The untold stories of ethnic minority entrepreneurs | Professor Monder Ram | TEDxAstonUniversity

Quick Overview

Professor Monder Ram argues that true change in society, particularly for ethnic minority entrepreneurs, requires actively involving these communities in decision-making processes rather than relying on external, often condescending, assessments from established institutions, citing his own experience working with the West Midlands Bank and local government to foster genuine engagement and economic growth.

Key Points: Professor Monder Ram recounts visiting a Somali-owned grocery store in Leicester where the owner sold essential goods, not just standard items, demonstrating community-level economic activity. Ram notes that mainstream institutions often ignore or exploit the stories of minority entrepreneurs, citing an experience where his father's clothing business was deemed 'helpless and exploitative' by external assessors. The speaker highlights the success of a project supporting ethnic minority entrepreneurs in the West Midlands, which contributed £25 billion to the economy. Ram emphasizes that change happens when communities are allowed to tell their own stories and that external bodies should not impose solutions but engage in co-creation. He shares an anecdote about the West Midlands Bank and the Department for Business and Trade initially refusing to support his community organization, but later agreeing after seeing the project's success. The core message challenges the traditional narrative of change by asking, "Who gets to tell your story? Rethinking how change really happens." The speaker advocates for co-creating solutions with communities rather than imposing them, pointing to the positive economic impact of the supported ethnic minority businesses.

Context: Monder Ram, Professor and Director at CREME, delivers a TEDx talk at Aston University titled "Rethinking Tomorrow," focusing on the importance of community storytelling and authentic engagement in driving economic and social change, particularly for entrepreneurs from ethnic minority backgrounds. Ram uses personal anecdotes from his career, including his experiences in Leicester and working with regional government bodies, to illustrate how top-down approaches often fail compared to collaborative, community-led initiatives.