Paul Sesay

Paul Sesay is the founder and CEO of the National Diversity Awards, and the person behind the annual list of the Top 50 Most Inclusive UK Employers. He’s also a Patron of Liverpool’s BAME-focused mental health support organisation, Mary Seacole House.

I had a fascinating and inspirational chat with him today at one of Mary Seacole House’s regular Cultural Awareness Days at the Kuumba Imani Centre.

Paul was born in Leeds and grew up with a series of foster families, an experience which left him traumatised and homeless at the age of 15.

At 19, he moved to Liverpool and found the support of mentors who gave him the self-belief he needed to make the journey from MCing at local club nights to becoming a top advisor on inclusion and diversity to some of the world’s biggest businesses.

I’ve been feeling pretty jaded and uninspired recently but speaking with Paul re-ignited some fire in my belly. Just what I need to get me through the next few days (and beyond!).

Paul mentioned that he was a fan of Run-DMC in his youth, so I thought today’s tune had better be ‘It’s Like That’ https://youtube.com/watch?v=_hN1SKVx31s