Tech Diversity Champion given an MBE in New Year Honours list

Ezechi Britton recognised for services to Diversity and Young People and joins a number of other black Britons named in this year’s list

HONOUR: Ezechi Britton has been appointed an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours list

AWARD-WINNING tech diversity champion Ezechi Britton has been appointed an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours list. He has been recognised for his services to Diversity and Young People.

Britton is the co-founder of Code Untapped, a social enterprise set up to increase the number of people in tech from ethnic minority backgrounds. It provides crucial training and mentorship to young people who may otherwise not have gone into the industry.

Since its inception in 2018, Code Untapped has partnered with Google, Vanquis Bank, Amido, Cancer Central, and the Department for Education to run workshops and hackathons to encourage people from diverse backgrounds into the sector and has enabled Black female engineers from Coding Black Females to find roles in high street banks like NatWest.

A delighted Britton, said: “I am truly honoured to receive this recognition for my work in trying to diversify the tech industry and help more young people see that it is a career path that is open to them.

“There are so many talented aspiring technologists out there. I really hope this MBE inspires them to join a sector where there is so much opportunity. I also hope it shows them that while they will encounter challenges along the way, with hard work, perseverance and commitment, they can succeed and get to the very top.”

A serial entrepreneur with over 15 years’ experience in fintech, Britton’s professional journey includes being software developer and Founding Member and Chief Technology Officer in Residence of venture capital firm Impact X Capital Partners.

The London headquartered company invests in underrepresented entrepreneurs, particularly women and Black founders, in the UK and Europe. Its investments include insurance firm Marshmallow, recently named as the UK’s second Black unicorn; device subscription start-up, Raylo; menopause/perimenopause start-up Health & Her; and Black hair care start-up Afrocenchix.

ACCOLADE: Jennifer Ogole was honoured for her services to young people

In 2019, Britton was named Venture Capitalist of the Year at the Inclusive Tech Alliance (ITA) Awards for his commitment to underrepresented founders and his “impressive transition from software development to venture capital”.

Prior to joining Impact X Capital, Britton was the founding Chief Technology Officer of Neyber, a multi-award-winning UK fintech firm focused on financial wellbeing.

A June 2020 report by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, which used data from the Office of National Statistics Labour Force Survey, found that only 2% of people working in IT in the UK were black while only 9% of IT specialists at director level were black or from ethnic minority backgrounds.

As a youngster growing up in Lewisham, south-east London, it was his passion for video games that first inspired Britton to pursue a career in tech.

He said: “I played the arcade game Double Dragon at my local swimming pool and was immediately blown away by what you could do with a computer and the virtual worlds that could be created.”

However, his drive was not supported by his school where there was little encouragement to excel and he had no role models who “looked like me” in this space. As part of his Computer Science degree he applied for programmer internship roles but was rejected from every company approached due to poor GCSE and A-Level results.

His break came when his perseverance led to his first technology role at Lehman Brothers investment bank and he has never looked back.

Among the other black Britons recognised in the New Year’s honours list are dancer and choreographer Ashley Banjo who, has been made an MBE. He said he was “humbled and extremely proud” to have been given the award.

Former Spice Girl Mel B was also given an MBE for her work with domestic violence charity Women’s Aid.

Also awarded an MBE was Gary Bennett, Sunderland’s first black player and one of the first three patrons of the charity Show Racism the Red Card.

Parasport athlete and television presenter Kadeena Cox was given an OBE.

There were also OBEs for Pauline Black, who came to prominence in the late 1970s as lead singer of ska revival band The Selector and mathematician Nira Chamberlain.

A knighthood was given to Trevor Phillips, the former head of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission who presents Sky’s Sunday morning politics show.

Jennifer Ogole, 47, Chief Executive and founder of London Borough of Brent-based, youth-focused charity BANG Edutainment, was also awarded an OBE “for services to young people”.

Through BANG Edutainment, founded in 1999, Ogole and a group of young people from Brent’s Stonebridge and Harlesdon, create platforms and projects through partnerships that engage, promote, and develop the skills young people and teenagers need for their careers and their lives.

Speaking about her OBE, Ogole said: “I am thrilled and deeply honoured to have been awarded this prestigious accolade. It is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of all those who have helped me make BANG what it is today: one of the UK’s leading youth charities.

“We are helping build a new generation. My vision is of a society where young people have the self-esteem, the confidence to imagine and create new, positive futures for themselves, and their communities. We want to see a world where they are the informed drivers of their future.”

Comments Form

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*
*

Support The Voice

The Voice Newspaper is committed to celebrating black excellence, campaigning for positive change and informing the black community on important issues. Your financial contributions are essential to protect the future of the publication as we strive to help raise the profile of the black communities across the UK. Any size donation is welcome and we thank you for your continued support.

Support Sign-up