A new festival is heading to Birmingham in October focused on connecting underrepresented communities with leading innovators from across the culture and technology sectors.
Niyo Fest will take place from October 3 to 5 and expects to welcome 10,000 attendees to meet and connect with a global roster of speakers and leaders.
Launched by Niyo Group – a collective of award-winning brands focused on disrupting the education and beauty industries – the three-day event will welcome some of the world’s most impressive minds. From inventors and entrepreneurs to artists and performers, Niyo Fest is set to be a celebration of technology, culture, and community.
At the forefront of the event is Oyinkansola Adebayo, the CEO and founder of Niyo Group. Having established herself as a formidable force in the STEM space, advocating for the empowerment of marginalised communities, Oyinkansola is a champion for the power of technology to economically empower underserved communities.
Through Niyo Group, she has recently trained over 650 black women to become full stack developers and data engineers, with some securing roles in organisations like KPMG, Goldman Sachs, and Accenture, to name a few.
Oyinkansola said: "Niyo Fest is more than just a festival – it’s a platform strategically designed to build a better environment for investment in the national and global female tech ecosystem. We’re bringing together a team of unique speakers to amplify the incredible work already going on in the region and to inspire tech innovators and cultural voices alike.
"We are thrilled to be gathering 10,000 people - with the majority of people being women from underrepresented backgrounds - in the heart of England's innovation hub.”
As of 2021, ethnic minorities remain severely underrepresented in STEM fields, with only 8% of the STEM workforce coming from black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. But, even more strikingly, black women make up just 0.3% of the UK’s STEM workforce, despite accounting for 4% of the overall population.
Niyo Fest has been designed to address this imbalance by amplifying the voices, innovation, and talents of those who have been historically marginalised throughout society.
Niyo Fest will feature talks from industry leaders and innovators, such as global speaker and entrepreneur Vusi Thembekwayo; Dragons’ Den star Lottie Whyte; the Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom in Nigeria, Olori Atuwatse III; founder and CEO of Rem3dy Health Melissa Snover and CEO of Yanolja Cloud, Jeff Kim, among others.
The festival will offer a variety of engaging sessions designed to equip attendees with the tools and resources they need to thrive. Whether developing technical skills, gaining business acumen, or simply connecting with like-minded individuals, the schedule offers the chance for people to connect across the festival.
In addition to a schedule of talks, Niyo Fest will also host "Niyo Hack," an intense three-day hackathon focused on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where teams will compete for cash prizes and the opportunity to collaborate with industry leaders. This initiative perfectly highlights Oyinkansola’s mission to foster innovation that is both inclusive and impactful.
Under her leadership, Oyinkansola aims for Niyo Fest is more than just an event; she wants it to be a platform for change. Her vision is clear: to create an unbiased future in tech by addressing the stark underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in the STEM workforce.
Wrapping up these exciting three days is chart topping artist, Darkoo, together with other British artists including Deborah Osibodu - better known as Ouraa.
Free tickets are now available at niyofest.com/tickets, with options for paid access that offers exclusive opportunities within the Investor Circle and Hackathon.
