly dance classes for 2-18-year-olds, school workshops and outreach, a youth leadership programme and accessible pathways from participation to professional careers, using cultural heritage as a source of creative strength.
Awarded £15,000
Romanah Buchanan says, “Winning this award for me is all about legacy. That we can continue to support all of the young people and individuals we work with at Eloquent Dance. Working with the MeWe team has been amazing, they’re so supportive and to be in the room with entrepreneurs on the same journey is so empowering. The support from DBACE means the world. I want to learn how my organisation can be more sustainable and grow in this creator economy which is booming for dance at the moment.”
Kit Hung, Secure Storytelling Network (London)
Awarded £10,000
Offers digital security training, safety protocols, and resources for filmmakers working in high-risk environments who may face censorship surveillance, and personal risk while telling socially impactful stories. Partnering globally, it centers underrepresented voices and helps media adopt secure, ethical practices to ensure safe and sustainable storytelling.
Kit Hung says, “Winning this DBACE Award means that safe-guarding storytellers is becoming the focus of public consciousness. Thank you DBACE for protecting our voice.”
Caron McLuckie, Bealies Adaptive Wear (Greater Manchester)
Designs and produces adaptive casualwear for wheelchair users and disabled people. Inspired to start the business when her teenage son experienced a spinal cord stroke, the brand now operates an online store and is preparing to scale through a rebrand and the launch of new products to stay aligned with mainstream fashion trends.
Awarded £16,000
Caron McLuckie says, “Being seen, being heard and being recognised for what we are doing means the world. As a mumpreneur and a northerner I am driven by resilience and determination – the same qualities I see in my son Emile every day. It was Emile who inspired this business, and winning tonight means I’ll be able to take us to the next level.”
Now in its third decade, DBACE remains the UK’s longest running awards programme committed to supporting and nurturing innovative talent in the creative industries. Open to all applicants over the age of 18, DBACE continues to empower the next generation of creative entrepreneurs through crucial start-up capital, expert business and leadership training as well as access to industry networks.
This year DBACE received over 500 applications and since inception the programme has worked with hundreds of leaders and over 400 creative ventures, with thousands more benefitting from expert mentorship. The partnership with MeWe360, a not-for-profit incubator championing Black, Asian, and minority ethnic entrepreneurs in the arts and creative industries, has further expanded DBACE’s impact and reach, ensuring equal access to talented founders from underrepresented groups who may not have access to traditional means of funding and support.
This year’s ten finalists pitched their business ideas to a distinguished judging panel including: Karen Abbott, Managing Director, Global Head of CB & IB KYC Ops and Client Onboarding, Deutsche Bank; Dr Guy Baron, singer-producer, academic, and creative coach, Goldsmiths University of London; Ola Christian, Founder & MD, LEVILE and DBACE 2024 winner; Mohan Yogendran, Managing Director, Talent Circles & MeWe36 Board Chair and Samantha Burke, Managing Director at Love Drinks.
Karen Abbott, Global Head of Corporate & Investment Bank, KYC and Client Onboarding, Deutsche Bank, says: “For more than thirty years, Deutsche Bank has been committed to fostering creative enterprise through DBACE. We take immense pride in the exceptional founders we have supported, whose ventures have demonstrated remarkable growth and delivered meaningful societal impact. This year’s winners are no exception, and we are excited to follow their journeys and the difference they will make in 2025”
Louise Nkosi, CEO, MeWe360, says: “Every year, DBACE introduces us to a new wave of creative entrepreneurs who are not only full of ideas, but driven by purpose. The 2025 prize recipients have emerged from an incredibly strong field, and each of them represents the kind of innovation and impact our communities urgently need. I’m proud to be celebrating their achievements and excited for MeWe360 to support them in turning bold visions into sustainable ventures that deliver real social and environmental change.”
Mohan Yogendran, Managing Director, Talent Circles & MeWe360 Board Chair says: “’It was an exciting, insightful and provoking day meeting each of the finalists, hearing their presentations and quizzing them on their organisations and their plans. All had a passion for their work and the social difference they are making – and will be making. With such a diverse array of projects and organisations each with unique qualities, choosing some winners was never going to be easy. But working with my co-judges who each came with distinctive perspectives and life experiences made this all the more enjoyable and thrilling.”
As the UK’s creative sector continues to grapple with economic instability, DBACE’s mission is more vital than ever. By foregrounding diversity, accessibility, and the power of enterprise for good, the awards give entrepreneurs the resources to thrive regardless of age, background, or circumstance.