Imagine growing up in an environment where you're different from everyone else.
Our guest, Ayo Barley knows this all too well. Raised in a predominantly white working-class area in the UK, Ayo's experiences ignited her passion for advocating for minoritised communities.
Her journey led her to establish a charity and a consultancy aimed at fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. She also shares her personal story of reclaiming her Nigerian name, underscoring the importance of embracing one's identity.

Navigating the world of higher education and employment can be challenging, especially when you're faced with deeply entrenched biases. Ayo sheds light on this, highlighting her role as the chair of the Yorkshire Consortium for Equity in Doctoral Education.
This consortium has set its sights on making PhD programmes more accessible for underrepresented groups. We also discuss the complexities and layers of identity and the importance of creating a sense of belonging in the workplace.

This episode is a testament to the power of personal experiences and the importance of ongoing commitment to DEI initiatives.

About this Episode Guest: Ayo Barley
Ayo (she/her) is the founder and Managing Director of Bakare Barley Ltd, a Liverpool (UK) based consultancy that works with organisations and underrepresented groups to influence strategy, policy and practice relating to advancing Equality, Diversity and
Inclusion (EDI). She is host of The Inclusion Exchange podcast which highlights how to make EDI improvements and catalyse progress in advancing equity in organisations.
She has an academic background in Social Policy and has worked with people who are underrepresented in community and corporate settings including in science and engineering, banking, the Voluntary Sector, Higher Education, the National Health
Service (NHS), Local Authorities, and social care to bring about visible culture change.
Ayo has complementary skills in business development which includes improving financial performance through robust business strategies and income generation, and approaches EDI from a social justice, business performance, and compliance lens.
Ayo is an Independent Equalities Advisor to national UK charity Citizens Advice, Chair of the External Advisory Board of the Yorkshire Consortium for Equity in Doctoral Education (YCEDE) and co-founded the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff network.