Ripping it all up to start again with TV Executive Bunmi Akintonwa

This week’s guest is Bunmi Akintonwa, Producer, Writer, Exec Producer and CEO of the little black book co (lbbc) a UK production and distribution company backed by Impact X Studios, a fund created by a group of inspirational black investors to support underrepresented entrepreneurs with potential to make a significant difference.

The last couple of years has meant certain projects went hold, which also meant the income from them ceased, and the investors' money was impacted. Bunmi's writing partner died too, and so she was left trying to pick up the pieces and push for new opportunities.

 Always resilient and go-getting Bunmi started out as the life style  editor  of  the  Voice  and contributed  to  a number  of  other Youth  style  mags. Then she became a TV reporter on 2nd  series  of  a  cult  youth  series  called  Network  7. Everyone working there was young, hungry and up for doing whatever was needed to get the show in the road. It was all hands on deck and everyone had a chance to test their mettle.

But when it came time to progress her career through the usual channels with a large broadcaster,  reflecting her experience, Bunmi came face to face with sexism and racism, first hand. She wasn't imagining it; the producer told her straight up, they'd fulfilled their quota for black women.

 Undaunted, she accepted another job, that took her Rome and her career bloomed until she got pregnant and found that the company didn't want women who were mothers in their midst. By the time she came back from maternity leave, her job had 'changed'.

So out of the ashes she created her own TV production and Distribution company LBBC, and eventually returned to  the UK  armed  with  her  international  experience.  But the pandemic  put a stick in her spokes. 

Only now she knew that her work was bigger than anything that could get in her way. Black Lives Matter was the catalyst to start working to help diversify organisations especially within TV industry. After realising the extent of underrepresentation at Cannes Film & TV Festival she founded & became a jury member of DiversifyTV Excellence Awards in partnership with MipCom.

 She defines courage as taking  risks , pushing boundaries, pushing open doors  (for  yourself or others) having them slammed  in your face, getting  up  again  taking  risks  again. She believes that when things aren't working you've to rip it all up and start again.

Thank you so much Bunmi for being a driving force for the underrepresented and for producing sustainable and inclusive content that leads the way for a more equal playing fi

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