Bernie Davies has brought together people from around the globe at a two-day female empowerment event in London

One of Wales’s most high-profile black entrepreneurs has organised and hosted a special event in London dedicated to female empowerment. The two-day event featured a number of internationally renowned contributors, and brought together people from across the UK, Commonwealth and US, culminating in a gathering at the House of Lords.

Bernie Davies organised the two-day event, called Women Mastering Change, on the back of her successful LinkedIn Live monthly event ‘Your Way Empowerment Series’, launched in January 2022. This series offers a platform for likeminded women of any race, colour or creed to share their story and encourage and inspire each other.

The London-based two-day event has built on this series, bringing women together to discuss and debate their role in society. Davies’ collaborators on the series Cody Gapare, an award-winning inventor, and Desiree Peterkin Bell, a double best-selling author and seasoned public affairs and brand strategist who has worked with two US Presidents, also joined Davies for the event.

The first day of the in-person event was held on Monday, March 13, at Lancaster Gate and featured high-profile speakers including entrepreneur, Maureen Mandipaza; Durdana Ansari OBE, Hon Captain of the Royal Navy; and Eula Clarke, an award-winning financial services professional.

The speaker line-up over the two days also included the event’s headline sponsors, Stephanie Taylor & Nicky Taylor, certified life coaches and Founders of Blow Up Your Life; Mercy Gilbert, chairman of the Conservative Party in Orpington for five years; Eula Clarke, retired Assistant VP of Barclays Bank, philanthropist and entrepreneur; and Lady Anne Welsh, CEO of Painless Universe.

The second day, held on Tuesday, March 14, was by invitation only at the House of Lords. This hosted over 80 guests including businesspeople, academics, authors, entrepreneurs, charity founders and ambassadors. Also in attendance were several UK parliamentarians, including Lord Qurban Hussain, a Liberal Democrat Life Peer and well-known advocate for the disenfranchised, who spoke at the event.

Amongst the cohort of attendees there were many individuals from Davies’ home country of Wales, with representatives of Welsh Universities, businesses, public services, charities, and housing associations, representing the principality in the heart of the UK’s capital city.

This included Professor Meena Upadhyaya from Cardiff University; Nia Roberts, Advisory Panel Member Public Services Ombudsman for Wales; Gus Williams, CEO of Bevan and Buckland; and Nicola Merriman, Managing Director of Pembrokeshire-based Mojo Marketing – brand sponsor of the event.

Other notable guests included the Zimbabwean Deputy Ambassador, Elisha Karodza, along with other representatives from the Zimbabwean Embassy, and Andrew Martin from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

The event’s host and organiser, Davies, has featured as a TEDx Speaker, is a bestselling author, DEI Advisor, entrepreneur and qualified lawyer. She has also previously spoken at the United Nations, the House of Lords, Royal Society London and Excel Arena. During COVID, she launched Bernie Davies Global, which helped businesses and other entrepreneurs navigate the pitfalls of getting back to a new normal post COVID-19.

Bernie Davies said:

“I am delighted to say that this two-day event has been a tremendous success! It has been a natural progression to be able to take the idea of my ‘Your Way Empowerment Series’ and host an event where women could meet face-to-face and educate and inspire each other. It was particularly wonderful to hold it in a setting that reflects the aspirations of dreaming big and reaching for the things, places and people that can make a real difference – globally.

“It was also fantastic to be able to bring so many people from my home country of Wales to the event at the House of Lords. There were representatives from almost every aspect of Welsh academic, public, business, and cultural life – all amazing ambassadors for the best of what Wales can offer, brought right into the heart of the UK Capital.

“With this two-day event we achieved a huge amount, with an action-packed agenda and some incredible, inspirational individual speakers. We hope this will be the first of many such events and we can grow the concept to inspire even more people to achieve their dreams and goals and fulfil their potential.”

Commenting on the event, Tarnya Coley, award-winning publisher, said:

“Every speaker spoke from the heart, encouraging us to embrace our unique gifts and continue shining in our brilliance. It’s important to remember that it’s about purpose, not position. Now it’s time to take action and use our gifts to make a difference in the world.”