Nurture Network Live 26: The Hidden Side of Leadership – Building belonging in leadership and entrepreneurship
by Maxine-Laurie Marshall
We were proud to bring together over 100 women across leadership, business and early careers at Nurture Network Live 26, headlined by Fidelity Investments and hosted at Rise by Barclays in Shoreditch. The day was supported by partners including LinkedIn and Here We Flo, with goody bags curated by Poetry Pharmacy, Molli BB.
From the day, Maxine-Laurie Marshall sits down with Khalia Ismain, founder of Jamii and sustainability director at Lloyds Banking Group, to explore how to build a sense of belonging, whether you are leading within an organisation or building one of your own.
One of the less talked-about – but deeply felt – aspects of leadership is the experience of feeling like you don’t belong. Not seeing yourself reflected in existing systems and navigating environments that weren’t necessarily designed with you in mind can be draining and damaging. But one powerful way to address this lack of belonging is by creating your own space within existing systems. The ability to do this is a valuable leadership skill. For Black women in particular, it can be a superpower.
With that in mind, at this year’s Nurture Network Live I sat down with Khalia Ismain – founder of Jamii, a platform championing Black-owned businesses, and social sustainability director at Lloyds Banking Group – to break down the key to building a sense of belonging on your leadership journey.
Ismain approaches the subject of belonging from a unique standpoint, admitting she hasn’t really experienced a time when she didn’t feel a strong sense of belonging. But rather than claiming it’s down to the good fortune of only coming across well curated spaces, she admits she very consciously only stayed in places where that feeling of belonging was present: “If the vibe isn’t right I leave”.
Solid advice, but what if that’s not always possible, what if you need to stick with a position for a while due to other situational reasons? Ismain reminds us you can benefit from your community outside of a workplace as well. Curating and leaning into spaces where you feel great can help us if we don’t get what we need at work. And for any entrepreneurs worried their business idea may ‘not belong’. She simply explains: “I don’t believe that, we’re now at a point where niche audiences can be reached easier than ever, there’s a huge market available to entrepreneurs. So if you have an idea, just know that of course it belongs out in the wild. Gone are the days of needing to stick to the mainstream.”
Creating belonging - for yourself and for others
Ismain’s outlook is refreshing and her words should act as a positive reminder that our ideas belong and so do we. And if the feeling isn’t right, we can always do something about that. Ismain decided to do something early on in her career, just out of Uni at 22 she co-founded Jamii with her sister.
Beginning life as a discount membership, the Jamii card offers up to 40% off purchases from partner brands, all of whom are Black-owned businesses. In 2020 that grew to an online marketplace for people to shop with hundreds of Black-owned brands and this year it proudly celebrates its 10th birthday.
Ismain’s motivation behind Jamii was: “wanting to support black owned businesses in a way that’s meaningful and sustainable”, and she can now proudly say Jamii has facilitated more than £1m in sales for its partner brands.
Creating belonging is something Ismain does wherever she goes, from intentionally creating a space for Black businesses in Jamii to being the first person to put Jamaican Patois on Lloyds merchandise. In her role as Black Entrepreneurs programme manager Ismain knew authentically was the only way to speak to an audience of Black Businesses who feel underrepresented in the world of finance. And she’s ensured one of the oldest banking brands in the UK, with a history stretching back 260 years, is able to reach that audience with credibility.
Choosing to ‘ask for forgiveness rather than seek permission’, her now famous, ‘Money affi mek’ (meaning money has to be made) water bottles proved so popular they’ve been re-printed numerous times and are still almost impossible to get your hands on.
As well as creating belonging, Ismain speaks positively about always having felt a strong sense of belonging at Lloyds. She builds on her earlier advice and says: “It’s a brand I’ve worked with in my time with Jamii so I knew I’d get on well here and I’ve received a lot of senior sponsorship which impacts positively on my experience. Ultimately the company’s values align with mine, that’s key in feeling a strong sense of belonging in a work place.”
Looking to the Future
The excitement for Nurture Network Live 2027 is already building. Taking place in January 2027, the event will bring together leaders, founders and future talent for a day of honest conversations around the realities of leadership, the decisions, the pressure and the moments that shape you.
We’ll be back in London with a new lineup of speakers and stories designed to challenge, support and move you forward. A small number of early bird tickets are now available. We’d love to see you in the room.
→ Find out more about NNL27 and secure your place
